mob stocking

Tim May

Member
Location
Basingstoke
I spent an afternoon with the Script writers and Graham Harvey last year explaining to them what we are up to on the farm. I never listen to it but Dad gives me reports every now and again about what they are up to. Graham is a good bloke but sometimes I think he's got a distorted view of farming. Still I guess its good to see some coverage of what some more soil focused farmers are up to.
 

martian

DD Moderator
BASE UK Member
Location
N Herts
Has anyone got an automatic electric-fence gate-opening system for their mob grazing? Gabe Brown showed us his solar-powered spring-loaded arrangement when we were over there last month and I know Neil Dennis uses half a dozen for his six-times-daily moves in Canada. I'd like to get something similar in place for next grazing season, but have drawn a blank talking to people over here. The basic idea was to set up multiple moves every morning, with one move in the am and several in the pm as the grass gets sweeter with the sunlight on it.
Warning to anyone thinking about moving into mob-grazing...there's a danger of becoming obsessive as you see the benefits the system brings...
 

York

Member
Location
D-Berlin
Has anyone got an automatic electric-fence gate-opening system for their mob grazing? Gabe Brown showed us his solar-powered spring-loaded arrangement when we were over there last month and I know Neil Dennis uses half a dozen for his six-times-daily moves in Canada. I'd like to get something similar in place for next grazing season, but have drawn a blank talking to people over here. The basic idea was to set up multiple moves every morning, with one move in the am and several in the pm as the grass gets sweeter with the sunlight on it.
Warning to anyone thinking about moving into mob-grazing...there's a danger of becoming obsessive as you see the benefits the system brings...
There are more severe & nasty cases to become obsessive about....
Looking forward to your reports and also on my side to find a place to do it on my own, with cattle.
York-Th.
 

martian

DD Moderator
BASE UK Member
Location
N Herts
I spent an afternoon with the Script writers and Graham Harvey last year explaining to them what we are up to on the farm. I never listen to it but Dad gives me reports every now and again about what they are up to. Graham is a good bloke but sometimes I think he's got a distorted view of farming. Still I guess its good to see some coverage of what some more soil focused farmers are up to.

Sounds like The Archers are going crazy for mob grazing, herbal leys and zero tilling now, you've obviously done a good job on the script-writers Tim!
 

The Ruminant

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Hertfordshire
Sounds like The Archers are going crazy for mob grazing, herbal leys and zero tilling now, you've obviously done a good job on the script-writers Tim!
Just to blow my own trumpet, I had a good chat with Graham Harvey the other day too......
Didn't get on to the topic of Rob Kitchener though, so can't be held responsible for that aspect of the plotline :cautious:
 

BSH

Member
BASE UK Member
ImageUploadedByThe Farming Forum1461346133.187469.jpg
Grazing winter cover crop mix
 

BSH

Member
BASE UK Member
They seem ok on it. Hadnt heard that it shouldnt be done ( or that it was bad for sheep) Ignorance is bliss as they say! The cover has kept them going when the ground is not too wet so less poaching and it has filled the gap before the grass got/gets moving.
 

BSH

Member
BASE UK Member
It was a mix of phacelia, stubble turnip, fodder radish and forage rye. The rye came to nothing for some reason. I had intended to graze over the winter but for various reasons didnt and left it until the end of the winter. They are trampling a lot but eating the leaves and flowers of the stubble turnips. They dont like the fodder radish. I now have a well trampled mass of stems to protect the soil but am letting some air at it so that it dries out. I am intending to follow with a summer cover crop.
 

BSH

Member
BASE UK Member
Yes a bit Gabe Brown. It is partly because I needed a non cereal break crop and I felt that a grazed cover crop was going to be comparable to some of my other options of linseed or lupins. The wheat behind last years Lupins had great establishment and has looked good all spring so I want to use a legume based cover crop to get the same effect. It will mean that I can keep my young stock instead of having to sell them as 12 month old stores. I will probably spray to use the opportunity to hit grass weeds.
 

Dan Powell

Member
Location
Shropshire
In terms of quantity of grazing how does this compare to say a one year IRG/red clover/vetch type ley? It looks a lot more fun...

I put an IRG /red clover ley in and it's done pretty well - decided to leave it down another year as young anguses flew on it... interestingly we grazed some as tall as silage and they ate the lot right down to the ground. I thought they would trample a lot.
 

BSH

Member
BASE UK Member
Will have to let you know. I have put in for the first time last autumn a one year ley with IRG and crimson clover and vetch in one field. I got a little grazing out of it in the autumn and early spring and will cut it for silage. I will have to analyse the costs at the end of the period.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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