Forage rape or stubble turnips for ewes

Username John

Hello all,

Anyone have any experience of feeding ewes forage rape, or stubble turnips?

I am half thinking of putting in some kinda forage crop after spring barley next summer, to feed to ewes Jan / Feb, and then bring em into the shed for lambing in March.

This would mean sowing in mid-August, start September - which could be lateish enough.

From what I have read online, it seems a crop should be ready about 12 weeks later.

If I was to sow 1st September - would it be ok for feeding in Jan / Feb?
Would it be ok til Jan / Feb, or would this be pushing it a bit too late?
I think frost could ruin rape, but not so much stubble turnips - is this correct?
EDIT : How about feeding rape or turnips to in-lamb ewes? They would need to be bolused, as I think rape anyways is low in iodine, and maybe other minerals?

Anyone ever do this?

Oh - and any idea how long an acre of rape, would last lets say 60 ewes?

Thanks all.

grassroot1

I have a mix of rape and stubble turnip sown, rape would be winter hardy typhon not so good. The difference between rape sown on 9th august and the 30th is quite marked.

arctictree

Would ye undersow with grass or sow again in the spring?

Username John

arctictree wrote: »

Would ye undersow with grass or sow again in the spring?

I was thinking on putting it into stubble, so barley or wheat would be set again in the springtime.
Just thinking is all...

Sheep breeder

we have sown for the last three years and find them super feed, first year half rape and turnip not a good idea as turnips did not fill as well as when quater rape and rest turnip, we use for jan lambing ewes from mid nov to housing in third week of dec with no meal fed at this time and ewes never as strong and easy system to work, then we graze one lot with ewe lambs and an other with the ram lambs makes sheep of them,we found the rape if not used early or in cold weather that pidgeons went to town on it.this year we changed variety from rondo and not as good of crop,we take out grass in july and sow and then in april reseed to grass and a super job as grass has grazed massive this year and away of freshing up the farm, we spray, slurry, then disc plough,then sow with spinner and chain harrow up side down, easy system.

gazahayes

Sheep breeder wrote: »

we have sown for the last three years and find them super feed, first year half rape and turnip not a good idea as turnips did not fill as well as when quater rape and rest turnip, we use for jan lambing ewes from mid nov to housing in third week of dec with no meal fed at this time and ewes never as strong and easy system to work, then we graze one lot with ewe3 lambs and an other with the ram lambs makes sheep of them,we found the rape if not used early or in cold weather that pidgeons went to town on it.this year we changed variety from rondo and not as good of crop,we take out grass in july and sow and then in april reseed to grass and a super job as grass has grazed massive this year and away of freshing up the farm, we spray, slurry, then disc plough,then sow with spinner and chain harrow up side down, easy system.

Where do you get the seed from?

ganmo

gazahayes wrote: »

Where do you get the seed from?

You could try germinal seed in tipp

davidk1394

We grew about 20 acres of kale and turnips this year... grew very well up to nearly my chest we have1 field grazed already with about 210 ewes on it since the end of November... we used kestrel seed I think and got it off germimal seeds through our local glanbia. Ya'd graze them on both the kale and turnips right up to lambing