All things Dairy

som farmer

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
somerset
In 2023 a lower stocking rate is the way forwards
and more clover
our clover this spring, is what we would expect july/august, grass is the 'right' shade of green, so its getting enough N, first round, which we are taking 30 acres out of, had 0 N, been putting 25/30 units on, after grazing. The grass has just grown, we expected, and allowed for, extra acres for the first round, to allow for 'slower' growth, that's come out, and agronomist, is suggesting no N, for 3rd round, as clover must be supplying enough. Love his advice, just goes against what I've done for years, successfully. The thought that l might have wasted a lot of fert, over the years, doesn't sit well. I hope he's right, but not convinced.
 

crashbox

Member
Livestock Farmer
and more clover
our clover this spring, is what we would expect july/august, grass is the 'right' shade of green, so its getting enough N, first round, which we are taking 30 acres out of, had 0 N, been putting 25/30 units on, after grazing. The grass has just grown, we expected, and allowed for, extra acres for the first round, to allow for 'slower' growth, that's come out, and agronomist, is suggesting no N, for 3rd round, as clover must be supplying enough. Love his advice, just goes against what I've done for years, successfully. The thought that l might have wasted a lot of fert, over the years, doesn't sit well. I hope he's right, but not convinced.
White clover survives a drought and gives flood ground cover.
Red clover will stick a drought better than most ryegrass silage varieties IME.
Would never sow another silage ley without clover (unless a 1 winter maize cover crop only).
 

som farmer

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
somerset
White clover survives a drought and gives flood ground cover.
Red clover will stick a drought better than most ryegrass silage varieties IME.
Would never sow another silage ley without clover (unless a 1 winter maize cover crop only).
clover is nearly a magic plant, high protein, palatable and fixes N. Our r/clover cutting leys, look seriously good, as do the grazing leys, and even looks as if it is suppling enough N to keep the grass growing, might even believe the boffins, about how much it can provide !
Going forward, we will sow 2.5 or 3kg/ac of mixed clover seed, small leaf should help fill the bottom of the ley in.
After the wheat, we will sow w/wold and winter vetch, followed by maize, peed off with rye, and no analysis, and should give a better window to get both in.
 

Dead Rabbits

Member
Location
'Merica
clover is nearly a magic plant, high protein, palatable and fixes N. Our r/clover cutting leys, look seriously good, as do the grazing leys, and even looks as if it is suppling enough N to keep the grass growing, might even believe the boffins, about how much it can provide !
Going forward, we will sow 2.5 or 3kg/ac of mixed clover seed, small leaf should help fill the bottom of the ley in.
After the wheat, we will sow w/wold and winter vetch, followed by maize, peed off with rye, and no analysis, and should give a better window to get both in.
A fall planted cereal rye or triticale will out yield wheat for grazing or cutting every year. We use a grazing specific variety and graze 3-5 times through winter and early spring
 

som farmer

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
somerset
A fall planted cereal rye or triticale will out yield wheat for grazing or cutting every year. We use a grazing specific variety and graze 3-5 times through winter and early spring
we never stop learning, and l have learnt a lot of new things/ideas this past 2 years.
we wouldn't be able to sensibly graze rye, 2 or 3 times, for us, forage rape, or kale, would be better, followed by spr barley.
But we are entering a new era for farming, the supply/demand ratio looks to be swinging our way, for a change, and with change new ideas etc emerge, and we should look at them, even if we think they wont suit us, some might.
 

Jdunn55

Member
Now I know the rules regarding dogs in the dairy but does red tractor have a standard specific to goats??

Went to wash down and found her here for some reason 🤣 made me smile
 

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lizness

Member
Location
North East
We have had a bit of rain and the grass is romping away. Shame the sheep are still here and the eating all the cows grass!

A picture of an old girl coming up to her 10th calving with a sexed jingle in her. She's not the prettiest...but wanted her photo taken when I was taking photos of heifers. Three black and white heifers off her and a few suckler heifers.
 

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crashbox

Member
Livestock Farmer
clover is nearly a magic plant, high protein, palatable and fixes N. Our r/clover cutting leys, look seriously good, as do the grazing leys, and even looks as if it is suppling enough N to keep the grass growing, might even believe the boffins, about how much it can provide !
Going forward, we will sow 2.5 or 3kg/ac of mixed clover seed, small leaf should help fill the bottom of the ley in.
After the wheat, we will sow w/wold and winter vetch, followed by maize, peed off with rye, and no analysis, and should give a better window to get both in.
20220504_145203.jpg


Had 50kg N/ha to get it going, no slurry or muck, above knee height. 2nd year ley.
Coming off tomorrow.
 

In the pit

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Pembrokeshire
clover is nearly a magic plant, high protein, palatable and fixes N. Our r/clover cutting leys, look seriously good, as do the grazing leys, and even looks as if it is suppling enough N to keep the grass growing, might even believe the boffins, about how much it can provide !
Going forward, we will sow 2.5 or 3kg/ac of mixed clover seed, small leaf should help fill the bottom of the ley in.
After the wheat, we will sow w/wold and winter vetch, followed by maize, peed off with rye, and no analysis, and should give a better window to get both in.
Soil temp today 12.2 degrees ,last week 10 .6 degrees so even though clover is moving it will be supplying little if any at all nitrogen to the ground .as my pictures show clover nodules still white,when they start producing nitrogen they will turn a lovely pink colour
Anyone putting clover in now will not see any benefit of that before next year and only then if you’re ph is above 6.2 and your p&k are above 2
 

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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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  • 1
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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