Germinal Livestock Grazer – High Sugar Grass & Herb Mix for Lambs, Beef & Ewes

A highly productive and versatile grazing mixture combining Germinal’s proven High Sugar Grasses with perennial chicory, Tonic plantain, and AberDairy white clover. Designed for finishing lambs, beef young stock, and flushing ewes, this blend delivers outstanding palatability, digestibility, and nutritional performance across a long grazing season.

Sold in 1-acre packs. Each pack contains the exact seed quantities required to sow one acre.

Blend Composition – 11.45 kg/acre (1-acre pack)

Key Features & Benefits

High Sugar Grasses for Superior Animal Performance
AberZeus and AberImage are Germinal’s proven High Sugar Grass varieties. Higher water-soluble carbohydrate content improves rumen efficiency, increases dry matter intake, and drives better liveweight gain and milk production compared to conventional ryegrasses. The combination of a diploid and tetraploid variety provides a dense, persistent sward with excellent tillering and palatability.

Animal Health & Mineral Nutrition
Tonic Plantain is the market-leading perennial forage herb, rich in essential minerals including copper, selenium, potassium, and magnesium. Alongside PunaII chicory – which provides crude protein up to 25% and a D-value of 70–80 – this mixture delivers a broad mineral profile that supports improved liveweight gain, general animal health, and condition in ewes being flushed ahead of tupping.

Natural Parasite Control
Perennial chicory has well-documented anthelmintic properties, helping to reduce the burden of internal parasites in grazing lambs and young stock – a significant benefit in intensive finishing systems.

Drought Tolerance & Summer Feed Security
The deep tap roots of both chicory and Tonic plantain allow the sward to draw moisture and nutrients from depth during dry summer periods, maintaining high-quality feed when grass growth typically slows. This makes the Livestock Grazer a reliable year-round grazing option.

Natural Nitrogen Fixation
AberDairy white clover fixes atmospheric nitrogen, reducing dependence on bagged fertiliser and improving the overall sustainability of the grazing system. It also improves ground cover and provides additional high-protein forage through the season.

No Bloat Risk from Chicory
Unlike some legume-heavy mixtures, chicory does not cause bloat, making this blend safe for intensive grazing by lambs and young cattle.

Establishment Guide

• Sowing time: Spring (April) to mid-August, into warm soils (above 10°C)
• Seedbed: Fine, firm, and well-drained. Control broad-leaved weeds before sowing – post-emergence herbicides are not compatible with the herb and clover components
• Drilling depth: Maximum 10–15mm. Can also be broadcast into a well-prepared surface
• Rolling: Roll well before and after sowing to ensure good soil-to-seed contact
• Slug control: Use slug pellets to protect establishment, particularly in moist conditions
• Fertiliser: Apply nitrogen as per grass requirements in the establishment year; white clover will fix N once established, reducing ongoing fertiliser needs

Grazing Management

• Graze when sward height reaches 150–200mm and plants are resistant to uprooting
• Use rotational grazing for best results – short, light grazing spells in year one to allow full establishment of all components
• Avoid allowing chicory to bolt – graze or top before flower heads develop to maintain productivity and persistency
• Avoid hard grazing in wet conditions to protect plant crowns
• Growth rates will slow when soil temperature drops below 10°C
• Suitable for lambs, beef young stock, and ewes being flushed ahead of tupping