Overwinter covercrop for sheep grazing

[Nitrams]

Sticking in some overwinter covercrop under SFI, what’s a good mix for sheep grazing with no brassica in the mix. Thinking oats, ryegrass, crimson clover or trefoil and maybe some vetch. I’m told buckwheat no good for sheep. Are beans or peas or linseed edible for sheep?

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

Sticking in some overwinter covercrop under SFI, what’s a good mix for sheep grazing with no brassica in the mix. Thinking oats, ryegrass, crimson clover or trefoil and maybe some vetch. I’m told buckwheat no good for sheep. Are beans or peas or linseed edible for sheep?

As you are in the mild south west you have loads of options.
Spring Oats will give a lot of feed and are unlikely to get frosted as they do up her.

Can you plant Radish. Sheep do well on it and get a lot of feed. Not Linseed and I wouldn't bother with peas and beans.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Don't u only have to use one variety
If so keep it Simple and put Westerwolds in , add a bit of vetch if you must but with maize growers Westerwolds is used more than anything

 

[DieselRob]

Linseed is toxic to sheep

 

[andybk]

westerwolds and crimson clover

 

[sheepdogtrail]

With a HSG Tetraploid Italian and Beersem clover you can get two rounds per winter if you get the seed in the ground no later than the start of September. Both of those are cold tolerant and flood tolerate (less than 15 days below water) and very easy to grow in any soil above 5.4 ph. You can make a pretty seed bed or not. The seeds do not care. Seeds need to be just barely covered on a firm seedbed. Then water of course. But that should not be a issue in this instance.

40% Tet IRG and 60% Beersem. Frosty Beersem would be my choice. Better cold tolerance with a stem that is packed with digestibility and CP. They will improve your soil for the next crop by opening it up and leaving behind some N.

In April you can decide what is next? Lots of options, even short term ones. They only need a 25 day break between grazing for 2200 DM/Ac. snack. It could also be a cash crop at some point in the future in the form of big white marsh mellows.

When will the next crop be planted?

Beans and Peas. Yes. Sheep will happily gorge themselves on those. They need to be in the ground longer than you may have to get a descent return out of them. I would not add more than 1 lb/acre each to some mix. Adding some diversity is something I believe in.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Just one point, Westerwolds will grow Italian under the table for winter early spring

 

[ringi]

westerwolds and crimson clover

Does the clover have time to fix any N?

 

[redsloe]

I just added for fodder radish and phacelia with some fss w oats. Was good enough and cheap. Tenner an acre maybe. Phacelia didn't add much tbh and probably not worth it if it doesn't matter for SFI.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Just interested was there a reason for choosing Radish over Turnips ,