Pros and cons of grazing winter cereals

[Jerry]

I have some winter wheat that is happily growing away, today’s its near 14 degrees!!

I have a group of 60 odd ewe lambs that I could run over it.

Is it worth doing and how do you judge when to take them off?

cheers

 

[RmfJ]

That doesn’t look overly advanced

 

[Jerry]

That doesn’t look overly advanced

True...but give it a couple weeks here and it could be romping away.

I’ve seen others graze similar if not further back crops.

 

[Wooly]

Just do it................. but not until it has grown a little more.

Pros : Save on growth regulator spray.......... save on sheep feed

Cons : A possible reduced yield............. but we have never seen it in our grazed wheat.

I have grazed mine down very tight in the past........... to the 'oh sh!t, I left them on too long' stage......... but it didn't effect it. Our local swans graze some down tighter !

 

[DrWazzock]

We grazed hoggets on winter wheat which looked like that a few years ago and it went on to yield very well. Just don’t let them poach it. They graze off all the disease carrying excess foliage and firm in the plants. Does a lot of good. Take them off when the plants are down to stumps but no later than mid March.

 

[robs1]

In 84 a long prolonged frost that lasted until late march "grazed" down every crop here to the ground, there wasnt a bit of green to be seen, it all went on to yield very well,

 

[Farmer Roy]

very common here

grazing can start as soon as cereal plants are well anchored – use the ‘tug test’ – and when the amount of forage exceeds one tonne of dry matter per hectare. The decision about when to start grazing is much less important than the decision about when to stop.


Animals must be removed before the crop reaches GS31 (just before stem elongation with one node visible) to ensure there are no impacts from grazing.

 

[neilo]

Biggest downside here is that the lambs would drown.

 

[HarryB97]

My main concern would be the potentially very large flush of weeds in the spring caused by all the soil disturbance from the sheeps feet. It is something I will be trying though.

 

[farmerm]

We grazed hoggets on winter wheat which looked like that a few years ago and it went on to yield very well. Just don’t let them poach it. They graze off all the disease carrying excess foliage and firm in the plants. Does a lot of good. Take them off when the plants are down to stumps but no later than mid March.

As late as Mid March? . What’s everyone’s take on latest grazing dates. Is the safe cut off date for barley and wheat different?

 

[Chae1]

My main concern would be the potentially very large flush of weeds in the spring caused by all the soil disturbance from the sheeps feet. It is something I will be trying though.

I was warned about this, told there feet breaking the surface will reduce activity of pre em.

 

[SilliamWhale]

I don't do it.

The marginal gain from the sheep income vs the loss of pre em activity, the fencing, the risk of lower yield etc.

Don't particularly rate it as an activity. Don't use PGR's anyway on wheat, no need

 

[Hindsight]

True...but give it a couple weeks here and it could be romping away.

I’ve seen others graze similar if not further back crops.

Jerry, hi, I see you are in Devon. And have followed the thread since started. Good lookin crop. As a Lincs person just getting my head around the crop. What was sowing date. And has the crop received an autumn pyrethroid for aphids (BYDV)? Many thanks. H

 

[HarryB97]

I was warned about this, told there feet breaking the surface will reduce activity of pre em.

After 2 years of trying it I would say there is no difference regarding weeds of grazed or ungrazed. I normally graze from the start of January onwards so pre em residue will be minimal, especially as I never go back and top up.

 

[Lothian]

It can be useful to set back faster developing varieties like Extase that can have sterility issues etc. if sown too early. So you can sow crops early and get them well established and then graze them back to slow their development back to that of a late sown crop. I think it does help a bit with disease as well but I wouldn't want them on longer than a week or it could impact yield.

 

[APJ]

Ewes on winter oats.