Summer grazing of stubble turnips with sucklers and calves at foot?

[BSH]

I was planning on reseeding a field by taking a cut of silage and then sowing stubble turnips before an autumn reseed. Can I graze the stubble turnips with cows with spring/early summer born calves at foot or will I get problems with the calves trying to eat the turnips and not coping?

 

[South Downs Farmer]

Cows should milk like anything on brassicas, and can't see why calves wouldn't take to it either. If you were really keen, how about forward grazing the calves on the tops through a creep gate and leaving the cows to clear up the rest...nice idea but without doubt a nightmare to do in practice!

Only thing I can think if is how it seems other TFF folk grazing cattle on stubble turnips or swedes etc etc seem to struggle to get them to eat the bulbs. So perhaps a leafy forage rape or hybrid brassica like Swift might be a better bet?

 

[Derrick Hughes]

They will eat swedes like no tomorrow, problem start with turnips when the bulbs go woody but they will eat them by the end

 

[Thick Farmer]

Ive done it for a few years. It works very well and I think it helps calm the cattle down as I move the fence with them in the field and they get used to seeing me.

Might need to use two wires if calves are small or they go under the fence and then the cow breaks the wire to follow it.

 

[borderterribles]

Ive done it for a few years. It works very well and I think it helps calm the cattle down as I move the fence with them in the field and they get used to seeing me.

Might need to use two wires if calves are small or they go under the fence and then the cow breaks the wire to follow it.

This! Also I start grazing Stubble Turnips when the bulbs are about hen egg size, so that the cows are used to eating everything right from the start. If you wait for maximum bulk , they waste them when the root goes woody.

 

[BSH]

Thanks for the replies. I am used to grazing the stubble turnips with the cows in the winter, but I was worried grazing in the summer about the small calves eating brassicas at only 3-4 months old.