Practice Abstract - Research and innovation

Grazing Winter Cereals with Sheep: Filling the winter feed gap with no detriment to yield (Network: UK | SRUC )

Grazing Winter Cereals with Sheep: Filling the winter feed gap with no detriment to yield (Network: UK | SRUC )

Changeable weather patterns, including flooding and droughts, over recent years have raised Scottish farmers’ interest in sourcing alternative forage options beyond their usual grazing and silage land. Grazing winter cereals like barley, wheat, and oats with sheep may prove to be one such option. Trials over three years at SRUC Aberdeen, in northeast Scotland, and on participating farms, showed that these crops offer high feed value, often surpassing values for "good silage" in D-values (> 90%), metabolisable energy (> 14 MJ kg-1 DM) and crude protein (~25-30% of DM). Winter cereals also handle grazing well, showing no significant yield loss or detriment to soil health with no reduction in VESS score and evidence of increased earthworm abundance at grazed sites. Grazing can be intensive ("mob grazing") or more extended, with no major issues reported but should be performed before stem extension (GS30) to avoid damage to the growing ear. Some farmers have even seen reduced seed and fertilizer costs, and lower disease pressure, offering the potential to cut fungicide use. Importantly, on a logistical level, building trust between arable farmers and graziers, and agreeing on financial terms, is key to success. This system can help farmers improve cost efficiency, diversify forage options, and integrate livestock with cropping systems without sacrificing productivity.

Changeable weather patterns, including flooding and droughts, over recent years have raised Scottish farmers’ interest in sourcing alternative forage options beyond their usual grazing and silage land. Grazing winter cereals like barley, wheat, and oats with sheep may prove to be one such option. Trials over three years at SRUC Aberdeen, in northeast Scotland, and on participating farms, showed that these crops offer high feed value, often surpassing values for "good silage" in D-values (> 90%), metabolisable energy (> 14 MJ kg-1 DM) and crude protein (~25-30% of DM). Winter cereals also handle grazing well, showing no significant yield loss or detriment to soil health with no reduction in VESS score and evidence of increased earthworm abundance at grazed sites. Grazing can be intensive ("mob grazing") or more extended, with no major issues reported but should be performed before stem extension (GS30) to avoid damage to the growing ear. Some farmers have even seen reduced seed and fertilizer costs, and lower disease pressure, offering the potential to cut fungicide use. Importantly, on a logistical level, building trust between arable farmers and graziers, and agreeing on financial terms, is key to success. This system can help farmers improve cost efficiency, diversify forage options, and integrate livestock with cropping systems without sacrificing productivity.

Source Project
MIXED - Multi-actor and transdisciplinary development of efficient and resilient MIXED farming and agroforestry systems
Ongoing | 2020-2025
Main funding source
Horizon 2020 (EU Research and Innovation Programme)
Geographical location
Denmark
Project details

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