Swedes

[irish dom]

Been offered 8 acres of Swedes about 50 mile away in a dry place. Thinking of using them post scanning for twins and triplets from mid January through till about 2 weeks pre lamb when ewes will be trucked home for lambing. Wouldn't normally go so far but grazing is scarce and astronomically dear here at the minute. How many medium size ( approx 75kg) ewes could it feed for two months. It seems a real good crop but I have no experience feeding it so dont know how it will last. Also how would you recommend feeding it. I was gonna block graze it 2 acres at a time. Trying to minimise travelling to once a week as i have a guy who will throw an eye on them few times during the week. Suggestions please

 

[cotswoldcs]

Swedes are a great feed and ewes do well on it. Do you really want triplets 50 miles away 2 weeks pre lambing? Prolapses, abortions etc more likely with triplets. I expect you'll need to feed them some hay/ silage or concentrate as well as the swedes, especially as you get closer to lambing.

Block grazing is fine but the smaller the area you give the better they utilise it. 2 acre blocks sounds sensible as you won't want to move every day! Hope you've got a good fence battery! Can't tell you how long it will last but don't forget you won't get as many in the lorry on the return trip! How many can you fit on a wagon/ trailer?

 

[It was already broken.]

Be careful mate if you are not used to someone else lookering your stock. I've had a bit of that and I'm not sure what is worse, getting a call every second day because one has tripped up or some fella who thinks half a dozen lame sheep is OK. Won't take many 100 mile round trips for local grazing to look more cost effective.

 

[GTB]

Fifty miles is too far unless someone else is taking full responsibility for them, especially two weeks before lambing. Also as said some people hardly ever look at them on your behalf and others will be on the phone every two minutes saying something's wrong and you'l be morally obliged to go and check for yourself.

 

[andybk]

I cringe at 5-10m for lambers , easy for one to get on its back , then you got couple hrs around here before the ravens kill them , different for store lambs though .

 

[Joe]

Ignoring the distance which would be a worry, its great feeding and normally grow them here for the ewes. 8 acres should feed 180 ewes for 60 days and it is very low in protein so wouldn't leave the twins on it up to 2 weeks prior to lambing, twins removed 4 weeks prior here. I would definitely not put the triplets on it and you will need a grass run back for pregnant ewes or could end up with issues I would think.

 

[neilo]

I wouldn't like to hazard a guess as to how many it would feed, as one man's good crop is another man's poor one.

I keep my April lambing ewes on root crops, usually swedes, only (no bales/feed blocks/sweeties, etc) until almost the day they lamb, and sometimes later. Just make sure TE deficiencies (particularly Iodine on brassicas) are covered. If anything they do too well, so I have to fetch the singles off a few weeks earlier to keep tight elsewhere. Twins and triplets stay on that until they go onto grass lambing paddocks. Very rarely get prolapses (& more often fat singles than trips) but being cast might be a problem, depending on breed & ewe type. They'll do grand on them, but I wouldn't consider it 10 miles away personally, let alone 50.

 

[irish dom]

Looks like dear grass near home a better bet. Just mental here at the minute. My usual winter grazing has been walked into the ground. Wish I had have known sooner. Could be worse. I could be short of grub myself. Will figure something out

 

[Bones]

Looks like dear grass near home a better bet. Just mental here at the minute. My usual winter grazing has been walked into the ground. Wish I had have known sooner. Could be worse. I could be short of grub myself. Will figure something out

If you have a good sheep trailer you'll never have 2 worry about feeding , sell

 

[irish dom]

If you have a good sheep trailer you'll never have 2 worry about feeding , sell

Easier said than done. Got a big rough farm this evening through a friend of a friend. Fenced perfectly about 10 minutes away. Wee bit dear but I am a happy man this evening. Weight off my mind

 

[Dkb]

I kept 90 ewes a 90 days on a hectare of Swedes. Moved the wire daily and it was a great crop.

 

[Bones]

Easier said than done. Got a big rough farm this evening through a friend of a friend. Fenced perfectly about 10 minutes away. Wee bit dear but I am a happy man this evening. Weight off my mind

Got a rough farm sorted of a neighbour here to, a lot of whins and briers ,but clean cow ground,sheep were sheared late September so should he OK. 130 acres all open in one lot ,not that well fenced, but free of charge , which is the main thing.

 

[irish dom]

The free of charge thing is not a concept many get round here.

 

[Bluesman]

I wouldn't like to hazard a guess as to how many it would feed, as one man's good crop is another man's poor one.

I keep my April lambing ewes on root crops, usually swedes, only (no bales/feed blocks/sweeties, etc) until almost the day they lamb, and sometimes later. Just make sure TE deficiencies (particularly Iodine on brassicas) are covered. If anything they do too well, so I have to fetch the singles off a few weeks earlier to keep tight elsewhere. Twins and triplets stay on that until they go onto grass lambing paddocks. Very rarely get prolapses (& more often fat singles than trips) but being cast might be a problem, depending on breed & ewe type. They'll do grand on them, but I wouldn't consider it 10 miles away personally, let alone 50.

Should you feed hay/straw with a root crop (turnip,kale,rape mix)?

 

[neilo]

Should you feed hay/straw with a root crop (turnip,kale,rape mix)?

I haven't done for many years, unless I'm short of crop and need to eek out supplies. Any bales, even the very best of silage, will be far lower feed value than the crop you are grazing, so you will only be diluting the nutrition, then have to make it up from elsewhere.
If they have plenty of green crop to go at, they won't touch the bales anyway, and the racks make a great place to congregate and get covered in mud IME.

 

[Dkb]

Should you feed hay/straw with a root crop (turnip,kale,rape mix)?

They’ll only eat it when they run out of the mix.

Maybe a bale for the first week when they’re adjusting. But even still intakes would be low.

2 years ago I actually had to take the hay back out of the field a month after I put it out.(practically untouched) as I never let the rape run out