Is it worth planting 8ac of tillage?

Siamsa Sessions

We're building up sheep numbers slowly at home and have 8 acres that we don't need in the grazing rotation or for silage.

This block needs to be reseeded and rather than turning it straight back into grass, I'm wondering if (1) it'd be better for the ground to rotate the crop with oats/barley and (2) would there be a margin/profit to be made on setting 8 acres?

trixi2011

Could you sow rape or stubble turnips on it and winter the sheep there ?

blue5000

If you can use the oats/barley and straw yourself I think it is worth it. Crimping and urea treating the barley for feeding cattle is an option for storing it. I think oats can be fed unrolled to sheep.
As trixi says turnips/sweedes/rape could be done 1 year. Have you any of your own machinery? It helps, but don't go mad buying stuff for 8 acres.

Siamsa Sessions

Thanks folks.

We've enough fodder from the rest of the land to keep the sheep over winter.

Don't have any machinery for this work so would be getting contractor in.

We'd use some barley/oats but probably not 8 acres worth.

I'm guessing the likely yield/acre would be a real deciding factor. I need to do more homework yet!

Thanks again

Username John

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

Thanks folks.

We've enough fodder from the rest of the land to keep the sheep over winter.

Don't have any machinery for this work so would be getting contractor in.

We'd use some barley/oats but probably not 8 acres worth.

I'm guessing the likely yield/acre would be a real deciding factor. I need to do more homework yet!

Thanks again

Are you in a tillage area?

Could you work out a deal with a tillage farmer, where he gets it for the year, to grow whatever he wants, and gives it back to you reseeded...

Siamsa Sessions

Username John wrote: »

Are you in a tillage area?

Could you work out a deal with a tillage farmer, where he gets it for the year, to grow whatever he wants, and gives it back to you reseeded...

There's one lad I might have a chat with alright about that kind of arrangement. Is there usually changes to area aid maps, etc. would it be easier to keep it fairly informal?