Livestock management after the drought

Al R

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
West Wales
Some of our land is free draining but without drains some would be totally unworkable, but it's amazing that land that was wet 10 years ago and just grazed we are now taking 3 cuts if silage from with heavy machinery
10 years ago most contractors would have been on 540 tyres on the tractor and super sinkers on the trailers. Now 650’s on the tractor and 550’s on the trailers 👌🏼
 

Derrick Hughes

Member
Location
Ceredigion
give it time, they will sink, nart haven't seen afore
IMG_20220825_091610.jpg

They not sinking yet😂

My plan for next year is to fence and seed that top piece , look at the difference, going to get the soil tested first
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
View attachment 1058869
They not sinking yet😂

My plan for next year is to fence and seed that top piece , look at the difference, going to get the soil tested first

If there is ever a time that youngstock WONT sink, it's likely to be on the 25th of August in one of the driest summers on record. Will you take another picture of them up there in January? ;)

But yes, always good to see land being improved and made more productive. (y) An old fashioned/outdated view as we head into the brave new world of tree planting and habitat management on every farm though. :banghead:
 

Al R

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
West Wales
If there is ever a time that youngstock WONT sink, it's likely to be on the 25th of August in one of the driest summers on record. Will you take another picture of them up there in January? ;)

But yes, always good to see land being improved and made more productive. (y) An old fashioned/outdated view as we head into the brave new world of tree planting and habitat management on every farm though. :banghead:
Subsidies and landlords forced us in the opposite direction 😭 Land that was used for potatoes for decades allowed to go back to bullrushes.
 

som farmer

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
somerset
if only the guv/rpa, would see sense, and ask us, the best places to plant trees etc, on every farm, there are odd corners, that would be ideal for 'nature/carbon', but they don't, they just tell us.
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
if only the guv/rpa, would see sense, and ask us, the best places to plant trees etc, on every farm, there are odd corners, that would be ideal for 'nature/carbon', but they don't, they just tell us.

That’s exactly what Welsh govt is proposing. ALL farms to have 10% under tree cover, including existing, with farmers having 5 years to plant them wherever they like.

Meanwhile, they continue to fund Cardiff airport…
 
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Walterp

Member
Location
Pembrokeshire
But mistakes are more interesting...
Field reseeded 3 years ago with 'Shield' PRG; it had an unknown history before rented in, but was probably cut for hay every Summer since VE Day. No testing and no corrective action taken, and the native grasses duly took over within a year. Nothing thrives on it, but it's handy to store Lleyn x Cheviot gimmers before going to the tup. Lesson learnt. But.. there are 66 gimmers on a 4 acre field, been there for weeks, so it serves a purpose.
Pure Lleyns tend to go to skin-and-bone on rearing their lambs, here, so Julie's flock mainstay is this cross - the young ewe below (who walked across my path this afternoon, being the first I came across) is typical : Lleyn breeding very evident, but the chunkiness and toughness of the Sennybridge Cheviot is essential for longevity. And for living off the view.
Sheep 26.08.22 006.JPG
Sheep 26.08.22 004.JPG
Sheep 26.08.22 003.JPG
 

IDgrah

Member
Mixed Farmer
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!!
Have you looked at the CSA rules? They’ve relaxed a lot of them so you can graze land that you can usually because of the drought. Maybe worth a 5 minute google.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 117 38.4%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 117 38.4%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 42 13.8%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 6 2.0%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 5 1.6%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 18 5.9%

Expanded and improved Sustainable Farming Incentive offer for farmers published

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  • 1
Expanded Sustainable Farming Incentive offer from July will give the sector a clear path forward and boost farm business resilience.

From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and The Rt Hon Sir Mark Spencer MP Published21 May 2024

s300_Farmland_with_farmFarmland_with_farmhouse_and_grazing_cattle_in_the_UK_Farm_scene__diversification__grazing__rural__beef_GettyImages-165174232.jpg

Full details of the expanded and improved Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) offer available to farmers from July have been published by the...
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