Has anyone or know of anyone that has done whole crop oats and clamped it? We are short of silage ground this year so we were thinking of putting Spring oats in to whole crop so we can bulk the silage out with them a bit. I want to grow oats as it won't mess up the rotations and it means we can put a first wheat in in the autumn. I can't seem to find out much information on them like tonnes per acre yield and feed values ect. Also do they clamp and ensile ok?
Whole crop oats
- Thread starter Tom22890
- Start date
- Location
- West Wales
Google "Francis dunne field options" seed suppliers from Gloucester way? They do a mass amount of trial work on different wholecrops and if you can't find the trial results on the website, phone Francis and he'll tell you!
- Location
- Cornwall.
There are a lot of oats grown as wholecrop biggest problem at the moment may be getting seed. At 30%-40% DM ME will be around 10 or just over with a crude protein of 9 and starch 19/20% maybe a little bit more (or less).
harperfarmer
Member
We put 35 acres in the clamp last year for feeding to dry sucklers. Did approximately 7t/acre fresh weight. Had it analysed as shown below. Fairly typical analysis I believe.
- Location
- Cornwall.
Thinking out loud and not because I sell it but Spring Oats/Lupins may be worth considering. Expected analysis 12 - 15 tonnes/ acre, DM 25 - 30%, D Value 65 - 70, ME 10.0+, CP 12.5%, STARCH 18%.
but Spring Oats/Lupins may be worth considering. Expected analysis 12 - 15 tonnes/ acre, DM 25 - 30%, D Value 65 - 70, ME 10.0+, CP 12.5%, STARCH 18%.
- Location
- Limousin/Charentes toad land
At what point do you cut the oats? And does it work round baled and wrapped, not chopped?
- Location
- Gods country (England)
Do some oats and peas with the fusion for a few customers each year, works fine but....
1. Must be mown with mower without a conditioner
2. Raking is not advised as you tend to knock grain off and can also drag soil into the row
3 Pest control needs to be on point as the rats love the stuff - stacked on end in 2s with foot of gap between each one seems to work best as no where for them to hide
Saw some today at one farm and it looks some lovely stuff - farmer recons way better than maize for finishing bulls
1. Must be mown with mower without a conditioner
2. Raking is not advised as you tend to knock grain off and can also drag soil into the row
3 Pest control needs to be on point as the rats love the stuff - stacked on end in 2s with foot of gap between each one seems to work best as no where for them to hide
Saw some today at one farm and it looks some lovely stuff - farmer recons way better than maize for finishing bulls
We did it a few times, wagon then jf. Grew it pure spring oats, oats and peas, and oats vetch and peas.
Found that the later worked well as it went through the mower without bearing pods.
I liked it as insurance for a dry year. I remember one year we grew 30 acres and the grass was burning.
If we had a combine and cleaner; I'd let some ripen in.
Not sure of feed value, but cows milked well on it; but we had to limit its intake. Too much I think can cause acidosis?
Some say wheat is a better grain?
Meant to add, we undersow with grass.
Found that the later worked well as it went through the mower without bearing pods.
I liked it as insurance for a dry year. I remember one year we grew 30 acres and the grass was burning.
If we had a combine and cleaner; I'd let some ripen in.
Not sure of feed value, but cows milked well on it; but we had to limit its intake. Too much I think can cause acidosis?
Some say wheat is a better grain?
Meant to add, we undersow with grass.
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
They're a fair way from Gloucester.
http://www.field-options.co.uk/Default.aspx
But yes, they did do some extensive trial work on various wholecrop options a year or so ago. Well worth a chat with Francis IMO.
Global ovine
Member
- Location
- Central Otago NZ
All cereal crops work well as whole crop silage.
Triticale gives the longest window of harvest opportunity if the weather is fickle at that time.
Oats have the shortest window when the grain is right for whole crop harvest. For many, too short to rely on contractors.
Triticale gives the longest window of harvest opportunity if the weather is fickle at that time.
Oats have the shortest window when the grain is right for whole crop harvest. For many, too short to rely on contractors.
That great thank you that's what I had in mind for mine just to bulk the silage up to the dry suckler cows. At what stage did you cut it?
We have done whole crop oats for a good number of years now,we have baled,ag bagged and now pit it with draff on top to seal it from vermin. I find it very good for putting milk on sucklers. I undersow with Italian ryegrass to have a clean bite for the back end.
Yantantethera
Member
- Location
- Scottish Borders
We grow oats undersown with grass and take it as arable silage (ie earlier than true wholecrop) - the grain is formed but still soft when we bale it. It works very well for us - good ME and protein and high palatability. We only sow the oats at 45-50 kgs/acre though as it is predominantly about the reseed.
harperfarmer
Member
It was sown purely as an arable crop of oats, although winter not spring as you're thinking of doing. We actually burnt it off with glyphosate about 1 week prior to cutting it as we were also trying to use it as a black grass control measure. With hindsight we won't do that again as it really sped up the ripening process as you can imagine and we nearly got caught out. We'd just cut it at the cheesy stage or sort of 6 weeks before combining. No real set date, just when the crop looks ready. It ensiled well but rats are a problem due to the grain in the crop. But it fed out really well and the cows settled on it nicely, they seemed much more settled on that than they ever were on grass silage actually. I think obviously a winter crop will yield more than a spring crop, but other than that can't see there would be much difference. We'll be doing it again for the cows this year.
we chop around 100acres each year for a local estate,they've grown them for a good few years now and love them,there a good break crop and relatively cheap to grow but its best not to let them get too ripe as i find they can be difficult to mill properly with the forager