Introducing sheep to Turnips

[devonbrion1998]

Well I have a really nice strip of Turnips, Thanks to the advice given on here, one of the most satisfying things I have done in years.
A couple of things, they're about the size of a small orange at the moment and they are the big variety so probably need another month or so? And I will strip graze with a good runoff, how much should I allow them to graze when they first go on? a couple of metres or so? just to get a taste of it, I'm aware there could be issues if they gorge themselves, but not sure what they are? Thanks in advance

 

[Al R]

Have they never seen any before? I put all mine on sweeping up as ewe lambs so they know what it is as adults but I just put them in with silage/haylage ad lib, most go straight for the bulbs now as they remember from the year before. Lay back in the field their in is best like around the hedge or a rough part of the field etc, going through gateways turns into the Somme in wet conditions and you get an acre in both fields turn to mud from the gateway. The first week maybe use a lay back but after that they won’t usually need it as they’ve got the taste for the turnips.

 

[devonbrion1998]

No never seen Turnips before, we have never grown them here before,brings me to my other question, would they be best suited to finishing my lambs or better off putting the ewes on there.
They are a 2-acre strip in a 6ac field with well-rested grass around the strip,should be some good keep,if I get things right.

 

[HarryB97]

Make sure when they first go on the turnips you keep them on the same patch till they have cleared nealry all the bulb otherwise they'll favour the leaves and waste the most important bit. We generally give them enough to last them 5-7 days once they get going. Don't bother with a run back. Fine for ewes or lambs. Lambs need to be on them for months in order to finish and ewes can get to fat especially singles and twins, can be hard on older ewes teeth as well.

 

[devonbrion1998]

Make sure when they first go on the turnips you keep them on the same patch till they have cleared nealry all the bulb otherwise they'll favour the leaves and waste the most important bit. We generally give them enough to last them 5-7 days once they get going. Don't bother with a run back. Fine for ewes or lambs. Lambs need to be on them for months in order to finish and ewes can get to fat especially singles and twins, can be hard on older ewes teeth as well.

Thanks for that all clear, one more thing if I attempt to finish the lambs on there would it be a problem to feed some cake along with the turnips? or will they blow.

 

[pgk]

Why feed cake, good turnips finish lambs quickly once rumen adjusts, we start ours with round bale hay when they first go in.

 

[neilo]

Make sure when they first go on the turnips you keep them on the same patch till they have cleared nealry all the bulb otherwise they'll favour the leaves and waste the most important bit. We generally give them enough to last them 5-7 days once they get going. Don't bother with a run back. Fine for ewes or lambs. Lambs need to be on them for months in order to finish and ewes can get to fat especially singles and twins, can be hard on older ewes teeth as well.

^sound advice.

 

[Estate fencing.]

I don't bother with a run back. And my dad always fed hay with his on turnips, which made them filthy.
I just pen them into about an acre to start with and make them clear it up, it take about a week to really get them eating the root. Then go onto weekly fence moves, keeps it really simple and very little work once they are going. Iv got 350 of the small lambs grazing turnips now been on it 4 weeks and really are starting to thrive with very little work (I spend about an hour a week moving the fence and that it). They should last 6 more weeks when I will kill the lot.

 

[devonbrion1998]

I don't bother with a run back. And my dad always fed hay with his on turnips, which made them filthy.
I just pen them into about an acre to start with and make them clear it up, it take about a week to really get them eating the root. Then go onto weekly fence moves, keeps it really simple and very little work once they are going. Iv got 350 of the small lambs grazing turnips now been on it 4 weeks and really are starting to thrive with very little work (I spend about an hour a week moving the fence and that it). They should last 6 more weeks when I will kill the lot.

Thanks... and will those small lambs finish with just the Turnips or will need some cake ?

 

[neilo]

Thanks... and will those small lambs finish with just the Turnips or will need some cake ?

You're on with Suffolk x Mules and selling live iirc? You might struggle to get a 'market finish' on them very quickly, so might be worth trickling some concs out if you want them away before the Spring.

 

[devonbrion1998]

You're on with Suffolk x Mules and selling live iirc? You might struggle to get a 'market finish' on them very quickly, so might be worth trickling some concs out if you want them away before the Spring.

Thanks neilo, yes really would like them gone before xmas if poss, will sell live fat at the local mart, topped the market twice with our Hoggs in April this year but it's just too long-winded, thinking of putting them to a Texel this year or maybe half of them, Good move?

 

[Al R]

Thanks neilo, yes really would like them gone before xmas if poss, will sell live fat at the local mart, topped the market twice with our Hoggs in April this year but it's just too long-winded, thinking of putting them to a Texel this year or maybe half of them, Good move?

Texel for shape/looks and live and then Charolais for growth/shape and dead as apparently from reading on here the Charolais lambs arnt sort after in the marts - if you intend on keeping some ewe lambs back go texel, if it’s a purely fat lamb exercise go Charolais.

 

[neilo]

Thanks neilo, yes really would like them gone before xmas if poss, will sell live fat at the local mart, topped the market twice with our Hoggs in April this year but it's just too long-winded, thinking of putting them to a Texel this year or maybe half of them, Good move?

Terrible move, a Charollais would be far better.....?

To be honest, you wouldn’t go far wrong with a decent one of either. A good Charollais would grow faster and flesh more easily, but a good Texel means you might get some takers for the Texel x Mule ewe lambs.

If you want this year’s lambs gone around Xmas, it would probably worth trickling a bit into them on turnips i’d Have thought, as the live marts do want more finish than dw (for some daft reason). However, I wouldn’t commit too much to that idea just yet. Prices could be on the floor come November 1st, in which case April hoggs might be a better bet, if you have the keep. A year to keep your options open I would think.

 

[devonbrion1998]

Terrible move, a Charollais would be far better.....?

To be honest, you wouldn’t go far wrong with a decent one of either. A good Charollais would grow faster and flesh more easily, but a good Texel means you might get some takers for the Texel x Mule ewe lambs.

If you want this year’s lambs gone around Xmas, it would probably worth trickling a bit into them on turnips i’d Have thought, as the live marts do want more finish than dw (for some daft reason). However, I wouldn’t commit too much to that idea just yet. Prices could be on the floor come November 1st, in which case April hoggs might be a better bet, if you have the keep. A year to keep your options open I would think.

Yeh I think your right,maybe no big rush in getting them finished if the bottoms drop out,thaks for the advice re Tup,do you think the Suffolks throw mucky back end lambs or is this a myth.

 

[Al R]

Yeh I think your right,maybe no big rush in getting them finished if the bottoms drop out,thaks for the advice re Tup,do you think the Suffolks throw mucky back end lambs or is this a myth.

Yes they do - but and it’s a bit but, apparently it’s linked to the Suffolk breed being very poor at storing copper and the mucky arse is down to copper deficiency?

 

[neilo]

Yeh I think your right,maybe no big rush in getting them finished if the bottoms drop out,thaks for the advice re Tup,do you think the Suffolks throw mucky back end lambs or is this a myth.

The reputation for being ‘black both ends’ hasn’t come from nowhere, although being poor at absorbing copper will certainly account for some of it, and probably accounts for a lot of their difficult finishing too.

Cleaner back ends was certainly one of the differences we liked, when we moved to using continental breeds 30 years ago, along with not having to show lambs where their mother’s teat was for days on end, and easier finishing, and....

I dare say a few breeders will have improved on some of those inherent problems by now, but most that I see are are even worse for big heads & bone than they were then.