United Kingdom
September 27, 2024
One Cumbrian dairy farmer has found an ideal break crop for his grazing platform that also provides a valuable extra forage through summer
‘It’s a valuable addition’ is how Cumbrian dairy farmer Jack Carr describes his new-found forage. He’s grown the hybrid brassica Skyfall for the first time this summer – 2024 – as a break crop, but he’s particularly pleased with its value as a grazing alternative that slots very nicely into the summer rotation for his dairy herd.
“We’ve a 27 acre (11-ha) grazing platform around the dairy, and we keep this as fresh and productive as possible by reseeding regularly,” says Jack who runs the 200-acre (81-ha) livestock Leesrigg Farm near Wigton with his father Bryan.
“I look to reseed every four or five years, but I avoid following grass with grass immediately. I also I don’t want to ‘waste’ too much time with land out of grass around the dairy. So a quick break is ideal.”
Limagrain’s forage manager in the North and Scotland area, John Heaphy, suggested the bounce back brassica Skyfall after seeing the success of this relatively new forage on sheep and dairy units.
“It’s ideal as a break crop on dairy units,” he says. “It’s a palatable, leafy, high protein feed which can be fed either in the summer, when grass growth might be limited, or sown later and grazed into autumn.
“And if conditions are right, it only takes five or six weeks to grow so it can slot into the grazing rotation and take the pressure off grazed grass in mid to late summer. An added benefit is that it regrows thanks to its deep roots, giving two or three rounds of grazing typically of the same quantity and feed quality.”
Star performance
Keen to put the crop to the test, Jack sowed 7 acres (2.8ha) of Skyfall on June 12, after ploughing up a five-year old grass ley in his grazing platform. He was grazing it by late July.
“It’s a fast-growing crop,” says Jack. “We sprayed off the grass, ploughed the ley and added a mineral at the same time then power-harrowed and drilled the seed at the rate of 5kg per hectare.
“We added 50kg/ha of a 25:5:5 fertiliser after drilling as the crop emerged. Establishment was very good, and the crop got off to a good start.”
Cow numbers were reduced a few years ago from 110 British Friesians to 60 cows when Jack’s grandfather stepped back from the business, but numbers are now being built up, aiming for 140 milkers plus followers. They’ve also introduced robotic milking which is working well.
While Skyfall was part of the grazing rotation, cows were directed from the robot through gate ‘A’ for nine hours a day on to the crop. This was then reverted to exit gate ‘B’ for the remaining hours each day, diverting cows back onto grass.”
They found no difference in yields or milk quality when cows grazed the Skyfall. Average milk yield – recorded through NMR – is currently 8170kg at 4.49% butterfat and 3.52% protein, with 4,500kg of the milk yield coming from forage. Milk sold to Arla.
“But it gave the cows some variety in their diets, and it took some pressure of the grass,” adds Jack.
“At first the cows stopped and thought ‘what’s this’, but it didn’t take long – as they are inquisitive by nature – before they were on the crop and grazing it enthusiastically.”
Once the crop was eaten off, in about 10 days, the ley was closed-up for regrowth. “And this is exactly what it did – very quickly. We added a bit of nitrogen, and it helped it move on at a good rate.”
By mid to late August re-growth was good enough to open it to the cows again for a further 10 days. “Again, the cows performed well, and we could have done a third round, but I was keen to prepare the ley for an autumn reseed,” he says, adding that he’s equally pleased to be giving the land a break from grass so any pest cycles are broken while still getting a good feed off it for his milkers.
“The system here is geared up to get more from forage,” adds Jack. “We’ve rented more land – which is how we’ll expand the herd.”
He adds that improvements in silage making have spurred on the herd’s milk production form forage with grass silage making up most of the forage in the TMR.
Average ME across three cuts of silage is 12MJ/kg DM and dry matters are between 28% to 30%. Wholecrop silage is produced on the farm too and these forages are balanced with a blend from feed company Newbreed. Cows are topped up and fed to yield in the robot.
“The system here aims to make best use of our crops. I look for efficient cows too that make more milk from the same inputs. We’ve added some Norwegian Red bloodlines to help achieve this.”
The grazing season is relatively short, from May to September, so crops to eat in situ has to be high quality. “Skyfall works well,” says Jack. “It’s a fat growing break crop that offers a good feed so it’s far more efficient than ploughing up a ley and leaving it empty before a reseed. It’s worked well this year, so I’ve re-ordered some Skyfall seed for 2025.”
Jack Carr
SKYFALL ADDS A SHINE TO SUMMER GRAZING
Limagrain UK’s bounce back brassica Skyfall is a highly nutritious leafy forage crop for grazing cattle and sheep in summer through to autumn.
Fast growing, it is sown between May and July and ready for grazing five or six weeks later, depending on growing conditions. And after the first round of grazing, it is closed up for three to five weeks while it grows back.
Its deep narrow roots allow it to thrive in drier soils through summer. This, and the crop’s hybrid vigour supports regrowth and a second and maybe a third grazing crop through the season.
In field trials Skyfall produced between 30 and 35 tonnes/ha of a palatable soft-leaved forage where the crop was sown in July.
Skyfall is an ideal break crop too and can break pest and weed cycles before a grass reseed. Or it can be used in a mixed arable rotation.
Skyfall regrowth (left) vs original growth
SKYFALL – key facts
- High protein forage
- Fast-growing – as little as five or six weeks from sowing to grazing
- Leafy and palatable grazing crop for cattle and sheep
- Produces between 30 and 35 tonnes/ha
- Deep rooting so withstands dry conditions
- Regrowth potential – bounces back after first round of grazing and provides a second crop.
- Break crop – short-circuits weeds and pest problems in grassland