ForFarmers F2M | Fodder Crops
Game Cover Leisure activities are an important part of the rural environment. More farms and estates manage their shoots and environmental conservation together. A successfully managed shoot is both profitable and rewarding and its contributes positively to the countryside and the overall environment.
Game Maize
One of the most popular crops used for cover and feed. Rapid Fire – Biggest selling game maize. The variety has very good standing ability, early vigour and a low cob carriage. (Pack size 50k seeds. Rec. sow 45k/acre) Maize Blend – Mixture of varieties with early, mid and late maturity. The mix will give differing rates of maturity as cobs ripen at different times. Provides cover throughout the whole of the shooting season. (Pack size 50k seeds. Rec. sow 45k/acre) Silver Shot – Good stay green cover and standing ability through the season. (Pack size 40k seeds. Rec. sow 40k/acre) Late Shot – Selected for very late maturity and good standing ability. Late shot produces an immature cob that only develops to the ‘bright white’ stage under normal UK conditions. Due to the late cob formation it tends to be of less interest to rats and badgers. (Pack size 50k seeds. Rec. sow 45k/acre)
Sorghums
Although slow to establish sorghum will provide cover throughout the shooting season. It thrives best in warm, sunny growing conditions. Dwarf Sorghum – Short, sturdy, broad leaved stem and large seed head. Provides birds with warm cover throughout the shooting season. Often sown as a companion to maize. Intermediate Sorghum – In between giant and dwarf in height. Approx. 1.5m. Useful as a windbreak around other game crops.
HiBird Maize Blend – Varieties selected for good early vigour and standing power. (Packs size 50k seeds. Rec. Sow 45k)
Giant Sorghum – Stands approximately 2 metres tall and is therefore extremely useful as a windbreak to protect other crops. Its deep root system allows it to withstand drought.
Hibird Compact – Ideal for late sowings. Compact and short growth habit will ensure beating lines are kept straight. Excellent early vigour and good standing. (Pack size 50k seeds. Rec. sow 45k/acre)
Over ‘N’ Under Sorghum Mix – Combination of 2 different heights of sorghum. The shorter variety give birds cover and protection whilst the taller variety acts as a windbreak.
Hibird Late – Limited cob development reducing feed source to rats and badgers. (Packed in 50k seeds. Rec. sow 45k/acre)
ForFarmers F2M | Fodder Crops
Game Cover Carbon – Kale x Mustard. Provides excellent cover in a short period. Best sown in June or July with cover by November. Frost tolerant. Can be sown into cereal stubble. Texsel Greens – Fast growing brassica. Easy to establish and frost hardy producing a broken canopy suitable for flushing birds. Rapid growth suppresses weeds.
Millet
Provides a valuable feed source to hold the birds.
Brassicas Kale - One of the most popular cover crops and will provide cover for the whole shooting season. Can be supplied as a straight. Suggested varieties are Sovereign, Goldeneye and Caledonian that are club root tolerant and Gruner Angelita or keeper. Also available as a blend which combines three game cover varieties to provide a tall varied canopy. The blend provides a superb cover over an extended period and will give second year growth with various bolting times. Forage Rape – Particularly useful in that it can be used as a rescue or catch crop. Will provide good cover for holding, driving and feeding. Largely unaffected by frost and wet weather. Zoom Brassica mix - Blend of Winifred hybrid brassica and forage rape. It is very vigorous and quick growing. Ideal for replacing failed crops or patching spring sown crops. Spitfire Hybrid - Forage Brassica cross of rape and kale and is a good companion to use with other fast establishing brassicas. Rapid growing and can be used as a rescue crop that will provide good cover for holding, driving and feeding game birds.
White Millet – Best suited to more southernly regions as like’s sunshine and is not frost hardy. Provides warmth, shelter and feed. Combines well in mixtures. Red Millet – Earlier maturing than white but does not stand well when sown alone. Good partner to use with white millet as it extends the feeding period. Susceptible to frost. Japanese Reed Millet – Stronger plant than other millets and is winter hardy. When mixed with white and red millet it provides an excellent cover and feed crop. Ambush Millet Mix – Combination of white, red and Japanese reed millet. Japanese millet provides cover while the white and red millet produces plentiful seed to hold the birds. Millgame Millet Mix – Uses both red and white millet and is useful as the red matures earlier than the white therefore extending the feeding period. Can produce large amounts of high protein feed. When combined with maize creates an excellent cover and feed crop. Magic Millet Mix – Dense reed millet ideal for use alongside maize. Windproof and warming with good flushing. Winter hardy. Top Flush Millet – Blend of red, panorama and white millet. Wide window of seed shed. Good feed value.
ForFarmers F2M | Fodder Crops
Game Cover Sunflowers
Provide highly nutritious seed of high oil content. Mostly grown in conjunction with other game crops either in mixtures or in adjacent blocks. Standard Sunflowers – Large attractive flowers of variable height but generally tall. For best utilisation of this crop, it should be ‘swiped down’ to enable game birds to reach the nutritious seeds. Dwarf Sunflowers – Short variety with good standing ability. Seed heads tend to be larger than standard types.
