Mid - October and it ’s cheery with a chilly cinch speed across the lush , green field where cattle are scattered . Leafy round top of turnips and tillage radish reach for the last bit of lovingness from the setting sun . This field blow a big wheat crop originally this year . But now it has been drill with a smorgasbord of plant life to create a cover craw that the cattle can graze on during the cool days .
The benefit from planting natural covering crop are treble :
Read more : Pasture permaculture is a matter of good skimming .
What Seed Mixture Is Right?
When deciding what variety of seed to plant , see the Rule of Three . A well practice is , for each seed mixture , let in pasturage , legume and brassicas ( such as turnips or Raphanus sativus ) .
This is n’t a necessary rule to follow . But it can be helpful in attaining a good counterweight in the variety of plants in the field .
The particular blending that we plant include :
Our house physician agronomist , Klayton Krispense , explain to me some of the Immigration and Naturalization Service and outs of the seed mixture we set . He prefers to keep a mix of brassicas and grasses . The two crops make good companions .
Oats are another vulgar familiar crop . They would be considered green goddess in the Rule of Three .
He pointed out that if one of your chief reasons for planting a cover crop is to range cattle on it , you should check that to include a estimable natural selection of gage in the seed blend . Grass tends to grow and establish itself quick . It will spread quicker over the ground than just turnips and radish .
We planted our top craw just days ago ( mid - September ) . It will be ready for the cattle to pasture on around mid - October . Here in Kansas we hold off about a calendar month to plant the back crop .
Our main purpose is to use it as a mulch and practise the primary crop into it .
What Do Cover Crops Do?
We plant cover craw to help shadow the ground and prevent the onset of many weeds . But they also help to retain water .
In the spring , after the cover craw has uprise to about 2 - 3 feet grandiloquent , we will drill the primary crop ( such as soya ) straight into it . As the cover harvest dies , it will make mulch , which holds water into the ground .
An add fillip : We can graze cattle on the cover harvest . The provender is already out there , can be considered clean cheap , and allows for a summertime grazing experience during the later drop / wintertime .
The cover crops supplement daily feed rations for the cattle . And when we go to sell the animals , they will be considered “ grass cattle . ” That should fetch us a higher Mary Leontyne Price .
Read more : Raise kick cattle to meet your mob ’s meat needs !
How to Feed Cover Crops to Cattle
On the day cattle are turned out , they ’re fed a belittled morning feed ration ( so that they wo n’t go out and founder themselves on the plenteous putting surface ) . They get herded through the yard and into the argue - off field , where they will drop the rest of the day grazing .
As dusk get out near , four - wheelers can be heard grumble to life story and start out their trek around the outside perimeter of the pasture . As we gently herd them towards the gate , they weave through the yard and back into their pen for the evening .
Fencing Considerations
When choosing a field to allow cattle to graze in , quell mindful of your fencing choice . A bulk of farmland with a crop wo n’t have a fence . So , on our farm , we put up ahotwire ( electrical ) fence .
For temporary fencing , this is probably the most cost - effective option for keeping cows contained . We typically work up a single - strand hotwire fence . Once the cattle empathise how it act upon , they do just ticket .
In parliamentary procedure to accustom them to an galvanizing fence , we typically set up a small component in their pen for a shortsighted period before they ’re turn loose onto the cover crop . We ordinarily take on some tribulation and wrongdoing . But after a few sniff , they realise not to bet with the wire .
If you ’re considering adding cover crops to your crop revolution or cattle grazing opportunities , regard the Rule of Three ( grasses , legumes , and brassicas ) . And spend some time studying the respectable seeded player mixes for your sphere and desire purpose .
Do n’t forget , if you implant a mixture of brassicas , you never know what might “ turnip ” !
