Kes Posted March 24, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2014 Anyone tried windproofing a pen area with something like paraweb or other geo-textiles. That and straw bales seem to be the only 'instant' improvement possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted March 24, 2014 Report Share Posted March 24, 2014 Anyone tried windproofing a pen area with something like paraweb or other geo-textiles. That and straw bales seem to be the only 'instant' improvement possible. We tried it with corrugated sheets from an old roof, but before we even got halfway along one side we decided it was going to look too much like a pig pen so took them back down. We have since just piled hedge cuttings/trimmings along the west side and the grass which grows up through it and then collapses looks much better as well as offering cover, but it isn't instant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Konnie Posted March 24, 2014 Report Share Posted March 24, 2014 don't know if you can get it where you are but this way we have a place that does pampas grass for game cover would make good wind proofing and no maintenance could be worth a look Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lordripon Posted March 24, 2014 Report Share Posted March 24, 2014 (edited) Hi all, as I have said canary grass is unbeatable for cost effective cover !!! as for it causing staggers in cattle... we have had cattle in our covers for weeks !! with no reported ill effects. it would be well worth fencing all your cover crops to keep live stock out. I promise you, you would not regret it, in the long term nothing beats it. pampas grass is also good but a health and safety nightmare ! as it will cut your beating team to ribbons ! if your really against it go for some artichokes , they cost a lot more and need specialist planting equipment, and results are not as good. Paul 223, you ask about my timing advice... I find people have very different ideas of how to time the release of poults , if your release date is to late your birds will be poorly developed and could be badly feathered / unfit for your first shoot day, producing embarrassing poor flying birds ! most people go the other way and release to early giving the birds a chance to develop fully but leaving to much time for birds to wander off, leading to poor returns. birds should be 20-22 weeks old on the first days shooting , my birds arrive on the 1st of august and we start shooting on the 2nd of November. hope this helps Edited March 24, 2014 by lordripon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul223 Posted March 24, 2014 Report Share Posted March 24, 2014 Yeah my thoughts are the same, ours come in end of June start of July and we start first sat of oct! 22 weeks old Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotslad Posted March 24, 2014 Report Share Posted March 24, 2014 I thought it was bloat/or twist that reed canary could cuase in horses. (think its cuased by the length of it, was the rep from kings that told me about it so i would ask ur seed merchant) There will not be much beter than it for almost year round cover and being perenial too, it does take 2 years to establish thou. Also don't broadcast it or it will grow to thick for birds to get into and wot enters will just get pegged by dogs, beter to sow in strips around 3ft apart Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kes Posted March 24, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2014 I believe that Sorghum (I think it is) is poisonous to cattle. This is usually specified on cover crop seed mix data. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted March 24, 2014 Report Share Posted March 24, 2014 We'll look into reed canary grass; can't recall why we decided against it some time ago. All our cover crops are fenced off from stock. A shoot I used to beat on uses fodder beet as a cover crop, and it is excellent for providing cover and holding birds, plus once the season is over sheep can be introduced onto it in sections.We have discussed doing this on our rough shoot where we put down ex-layers but the land which would be ideal is presently in a stewardship scheme and will be for the next couple of years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lordripon Posted March 24, 2014 Report Share Posted March 24, 2014 I thought it was bloat/or twist that reed canary could cuase in horses. (think its cuased by the length of it, was the rep from kings that told me about it so i would ask ur seed merchant) There will not be much beter than it for almost year round cover and being perenial too, it does take 2 years to establish thou. Also don't broadcast it or it will grow to thick for birds to get into and wot enters will just get pegged by dogs, beter to sow in strips around 3ft apart Hi scotslad , I have been told to sow canary grass in wide rows as well , but all my covers have been hand broadcasted and it is quite thick after 5 years but have not suffered any pegging or seen any evidence of the birds struggling to penetrate into it even after 10 years ! but I must admit the best cover is a plantation that we broadcast with canary grass at the time of planting the trees, every year we spray with round up around the base of the trees to keep the canary grass from smothering them, thus creating small holes in the crop every 2m or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotslad Posted March 25, 2014 Report Share Posted March 25, 2014 Aye u must have been onto the reed canary fairly early lordrippon, i've been reading the brochures for a while at the start it was broadcast it, then every year since then the rows sneak out wider and wider (started about 6" now up to 3') Think the ideal there recommending now is to plant on a slight rise, ie plough a ridge with an old tatty plough and then run the plough over it every few years to stop the rows joining together. I have planted some in realease pens and translocated some adult sos into pens too, in small clumps of 3-6 **** in a wee circle A few of the bigger commercial shoots by me planted it years ago (all broadcast) and have found it too thick for birds to either get into or too wet as there is no room in the base, or any that are in it get pegged by dogs if often will just flap down as cover is so good I really like it as our shoot is a small 1 we don't have a lot of money for cover crops every year and i am planting it in some quite remote areas that u would never normally plant a normal crop in. I would check with ur supplier wot they say about anmals eating it, i was told it could be a problem with horses, so only sow well back from the fene so can't lean over to get it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinF Posted March 25, 2014 Report Share Posted March 25, 2014 I would check with ur supplier wot they say about anmals eating it, i was told it could be a problem with horses, so only sow well back from the fene so can't lean over to get it. I asked one of the technical advisers at Kings a couple of years ago, who confirmed it can cause staggers, especially in the spring apparently. As the fences on the farm are generally poor, I didn't want to risk a conversation with the farmer about dead or dying stock.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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