Late Cover and Rescue Mixtures Boost Mix – Texel Greens, Hybrid Brassica, Fodder Radish, Brown Mustard. Fast growing, quick to establish, frost hardy crop. Ideal to sow in late summer or early autumn. Provides cover throughout the winter. Ideal or patching failed crops. Late Cover – Rape, Stubble Turnips, Mustard, Fodder Radish. Rapid establishment. Provides cover to the height of 2-3 feet. Often used as a patching crop. Will tolerate drought conditions. Kwik Fix – Fodder Radish, Mustard. Flexible cover crop to patch failed crops. Will not provide full season cover but more winter hardy than straight mustard. Spaniel – Carbon, Mustard, Interval, Fodder Radish. Summer sown drought tolerant mix.
Other Cover Crops Triticale - Provides good cover and feed. Withstands rabbit attacks. Winter hardy. Borage – Also known as starflower. Quick growing annual to a height of 2-3 feet. Quinoa – Capable of producing plentiful amounts of seed and a popular choice of crop for holding birds. Phacelia – Prolific seeder. Very fast to establish and a good weed suppressant. Not winter hardy. Best sown as a mix. Buckwheat – Rapid growing short term crop providing cover and feed. Useful when added to mixtures due to its bulkiness. Brown Mustard – Fast growing cover crop. Winter hardy and will improve the health of the soil and acts as a weed suppressant. White Mustard – Highly versatile cover crop. Not frost tolerant. Creates shelter for birds. Fodder Radish – Fast growing cover crop. Quick to establish. Provides good cover. Linseed – Attractive to partridge. Easy to grow. Tolerant of many soil types. Not frost hardy Gold of Pleasure – Well suited to poor soils. Fast maturing and very attractive to partridge. Canary Grass – Provides excellent medium to long term nesting cover. Can be used to hold or drive birds. Useful in areas where annual planting is not an option. Reed canary Grass – More suitable to exposed regions than canary grass. Will tolerant a range of soil types. Purely for cover and does not provide feed. Yellow Blossom Clover – Can persist for several years. Good cover in the second year. Thrives in poor soils. Will improve soil structure. Perennial Chicory – Tall, dense cover, bolting in its second year. Good tolerance to drought, acid soils. Green Fennel – Provides excellent cover.
ForFarmers F2M | Fodder Crops
Game Cover Game Cover Mixtures
Specially formulated to combine different species into a mixture can extend the utilisation period, help to attract and hold specific types of game and provide feed and cover where both are required.
Cocker – Kale, Mustard, Fodder Radish, Linseed. Full season cover for 2 years. Setter – Phacelia, Sweet Clover, Millet Blend, Maize, Mustard, kale, Buckwheat, Sunflower. Two year, full season cover and feed. Excellent seed shed. Perfect winter holding cover.
Four Ten Mix – Maize, Dwarf Sorghum. Provides cover and feed. Sorghum will provide added warmth and cover below the maize.
Labrador - Triticale, Mustard, kale, Linseed, Quinoa. Two year cover and feed. Ideal in cooler, more exposed areas.
Sundown Mix – Maize, Sunflower. Combines feeding potential of both species. Provides full season cover and feed.
Pro Driver – Kale, Mustard, Linseed, Quinoa. Thinner canopy for easier bird access and controlled drives. Huge seed shed potential.
Traditional Game Cover – Maize, White & Red Millet, Buckwheat, Kale, Sunflower, Mustard, Rape, Gold of Pleasure and Phacelia. Provides both feed and cover qualities.
Kingmix 2000 – Kale, Quinoa. Suitable for brassica sick land. Taller kale allows easier bird access.
Decoy Game Mixture – Linseed, Buckwheat, Red & White Millet, Fodder Radish, Mustard, Japanese Reed Millet, Gold of Pleasure. Provides excellent cover and feed. Overdrive – Quinoa, Kale. Winter hardy cover from kale and high quality feed from the quinoa. Excellent for holding birds. Golden Retriever – Dwarf Sorghum, Dwarf Sunflower, Millet Blend. Full season cover combines with seed shed potential. Ideal for driving. Winter holding potential. Jack Russell – Spring Triticale, Grain Sorghum, Millet Blend, Sunflower. Excellent feed source. Winter hardy with seed shed.
For further information on Game Cover please contact your local ForFarmers Account Manager or call the customer service team on 0845 070 6280
Magnet – Triticale, Phacelia, Fodder radish, Linseed. Best sown in Sept / Oct. Provides brood rearing cover the following spring. Seed shed from late summer. Kingmix – Kale, Quinoa, Gold of Pleasure. Winter hardy kale with feed value of quinoa. Holds birds. Springer – Perennial Chicory, Triticale. Ideal for areas that cannot be sown annually. Triticale provides feed in first year. Very drought tolerant. Excellent driving cover.