The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Film focuses on benefits of the turnip
Low-cost winter feed for sheep highlighted in QMS video
The benefits of turnips as a low-cost winter feed crop for sheep have been highlighted in a new video by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS).
SAC Consulting’s beef and sheep consultant Kirsten Williams, who features on the video, said producers should be starting to plan their winter forage crops for 2018/19 in the next few weeks.
“Turnips offer a great source of nutrition for sheep and lambs can gain 200250 grams per head per day from a wellmanaged turnip crop,” she said.
“There a number of factors to consider when planning to make the most of a turnip crop for sheep next winter.
“Does the proposed turnip field have good shelter for sheep and plenty of water for them to drink, without risk of causing erosion via burns?
“Is the field flat and free draining enough or could the slope of the field also cause erosion?”
She said ensuring there was adequate run-back from the crop was key to ensuring sheep were presented clean and dry for slaughter, and lambs on turnips should also be given a good supply of fibre via hay, straw or silage.
Andrew Littlejohn, a vet a Kirkton Veterinary Centre who is also involved in the family farm at Auchronie in Glenesk, shares his experience of feeding turnips to sheep on the video.
He said: “We run 500 Cheviot ewes at Auchronie. We keep our own replacements and then we aim to finish the rest of lambs and to do that bring them down to the lowland to overwinter on turnips and other root crops.
“Our aim is to get our lambs away at roughly 42kg prime finishing weight and we find turnips are just a great, reasonably-priced crop to help us achieve that. They are easy to manage and strip grazing is simple and easy to fence and run.”
The video is available online at http:// www.qmscotland.co.uk/potential-turnips-winter-feed