We’ve all been there: staring out across fields that are turning the colour of straw while the forecast shows nothing but clear skies and another heatwave on its way. When growth stalls and grazing covers run thin, watching our winter feed stores dwindle is the last thing we need. Waiting and hoping for rain isn't a strategy, and with livestock still needing to be fed, we have to look at ways to bridge the gap and get some green feed growing.
The good news is there are practical options that can help bridge the summer feed gap. Whether you need a fast-growing catch crop or you're looking to reseed with a mixture that's better equipped to cope with the ongoing dry conditions, choosing the right seed now can help maintain forage supplies and improve resilience for the future.
Fast Bulk Feed with Brassicas
When time is against you, forage brassicas remain one of the quickest ways to produce valuable grazing.
Stubble Turnips establish rapidly and are typically ready to graze in around 10–12 weeks, making them an excellent choice for late summer and autumn grazing. They're a cost-effective way to provide quality feed for sheep and cattle while taking pressure off permanent pasture.
Forage Rape is another dependable option, producing high yields of leafy, protein-rich forage that's ideal for finishing lambs or maintaining cattle performance when grass growth has stalled.
Drought-Resilient Silage Mixtures
For farms that rely heavily on conserved forage, establishing a silage ley that can continue producing during dry periods is becoming increasingly important.
Our Drought Resilient Silage Protein+ mixture has been specifically formulated for dryland silage production, combining fast-establishing hybrid grasses with deep-rooting festulolium and red clover to help maintain production when moisture becomes limited. The mixture delivers excellent forage quality, improved protein levels and strong yields across multiple cuts, making it an ideal choice for farms looking to secure silage supplies through increasingly unpredictable summers. It's suitable for most soil types, particularly lighter, free-draining land where drought pressure can be greatest, and can also be supplied without red clover if preferred.
Flexible Cutting and Grazing Systems
Where flexibility is needed, our Drought Resilient Dual Purpose mixture offers a practical solution for both silage production and grazing. Built around deep-rooting festulolium, it has been developed to maintain performance through dry conditions while producing quality forage for one or two silage cuts before providing productive aftermath grazing.
The mixture establishes quickly, performs well across a wide range of soil types and can be sown from spring through to the end of September, making it an excellent option for replacing drought-damaged leys or refreshing underperforming fields. White clover can also be added to improve nitrogen fixation and forage quality.
Planning Beyond This Summer
While no grass ley can make it rain, selecting mixtures that have been bred with drought resilience in mind can help reduce the impact of increasingly frequent dry spells. Deep-rooting species continue accessing moisture lower in the soil profile, helping maintain production for longer while improving persistence and soil structure over time.
If your current leys have struggled this summer, it may be worth viewing this season as an opportunity to establish a more resilient forage system for the years ahead.
Browse the full range of forage crops, grass seed mixtures and drought-resilient leys at South West Seeds, or give our team a call on 01208 881198. We'll be happy to discuss the best option for your soil type, farming system and forage requirements.
