Stockbeare
Member
- Location
- Devon
I have been offered stubble turnips / rape to graze with hoggs , just wondering how fast they finish compared to grass. Got to finish grazing by the end of March, it is a good crop how many / acre will it hold ?
Stubble turnips
- Thread starter Stockbeare
- Start date
- Location
- Welshpool Powys
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
Not sure about that Kev.
What are they on now? If they're not on roots already, they'll take a couple of weeks to get used to the taste and for their Rumens to adapt to start didesting it properly. Then they'll fly, as long as mins & TE's are OK.
As far as 'how many sheep', how long is a piece of string and what is 'a good crop'? You could work DM out by weighing the amount of crop on a square meter and extrapolating up, using average DM% figures and average DM requirements per head. Not quite sure how, as most folk that grow them normally look at the crop and make an educated guess based on experience.
What are they on now? If they're not on roots already, they'll take a couple of weeks to get used to the taste and for their Rumens to adapt to start didesting it properly. Then they'll fly, as long as mins & TE's are OK.
As far as 'how many sheep', how long is a piece of string and what is 'a good crop'? You could work DM out by weighing the amount of crop on a square meter and extrapolating up, using average DM% figures and average DM requirements per head. Not quite sure how, as most folk that grow them normally look at the crop and make an educated guess based on experience.
Last edited:
Woolless
Member
- Location
- Berwickshire, Scottish Borders
There is an ahdb better returns booklet about brassicas which gives info about calculating DM demand and yield.
Stockbeare
Member
- Location
- Devon
They are on grass at the moment, average weight of 35 to 40kg .would you need to put out hay or would it take them longer to change over ? Thanks the last reply.
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
Advice is to put out hay/fibre, but I've never really understood why. If they have plenty of food in front of them, which they will need to finish, rather than just to hold them cheaply, they won't do more than nibble at bales IME. I only ever put bales out if I want to eek out the fodder crop. They tend to get muckier if you have feed racks or hoppers out too, as they will congregate round them. If you are paying by hd/week, it will cost you more by keeping them there longer.
gone up the hill
Member
- Location
- Devon
Depending how many acres you have to graze and how many sheep you are grazing it with but I would say you have left it far too late to put them on the stubble turnips to eat them all by the end of March!
Ref putting silage out, no for the first 2 weeks then for the kale again no but for the turnips then yes after two weeks give them silage unless they have a grass run back area.
Ref putting silage out, no for the first 2 weeks then for the kale again no but for the turnips then yes after two weeks give them silage unless they have a grass run back area.
Do a test weigh and work out the yield.As a very rough guide they'll eat a hundredweight per head per week.
It was already broken.
Member
- Location
- South Norfolk
Don't follow your logic @gone up the hill. If it takes 1-2 weeks for them to get their heads round roots how is too late to clear up roots in the next 8 weeks?
Exactly if numbers are high enough surely it could be eaten off within a month
gone up the hill
Member
- Location
- Devon
Because it will depend on how many lambs he has to eat the roots, if he is putting 50 lambs on 10 acres they wont clear them ( mostly likely they will be gone fat long before the end of march ) but if he is putting 1000 lambs on 5 acres they will clear them easily, it all comes down to acres and number of sheep.
It was already broken.
Member
- Location
- South Norfolk
Got you now
Only started on ours last weekend. 430 Welsh ewe lambs on about half of the first 11 acre field. My grazier will have to bring quite a few more to get them all grazed by end march.
Especially as one field has some big turnips in it.
I nominate this as TFF stubble turnip of the year.
Especially as one field has some big turnips in it.
I nominate this as TFF stubble turnip of the year.
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
I'd enter, but my dogs can't fit to lie down between the turnips.
I could clear a few out of the way I suppose, and I have got access to some smaller dogs for scale in the photo.....
I'm actually pleased that there are turnips in that field, as after i sprayed the volunteer barley they all curled up and a lot died. My agro, said i'd killed the lot.I'd enter, but my dogs can't fit to lie down between the turnips.
I could clear a few out of the way I suppose, and I have got access to some smaller dogs for scale in the photo.....
The big lesson was don't rush off on holiday after spraying maize without a full all clear extra wash out. A rinse out won't do.
carpenter1
Member
- Location
- devon
what are you planning on putting in after the stubble turnips
Usually maize or spring barley. We have entered the banky field as part of a mid tier application, which would see it go into grass, but haven't heard whether we are in or not yet.