Fishleigh Posted February 8, 2009 Report Share Posted February 8, 2009 ive looked through past topics but we were just wandering what people would reccomend as cover crop for holding partridges Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scolopax Posted February 9, 2009 Report Share Posted February 9, 2009 Depends what kind of partridge really, and whether reared or wild. Redlegs do very well out of maize with maybe some millet to provide feed. Greys love a weedy brassica, 2nd year kale is great for them (and many other birds to). We have to use mustard, it does hold partridge very well if additional feed is provided, our best results are when we broadcast by hand into standing cereal a week or so before harvest, this should produce a 'gappy' crop. If its spun on then it is frequently too dense and will hold very little. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
proTOM1 Posted February 9, 2009 Report Share Posted February 9, 2009 maize and mustard are the best cover crops for patridge ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishleigh Posted February 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2009 how would you sow mustard? we have a few blocks of maize going in, do you leave a gap between maize and mustard? when should it be sown? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
proTOM1 Posted February 9, 2009 Report Share Posted February 9, 2009 we tend to leave a gap of around 10 meters and hand sow,broadcast june , july time the best is to have a strip of mustard on each side of the maize crop but it works just aswell with 1 strip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishleigh Posted February 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2009 would you place a feeder in the mustard, or not? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
proTOM1 Posted February 9, 2009 Report Share Posted February 9, 2009 we tend not to we just feed the birds in the maize but i have seen other shoots feed in the mustard ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishleigh Posted February 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2009 thanks. how much mustard seed should we buy for an acre or so? also is it right mustard puts nitrogen back into the ground? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
proTOM1 Posted February 9, 2009 Report Share Posted February 9, 2009 yes it does put a bit of nitrogen back in to the ground or so i have be told ! will have a look at my records and get back to you on how much seed you would need for an acre ! cheers Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishleigh Posted February 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2009 cheers Tom. it would be good to have a rough idea of how much we need, also how much to be paying for the seed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
proTOM1 Posted February 9, 2009 Report Share Posted February 9, 2009 will look when i go to the farm tomorrow and let you know as soon as i can will pm you with details price and the like ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scolopax Posted February 10, 2009 Report Share Posted February 10, 2009 One of the advantages of mustard is that in comparison to other game crops it is dirt cheap, about £45 for a 25kg sack i think was what we paid last time. Somthing like 5kg an acre when broadcast. Be very careful if you drill or spin the seed not too make the crop too thick. Our neighbour puts mustard in as a green manure and it hardly holds a bird, it is too thick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orkney Gun Posted March 8, 2009 Report Share Posted March 8, 2009 (edited) spot on nice, to know the younger end are doing well,of course in my youth mustard wasnt even grown as a game/cover crop. Sunflowers were the thing then laddie,why we even used to see who could grow the biggest flower head Edited March 8, 2009 by Orkney Gun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleeh Posted March 8, 2009 Report Share Posted March 8, 2009 (edited) Down our end we use alot of maize on the corner of Sugerbeet fields, it's not perfect but they do quiet enjoy the lower cover, and they fly back into the maize cover quiet well. Edited March 8, 2009 by Bleeh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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