"Improving Our Lot" - Planned Holistic Grazing, for starters..

Kiwi Pete

Member
Livestock Farmer
why are so many people anti farming, or is it just the fact that industry has been successful at pointing the finger of blame, at us, for climate change, or just because successive guvs have subsidised their food, by paying us subsidies, or just jealousy, or ignorance.
I don't have a problem with veggies, or even vegans, everybody is free to do what they want, within the law, in the UK, i do object to the lunatic fringes of both, having experienced some., they should not 'preach' their views to the public with such fanaticism. Even so, some of them must be intelligent people, and it's becoming more public that farming and livestock, are the solution to the carbon problem, probably the only viable solution.
So, not only do we provide the essential part of living, food, we also have the solution to the carbon problem, ag, far from being 'bad', we are actually in the driving seat. It's what can we do to change that view ?
Just to muddy the waters, there's a thread on here, official, ploughing is good for the organic matter of soil, by the scottish coll of ag, 5% increase in om on intensive farming. And on this thread, ploughing isn't found to be 'helpful', in fact in our case, it's unhelpful, the plough should just be another tool in our armoury, to be used when necessary, like to plough our kale stalks in.
"The man who can smile when things have gone wrong ..

.. has thought of someone to blame it all on"

in a nutshell

I think these empty vessels know deep down that it's "our" fault, but it's more convenient to play the blame-game than face up to the reality that it's materialism, commercialism, and consumerism that is and has damaged our planet and her ecosystems.
(again, it wouldn't be so, without agriculture, because they'd be busy scavenging and gardening instead of having time to worry about what everyone else is doing wrong)

At least that's my answer as to why farming has a bad rap. That, and farmers themselves
 

Kiwi Pete

Member
Livestock Farmer
Roselind?

daft sheep eating too much conserved forage - daft farmer didnt get bales out to top fields before forest tracks became deathtraps - daft farmer let other farmer have sialge in lieu of future borrows of implements/hay cutting.... -daft farmer may have to go buy more - at least ill be importing diff nutrients.
What's it worth at this time of year? 😱
 

Kiwi Pete

Member
Livestock Farmer
We're on R as well .
My Auntie Rose died last week so first heifer this year has been called Rose.View attachment 938689
Next one RosebudView attachment 938690
Could be a theme to this years names :unsure:
Had to smile at the practically pure white calf with grey eartips, two born here like that this year. One died (she was born far too prem) and one lil bull, Bingo is his name-o
20210123_210711.jpg

Shame he's not polled or I'd keep him as a backup bull. He can be a backup steer instead.

Lost a good calf the other day, highly pee'd off because my quick PM showed she'd eaten a bit of old orange polywire 😭☹ and her rumen was perforated as a result. Poor wee thing

That's her hiding behind Bingo's ear, with her nose in the air
 

som farmer

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
somerset
this is what i cannot quite see working, i know if we spread out a bale like above, cattle would pick over, and lie on it.
The out wintering systems, where you place the bales, and opened when needed, gives a big problem when trying to work the soil, for the next crop. It's common abroad to just roll out, but here, perhaps it's an inbuilt brain, to hate waste. Or, again, if we were to thinly spread it out, might be better, i can see the logic, but a step to far, for me at present. Fodder here, is to valuable to waste any.
 

Crofter64

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Quebec, Canada
Cows still not wrapping their heads round this bale grazing idea, supposed to be eating it not sitting on it!View attachment 938712View attachment 938713
I have had success with rolling hay out in the past but this year I had the same experience as you. They mostly used it as bedding , so I gave up and placed whole bales with netting on, to slow destruction down a bit. Once the bale was flat I removed string and let them spread it out. Can’t do that now: 18 inches or more of snow and last week it was -28C.
 
where there's livestock, there will always be dead stock, and over the years, i have seen some unimaginably smart plans, by livestock to commit hari kari. Unfortunately, we cannot hold their hands 24/7. Sheep are incredibly good, at managing to expire next to a foot path, or in clear view of loads of people.
other than lambing related issues - both ewe deaths have been ON the footpath.... which cuts the corner of the field,...
 

Rob Garrett

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Derbyshire UK
this is what i cannot quite see working, i know if we spread out a bale like above, cattle would pick over, and lie on it.
The out wintering systems, where you place the bales, and opened when needed, gives a big problem when trying to work the soil, for the next crop. It's common abroad to just roll out, but here, perhaps it's an inbuilt brain, to hate waste. Or, again, if we were to thinly spread it out, might be better, i can see the logic, but a step to far, for me at present. Fodder here, is to valuable to waste any.
The lesson here is about trying something new & how you increase risk. We normally outwinter on the rough bankside just over the wall, no problems with birds damaging bales. First time on stubble & lots of mouldy bales @ £20 each [emoji24]. Happy how cows are picking through/trampling in where we have rolled it out thin enough, plus keeping them moving onto fresh ground. Your right about following crop, was going to be pea/barley but think it will change to diverse grazable cover crop broadcast behind the discs.
IMG_20210121_140119_8.jpg
 

Rob Garrett

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Derbyshire UK
I have had success with rolling hay out in the past but this year I had the same experience as you. They mostly used it as bedding , so I gave up and placed whole bales with netting on, to slow destruction down a bit. Once the bale was flat I removed string and let them spread it out. Can’t do that now: 18 inches or more of snow and last week it was -28C.
That's some weather! Have you got cows in the shed now?
 

hendrebc

Member
Livestock Farmer
this is what i cannot quite see working, i know if we spread out a bale like above, cattle would pick over, and lie on it.
The out wintering systems, where you place the bales, and opened when needed, gives a big problem when trying to work the soil, for the next crop. It's common abroad to just roll out, but here, perhaps it's an inbuilt brain, to hate waste. Or, again, if we were to thinly spread it out, might be better, i can see the logic, but a step to far, for me at present. Fodder here, is to valuable to waste any.
I find hay a lot better for feeding on the ground than anything that's been wrapped. Hay if it gets left will rot but silage or haylage just sits there and doesn't rot well and kills the grass underneath. Maybe because it's acidic?
 

Blaithin

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Alberta
I have had success with rolling hay out in the past but this year I had the same experience as you. They mostly used it as bedding , so I gave up and placed whole bales with netting on, to slow destruction down a bit. Once the bale was flat I removed string and let them spread it out. Can’t do that now: 18 inches or more of snow and last week it was -28C.
Mine eat great in this cold. Way less waste :LOL:
 

som farmer

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
somerset
like making hay, 2nd cut, weather better, less bulk, and no bloody wrap, i hate wrap. There is another reason for making hay, you reseed the ground by knocking out the seeds, turning the swathe, or you did on the older type pastures, not over sure new grasses produce much viable seed. Density of ground cover, has to play an important part of total yield, some new leys, don't seem to get dense. With short or medium term leys, they don't have the time to fill out, probably the plan, to sell us more seed. I think adding grasses like timothy, or fesques to the mix, and even herbs, will help to thicken leys, and hopefully last longer.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 79 42.0%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 66 35.1%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 16.0%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 7 3.7%

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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