- Location
- Northern Ireland
Spring herd? Is that an all season platform stocking rate or have you any way or reducing it in early spring and autumn with extra ground?
All things Dairy
- Thread starter Cows 'n grass
- Start date
Spring herd which is flying ,calving up to 230 cows on 42ha, no extra ground available unless I would want to walk them 2 miles to youngstock farm, would osing lots of cattle to tb so was destocking, but not by choice, have had to change management as we keep going tb free and only calved 190 this year on the back of that.
Happy at it
Member
- Location
- NI
Is there such a thing as right? Each to their own.
Would be interesting to know how many producers in our country are out day and night for the summer months. Can only think of 2 or 3 of about 20 in our area. Men seem to be fit to graze a heap of cows off a small area by going into good covers by day and a little silage at night in the house to keep them quiet.
Would be interesting to know how many producers in our country are out day and night for the summer months. Can only think of 2 or 3 of about 20 in our area. Men seem to be fit to graze a heap of cows off a small area by going into good covers by day and a little silage at night in the house to keep them quiet.
We'd be closer to 7 ATM.
Working on infrastructure to drop it to 5.
Tricky as do well to get 50% of intakes from grass.
Spudley
Member
- Location
- Pembrokeshire
It's a very small percentage I think. There are 6 dairy farms within 2 miles of here and we would be the only ones with cows out day and night.
- Location
- somerset
and what's wrong with feeding the worms ? They are the base of building soil fertility, which in turn, leads to better crops, and you don't have to be a 'greenie' to know that.
- Location
- somerset
attract the f###ing moles.
but they are a sign of good soil structure, and a good structure, holds more moisture, and improves fertility, and for us, holding moisture is hugely important. We seem to get longer periods of 'dry weather', than we ever used to.
- Location
- North West
Moles have exploded here the last two years. The man we use charges £10 a mole and free for any he misses. At a farm on the estuary he had to start charging by the hour when he got to 250 moles on a 180ac farm!
Princess Pooper
Member
- Location
- East Mids
We don't all live in the land of milk and rain.
- Location
- Pembrokeshire
No but you farm close to a very good grass growing farm and another one that’s just been taken on by the same company
They seem to be growing serious amounts of grass
You must be close to the land of milk and rain
- Location
- Pembrokeshire
I look into and research a lot of what people using different grass /legume mixes say on here ,as I as much as anyone wants to grow more grass at a cheaper cost
The problem is when they’ve grown it rather than make use of it ,it’s alound to rot before cutting/grazing , that’s the bit I don’t get my head round
The problem is when they’ve grown it rather than make use of it ,it’s alound to rot before cutting/grazing , that’s the bit I don’t get my head round
Princess Pooper
Member
- Location
- East Mids
We can usually grow excellent crops of Spring grass. Growing consistently good crops of grass after May into August is another matter. One outspoken local dairy 'character' took on a Leicestershire farm a few years back. At one of his first public farm walks he commented on 'struggling with the drought'. I quietly informed him this wasn't a drought it was pretty normal.
Last year was amazing - we had 124 mm rain May-July (but nothing at all in August), never grown as much summer grass. The previous May-July we had 84 mm (but a wet August). In 2019 it was wet but in 2018 we had 45 mm in those 3 summer months, that doesn't really grow a lot of grass. So yes, we do sometimes buffer in the summer, so we prefer to ensure that we make the most of that good spring growth to get as much first cut as possible.
Princess Pooper
Member
- Location
- East Mids
And just to add - visiting a few family members and friends over the last couple of weeks, comparing trees coming out in leaf, 'candles' on horse chestnuts, apple blossom etc we reckon our river valley is about 2 weeks later than elsewhere in the same county.
- Location
- Pembrokeshire
We’re probaly a week behind last year
Martyn
Member
- Location
- South west
Feeling bit uneasy ploughing over ley like this but its our planned rotation, maize going in, been cut and slurry/muck but TB testing prevented me getting going with ploughing, super grass growing weather conditions.
- Location
- South Molton
Ploughing in food for the soil bacteria
Plough doing a good job of turning it over.
Martyn
Member
- Location
- South west
Martyn
Member
- Location
- South west
3 shear bolts brocken so far
- Location
- Pembrokeshire