Rye and vetch grazing

[UpAndUnder]

Got 70 acres of a rye and vetch mix in this year for the first time, and just wandering if anyone has had experience with grazing it stocking numbers etc...had thought to buy some more store lambs but with grass disappearing steering towards grazing in lamb ewes on it!

 

[kfpben]

I grazed some ewes on it last year during early/mid pregnancy. Nothing very scientific but I would think it keeps sheep for a third of the time stubble turnips do.

The ewes looked well on it.

 

[cotswoldcs]

We're growing vetch and rye again this year. However ours will be put into silage this year in the spring. We did graze ewes and lambs on it one year in April and they did well on it. I'm not sure you'd want to graze it in the winter as it's an expensive crop to grow (compared with stubble turnips, hybrid rape, etc) and better suited to utilising in early spring before "normal" grass gets growing. Westerwolds ryegrass is better suited if you want to get some grazing in the winter but sadly can't be used as an EFA cover crop/ catch crop (annoyingly).

What's your plans for the field afterwards? Is it in for EFA reasons?

 

[UpAndUnder]

We're growing vetch and rye again this year. However ours will be put into silage this year in the spring. We did graze ewes and lambs on it one year in April and they did well on it. I'm not sure you'd want to graze it in the winter as it's an expensive crop to grow (compared with stubble turnips, hybrid rape, etc) and better suited to utilising in early spring before "normal" grass gets growing. Westerwolds ryegrass is better suited if you want to get some grazing in the winter but sadly can't be used as an EFA cover crop/ catch crop (annoyingly).

What's your plans for the field afterwards? Is it in for EFA reasons?

It's going to be fodder beat, that's why we didn't put turnips accross it but wanted something to winter sheep on! Not being used as an EFA this year but would be if we were to
grow it again next year! There seems a lot of feed on there

 

[cotswoldcs]

So what's your rotation for that field out of interest?

 

[UpAndUnder]

So what's your rotation for that field out of interest?

Will go back into wheat after the beet!

 

[cotswoldcs]

When will you graze/lift the beet? It's our first year of growing fodder beet and I'm planning on spring barley following our beet. Hoping to go FB -> SB & stubble turnips

 

[goodevans]

sounds good for greening if it then becomes available for livestock keep us posted on stocking rates

 

[cotswoldcs]

EFA rules state you can't plant cover crops with the intention of grazing. They also state that

"There are no restrictions on the management of catch or cover crops outside these periods.The cover does not need to be destroyed at the end of the periods and it can be grazed outside of
them without breaching the EFA requirement"

So I'm growing cover crops with no intention of grazing them....

 

[goodevans]

EFA rules state you can't plant cover crops with the intention of grazing. They also state that

"There are no restrictions on the management of catch or cover crops outside these periods.The cover does not need to be destroyed at the end of the periods and it can be grazed outside of
them without breaching the EFA requirement"

So I'm growing cover crops with no intention of grazing them....

what dates are the periods please

 

[cotswoldcs]

From
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/bps-2018

EFA catch crops must be maintained for a minimum of 8 weeks starting on 20 August 2018 and must be retained until at least 14 October 2018. The period for EFA cover crops remains at 1 October to 15 January of the following year.

 

[UpAndUnder]

When will you graze/lift the beet? It's our first year of growing fodder beet and I'm planning on spring barley following our beet. Hoping to go FB -> SB & stubble turnips

Beet will be lifted this time of year but not
All in one hit!