Grazing sheep on a barley field

[NorthfieldNick]

I've been offered to graze a field of barley that is grown for grain & straw. We've had an unusually dry summer (even for here, where we have dry summers)- June to August we got just 57% of our average rainfall. The folks who grow the barley have opted not to harvest it this year, I assume because it's either not mature or too little to bother with. If I don't graze it, they'll just turn it under.

 

Is it worth grazing? I haven't gone to look at the field (it's just up the road- 1/2 mile or so) so I have no idea what the quality might be.

 

Thanks!

 

Edited to fix one very redundant statement.

[DeltaBluez Tess]

Is the barley gone to head yet? I would do an hour grazing then pull them off. It is a hot grain.

[Bill Fosher]

If it is still green and leafy, I would use it as lamb fattening feed. It's high-energy stuff (which I think is the same thing that Diane means by hot) even when green, but the risk of acidosis is just about nil in the vegetative stage. If it's mature or semi-mature I'd be careful about introducing sheep to it if they have not been on a grain ration, and make sure that they are up to date on CD/T. The grain is the potentially dangerous thing.

[NorthfieldNick]

I'll go look at the field later this week. If it's mature at all, I think I just won't bother. My lambs have never had grain, and only a few of the older ewes had some oats at lambing. I don't have the time to run them on & off of the barley, especially since I know it's not fenced at all- I'd have to do a lot of electronet.

 

Well, come to think of it, this place used to have horses on it. If there's still a fenced paddock, it might be feasible.