Sowing red clover on beef farms to grow high-protein feed

Agriland

28-04-2025

Having a supply of high-protein feed available to feed growing cattle is essential to ensure good growth rates over the winter-housing period.
Where protein is purchased in through concentrate feed, it adds expense to cattle production systems for farmers.
However, there is huge scope to improve the crude protein percentage of the silage fed to cattle during their first winter on most Irish beef farms.
Red clover silage is one option to increase the crude protein content of silage produced on beef farms, while reducing the need for bought-in chemical nitrogen (N) and bought-in protein through concentrate feed.
As part of the Red Clover Silage Measure, farmers can avail of a €300/Ha support payment to reseed paddocks with red clover.
The ABP Demo Farm in Co. Carlow reseeded a 9ac bloc of land with a red clover mixture on Friday, April 11.
The field selected is predominantly used for silage. ABP Demo Farm manager Sean Maher told Agriland that the field was prepared for reseeding, tilled to create a fine, firm seedbed, and sown with the seed mixture and an application of 10:10:20 fertiliser before being rolled. The field also received a lime application.
The seed mix used was as follows:
4kg Aberclyde Lolium;
4kg Aberwolf Lolium;
2kg Ferga Trifolium Pratense.
Once the crop is established, the field will be cut and baled before receiving a slurry application and closed for a subsequent cut of silage.
A growing sward of red clover
In the past, up to five cuts of silage/year have been taken off red clover paddocks on the ABP Demo Farm. Maher said red clover is a great crop to have in the silage inventory for the farm.
How red clover silage looks coming out of the bale
He said: 'Red clover silage is a great feed for growing cattle; it's a very palatable protein source, it reduces the need for chemical N on the farm, cattle love eating it and thrive well on it.'
First cut (April 26) Second cut (June 14) Third cut (July 19) Fourth cut (August 26) Dry matter (%) 42.9 38.3 34.7 29.7 Protein (%) 17 15.6 20.1 20.5 Sugar (%) 5.1 1.3 1 1 Intake Potential (%) 130 110 123 117 Silage analysis results of the red clover silage on the ABP Demo Farm in 2022
The farm manager highlighted that extra care and attention is needed when harvesting red clover silage and good weather and ground conditions at harvesting are important.
Attention is also needed on avoiding field compaction and ensuring a consistent sward cutting height.