Woolless
Member
- Location
- Berwickshire, Scottish Borders
The Western/Ayr Gold Cup racemeet was abandoned for a waterlogged track, so I'm sure you're right. But would poaching damage be less with stock packed tight but moved quick?
New venture.. Cattle or Sheep
- Thread starter Hsals
- Start date
There’s no slack in the system
Woolless
Member
- Location
- Berwickshire, Scottish Borders
Doesn't need to mean that. Simply means that breeding animals should be on a maintenance ration for as long as possible to enhance profitability, which allows the best stuff to be put in front of growing animals. Having said that, he also emphasised the importance of getting ewes back in shape between weaning and tupping.
That’s what it does mean. If taking crop is the safety valve in the system, that’s weather dependent too. Or if it’s trading stock, that’s market dependent. It’s life on a knife edge and your welcome to it.
- Location
- Ceredigion, wales
(Sheep only) Farm near us does rotational grazing. It works well in summer but they turn five acres into mud every day in a wet Autumn and winter. I think they'd be better off doing set stocking over winter but I'm no expert obviously.
Woolless
Member
- Location
- Berwickshire, Scottish Borders
- Location
- Ceredigion, wales
Slowly....
Bossfarmer
Member
- Location
- between Perth and Inverness
The people who developed the farming systems in this country were not thick. The systems and breeds in NZ replicated this country. They have adapted them over time to their prevailing circumstances. Their system had a shock in the 80s which has pushed them a certain way. We may face a shock and go the same way with Brexit, who knows. No system should be set in aspic but to succeed respond to your own circumstances, not those of the South Island.
- Location
- Owaka, New Zealand
Most sheep here will be on rotation right up until lambing time and then set-stocked-ish at lambing as they lamb e.g. shed out through a gate every few days leave the lambed ones behind to eat the regrowth.
Any grazing system works if you want it to but that is the norm, saves cruising the whole farm to do a lambing beat.
I guess the solution to not making mud is to have some swede paddocks
make mud in them 
- Location
- Owaka, New Zealand
Exactly!
The first houses built here had windows pointing south even though their builders saw the sun in the north
I could name about 2 or 3 people who have enough winter growth to support any much grazing on pasture over winter, they have to build up cover for lambing hence the swedes for a few months being the sacrifice area. Then a quick round in the spring and into set stocking, with a small area set aside for weaning in most cases.
I hardly run any breeding sheep so just had 4.5 hoggs/acre on a 35 day round to maintain quality and squash pests (slugs and grassgrubs)
Nothing set in stone here though, I do what works for me
This is the thing some dont seem to get. We might not be able to do everything exactly like NZ but we could do what works for us. I bet a lot of things would work if we adapted them to suit but people seem dead set against anything kiwi working so wony even try
- Location
- Owaka, New Zealand
My neighbour set stocks the block behind me as it saves moving sheep across the road and back, and rotationally on his side of the road
Does that mean no grazing type is right nor wrong?
To be fair, it's an interesting comparison of how the two work with the same fert etc.... guess which bit of his farm can run more stock to the acre? it sure ain't this side.
Years of set stocking has got it down to about 2 ewes/ac. But it's easy.
Does that mean no grazing type is right nor wrong?
To be fair, it's an interesting comparison of how the two work with the same fert etc.... guess which bit of his farm can run more stock to the acre?
it sure ain't this side.Years of set stocking has got it down to about 2 ewes/ac. But it's easy.
- Location
- Owaka, New Zealand
Yep, back fence them tight so they can't roam/plough, and move them on daily
Reading some more of your posts below you don't have too much capital to play with. Two possible routes:-
1. Buy a few head of really good stock and AI them to a good bull. Unless you have existing facilities you are going to be a bit limited.
2. Go to the opposite extreme. Have a look on the web and go and buy experienced Dexter cows preferably free of the bull. You can pick them up for nowt. Get a good maternal bull of a breed you like, young and not too heavy is good. Cross him to the dexters, sell the steers store, keep the heifers. Once he is looking at his own daughters swap the bull. Keep buying good bulls and cash the cows in as numbers build.
Cheers
Mac
Reading some more of your posts below you don't have too much capital to play with. Two possible routes:-
1. Buy a few head of really good stock and AI them to a good bull. Unless you have existing facilities you are going to be a bit limited.
2. Go to the opposite extreme. Have a look on the web and go and buy experienced Dexter cows preferably free of the bull. You can pick them up for nowt. Get a good maternal bull of a breed you like, young and not too heavy is good. Cross him to the dexters, sell the steers store, keep the heifers. Once he is looking at his own daughters swap the bull. Keep buying good bulls and cash the cows in as numbers build.
Cheers
Mac
Bossfarmer
Member
- Location
- between Perth and Inverness
a lot of farmers in west scotland have had cattle in since the start of august because its so wet i think theyd be foolish to even attempt it in these areas
Bossfarmer
Member
- Location
- between Perth and Inverness
am i right in saying rotational grazing depletes the soil quicker?My neighbour set stocks the block behind me as it saves moving sheep across the road and back, and rotationally on his side of the road
Does that mean no grazing type is right nor wrong?
To be fair, it's an interesting comparison of how the two work with the same fert etc.... guess which bit of his farm can run more stock to the acre?
Years of set stocking has got it down to about 2 ewes/ac. But it's easy.
Bad news i feel for them. Some might say their land isnt suited to keeping cattle if they had to come in then. Or keep much lighter cattle maybe?