Grazing heavy red clover

Gballs

I have a reseed in now for a few years which is really heavy with red clover.
Due to a change in farming practice I'm going to have to graze this now.
I cannot enficise enough how much red clover is in it.
Can I put sheep in it or would dairy heifers be better.
Any advice welcome.
Thanks...

Buford T. Justice XIX

No problem with grazing it, I did it with red clover for a few years after a silage cut.

I would be adding some anti bloat liquid to their water troughs though, maybe for a day before going in there just to be on the safe side and every day they're in there.

the al kid

I would also leave some hay or straw in a round feeder to act as a fibre source .Also make sure you introduce them when red clover leaves are dry and dont let them into it if they are hungry .My tuppence worth.


Al

Gballs

Hi Buford T,

I don't think the sheep will be drinking out of the trough with the weather we're getting....
When I cut this for silage (2 cuts) it was a sea of red. Neighbour's were stopping and looking in it looked so different.
If they don't get the anti bloat liquid will I run in major trouble...

Dinzee Conlee

Gballs wrote: »

I have a reseed in now for a few years which is really heavy with red clover.
Due to a change in farming practice I'm going to have to graze this now.
I cannot enficise enough how much red clover is in it.
Can I put sheep in it or would dairy heifers be better.
Any advice welcome.
Thanks...

Is there something about red clover affecting fertility, for sheep anyways?

So I dunno would it be the thing for sheep going to the ram soon?

I’ll see if I can dig up where I read that...

Gballs

No need dig it up, ur 100% right...
U can get by if u keep breeding season 6 to 8 weeks after grazing the red clover...
I was thinking mule ewe lambs, keep them for hoggetts next year...
But I very concerned about the bloat.
It's about 50 to 60 % clover....
Sounds mad but it is...

Dinzee Conlee

Gballs wrote: »

No need dig it up, ur 100% right...
U can get by if u keep breeding season 6 to 8 weeks after grazing the red clover...
I was thinking mule ewe lambs, keep them for hoggetts next year...
But I very concerned about the bloat.
It's about 50 to 60 % clover....
Sounds mad but it is...

Up to now, I assume you were making silage from it - how did you find it?

I am especially interested to hear if you fed it to lambs, and how they did on it...

Sorry am not any use to your current concerns...

Gballs

I was milking off it, and it was amazing...
If I could figure our how to attach a picture of it I'd post it....
I took some as I was cutting it...
Also no fertilizer...
And was grazed with 250+ ewes in the spring as the clover content was much much lower...

Buford T. Justice XIX

Gballs wrote: »

Hi Buford T,

I don't think the sheep will be drinking out of the trough with the weather we're getting....
When I cut this for silage (2 cuts) it was a sea of red. Neighbour's were stopping and looking in it looked so different.
If they don't get the anti bloat liquid will I run in major trouble...

If there's a lot of any clover in a sward, I'd be putting in bloat prevention twice a day into the water trough and introduce the field to them over a day or two. And once they're in it full time, I'd be restricting access to 12 hour blocks at most. They will head straight for the clover first so you will need them to eat some grass as well to reduce bloat problems.

Al above is right about some long fiber in the diet as well to reduce the risk.

And even then, some might still bloat. I have a Jersey cow that I used have to drench with Bloatguard every morning or she would start bloating.

Are you sure you can't cut it?:o

Gballs

If I get half a chance with the weather I'll cut it....
But it's getting less and less lightly by the day....
But maybe o have no choice....
A few decent days and that's what I'll do...
This is the first time I've had and trouble with it....
But it's some stuff...

Water John

Weather could be better at the back end of the week. Baling would be a better way to go. Don't use a conditioner on the mower.

Gballs

With a bit of luck I'll be right...
Conditioner if set light is fine ....
If I do get it cut, I'll ted it right after rake it up next day and ba loo e it...
That system has worked for me for the last few years....
Ted it easy though...
1st gear 300/350 rpm...
Slow but ur only doing it once...

Panch18

Gballs wrote: »

With a bit of luck I'll be right...
Conditioner if set light is fine ....
If I do get it cut, I'll ted it right after rake it up next day and ba loo e it...
That system has worked for me for the last few years....
Ted it easy though...
1st gear 300/350 rpm...
Slow but ur only doing it once...

What kind of yield are you getting from the red clover?

Water John

That stuff should keep the cows milking on the back end.

Gballs

I'm after quality not quantity, so in a normal year with one bad of 10-10-20 per acre I get 5 to 6 per acre per cut...
Three cuts per year over a 18 to 20 week period....
One grazing before and 2 grazing after with a very heavy spread of FYM every second year...

Gballs

It was goats I was milking, but after I did the reseed, yield went up by just under 30% with no change in concentrates...

Buford T. Justice XIX

A bit from our discussion group walk handout on bloat management.


And a bit on its cause.

Markcheese

I was always told to go easy on bloat oil, because once you start you have to keep going with it (while they're on clover rich swards)