Too much clover?

[Catriona]

A little unsure about grazing this in case we get bloat!
Suckler cows and weaned lambs should be heading in here on next rotation. They have a lot less clover in their other fields.
This field was cut for silage 2-3 weeks ago, and had 20:8:14 applied afterwards. (Our P & K levels were low on soil test, and I was hoping the dose of N would help the grass outcompete the clover on regrowth - seems not, so far!
If I leave it another couple of weeks, will the grass (3 year old ryegrass ley) increase and give me a better mix of grazing?
Or is the clover going to continue to dominate now?
I could leave it to cut for silage again - but I guess I'll end up in the same position.
(there's even ore clover than the photos suggest!)

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Let it grow a bit more stemmy , should be ok then , but try not to turn cattle in hungry .

 

[Courier]

Pour a litre of cooking oil on top of the drinking water trough each day to help try and prevent bloat issues when grazing a leguminous crop.

 

[chipchap]

If you are using water tanks for drinking there is an oil you can float on top of the water in the tank to help stop bloat. Ask your vet. Is it Arachis oil? Or am I confusing it with something else?

 

[kfpben]

Same issue here. Have just put lambs on this

 

[Extreme Optimist]

Put a bale of straw in a ring feeder for them to chew on. It is surprising how much they will take and reduce the chance f bloat.

 

[HarryB97]

I’ve turned stock out on fields much worse than that which have been quarantined inside before hand for a week or two so a very sudden diet change with no issues. However as above a few precautions will not do any harm

 

[Sid]

A little unsure about grazing this in case we get bloat!
Suckler cows and weaned lambs should be heading in here on next rotation. They have a lot less clover in their other fields.
This field was cut for silage 2-3 weeks ago, and had 20:8:14 applied afterwards. (Our P & K levels were low on soil test, and I was hoping the dose of N would help the grass outcompete the clover on regrowth - seems not, so far!
If I leave it another couple of weeks, will the grass (3 year old ryegrass ley) increase and give me a better mix of grazing?
Or is the clover going to continue to dominate now?
I could leave it to cut for silage again - but I guess I'll end up in the same position.
(there's even ore clover than the photos suggest!)

Clover always looks more than there actually is given broad leaf.

As has been said, don't let in hungry,some roughage in feeder and some cooking oil in trough litre in 300 gallon should be fine.

Watch them closely for first 12 hours and have oil at hand to drench if need be.

 

[Anymulewilldo]

I’ve put plenty of crossbred lambs into cover like that with no ill effects. Don’t put them in hungry mind…
I dread too think how a bunch of scotch lambs straight off the lorry would cope with it though!!

 

[JSmith]

I’ve put plenty of crossbred lambs into cover like that with no ill effects. Don’t put them in hungry mind…
I dread too think how a bunch of scotch lambs straight off the lorry would cope with it though!!

Not the lambs to worry about, it’s how you’d cope with the amount of dead ones I’d be worried about!!

 

[Anymulewilldo]

Not the lambs to worry about, it’s how you’d cope with the amount of dead ones I’d be worried about!!

Simple. Send little brother with the telehandler and give myself a good kicking!

 

[JSmith]

What’s that noise coming from the nut shed, it’s @Anymulewilldo thrashing himself with the blue pipe, an cursing the Scottish as a people and a nation

 

[Yale]

This last week or two I’ve really noticed clover everywhere.

Not sure if the cold wet May held the grass back then flipped to warm dry June which suited the clover.

 

[JSmith]

Very clovery year, we’ve got more than ever, the wet may brought it on here, I’m not complaining, we were like a dust bowl last year!! It can rain until October for me

 

[Gordy1]

When we turn cattle out after winter onto fresh lush spring grass we always put some hay out with them to help stop them getting bloat ,never had any problems from them, right about clover it’s gone mad this year.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

A little unsure about grazing this in case we get bloat!
Suckler cows and weaned lambs should be heading in here on next rotation. They have a lot less clover in their other fields.
This field was cut for silage 2-3 weeks ago, and had 20:8:14 applied afterwards. (Our P & K levels were low on soil test, and I was hoping the dose of N would help the grass outcompete the clover on regrowth - seems not, so far!
If I leave it another couple of weeks, will the grass (3 year old ryegrass ley) increase and give me a better mix of grazing?
Or is the clover going to continue to dominate now?
I could leave it to cut for silage again - but I guess I'll end up in the same position.
(there's even ore clover than the photos suggest!)

The grass will come, depending on your soil temp at the moment it's likely too warm for rg to be doing much growing.
If you need to graze it, nothing stopping you, but it has a lot of potential yet

 

[Samcowman]

The grass will come, depending on your soil temp at the moment it's likely too warm for rg to be doing much growing.
If you need to graze it, nothing stopping you, but it has a lot of potential yet

If it stays hot ryegrass won’t be long heading (when is it ever ) and will give some roughage for the clover.

 

[som farmer]

at the moment, grass growth is holding the clover back, here, but, as you say, rye grass is going to run to head, if we get another dry spell, fortunately, rain is forecast.

 

[sheepdogtrail]

A little unsure about grazing this in case we get bloat!
Suckler cows and weaned lambs should be heading in here on next rotation. They have a lot less clover in their other fields.
This field was cut for silage 2-3 weeks ago, and had 20:8:14 applied afterwards. (Our P & K levels were low on soil test, and I was hoping the dose of N would help the grass outcompete the clover on regrowth - seems not, so far!
If I leave it another couple of weeks, will the grass (3 year old ryegrass ley) increase and give me a better mix of grazing?
Or is the clover going to continue to dominate now?
I could leave it to cut for silage again - but I guess I'll end up in the same position.
(there's even ore clover than the photos suggest!)

Personally I would wait a least 2 months after 20:8:14 application. The clover will be okay as long as it does not cook first. Which I would expect is not likely given your local. The PRG will go to seed. But it is a good roughage with the white clover. I would watch the ram lambs for symptoms of stones. Do you know your soil(s) silica levels?

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Personally I would wait a least 2 months after 20:8:14 application. The clover will be okay as long as it does not cook first. Which I would expect is not likely given your local. The PRG will go to seed. But it is a good roughage with the white clover. I would watch the ram lambs for symptoms of stones. Do you know your soil(s) silica levels?

I thought it was cattle he was grazing , but my main concern would be staggers grazing after putting that much potash