Quick growing spring sown forage.

[DrWazzock]

Bit short of grass area for the sheep and lambs this spring into early summer.
I’ve a field just finished with stubble turnips.
I’ve winter barley in the shed that would grow if I drilled it but presumably it wouldn’t head but grow plenty leaf?
Is it worth drilling winter barley as a cover/ forage crop and chuck in some kale, vetches and anything else? I’ve also got spring barley seed as well but don’t really want it to go to seed.
It’s need to get going early, build biomass quickly and take the pressure of new leys ejaewhere.
Any thoughts appreciated thanks.

 

[DrWazzock]

Thinking about it I could probably undersow it with grass and the sheep keep on top of the barley, but the barley takes the pressure of the grass and provides a decent quicker bite for the sheep?

 

[Derrick Hughes]

What do you intend to do with it after, if will give you some quick feed I'm sure , but if you put Italian Ryegrass and Hybrid Kale on it would be nearly as quick and the Ryegrass would give you 2 good years

Tertaploid Italain -Hibryd Kale cost Aprox £26/ acre

 

[Kevtherev]

Bit short of grass area for the sheep and lambs this spring into early summer.
I’ve a field just finished with stubble turnips.
I’ve winter barley in the shed that would grow if I drilled it but presumably it wouldn’t head but grow plenty leaf?
Is it worth drilling winter barley as a cover/ forage crop and chuck in some kale, vetches and anything else? I’ve also got spring barley seed as well but don’t really want it to go to seed.
It’s need to get going early, build biomass quickly and take the pressure of new leys ejaewhere.
Any thoughts appreciated thanks.

Look at Raptor from Oliver seeds very popular and produces a large amount of forage.

 

[DanM]

Look at Raptor from Oliver seeds very popular and produces a large amount of forage.

How early could that be sown Kev?

 

[Kevtherev]

How early could that be sown Kev?

I’d go end of April early may depending where you are in the country.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

How early could that be sown Kev?

10th of April

 

[Kevtherev]

10th of April

Morning or afternoon?

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Morning or afternoon?

Morning I cycle in the afternoon

 

[DrWazzock]

Thanks. In late autumn / winter the field will be drilled with winter wheat so Raptor sounds good.
I am sowing other fields with 5yr ryegrass clover leys and wondered about sowing half rate spring or winter barley in with them as a nurse crop and also to provide faster earlier growth. I think I might do that as well. Not for combining, just for eating.
We’ve 75 lambing ewes this spring. We’ve 18 acres of established grass, 26 acres of 5yr leys to sow and 8 acres of arable land after the stubble turnips for the Raptor mix. There’ll be plenty of grass when it all gets going but it will be under pressure initially, hence the requirement for quick growing forage.

 

[topground]

What do you intend to do with it after, if will give you some quick feed I'm sure , but if you put Italian Ryegrass and Hybrid Kale on it would be nearly as quick and the Ryegrass would give you 2 good years

Tertaploid Italain -Hibryd Kale cost Aprox £26/ acre

Never grown anything but grass so please indulge my ignorance. I have an acre plot where some cattle have been over wintered. I usually chain harrow and broadcast a standard long term let mix from one of the local agri suppliers. Where can I source the mix you mention please?

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Never grown anything but grass so please indulge my ignorance. I have an acre plot where some cattle have been over wintered. I usually chain harrow and broadcast a standard long term let mix from one of the local agri suppliers. Where can I source the mix you mention please?

[email protected]
I first sowed that mix in 1967 with a Fordson
Dexta ,
If you just wanted Hibryd Kale then aproxx £12 acre , that grows like mad

 

[DrWazzock]

Will a Raptor type mix go through an Alvan Blanch brush box seed broadcaster. A standard ryegrass clover mix will so I presume Raptor mix will?

 

[neilo]

Will a Raptor type mix go through an Alvan Blanch brush box seed broadcaster. A standard ryegrass clover mix will so I presume Raptor mix will?

No reason it shouldn't, it's just grass and hybrid rape seed mixed.

I DD'ed 10ac of it in after Winter Barley several years ago, with a Simtech box drill. It rained from the day after sowing it and it got away well.
My plan was to block graze it to maximise regrowth but there was so much there after 8 weeks that I think the last block would have been far too mature, so just turned a ruck of sub-30kg lambs into the lot. I couldn't really check them properly for a month as they just disappeared into the crop!
After 6 weeks they had overtaken the bigger lambs that had been moving round young prg/white clover leys and I had a good draw from them. I've never seen lambs do like it, but the crop had been well watered straight after drilling.
Because of the grass in the mix, they don't take a check when they go onto it either.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

No reason it shouldn't, it's just grass and hybrid rape seed mixed.

I DD'ed 10ac of it in after Winter Barley several years ago, with a Simtech box drill. It rained from the day after sowing it and it got away well.
My plan was to block graze it to maximise regrowth but there was so much there after 8 weeks that I think the last block would have been far too mature, so just turned a ruck of sub-30kg lambs into the lot. I couldn't really check them properly for a month as they just disappeared into the crop!
After 6 weeks they had overtaken the bigger lambs that had been moving round young prg/white clover leys and I had a good draw from them. I've never seen lambs do like it, but the crop had been well watered straight after drilling.
Because of the grass in the mix, they don't take a check when they go onto it either.

I just sell my customers some Italian Ryegrass and a bag of Hybrid Rape, to save them some money ,we can mix it in if they want

 

[Kevtherev]

Will a Raptor type mix go through an Alvan Blanch brush box seed broadcaster. A standard ryegrass clover mix will so I presume Raptor mix will?

Yes no problem I’ve drilled it and broadcast it with fert spreader.

 

[serf]

Was going to mention Raptor from Oliver seeds as recommended by @Kevtherev ,


diff timing but this put in after the drought in backend as a patch up on some failed prota plus , the " rap " didn't manage it but the "Tor " has come well all things considered and a nice wall of grass now and should come good after a graze and warm up !
Bout £30 I think ?

Photo few days ago

 

[DanM]

10th of April

Is that just in the tropics of Pembrokeshire, or nationwide? … im talking sowing now, not cycling

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Is that just in the tropics of Pembrokeshire, or nationwide? … im talking sowing now, not cycling

I know of farmers putting Early Ryegrass in Next week if it warms up, not my advice either
I have no problem putting Italian in 2 cd week of April Here ,always have done
I believe the OP is n Linconshire, so hardly up a mountain is he
Farmers been growing Rape and Ryegrass for centuries, it's hardly some new invention

 

[DanM]

I know of farmers putting Early Ryegrass in Next week if it warms up, not my advice either
I have no problem putting Italian in 2 cd week of April Here ,always have done
I believe the OP is n Linconshire, so hardly up a mountain is he
Farmers been growing Rape and Ryegrass for centuries, it's hardly some new invention

I don’t believe I suggested it was a new invention (?); merely enquired how early it could be sown.
it’s sad and increasingly recognised, how you jump on any thread besmirching products you don’t sell!
Having previously had a successful career in the commercial world, you soon recognise when someone concentrating on competitors short-comings is undoubtedly lacking themselves…