Kale variety selection crucial for successful out wintering

The need to improve profitability is driving huge interest in kale-based out-wintering of cattle, but some systems are doomed to failure if producers sow inferior 'game-cover' type kale varieties that produce a low utilisable yield.

That's the uncompromising advice from fodder crop specialist Michael Shannon of British Seed Houses, who says that if you are working to a feed budget based on cattle utilising 80-90% of the kale crop and actual intake turns out to be closer to 50% you are in trouble. Successful out-wintering depends on growing the right fodder kale, he stresses.

"New Zealand research has shown that kales with a superior leaf-to-stem ratio and more digestible stems deliver better animal performance. This trait is far more important than total dry-matter yield. Cattle achieve as much as a 62% increase in daily liveweight gain when grazing leafy kale varieties with highly digestible stems," he points out.

Mr Shannon has confirmed the New Zealand research findings with observational trials at Thankerton Camp Farm near Biggar. Different kale varieties were put in front of cattle with startling results – in some cases, only the leaf canopy was grazed with the stems being completely overlooked by the stock.

"You want to be left with a brown field for your follow on crop in the spring and this means sowing a crop that will be fully utilised by the cattle. Being left with minimal residual field green matter in the spring should be the number one priority for every farmer. It's no good if all the cattle are grazing is the leaf canopy and leaving the stems.

"Maris Kestrel is the proven fodder kale variety and the one most farmers come back to time after time. Nothing beats it because it stands up well – yet both its leaves and stems are highly digestible – and this is why it was the variety chosen for the recent SAC out-wintering demonstration trials." he points out.

"Many farmers will be growing kale again this season for the first time in many years and our biggest concern is that they use the right variety to deliver optimum livestock performance. The last thing farmers need is a variety that produces large quantities of green manure," he warns.