Shrubs and trees that cattle eat

[The Ruminant]

I'm interested in planting an area of land with shrubs and trees to provide fodder and variety to cattle's diets, as an experiment. What trees have you seen your cattle eating with relish, what do they have little preference for, and what should I avoid? Also, which grow back the quickest?

I'm interested in anyone's views, however anecdotal. Thanks

 

[llamedos]

Ash, Poplar, Willow, all once grown as fodder crops, all loved by the sheep, I am sure cattle would relish the same. All fast growing.
Holly was once used in this area of the Pennines in particular, lots of area with 'Hollins' in the name.

 

[hendrebc]

Hazel and elderflower mine like. An oak branch fell a couple of weeks ago and the cows stripped the leaves over 2 days

 

[llamedos]

http://www.agricology.co.uk/tree-hay-forgotten-fodder

 

[hendrebc]

@Kiwi Pete ive seen you mention someone growing trees as backup drought fodder somewere

 

[Kiwi Pete]

@Kiwi Pete ive seen you mention someone growing trees as backup drought fodder somewere

@llamedos has them already, lots of poplars and willows down here for that reason.
Many of our NZ natives are readily eaten by cattle, only a couple of species tip them up so farmers here have to be careful of those.
Tree Lucerne is one species I'm keen to try when my gorse breaks down though, could be worthy of consideration for @The Ruminant.
A great legume for shade and fodder.

 

[llamedos]

Looking at Africa and some of the leguminous shrubs they plant there, we are able to find these here for sale aimed at gardeners rather than an agricultural use, so some must be worthy of consideration.

 

[hendrebc]

There was a man from australia on irish farming discussion group on FB who had a frame behind his nig cat d10 bulldozer for dragging trees down for stock to graze a few weeks ago. That was very cool cant remember wat trees they were though. Pribably desert trees like acacia not much use here but still cool to see

 

[Henarar]

I'm interested in planting an area of land with shrubs and trees to provide fodder and variety to cattle's diets, as an experiment. What trees have you seen your cattle eating with relish, what do they have little preference for, and what should I avoid? Also, which grow back the quickest?

I'm interested in anyone's views, however anecdotal. Thanks

Seen the cows eat allsorts of trees and bushes but never seen them put relish on them perhaps that's just the bulls

 

[Old Tip]

As his the favoured leaf here but they also eat hazel and rowan, the deer strip the bark of the rowan in spring and I wondered if it was to help with fluke as they really go for it some years and not others.
Ash leaves and young boughs were a great source of fodder in the old days. We had loads of pollards in the fields

 

[Y Fan Wen]

@llamedos has them already, lots of poplars and willows down here for that reason.
Many of our NZ natives are readily eaten by cattle, only a couple of species tip them up so farmers here have to be careful of those.
Tree Lucerne is one species I'm keen to try when my gorse breaks down though, could be worthy of consideration for @The Ruminant.
A great legume for shade and fodder.

Would you explain that please.

 

[exmoor dave]

They seem to eat anything here..... providing it's the wrong side of the fence

Any opportunity to damage fences

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Would you explain that please.

I've killed it with salt, I'm hoping when it 'mulches itself' then I will aim to have a heap of seedlings ready to slot in.
Hopefully the gorse will keep the stock off them until they get a couple of feet tall and then they'll be away.
They reckon tree lucerne can grow up to 10T of drymatter per ha per year, quite impressive! And definitely better than gorse

 

[Dan Powell]

They go mad for young sycamore here. Elder is loved. Ash. Willow. Elm was used traditionally and would be OK as a shrub if you can find a source. Some work being done in Shropshire on this by Tim Downes and also at Silvaspin.

Photo taken at Silva spin. Interesting chap.

 

[Kevtherev]

Hazel elder and ash seem firm favourites

 

[Kiwi Pete]

I have seen goats climbing poplar trees eating away oblivious to me.
Also, lambs we kept on the dairy farm (in about 4 tons of cover) would nibble all the foliage off the Leyland Cyprus trees to the point they were just about standing on each other's backs to get at it. No regrowth there though, the trees either get above grazing height or die!
Sycamores Elders etc all get consumed, but farmers down my way will call in the machines if it gets dry, and whack the tops off the poplar rows for the stock to browse. The soft wood rots in very quickly and helps the pasture species rooting ability, I'm sure I've read that the commercial rooting hormones are derived from willow?

 

[Danllan]

We do this, cattle were forest animals. They also do it in Japan and Rackham's 'Woodland' book gives information about it being done in Europe too. They do it more along the lines of letting a tree grow to twenty feet or so and then 'shaving' the side branches off to encourage a lot of growth there - presumably it was done because this was out of reach of the beasts - then shaving the small leafy growth off yearly.

Nowadays we have fences and the animals go where we want them most of the time... the point being we effectively coppice our hedges to allow the growth to be taken by the cattle, sheep need a bit of help by pulling the wands to the netting. Proper coppicing people go to great lengths to keep browsing deer out, I guess the same was the case when there were 'common' herds years ago, so ruminants know it's good stuff.

Thinking long-term you might want to avoid ash, although it grows very quickly and they love it, last to leaf and sheds them first though. Sycamore is not good for horses, I've no idea of the effect upon cattle in bulk, we have some and have seen nothing adverse. I have hazel, elm, ash - because it is there already - and willow. Elm is fine because it doesn't get to the stage where the beetle hits it. Hazel and willow are very popular with the sheep too. Don't forget ivy, I don't think it a good idea for a main 'crop', so to speak, but it is a good tonic now and then.

 

[Smudge]

The soft wood rots in very quickly and helps the pasture species rooting ability, I'm sure I've read that the commercial rooting hormones are derived from willow?

I was told to stick willow cuttings in a drum of water, then once they've rooted, the water becomes a liquid version of hormone rooting powder. Haven't tried it yet though.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

I was told to stick willow cuttings in a drum of water, then once they've rooted, the water becomes a liquid version of hormone rooting powder. Haven't tried it yet though.

Yes, that's exactly what I'd heard too
I'm looking for willow trees to chip for my barn floor, for that reason. Can't hurt!

 

[Kevtherev]

Years ago the old shepherds used to cut ivy down for the sheep to eat