Context: Growing of dual-purpose crops for grazing by livestock has increased in popularity in the high-rainfall zone of southern Australia, a livestock production zone traditionally based on permanent perennial grass species. Aims: A systems experiment examined the impact on pasture forage availability, sheep grazing days and crop yields when one-third of a farmlet was sown to dual-purpose wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and canola (Brassica napus L.) crops. Methods: The experiment comprised nine experimental units (farmlets) divided into three treatments with three replicate farmlets per treatment: control farmlets sown to phalaris (Phalaris aquatica L.)-based pastures and two treatments with grazing of crops prioritised for either ewes or their progeny. Control farmlets comprised four sub-paddocks (0.231 ha each) in 2013 and six sub-paddocks in 2014-2016. Farmlets in treatments that included dual-purpose crops comprised six sub-paddocks (0.231 ha), with two sub-paddocks sown to permanent pasture and the other four sub-paddocks supporting a pasture-pasture-canola-wheat rotation. Key results: Crops were sown in February or early March and grazing commenced by mid-May in all years. Canola was grazed first in the sequence in 3 of 4 years. Treatments had similar total sheep grazing days per year, except for the progeny-prioritised treatment in 2014 when agistment wethers were introduced to utilise excess crop forage. Grazing did not affect wheat yields (3.9 vs 3.7 t/ha, P > 0.05) but did reduce canola yields (3.6 vs 3.0 t/ha, P = 0.007). Pasture availability (dry matter per ha in the pasture paddock at entry by sheep) was higher in the control during late summer and autumn when the crops were being established however, resting of pastures during late autumn and winter while crops were grazed resulted in no difference in pasture availability among treatments during spring. Conclusion and implications: The key feed-gap is in late summer and autumn when dual-purpose crops are included in the system. Early and timely sowing of crops increases the grazing opportunity from dual-purpose crops before lock-up. Growing wheat plus canola provided some hedge against poor establishment and/or slow growth rates in one of the crops.