Kale newbie

[aled1590]

Hi, Grown 10ac of kale for first time to keep dry sucklers out until jan/feb. Just want some advice on management of crop and cows.
They will be fed kale and haylage, will they need supplemented with iodine and copper? Handling facilities there not good enough to bolus them. Been reading ahdb guidelines and says introduce slowly to the crop and also not to put incalf heifers on it?! Any tips and suggestions most welcome!

 

[som farmer]

feed the longest length you can, less waste. Definitely feed iodine, copper down to your area, native cattle will do well, with a bit of dry grub, conts will need more. Introduce slowy, and make sure they have grass run back, then work out where to put it next year !

 

[neilo]

Hi, Grown 10ac of kale for first time to keep dry sucklers out until jan/feb. Just want some advice on management of crop and cows.
They will be fed kale and haylage, will they need supplemented with iodine and copper? Handling facilities there not good enough to bolus them. Been reading ahdb guidelines and says introduce slowly to the crop and also not to put incalf heifers on it?! Any tips and suggestions most welcome!

How quiet are the cows? You can supplement Iodine by running it on their backs. If they are quiet enough to walk through them steadily when you’ve just moved the fence, could you squib a bit on their backs while you walk behind them? Not ideal obviously, but better than leaving them unsupplemented and only costs pennies.

 

[aled1590]

Do have handling pens there just no race and crush so yes can walk through them and put it on their backs. Will I/c heifers be ok on it or is there a reason why it’s not recommended? They are lim x simms

 

[som farmer]

I don't know who told you I/c heifers shouldn't be on it, but they can, obviously as conts they will need more hay/sil than natives, but you can see how much they need, by their condition, we will out winter 100 plus cows on rape and straw. Iodine is a must, otherwise calves will be very slow, and poor. As long as your kale isn't in a wet field its a great way to keep cattle heathy, and cheaply.

 

[digger64]

[Qdon't ="aled1590, post: 6585212, member: 35816"]
Do have handling pens there just no race and crush so yes can walk through them and put it on their backs. Will I/c heifers be ok on it or is there a reason why it’s not recommended? They are lim x simms
[/QUOTE]
I dont see a problem with in calf heifers at all , but bulling cows etc a real pain making mud and pushing through the fence line when mounting etc . We use min buckets with iodine in doesn't seem to be a problem Tbh but may be different in your area .

 

[neilo]

Plenty of dairy heifers have been wintered on Kale historically, a lot of which would be in-calf.

I suspect that myth has come about from Iodine deficiency where it hasn't been supplemented, which can lead to calves (& lambs ) being born without much of a will to live. It's an Iodine problem, not the brassica specifically.

 

[aled1590]

I just read it on those ahdb online pdf pages about outwintering cattle on brassicas, couldn’t understand it myself tbh. Yes field on thin free draining soil. Suppose the best way with fence is putting 2 lines up so there’s always 1 up when you take the other down?! Otherwise shut cows out of field when moving fence.

 

[digger64]

I just read it on those ahdb online pdf pages about outwintering cattle on brassicas, couldn’t understand it myself tbh. Yes field on thin free draining soil. Suppose the best way with fence is putting 2 lines up so there’s always 1 up when you take the other down?! Otherwise shut cows out of field when moving fence.

Join 2 reels together then you can release and tighten from both ends

 

[neilo]

I just read it on those ahdb online pdf pages about outwintering cattle on brassicas, couldn’t understand it myself tbh. Yes field on thin free draining soil. Suppose the best way with fence is putting 2 lines up so there’s always 1 up when you take the other down?! Otherwise shut cows out of field when moving fence.

When we used to outwinter dairy heifers in a big mob on kale, we just had one fence and stepped it into the crop each time we moved it, much the same as I do now when grazing beet with sheep. If the kale was taller than the fence, I just moved the wire up to the crop and they grazed under it. That needs a long feed fence though, as well as more frequent moves (twice a day sometimes).

I would say that we dropped the practice when we got the chance of renting next door, with some more cattle buildings, and the heifers did a lot better housed on medium quality grass silage, even when very heavily stocked.

 

[tinsheet]

I winter out about 25 incalf heifers every year, bolused before they get to the kale.
They have adlib hay on grass run back, have a long enough face so you only have to fence up to the edge of the kale, they'll reach a fair way under for kale! Makes moving the fence a doddle!

 

[deleted user 837354]

Plenty of dairy heifers have been wintered on Kale historically, a lot of which would be in-calf.

I suspect that myth has come about from Iodine deficiency where it hasn't been supplemented, which can lead to calves (& lambs ) being born without much of a will to live. It's an Iodine problem, not the brassica specifically.

Would this not predispose to Milk fever? Probably unlikely in heifers though.

 

[Farmer Fin]

Think the issue with incalf heifers is growth rates. You will need to watch I take and supplements to ensure they keep growing. Depends on current size, age and targets though.

 

[neilo]

Would this not predispose to Milk fever? Probably unlikely in heifers though.

I can’t see why. It’s ok for maintenance plus a bit of growth, but I’d Want anything close to calving off it a good month before personally, to be safe.

 

[som farmer]

We got caught out on iodine, calves were really dopey and slow, lost a fair few, couldn't make it out, vets ?, then the penny dropped, dead easy to do, pour it down back, we use tablets in the water as well, but for anyone thinking about out wintering on kale, iodine for I/c cattle, the min boluses we allways use, were not enough, that's why we were caught out !!

 

[aled1590]

This iodine is it special pour on or the same stuff you’d naval dip with? And how often does it need doing

 

[neilo]

This iodine is it special pour on or the same stuff you’d naval dip with? And how often does it need doing

Mayo do a topical Iodine for pouring on, which contains something to help it get absorbed through the skin (same stuff as on nicotine patches iirc). It’s reasonably cheap I think.

I think ‘normal’ Iodine would work, but if it’s less efficiently absorbed then the Mayo stuff might work out cheaper?

 

[som farmer]

used to pour tit dip along backs when milking. Used diluted iodine this time

 

[Agrispeed]

I'd always have a safety front fence in front. They make a hell of a mess if they escape, and there can be health issues from gorging, more from bulbs though to be fair.

 

[som farmer]

can also be bloody wet getting the ba####ds out of the crop, if the ##### get through the fence,