Sowing rape for lambs to graze

[JPM]

Last year we sowed rape onto 65 acres of wheat stubble after we had whole cropped it in early august. We then spread with umbilical slurry. We used simba express type discs to cultivate then spread seed mixed in with fert through the fert spinner followed by chain harrows & then Cambridge rollers. Got a good crop from it.
Was a lot of work involved with it all thou.
Was wondering about getting it direct drilled for next year to save a lot of work.
Does anyone direct drill kale/rape?

 

[Great In Grass]

Many drill Forage Rape/Hybrids/Kale between 4kg - 6kg/ha depending on what your drilling, save some seed too!

 

[JPM]

Many drill Forage Rape/Hybrids/Kale between 4kg - 6kg/ha depending on what your drilling, save some seed too!

That would be saving a lot of seed! What kinda machine would you use to sow that? One of those Claydon drills?

 

[ploughman1963]

We drill many acres with a Duncan drill - allows us to put slug pellets down the spout with the seed

 

[JPM]

We drill many acres with a Duncan drill - allows us to put slug pellets down the spout with the seed

Yeah that looks just the job. What other makes of direct drill are quite popular? It'll be a while before we're needing one but I was going to keep my eye out for a second hand machine

 

[ploughman1963]

We like the tine drill - aitchison is very similar @neilo has one - but disc drills like Moore or earth seeder are equally as good - just depends on conditions/previous crop etc

 

[JPM]

We like the tine drill - aitchison is very similar @neilo has one - but disc drills like Moore or earth seeder are equally as good - just depends on conditions/previous crop etc

Previous crop would always be either spring barley or wheat. Not a lot of soil in places especially where knowes have been levelled off etc.

 

[Devon James]

A couple of shots of forage rape/turnips/kale mix we planted with our Claydon drill 3rd week of August time. A low dressing of n and s. Good usage by the lambs. Probably Claydon the following spring barley right in.
(If it puts demand of seed up great in grass and then the price I won't be happy ;-) )

 

[Great In Grass]

Great looking crop @Devon James surely the seed cost should be double looking at those photo's . Actually I don't think prices have changed .

 

[JPM]

View attachment 482190View attachment 482192

A couple of shots of forage rape/turnips/kale mix we planted with our Claydon drill 3rd week of August time. A low dressing of n and s. Good usage by the lambs. Probably Claydon the following spring barley right in.
(If it puts demand of seed up great in grass and then the price I won't be happy ;-) )

Nice looking crop there!
Do u ever plough at all?
I'd like to try direct drilling wheat here.
We always plough before sowing grass/wheat etc. We're very close to the rock here so ploughing can be a slow job!

 

[Devon James]

Nice looking crop there!
Do u ever plough at all?
I'd like to try direct drilling wheat here.
We always plough before sowing grass/wheat etc. We're very close to the rock here so ploughing can be a slow job!

Thanks. Got lucky and drilled into moisture.
A little, aim to get fields suitable for direct drilling.
Certainly less wearing metal costs is a positive. What sort of soil are you on?

 

[JPM]

Thanks. Got lucky and drilled into moisture.
A little, aim to get fields suitable for direct drilling.
Certainly less wearing metal costs is a positive. What sort of soil are you on?

I'd say it would be light/medium soil, quite gravely. Pockets of clay here and there. We're in south west Scotland

 

[neilo]

Yeah that looks just the job. What other makes of direct drill are quite popular? It'll be a while before we're needing one but I was going to keep my eye out for a second hand machine

I DD all mine with an Aitchison, but back home, we used to pay a neighbour to DD stiubble turnips in to SB or Wholecropped WW stubble with a vaddy drill. Cheap, fast and as effective as any other drill into stubble im. As long as you have a bit of moisture, forage brassicas will grow well however you drill them, even just sprinkled on with a slug Pelleter if it's a wet time.

 

[Great In Grass]

I'd say it would be light/medium soil, quite gravely. Pockets of clay here and there. We're in south west Scotland

Sow a mix and hedge your bets.

 

[benferg]

We drill 150 ha or so a year into w/c stubble. It works a treat. 3.5 to 4 kg per ha.

Jd drill with slug bait broadcast off the back if necessary.

Previously ran a Duncan drill with Cambridge roller on the back.

If the soil is vaguely soft enough a vaddy drill works too.

 

[Peppa pig]

Theres a local boy with a guttler greenmaster system now i hear.hed be keen to do some to see how it done[emoji6]