Brood Rearing Mixes

A brood rearing mix is simply a mix that is tall enough to provide cover when wild pheasant and partridge chicks hatch (end of April - end of June) and contains a good volume of chick food insects.

Ideally it will also be open enough in the bottom for chicks to move around in relative ease and without getting soaked. Longer-term crops tend to have higher densities of insects, but also have a tendency to become too thick. Well managed floristically enhanced grass strips, autumn sown bumblebird mix and second year wild bird covers all deliver good brood rearing habitat.

Nectar flower mixes, whilst delivering for bees and other nectar feeding insects tend to be a bit thick and wet for brood rearing although by drilling them on wider rows you do create more open areas.

Crops such as the Oakbank Celtic Mix and Home Sweet Home are long term mixes that deliver fantastic brood rearing for a number of years and, if managed correctly also provide good winter cover. They are genuine dual-use crops.

AB16 Autumn Bumblebird 25kg

Contains: winter wheat, winter barley, winter triticale, winter vetch, camelina, fodder radish, stubble turnip, gruner angelita kale, sweet clover, birdsfoot trefoil, oxeye daisy, phacelia, crimson clover.

Suitable for CSS

Bag Size: 25kg/0.5ha

Oakbank Feed & Flush 20kg

Contains: gruner angelita kale, spring triticale, white, red and reed millet, fodder radish, camelina, dwarf grain sorghum, quinoa

Suitable for CSS, ELS & HLS

Bag Size: 20kh/0.5Ha

Oakbank Elevation Mix (New for 2017) 20kg

Contains: gruner angelita kale, goldeneye kale, linseed, spring triticale, camelina, quinoa, mustard, fodder radish

Suitable for CSS, ELS & HLS

Bag size: 20kg/0.5Ha

Celtic Mix 12kg

Contains: Lucerne, chicory, vetch, birdsfoot trefoil, mustard, black knapweed, oxeye daisy, sainfoin

The inclusion of perennial chicory adds height and canopy to this classic dual purpose mix. A great brood rearing cover, it also provides much needed winter cover to protect from aerial predators.

Bag Size: 12kgs/Ha

Home Sweet Home (New for 2017) 12kg

Contains: sweet fennel, sweet clover, chicory, kale, Lucerne, reed millet

Bag Size: 12kg/Ha

Nectar Rich Gold 12kg

Contains: sainfoin, vetch, alsike clover, red clover, birdsfoot trefoil, Lucerne, black knapweed, musk mallow