Winter bird feed plots

[jd24]

Getting round to the time of year to reseed the bird feed plots. I want to top off last year's growth but the fields are too wet. Can I run sheep in to do this for me? It's surely the greener option....

 

[Brisel]

I'd only be worried about lots of plant residues being trampled & blocking the cultivators. Are the plots in any kind of stewardship agreement?

 

[jd24]

Yeah its the ab9 bird feed plot scheme. I need to work the field down and go again for this year. Most has snapped and bent over anyway. I'm going to disc it if I cant. All the stems will wrap around a power harrow. Just think the sheep will help the process....

 

[Humble Village Farmer]

We graze ours every year after the end of Feb. Better read the rules just to make sure, but with ours I have checked and it's within the rules. I mix between 1 and 2 kilos of turnips in the mix to make it worthwhile. I have also put a pinch of red clover to extend the crop; with varying results - mostly down to pea and bean weevil.

 

[jd24]

Our mix was barley triticale quinoa millet red millet and another but I can't remember. The ab9 notes doesn't mention grazing off but at the same time it doesn't say you can't. Just trying to environmentally friendly reduce the amount of tractor time reestablishing and of course cost. If I put my scuffle in their right now I'd have gather a ton of straw very quickly...

Ps the notes suggested planting later but ours got massacred by flea beetle last year in June because we had a dry spell just after they got going and I had to go over two plots again with more seed.

 

[Brisel]

I don't see an issue what you do with it after 15th Feb.

 

[carpenter1]

I have sheep on ours now, as I have for the last 3 seasons.

 

[yellow belly]

I will wait till it is dry enough to plough after I have finished spring planting
even if it is mid May as you do not need to worry about yield late planting has no downsides
plant Too early when it is wet risk more slug issues

 

[Grass And Grain]

I will wait till it is dry enough to plough after I have finished spring planting
even if it is mid May as you do not need to worry about yield late planting has no downsides
plant Too early when it is wet risk more slug issues

Do you need to go through with some discs or similar to chop it up before ploughing.

 

[yellow belly]

Do you need to go through with some discs or similar to chop it up before ploughing.

no
discing when it is wet will make it impossible to establish a crop
ploughing buries the residue from last year if we had a frozen gd cold spell or dry enough soil in late March we would chop the residue but doing any thing when it is too wet makes it harder to get a crop to grow
Late ploughing then powerharrow gives a chance to a new crop reducing the slug risk small plots have higher pest risks when planted earlier
we need a crop but do not have to get a higher yield as you do if combining

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

We mix a small amount of Kale (Thousandhead if we can get it) which grows slowly and seems more resistant to Flea Beetle and it starts to grow in February if it is mild so by now there is a lot of feed for the sheep.