Livestock management after the drought

Robin2020 · Aug 20, 2022

This thread may be interesting for all types of livestock. I'm kicking off with sheep.
I'm in Gloucestershire. Zero grass, unhappy ewes, lambs not growing. No access to any extra grazing. Feed prices doubled....no stock of hay. Can't see the grass recovering for winter

.
Does one just accept it is a crazy year and throw money at it... feed until the lambs make weight?
Sell all lambs as stores and hope the grass recovers for winter for the ewes...
Stick firm and prey for rain??
Sell 1/3 of ewes to ease the burden..?
Interested what everyone else is doing...

Werzle · Aug 20, 2022

Buy them a basic cake to keep them happy and moving along or plenty of licks. Rain here has seen me move from feeding silage to hay and now 50/50 hay straw and creep to the calves . Fields have turned green even though the grass hasnt really grown but they seem to be munching on the tiny green shoots

Al R · Aug 20, 2022

Combined Tuesday, started snacking ewes barley and oats on Wednesday, havnt snacked ewes for 4 years! Got more being fed and more silage feeders out than I do in the winter. Turnips are still under an inch high after 7 weeks. Grass leys sown mid May havnt chitted and seed still on the surface. Thinking of taking the plunge and overseeding a lot of ground - £17k worth of seed

Macsky · Aug 20, 2022

Sow Lucerne.

Worked for Doug Avery

A TEAM · Aug 20, 2022

Robin2020 said:
This thread may be interesting for all types of livestock. I'm kicking off with sheep.
I'm in Gloucestershire. Zero grass, unhappy ewes, lambs not growing. No access to any extra grazing. Feed prices doubled....no stock of hay. Can't see the grass recovering for winter .
Does one just accept it is a crazy year and throw money at it... feed until the lambs make weight?
Sell all lambs as stores and hope the grass recovers for winter for the ewes...
Stick firm and prey for rain??
Sell 1/3 of ewes to ease the burden..?
Interested what everyone else is doing...

Theres a lot of us like you in the south.no good to anyone at moment.

Al R · Aug 20, 2022

Macsky said:
Sow Lucerne.

Worked for Doug Avery

RC is very close in terms of drought resistance, pure strand 2 year old ley next door did 1 bale off 6 acres after 42 days a few weeks ago.

Boso · Aug 20, 2022

I've got some cheap poor quality hay and a 1000L ibc with urea molasses as a plan C.
No forest/woodland available to put them in?

Robin2020 · Aug 20, 2022

Boso said:
I've got some cheap poor quality hay and a 1000L ibc with urea molasses as a plan C.
No forest/woodland available to put them in?

Nice to have some reserves!
I could put them near my stream and pond but that's against my CSA agreement....Also I bet some drown in the pond!!

Robin2020 · Aug 20, 2022

Al R said:
Combined Tuesday, started snacking ewes barley and oats on Wednesday, havnt snacked ewes for 4 years! Got more being fed and more silage feeders out than I do in the winter. Turnips are still under an inch high after 7 weeks. Grass leys sown mid May havnt chitted and seed still on the surface. Thinking of taking the plunge and overseeding a lot of ground - £17k worth of seed

Jeez that sounds serious!!

Northern territory · Aug 20, 2022

Just weaned some lambs yesterday, and last heatwave really had knocked them. Into some aftermaths which won’t last that long.

Macsky · Aug 20, 2022

Al R said:
RC is very close in terms of drought resistance, pure strand 2 year old ley next door did 1 bale off 6 acres after 42 days a few weeks ago.

Sorry, I was being a bit facetious, but on investigation red clover roots aren’t anywhere near as deep according to cotswold seeds:

Species Guide | Cotswold Grass Seeds

A comprehensive online guide for many species of seed, with sowing advice, persistance, characteristics and lots of other information.

www.cotswoldseeds.com

Assuming root depth is a winner in drought conditions, then Lucerne, sanfoin, sweet clover, cocksfoot, chicory, yarrow and plantain might be worth more consideration.

disclaimer: I have next to no experience of drought!

Highland Mule · Aug 20, 2022

Worth reminding cattle farmers that a late autumn flush of grass will carry the risk of grass staggers, even in spring calvers. If the rains come, get out the mag buckets.

Al R · Aug 20, 2022

Macsky said:
Sorry, I was being a bit facetious, but on investigation red clover roots aren’t anywhere near as deep according to cotswold seeds:

Species Guide | Cotswold Grass Seeds

A comprehensive online guide for many species of seed, with sowing advice, persistance, characteristics and lots of other information.

www.cotswoldseeds.com

Assuming root depth is a winner in drought conditions, then Lucerne, sanfoin, sweet clover, cocksfoot, chicory, yarrow and plantain might be worth more consideration.

disclaimer: I have next to no experience of drought!

2 year old ley with chicory and plantain sown at 500g/acre each. Empty for 62 days when photo was taken.

I have some fields of chicory and plantain which I’m too scared to graze incase they graze them out completely.
Currently a lot of the grazing ground is like this:

Robin2020 · Aug 20, 2022

So where is best to buy bulk oats/barley? Can't be spending £15 for a bag if ewe feed!!!

Macsky · Aug 20, 2022

Al R said:
2 year old ley with chicory and plantain sown at 500g/acre each. Empty for 62 days when photo was taken.View attachment 1057954

I have some fields of chicory and plantain which I’m too scared to graze incase they graze them out completely.
Currently a lot of the grazing ground is like this:
View attachment 1057955

That is pretty grim, wish I could send you some of what we’ve had this afternoon. What kind of depth do you have to your soils there?

Al R · Aug 20, 2022

Robin2020 said:
So where is best to buy bulk oats/barley? Can't be spending £15 for a bag if ewe feed!!!

Any merchant will sell straights.

Al R · Aug 20, 2022

Macsky said:
That is pretty grim, wish I could send you some of what we’ve had this afternoon. What kind of depth do you have to your soils there?

Anywhere from couple of feet to inches depending where the bedrock is, fields next to each other can go from full depth to granite slabs on the surface. Doesn’t make any difference what depth when it’s this hard.
Thursday I was 15 mile away and got drenched with a coat on, nothing at all at home

Jimdog1 · Aug 20, 2022

Same here. 500 ewes in 3 batches - 3 bales a day

. Lambs have everything else which isn't much! Aftermathes are pretty bare.

serf · Aug 20, 2022

Macsky said:
Sorry, I was being a bit facetious, but on investigation red clover roots aren’t anywhere near as deep according to cotswold seeds:

Species Guide | Cotswold Grass Seeds

A comprehensive online guide for many species of seed, with sowing advice, persistance, characteristics and lots of other information.

www.cotswoldseeds.com

Assuming root depth is a winner in drought conditions, then Lucerne, sanfoin, sweet clover, cocksfoot, chicory, yarrow and plantain might be worth more consideration.

disclaimer: I have next to no experience of drought!

Our neighbour (organic) has got lucerne and it has been the darkest greenest colour all the way through the drought and it just keeps growing , and mowing

Robin2020 · Aug 20, 2022

Al R said:
2 year old ley with chicory and plantain sown at 500g/acre each. Empty for 62 days when photo was taken.View attachment 1057954

I have some fields of chicory and plantain which I’m too scared to graze incase they graze them out completely.
Currently a lot of the grazing ground is like this:
View attachment 1057955

Wow....thought mine was bad!!

Livestock management after the drought

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100% I’ve had enough of farming!

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