Hi, I planted 12 acres of Westerwold middle May and it’s doing pretty well. I want to take a cut off it later this year but I was wondering is it worth putting a few sheep on it for a couple of weeks to help it tiller out? maybe a daft question but I’ve never grown Westerwold before only perennial ryegrass.
Westerwold ley , graze sheep ?
- Thread starter Lazy Eric
- Start date
sticky
Member
- Location
- Near Stratford upon Avon
I think I’m right in saying that westerwolds are a tetraploid and there for grow upwards rather than out and so grazing won’t do want you want it to do
- Location
- Herefordshire
Sheep will thrive on it, great for weaning lambs onto, but as above they won’t make it tiller, as its growth habit doesn’t facilitate that
- Location
- Ceredigion
Westerwolds won't tiller much and if the sheep don't graze it even you will end up with a mess to be honest, some heading before the other is ready to cut
It's sole aim is to push up a seed head in Summer Months so you need to take full advantage of the growth before it does
It will be near heading at 8 to 10 weeks so you should not have that long before your cutting
We sow Westerwolds at 16 to 18 kg acre due to lower tillering and larger seed size
It's great for a winter grazing cover crop though
If you want to summer graze and avoid seed heads then Italian Ryegrass won't head first year , not quite as fast though
It's sole aim is to push up a seed head in Summer Months so you need to take full advantage of the growth before it does
It will be near heading at 8 to 10 weeks so you should not have that long before your cutting
We sow Westerwolds at 16 to 18 kg acre due to lower tillering and larger seed size
It's great for a winter grazing cover crop though
If you want to summer graze and avoid seed heads then Italian Ryegrass won't head first year , not quite as fast though
Last edited:
- Location
- Ceredigion
You can get Diploids that are a bit thicker in the bottom
- Location
- North Suffolk
Sorry to hijack the thread but with straw prices/availability this year we are thinking of putting some grass in now on some rye stubbles, with the hope that we can then bring our suckler cows on to them when they come off the marshes hopefully in early November and strip feed through to January. What would people recommend?
- Location
- Ceredigion
Is it just for the winter
If so then either Westerwolds or Hybrid Kale
You will have to graze the Westerwolds hard at 10 weeks or it will run to head ,unless you want to mow it
deleted user 837354
Member
As above, sow heavier than regular grass seeds as they are huge seeds.
Many grass varieties will not really form seed heads if spring sown as they don't have any vernalisation stimulus. You may be able to exploit this in their first year. Obviously after their first overwintering this effect is lost.
Many grass varieties will not really form seed heads if spring sown as they don't have any vernalisation stimulus. You may be able to exploit this in their first year. Obviously after their first overwintering this effect is lost.
- Location
- Ceredigion
Italian Ryegrass won't head , he won't get as much growth as Westerwolds though
deleted user 837354
Member
The same can happen with regular perennial ryegrass varieties, both diploid and tetraploid, where they are spring sown and they don't experience any cool/cold weather.
- Location
- North Suffolk
Yes planning just for the winter as if they mess it up too much would then put maize in next spring. We were leaning towards grass as we would have less transition between feeds having come off grazing and then eventually being housed on haylage for calving
- Location
- Ceredigion
Defo Westerwolds then , despite what some might say it will outgrow Italian Ryegrsss
- Location
- Ceredigion
Just be aware that there are a few diploid varieties of Westerwolds that will graze slightly better , may not be as aggressive as a Tertraploid though and feed value will be slightly lower
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