Forage plans!

[Broomcroft]

Forage could be a bit short this year, even if this cold weather clears up soon. Our silage fields are only about half the height they should be by now, although one plot is doing better than the others. Reading about grass, it knows what the time of year is by the length of the days, not the temperature, I assume that's right. So it'll apparently go to seed at the normal time whatever the height is. So our plan is to cut as normal (early June) and accept a smaller first cut, then apply more fert than we would normally, and hope for a bigger than usual 2nd cut, fingers crossed !

Just wondered what other peoples' thoughts and plans were as due to start shortly and want to get it right.

[Rob R]

I'm grazing lightly and moving them on more quickly this year to aim for better regrowth & tillering. We're also making better use of aftermaths from last year's terrible crops for grazing and cutting but aiming to cut shorter, as you are. Not looking forward to next winter but getting minerals & molasses ordered in ready for housing to make up for the poorer quality & improve utilisation of what there is. If we get the chance to cut any later this year we'll hold off & graze or overwinter some swards instead as cutting them didn't really work last year.

[Broomcroft]

We're on mostly clay, so can't graze during the winter except with sheep usually till late Jan, it'd just turn into a horrible mess in no time. Got a few rocky hard fields that they can out-winter on, but so small they'll need silage anyhow, save on straw though.

[Rob R]

We're on 8ft clay over running sand, as long as there is grass underfoot it doesn't poach, soon as it's gone it becomes a quagmire within hours. We had to feed on a piece last back ed when the flood waters came up & the shed wasn't finished but it didn't do it any good.

[debra wiltshire]

Ours have been turned out on to a 10 acre field, divided into two. It was overseeded with some clover mix some two years ago. Can anyone tell me why they will not eat it? They have grazed the grass right down and will not touch the clover. They are now shouting at us are starting to look quite hungry We have given them the last of last years hay which they will munch at a push.

[Broomcroft]

I assume we're talking white clover? My cattle will avoid too much white clover, my sheep will seek it out. Our whole farm was a mass of it when we re-seeded after being arable. The clover took over, mainly large varieties.

My cattle would take clover when mixed in with the grass, no choice I suppose, but where there were patched of almost only clover, they avoided it.

They will get bloat on clover and need to be kept an eye on, I would say at least twice daily. At the first sign of any of them swelling (mainly on one side), we would take the lot off and put them in a small poor paddock for a day.

A dairy farmer told me that eventually they would probably get used to the clover and stop bloating (assuming it's not over the top I suppose?), and they did but it took quite a long time.

For a comparison, here's one of my leys that they would graze, but any more clover they'd not be happy, a bit less clover would have been better. Sheep were great on it for fattening.



It made fantastic silage/haylage, used to call it "rocket fuel" and had to be careful with cattle, mainly used it for sheep.

[Rob R]

It made fantastic silage/haylage, used to call it "rocket fuel" and had to be careful with cattle, mainly used it for sheep.

Some of the best rocket fuel we ever made was the straw we baled from a piece of barley undersown with clover - the combine didn't like it, but the cows did!

[debra wiltshire]

That looks about right with ours...and yes it made fantastic sileage last year. All our cattle that wintered out on in are in great condition.
We over seeded about two years ago with a grass and clover mix. The weather wasnt good (cold and dry) the grass seed didnt take but the clover did. The soil it is on is poor....limestone quaries all around us...but eventually will the clover settle down?

[Broomcroft]

I should think the clover should settle down after a few years. Ours took about 3 years, but till then it really was overpowering, sometimes it looked like there was no grass, much "worse" than in the photo I posted. We put nitrogen on to help the grass compete with the clover and also I topped fields that were overwhelmed, with the topper set high to just take the tops off the clover. Both methods worked.

Don't know whether you've done any soil test but might be very worthwhile doing if you're not sure. Our soil was low in nutrients due to the previous intensive arable farmer and me not spending a fortune putting it right!!! As I understand it, that made it harder for the grass to grow but did not affect the clover which loved the situation, and the lack of competition. Our PH was OK though which I think clover needs, can't remember all the details.

[debra wiltshire]

thanks for the advice!