exmoor dave
Member
- Location
- exmoor, uk
I have to say one of my favorite sights after a typical dry summer here in NE exmoor, all the grass is long eaten away, we get some rain and the worms spring back into action and the fields are awash with casts
Cultivations are damaging earthworm populations
- Thread starter The Ruminant
- Start date
Fortunately here,we are able to keep grassland down for a decent length of time .....in the rotation.
- Location
- Lincolnshire
Stuff like Cranesbill spoils the party here. 6 litres per ha glyphosate to not quite kill it or just plough it down? Slugs, areas of compaction. It's a nice idea, and I feel for those worms I really do, but sometimes I am not thanked for "doing the right thing". Sometimes brutal cold steel is needed to get even clean weatherproof establishment without lashings of chemicals.
I'm working on it though.
I'm working on it though.
- Location
- NSW, Newstralya
That's all any of us can do.
I don't think there is any one magic system, we just have to do the best we can with the least harm, with the tools & knowledge we have at the time . . .
- Location
- East Yorkshire
I asked the question in another thread and didn't get an answer, but-
Can you ever have too many earthworms? Bearing in mind they eat organic matter, which in some soils is in short supply, is it possible that in some instances they do more harm than good?
Can you ever have too many earthworms? Bearing in mind they eat organic matter, which in some soils is in short supply, is it possible that in some instances they do more harm than good?
- Location
- Owaka, New Zealand
I sure hope you can't!
They actually make the OM more available to the plants, because their castings are virtually pure plant-food.
A regular size spade spit will have upwards of 40 worms at times, here.. That's an awful lot per acre, and why the soil tests so well.
Food and environmental factors will decide the population limit, at certain times their eggs are thick at the base of the sward, and other times I see very few, but lots of tiny worms and a few larger.
My tractor marks are gone in a fortnight on average, the tracks I made today will be gone by the time the stock go back.
They actually make the OM more available to the plants, because their castings are virtually pure plant-food.
A regular size spade spit will have upwards of 40 worms at times, here.. That's an awful lot per acre, and why the soil tests so well.
Food and environmental factors will decide the population limit, at certain times their eggs are thick at the base of the sward, and other times I see very few, but lots of tiny worms and a few larger.
My tractor marks are gone in a fortnight on average, the tracks I made today will be gone by the time the stock go back.
- Location
- NSW, Newstralya
- Location
- East Yorkshire
Impressive worms
.
- Location
- Owaka, New Zealand
Good young soil I believe helps.. old soil will have a pan and basically cut off the food supply/ environment beneath the pan IMO.Impressive worms
I may only have inches of topsoil but the subsoil is no different, other than in colour.
There's a huge mineral reserve down there- if only farmers around here would cure their 'ryegrass blindness' then they could easily do the same as I do- practically nothing!! Just liquid seaweed, nothing else has been applied in a decade. And I leave a lot of cover.. none of this 1500kg optimum residual nonsense. That only helps fert companies.
- Location
- Hertfordshire
Spot on! Out of interest, what are your starting DM cover levels and what would you graze down to, typically?
- Location
- Owaka, New Zealand
At the moment- winter- the lambs are going into about 2300 2400, and coming out at around 2000. 35 day round all year long, really, although the young grass paddocks are faster and the older ones slower, in summer.
Summer graze to 2500 or so, I run a leader follower system with lambs in front of calves, so it's very flexible to achieve what I want- and don't need to drench my stock due to a longer round length. Win-win for the worms. And the roots, because they only get "pruned" if I get the mower out. They are well into the subsoil, I will get the spade out when it dries out a little, and get some pictures for you all.
The first reaction is "don't the lambs go lame" and no, they don't. I thought it would be a disaster but I only get lame lambs when I gather them to draft- so I just don't, if I can leave them be I do.
Very very lazy- cheap as chips
Last edited:
- Location
- Owaka, New Zealand
I just re-read my above post.. regards rotation length it is an average of 35 days, but not 35 days: I have up to 4 mobs all rotating around, but the paddocks always get varied stocking pressure. No two rounds the same.
The main thing to throw out: the illusion of 'wasteage' - where does all this 'waste' go?
If my animals have a full belly, they can 'waste' all they want.
(Like those bits in the lee of a hedge where the stock camp and trample, and the grass can't be "managed"- that is what I'm aiming for.)
Feed your worms well
The main thing to throw out: the illusion of 'wasteage' - where does all this 'waste' go?
If my animals have a full belly, they can 'waste' all they want.
(Like those bits in the lee of a hedge where the stock camp and trample, and the grass can't be "managed"- that is what I'm aiming for.)
Feed your worms well
- Location
- Limousin, France
Interesting
http://www.drcaitlin.us/hot-topics/anthelmintics-in-manure
Dr. Caitlin is an Agriculture Extension Educator for the University of Wyoming serving Washakie County and the Big Horn Basin. As a soil scientist, she specializes in soil health, compost, and organic waste management.
Videos are good to watch
http://www.drcaitlin.us/hot-topics/anthelmintics-in-manure
Dr. Caitlin is an Agriculture Extension Educator for the University of Wyoming serving Washakie County and the Big Horn Basin. As a soil scientist, she specializes in soil health, compost, and organic waste management.
Videos are good to watch
Very interesting. Dr Caitlin is pretty gung-ho about ivermectin, but I'm not sure it's so benign to dung-beetles, or earthworms come to that. We've certainly noticed the populations of both these increasing year on year since we've stopped worming the cattle. Or it might well be the mob-grazing conditions that are helping these vital little workers to thrive.
It's reassuring though that invermectins etc break down in farmyard manure fairly quickly.
- Location
- NSW, Newstralya
I just re-read my above post.. regards rotation length it is an average of 35 days, but not 35 days: I have up to 4 mobs all rotating around, but the paddocks always get varied stocking pressure. No two rounds the same.
The main thing to throw out: the illusion of 'wasteage' - where does all this 'waste' go?
If my animals have a full belly, they can 'waste' all they want.
(Like those bits in the lee of a hedge where the stock camp and trample, and the grass can't be "managed"- that is what I'm aiming for.)
Feed your worms well
So, I'm assuming you move the mobs based on ground cover / DM, rather than a set time frame?
What sort of stocking density are you using per mob or paddock? Average size of mob & paddock?
Fencing & water infrastructure?
You say you have 4 mobs? How are they broken up, cows / calves, weaners , ewes / lambs etc ??
Sorry, lots of questions I know, but interested in how you run your system. I have some non arable country that I currently rent to a neighbour & am thinking about taking it back once this current term is over.
Cheers
Roy
- Location
- Owaka, New Zealand
Hi Roy- it is a very simple system really.
I will flick you a message, as I have a nasty habit of going off topic