As the grazing season progresses, forward-thinking livestock farmers know that the key to maintaining body condition scores and managing feed costs through the colder months is preparation. Reliance on purchased concentrates or burning through silage clamps early can rapidly erode your margins.
By mapping out your winter forage strategy now, you can fill the late-season grazing gap, provide high-quality winter keep, and secure cost-effective fodder production.
At South West Seeds, we stock a comprehensive range of high-yield root and forage seeds specifically selected for reliable establishment, excellent frost hardiness, and high nutritional value. Whether you are finishing lambs or outwintering cattle, breaking the hunger gap requires choosing the right crop for your specific system.
Forage rape is a fast-growing, low-input option that offers incredible flexibility. It is widely used to finish lambs or provide high-protein autumn and winter keep for cattle. Producing a leafy, protein-rich fodder, it can typically be utilised just 12 to 14 weeks from sowing.
If you need the highest possible dry matter (DM) yield from a leafy brassica, kale is the king of winter forage. Highly adaptable and winter-hardy, it can be grazed in situ for outwintering systems or cut and fed in-house. It has a flexible utilisation period and provides excellent crude protein levels to keep livestock thriving when grass growth stops.
Grown as a main root crop, fodder beet produces substantial yields of exceptionally high-energy feed. It acts as an excellent supplement to grass silage or as a direct replacement for costly cereals in a ration. Depending on your setup, it can be lifted and clamped or stripped-grazed in situ.
Stubble turnips are a highly economical crop, frequently sown after winter cereals for fast autumn grazing or following first-cut silage to bridge a mid-summer gap. They are highly palatable for both sheep and cattle. For later utilisation, main crop turnips mature slightly slower but deliver higher dry matter yields and superior winter hardiness.
Maximising your home-grown forage isn't just about brassicas. Integrating high-performance cutting, grazing, and dual-purpose grass mixtures into your rotation ensures your swards establish quickly and maximise dry matter output. For targeted nutrition, products like our Lamb Finish Graze are specifically formulated to drive liveweight gains efficiently.
Every farm in the South West has unique microclimates, soil types, and livestock pressures. Getting the right seed variety and understanding its specific sowing window makes all the difference between a bumper crop and a winter forage deficit.
Don't leave your winter feed strategy to chance. Our experienced team is on hand to guide you through matching varieties to your field rotation, calculating seeding rates, and securing your winter keep.
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For tailored recommendations and to secure your seed order, contact the South West Seeds team today:
đź“ž Call us on 01208 881 198
