Nine key techniques for planting grass to raise sheep

    "Station Chief Li, this year we want to expand the scale of Nanjiang Yellow Goat breeding, but forage resources are insufficient. We plan to plant some forage grass. Please tell us how to plant forage grass." Recently, when Li Mingquan, station chief and animal husbandry technician of the Animal Husbandry Station of Shahe Town, Nanjiang County, Sichuan Province, came to Wulang Village, several sheep raisers surrounded Station Chief Li, asking for both sheep-raising technical materials and for him to explain forage planting techniques. Station Chief Li simply gave a forage planting technology lesson on the spot. Old Li said that forage planting must grasp the "six key points."

    Plot selection. When planting forage grass, first choose relatively fertile fields; do not use barren, thin soil just because it is grass planting. At the same time, choose fields relatively close to the sheep pen. If the grassland is far from the feeding yard, a large amount of labor will be needed to harvest grass, increasing costs.

    Variety selection. In spring, from March to May, mainly plant Sudangrass hybrid, and additionally plant a small amount of ryegrass; in autumn, from August to October, mainly plant ryegrass and fodder radish.

    Planting method. Sudangrass hybrid uses 2 kg to 3 kg of seed per mu, and ryegrass uses 2 kg to 2.5 kg of seed per mu. For plots where forage grass is planted, sufficient farmyard manure base fertilizer must first be applied, then the land should be plowed and leveled, and then dibbling or drilling can be done in beds 1 m wide. The sowing depth should be 3 cm to 4 cm; if too deep, the seeds will not grow well.

    Field management. For gramineous forage grass, after jointing, heading and cutting, mainly apply nitrogen fertilizer, with 5 kg of urea per mu each time, and weeds must be controlled. For small plots, mainly use manual weeding; for large plots, herbicides may be chosen to control weeds, but operations must strictly follow the instructions. In arid areas and dry seasons, forage grass needs timely irrigation. After cutting, irrigate together with topdressing, which can promote regrowth of the forage grass and increase grass yield.

    Forage harvesting and storage. The best cutting height for Sudangrass hybrid is above 1 m, and ryegrass is cut at the heading stage. Grass planted in spring is mainly made into green hay, with silage as a supplement; in autumn, fresh grass is mainly used to feed sheep.

    Method for making green hay. In summer and autumn, after cutting green grass, spread the green grass flat in the same place or choose another high place to expose it to the sun, and turn it to dry every 1 day to 2 days to accelerate water evaporation. Generally, cut forage grass can be baled after 3 days to 4 days of drying and stored in a ventilated, dry place for later use.

    Silage method. Silage is a technique that uses anaerobic microbial fermentation and simultaneously inhibits the growth of harmful microorganisms to preserve the nutrients of high-quality cultivated forage grass. First, prepare a silage pit and ensure it does not leak water or air. Build the silage pit according to the scale of feeding, generally 10 cubic meters to 30 cubic meters. Second, forage grass must be cut at the right time and cut into 2 cm to 6 cm segments, ensuring moisture is about 70%. Third, the silage material must be filled and compacted in the silage pit, with the top formed into a round shape; the round top must be 10 cm to 20 cm from the pit opening, and the round top must be sealed tightly with 0.2 mm thick polyethylene film. After 40 days to 50 days of fermentation, it can be taken for use. After the silage material is taken out, it must continue to be sealed tightly.

    Forage utilization. If harvested forage grass has dew or high moisture content, it should be dried before feeding. If sheep are fed a large amount of green grass, some high-quality dry hay needs to be supplemented. Goats are mainly fed forage grass, with an appropriate amount of concentrate supplement. Generally, each goat is fed 5 kg to 8 kg of fresh grass per day and supplemented with 150 g to 250 g of concentrate. Forage grass is fed at fixed times and in fixed amounts, with free intake. Generally, feed 2 times to 3 times per day, and feed concentrate once, feeding less but more frequently, grass first and then concentrate. In addition, set up drinking troughs so sheep can drink water freely. Dry hay is best ground into grass meal and mixed into the concentrate for feeding.

    Reference formula for supplemental concentrate: corn 60%, soybean cake 10%, rapeseed meal 5%, wheat bran 13%, rice bran 10%, salt 1%, calcium bicarbonate 1%. Lambs at 1 week of age can begin to be enticed to eat with high-quality green grass or dry hay. After 20 days of age, begin supplementing with a small amount of concentrate, initially feeding 5 g per lamb per day, then increasing day by day, and weaning at 2 months to 3 months of age.