- Location
- Derbyshire
Are you able to keep them behind a wire on reasonably small breaks?
"Improving Our Lot" - Planned Holistic Grazing, for starters..
- Thread starter Kiwi Pete
- Start date
Johnny Whiteheads
Member
Luckily I get a high protein feed block from The Hen Harrier Project (Conservation project), works great for mature stock but young stock did not thrive that well last year even with free access to blocks
Johnny Whiteheads
Member
They are good with this as long as I don’t skimp on pigtails
- Location
- Derbyshire
Looks like you're well on your way to improving that ground. Keep them moving and allow that recovery ?
JohnGalway
Member
- Location
- Connemara, Ireland
Stuff I'm reading on EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 I'm not sure we'll have to be worried about grazing in the future on lands suitable for molinia.
I found it a lifesaver this year. The mat grasses weren't growing. But even with having 150 ewes in since mid feb, and 60 before that since last year, the molinia grew at a pace the ewes couldn't keep up with. Not sure I want to change that option, as half a loaf is better than no bread.
Johnny Whiteheads
Member
True its a brilliant grower this time of year but my problem is from late September when it dies & I have to start feeding bales way too early. Do you have other grasses that come through then?
JohnGalway
Member
- Location
- Connemara, Ireland
I'm only starting down this road myself as yet. If you listen to the outthegap podcast with Joe Condon, he explains how he runs Galloway cattle on the Waterford Tipp border. From memory he was grazing the hills in Summer, then the fenced land during Winter.
The idea of HPG would be to move slowly during slow growth, and move fast during fast growth and give proper recovery times - there's a lot more to it than that but that's the basic gist of extending your grazing year. Like you say, molinia will die off so be of no use really after September. Perhaps you can make use of it while it' in it's growth phase, and use that strategy to rest other areas.
My farm is coming from a place of partial rest (overgrazing and weeds due to set stocking). So it's going to be a bumpy ride here for a fair while.
Johnny Whiteheads
Member
I was actually down at Joe Condon's 2 years ago, great guy, big commonage down there & his cattle were out on it with sheep at end of March. Inspirational the stuff they were eating & cows carrying calves on;
ShooTa
Member
- Location
- Denbighshire - In the vale of Clwyd!
talking about lengthening - ive just done a replan for 45 days,.
didnt help that previously ive been doing some of my planning back to front. half the problem with being understocked - however seemingly has put me in an okay position with this drier spell.
took action early grazing our silage fields (didnt really want to do it this year once again)
problem with trying to go off grass measuring to stock intake too much... aka the prosper from pasture stuff.
didnt help that previously ive been doing some of my planning back to front. half the problem with being understocked - however seemingly has put me in an okay position with this drier spell.
took action early grazing our silage fields (didnt really want to do it this year once again)
problem with trying to go off grass measuring to stock intake too much... aka the prosper from pasture stuff.
JohnGalway
Member
- Location
- Connemara, Ireland
Right animal, right place, right time, and for the right reason ?
- Location
- NSW, Newstralya
- Location
- Owaka, New Zealand
Whitewalker
Member
Cheers Pete that was my morning milking seminar ?
- Location
- Owaka, New Zealand
No worries 
It's as much about a farmer's health as that of stock, crops, soil.... a farm with no poisons and a suicidally depressed manager is not regenerative either
You can see why I'm reluctant to "define" anything, or regulate regenerative agriculture now?
It's as much about a farmer's health as that of stock, crops, soil.... a farm with no poisons and a suicidally depressed manager is not regenerative either
That's looks nice. I love that woodland pasture look.
- Location
- Owaka, New Zealand
That's what I wish I had. Takes either a lot of time or money to "get it like that"
Its not ours its on what once was a farm up the road, previous owner planted the apple trees, a lot have been in about 12 years, not sure when the ones in the photo were planted though, there are other trees in one corner as well and even a rope swing if the lambs want to play. the thing is nothing is done with a lot of the apples so the sheep get them as well.
Its only about an acre but its a job to count the 55 sheep we put in there
Well done, a lot of farmers neglect to put in rope swings for lambs to play on, a happy lamb is a growing lamb