- Location
- Owaka, New Zealand
Soil soup!25mm here yesterday and the cattle are starting to poach the ground a bit. on ground that was (badly) landfilled 30+ years ago.
Soil soup!25mm here yesterday and the cattle are starting to poach the ground a bit. on ground that was (badly) landfilled 30+ years ago.
yes more surface area and a dam to catch, pity the soil surface structure is fudged for awhile thoughIt'll take Ian a while to get the water cycle cranking.
I do get what you're saying, but it's a long road getting the water cycle humming with sheep for those exact reasons you mention - they tend to leave the soil surface very "flat".
Microtopography - now there's a good word with a mouthful of cornflakes - can be instrumental to getting rainfall down that first couple of inches, quickly .
Backwards as it sounds.
Scale it up and it's easy to visualise the overall effect of topography on water - eg a floodplain vs hill country, water moves much slower on the flats.
I had this by a water trough after the rain we have had. Doesn’t look pretty just need to protect that area a bitView attachment 809174
errr, is this is this trampled enough?
I bet it looks worse than it is. By tomorrow most of the mud will have washed back in and it won't look too bad. In a few weeks you will never know.View attachment 809174
errr, is this is this trampled enough?
Perfect You can't really go much further than that without damage.View attachment 809174
errr, is this is this trampled enough?
I bet it looks worse than it is. By tomorrow most of the mud will have washed back in and it won't look too bad. In a few weeks you will never know.
Shame it's dark here, I have varying stages of animal impact right through to badly pugged strips, which would largely answer your question.I suppose it also gives the worms, bacteria and fungi quicker access to the trampled grass with it already being in the soil as such, and not having to be dragged downwards as such.
Be grand to fast forwards 60 days and see what it looks like compared to the rest of the field.
Just a thought though from a beginner !
I guess it could be a little anaerobic with the mud though, so some drying weather would be good but not so to bake it on top?
We've all got to start somewhere. make a rough plan on a bit of paper and move your stock around each day or two, hopefully ending back at paddock 1 in 40ish days time. As it is mid season you may have to cheat on some parts with a mower and take some bales for winter because you are sure to get some of your grass racing ahead of you.I've been busy fencing!! What did you do when you first started this plan with a farm full of grass that wasn't high enough to graze under this system but needing somewhere to put your stock? I suppose one could sell all one's stock and start again later! I have some paddocks that have more grass than normal but they are overgrazed. Did you put yours in a small area and feed hay?
I've decided at the moment to do two day paddocks for the sheep so the water stays easy to do. Then I can always tighten them up later. Plus if I can't change the paddock for any reason I don't get stressed!!
will try and remember to post some pictures after a rest period.I suppose it also gives the worms, bacteria and fungi quicker access to the trampled grass with it already being in the soil as such, and not having to be dragged downwards as such.
Be grand to fast forwards 60 days and see what it looks like compared to the rest of the field.
Just a thought though from a beginner !
I guess it could be a little anaerobic with the mud though, so some drying weather would be good but not so to bake it on top?
Ironically Pete, that is a 15 acre field with just 100 R1s on itPerfect You can't really go much further than that without damage.
Now, some people would have a 15 acre paddock like that with 80 calves running up and down waiting for food.
That's usually much more damaging to "the whole" than the corner of a break muddied up a bit, and the stock off it straight away.
@baaa - you will have some overgrazing when you start - just try where possible to eek out more time before coming back to the paddock your in - youll eventually build up to a solid rest period -
what i would begin to think about is your winter planning now - that way youll know what you need to have left come sept/oct or where you need them to be..