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Wild Bird CoverCover crops for bird feed and successful shoots |
 Popular Game Cover Crops The cover crops on this page are used as cover or feed crops for pheasants and partridges. Some species such as maize are large seeds and as such are not usually eligible for Environmental Stewardship ELS or HLS options. Please check your agreements carefully before purchase. Crops for Seed Eating Birds  Establishment and Management In common with other crops these cover crops need management if they are to deliver results. As most cover crop sowings are comprised of more than one crop species, it is unlikely that chemical weed control will be possible or allowed without authorisation. Therefore seedbeds for cover crops should be planned well in advance to give a clean, weed free start. Any weeds in the cover crop, provided they are not dominant, can become a further food source for birds once they set seed. It is advisable to use a limited amount of seedbed fertiliser. This is often necessary as many of the sown species will require a source of fertility, particularly nitrogen, to get established. The seeds can be broadcast but these cover crop mixtures are better shallow drilled. Warm soils are essential for satisfactory establishment and for this reason we do not recommend any sowings before April.  Target Species It is possible to target certain bird species and provide specific food and/or habitat for them. If you wish to know more there is a good source of information at www.rspb.org.uk/farming 
Dwarf Sorghum
An annual crop with similar properties to maize. Sow in May or June. One acre packs.
8.00 kg per acre (20 kg/ha)
Canary Grass
This perennial grass is drilled in wide rows (60-90cm) and takes a year or so to become established. From the second year the seed heads will reach 2 metres and the crop can usually be relied upon for 10 years. Sow in the May.
3.00 kg per acre (7.5 kg/ha)
Kale
A pure stand of kale provides cover. it has a good top cover and an open floor and is an ideal habitat for pheasants. Sow from late April through May.
3.00 kg per acre (7.5 kg/ha)
Sunflower
Drill after mid April into warm soils.(can grow to 2m plus).
10.00 kg per acre (25 kg/ha)
Dwarf Sunflower
Drill after mid April into warm soils. (grows to roughly 1-2m).
10.00 kg per acre (20 kg/ha)
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One Year Winter Bird Food
Survival Mixture Ref. MIXSM This mixture should be sited on
field margins or adjacent to
hedges or woodland. It contains a
good range of species which
provides a food source for birds
including finches and sparrows.
It is also a good food source for smaller mammals. The
mixture can be sown from late April until June. It is
essential to sow into a warm, well prepared seedbed
which is free of weeds.
25% quinoa
25% fodder raddish 20% white millet 10% triticale 10% linseed 10% mustard Sow at 12kg per hectare £4.55 per kg
Two Year Wild Bird Seed Mix
Triticale, Kale, Quinoa & Fodder Beet Ref. MIXWBSS This longer term mixture should
be sown in April or May. It is
based on the original mix as used
on Countryside Stewardship land
but with the inclusion on fodder
beet which we have found to provide late seed in the
second winter. It is a good seed source for wild birds
and generally reliable provided flea beetle is controlled
and weeds are at manageable levels. It is usually sown
on field margins as strips or in blocks within arable
fields. We recommended drilling the triticale first at
around 35mm before surface sowing the kale, quinoa
and fodder beet.
70% spring triticale supplied separately
14% kale 14% quinoa 2% fodder beet Sow at 50kg per hectare £3.30 per kg
General Purpose Game Mixture
Ref. MIXGAME This is our best selling game crop which is a traditional
spring sown mixture containing species selected to
provide feed and cover. It is of particular interest to
pheasants and partridges but is also attractive to other
wild farm birds. It is best sown during April and May
into a well worked seedbed. It is worth creating a stale
seedbed before sowing in order to reduce the weed
population. The mixture should be sown at 20mm.
2.00 kg white millet
1.00 kg sweet clover 2.00 kg sunflower 2.50 kg game maize 1.50 kg buckwheat 0.25 kg kale 0.25 kg rape 0.50 kg mustard 10.00 kg per acre (25 kg/ha)
Quinoa/Kale Mixture
Ref. MIXQUI This simple combination provides the two key requirements of game birds - cover and feed. The kale provides excellent winter cover and supports the quinoa plants. Quinoa is used as a grain crop in South America and in the UK it can provide1-2 tonnes per acre of high protein feed from late Autumn. To establish a good crop sow between April and May into a well worked seedbed which is free of weeds.
1.50 kg quinoa
1.50 kg kale 3.00 kg per acre (7.5 kg/ha)
Retrieve Mixture
Ref. MIXRET For a summer sowing after a failed spring crop nothing beats rape and mustard. It's quick, cheap and it works.
1.00 kg rape
5.00 kg mustard 6.00 kg per acre (15 kg/ha)
Game Maize
Maize is one of the most useful game crops providing a source of winter feed. The open bottom of a maize crop draws pheasants and partridges alike. It is best sown during late April. One acre packs. *Sowing rate approx.
11.00 kg per acre* (27.5 kg/ha)
Millet
Highly recommended for its feed attributes. Millet is seldom sown on its own, however sown with maize or kale the results can be excellent. One method is to plant maize with its usual wide rows and then drill or broadcast millet in blocks at right angles to the maize. This will ensure a steady release of birds. Sow during April and May.
10.00 kg per acre (25 kg/ha)
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