Forage Kale vs Forage Rape

follower

I've been contemplating planting forage rape for my weanling hiefers this year. For the last 3yrs i've planted a hec of ground with forage kale as part of a reseeding program and the main reason to get my heifers to target weights before breeding. But on the downside this ground is on the milking block and is out for 12mths before there is grass there again.

From what i've researched forage rape can be planted in late july and august. i understand the yeild of the crop wont be as good as kale but i've earmarked a larger field this year 2hec to carry 34 weanling heifers.

Has any1 any experience with planting rape for heifers and how did it work out???

blue5000

I've done both and prefer the kale. You get a lot more off the kale. Can't see what the advantage of rape is except that you can grow it a bit later.

porter shark

i have absolutely no experience of either, how many yearlings would five acres keep for the winter? i presume we still have to offer a bale of silage in a ring feeder?
i will be sowing some this year, just after renting farm and going to use rape/kale in reseeding programme.

Farmer Pudsey

If sowing late in year rape is a much better option I did it a few years ago seed was also cheaper than kale seed. You will also should have less problems with weeds as rape develops faster. You should get much the same return from 2HA of Rape as 1HA of kale. However rape can grow very tall even in a short time. I set mine in September and it was still 3' tall during the wimter if I remember right.

keep going

imo rape is not worth putting in the ground there just isnt enough feed in it,a cheaper alternative is to close the ground and feed it during the winter

Farmer Pudsey

keep going wrote: »

imo rape is not worth putting in the ground there just isnt enough feed in it,a cheaper alternative is to close the ground and feed it during the winter

Would not agree totally keep going also you failed to read all the post as OP is using it as part of a reseeding and animal preformance stratgy. Have not got the DM figures at hand for rape but the quality of the feed compared to grass closed longterm and utilisation would be completely different.

Also the cost of planting would be minimum.spray off, slurry, disc, spread seed and nitrogen roll and as it is fresh gound you would get an adequate crop off it.

bob charles

max 2t dm per ac of rape, 3.5 max from kale.

blue5000

porter shark wrote: »

i have absolutely no experience of either, how many yearlings would five acres keep for the winter? i presume we still have to offer a bale of silage in a ring feeder?
i will be sowing some this year, just after renting farm and going to use rape/kale in reseeding programme.

Rough ballpark is 40 weanlings would eat an acre of kale a month and 10 bales of silage without meal, depends on how big the weanlings were and how good the kale is and how good the electric fence is

Some good info on cotswoldseeds website(google it)