Game Cover & Conservation Crops

In recent years many good habitats have been lost for insect, bird and other animal life. Dods of Haddington strongly support the sowing of ‘Wild Bird Cover Mixtures’ to maintain these ecosystems, thereby enhancing our countryside.

In support of this, Dods have since 2007 sponsored ‘The Grey Partridge Competition’ in conjunction with The Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust and East Lothian Council by providing up to 1 hectare of wild bird cover seeds to each farmer involved in the project. The grey partridge, a good indicator species, is considered to be at high risk of extinction in the next 25 years.

We also supply a range of other general and specific cover mixes according to the particular birds or insects that require particular habitats. Our Sporting Cover mixture, as below, provides a good balance of cover and feed. Triticale acts as a good nurse crop in the first year.

Please give us a call if you wish to discuss a particular mixture.

Dods Sporting Cover Mixture

%	Name
86 %	Triticale
2 %	Kale
4 %	Mustard
5 %	Rape
1 %	Phacelia
2 %	Sweet clover
100% Sow at 25 kg per acre / 62 kg per hectare	-

86 %

Name:
Triticale

2 %

Name:
Kale

4 %

Name:
Mustard

5 %

Name:
Rape

1 %

Name:
Phacelia

2 %

Name:
Sweet clover

100% Sow at 25 kg per acre / 62 kg per hectare

Name:
-

Management System

Select the suitability of site and location
Check adequate soil pH and fertility
Do not sow before late April- early May
Consider strategy for weed control and pest control
Sow into a warm well prepared seed bed and roll after sowing

We can supply a wide selection of game cover straights and mixes to suit individual needs of feeding and/ or habitat. The mix of species is very important depending on what you wish to achieve. Listed below are the main species used for game cover and conservation mixes.

Mixture

Kale

A few varieties available depending on situation. Broadcast or drill in 20”-24” rows. Great bird cover with frost tolerance to last the winter.

Mustard

Provides cheap feed and some cover. Can grow to 4 feet high but unlikely to last a whole winter.

Rape

Faster establishing than and good mixing partner with kale, will provide good early season cover.

Triticale

Can tolerate a wide range of soil conditions to provide a great feed source while showing a high tolerance to rabbit damage.

Phacelia

Quick to establish but prone to frost, the blue flowers attract large numbers of insects and bees.

Sweet Clover

Fixes nitrogen to a mix whilst providing good cover in the second year of a longer term mixture. Attracts insects to the yellow flowers in year 2.

Quinoa

Can provide up to a ton per hectare of quality bird feed for pheasants and partridges.

Millet

A great source of feed for native bird species and game birds alike.

Bespoke

We also supply many other ready mixed game cover, Beetle Bank and Pollen and Nectar mixtures. As well as a further range of individual straights as required.