Winter sheep grazing
- Thread starter J shine
- Start date
- Location
- East Sussex
What information would you like?
Getting a bit late to be grazing a Dairy farm!! Most down here would want sheep off now.
DeeGee
Member
- Location
- North East Wales
In North Wales lowlands I think the going rate is about 50p/head/week for crossbreds, though I stand to be corrected or updated, as I want something akin to the going rate for any sheeps that come grazing here.
- Location
- sw scotland
50p to £1 a week depending on area, demand and sheep. Probably not much impact on silage growth if off by end February.
That sounds cheap.
- Location
- Cheshire
In our experience once the new year arrives people start thinking about a new season and start to struggle with the concept of someone else's stock eating their grass, thus you might be able to stretch a week or two but it frequently needs persuasion.
I'm actually considering bring lambing forward to the beginning of February rather than the middle so that if you can get to Christmas/New Year it's time to bring them in anyway as this couple of weeks is always the most difficult.
But other areas may differ.
sounds expensive to me which just shows it's all down to where you are located
@Anymulewilldo Yes that's more like how it should be worded. When I've looked before it's been £1 or more and I've not looked in a long time now. Given up looking tbh.
- Location
- sw scotland
I don't know where you are but up here grass will not be growing until March. Plenty time for first cut in May although the fields won't be eaten bare by mid February . Sheep men certainly don't want them back home in January.
As I have often said, TFF shows we are in the same country but different worlds
We're pretty low lying here so grass hasn't really stopped growing this winter at all, I moved ewe lambs this morning back on to ground that I took ewes off for scanning on 20th last month and it's greened up nicely.
That having been said, carrying grass from one year to the other is never guaranteed, all it takes is a good freeze up in February/early March or even an east wind setting in late March/April and it'll cut any short young grass clean out of the ground.
I think the main thing though is the non-sheep grazer mindset which wants the sheep off as early in January as possible, and you always have to be mindful that you're grazing someone else's land and be respectful of that fact. Non of the people we get winter grazing from actually need the money, so getting it is partly them wanting the ground tidied up, and partly an obligeance.
Therefore when they want them off, they come off.
Ive two blocks of land this winter, one im paying 50p per week and its 10 mins away but poor fencing for sheep. Other is 75p a week but very well fenced and chap there checks sheep a few times a week so I dont need to go each day. That one is about 25 mins away
Source please…
My winter keep landlords are after grass maintenance or soil improvement more than money & they have all said this
Doesn't mean they don't want the money but it is a secondary driver
I think they appreciate the good that sheep can bring agronomically
I’m not going to split hairs over need v want. We are all familiar with this scenario though aren’t we? - Farmer’s son comes home from ag college or a foreign trip. Persuades his parents that they don’t need the sheep or the tack money. After a couple of years’ hiatus there’s sheep back there in winter…
Because they do some good
Feck off!