Sheep Guide - Grow more grass

Sheep farmers looking to grow more grass in 2018 are being offered a free guide to grassland management. Crammed full of useful advice, the Barenbrug Sheep Guide 2018 will be officially launched at NSA ScotSheep this week.

Developed by the agricultural team at Barenbrug - one of the UK’s leading producers of forage grass varieties and mixtures – the guide contains practical hints and tips to help sheep farmers manage their grassland more efficiently to maximize yields and profitability.

It looks at the science of good grass and includes facts and figures about animal and plant physiology. It features information on good grazing management including when to graze grass and how to perfect pasture pressure. There are also sections on looking after leys long-term, and successful soil management and seed selection.

The Barenbrug Sheep Guide is the fourth document in a series of information booklets that we have produced to help UK farmers make more from grass. In 2017 the team published its Guide to Brassicas and Forage Crops, and a separate Dairy Guide. In February of this year, the team launched its Beef Guide.

Commenting, Mhairi Dawson, Research & Development Manager, and a sheep farmer herself, said: “Regardless of breed, all UK sheep farmers have one thing in common; the need to provide their animals with top quality grass to eat. Costing far less than manufactured animal feed, well-managed grassland can supply almost all of the energy and protein requirements of a flock – but deciding what type of grass to grow and how best to manage it can be difficult. Now is the perfect time to take stock and plan how you are going to manage your grass over the summer and plan for the 2019 growing season.  With so many forage grass options now available, our guide is designed to help farmers make the right choices as they work to achieve their grassland goals.”