Grazing really difficult land for css

[Horn&corn]

Local landowner has just finalised countryside stewardship and wants me to graze rough valleys and scrub. He has discribed it as
Low density grazing all summer
anyone know what options he’s picked and what he might be earning? Fences are questionable. Just wondering what to charge. Also anyone using gps tags to find cattle as 30ac of woodland could be a challenge for daily checks
Obviously seeing the forms would be easier but unlikely!

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

Local landowner has just finalised countryside stewardship and wants me to graze rough valleys and scrub. He has discribed it as
Low density grazing all summer
anyone know what options he’s picked and what he might be earning? Fences are questionable. Just wondering what to charge. Also anyone using gps tags to find cattle as 30ac of woodland could be a challenge for daily checks
Obviously seeing the forms would be easier but unlikely!

Where is this as different schemes in different places?
Are you sure the woodland can be grazed?
Normally livestock have to be fenced out of woodland unless this is a sort of rewilding project where this is scrub woodland.

 

[Horn&corn]

Wiltshire and been grazed by their own stock up to now. Scrub and some trees with meadow and stream between. Been to check it today and will require a heat detection drone or something to check cattle if we do as it could take hours otherwise. They will definitely be paying me!

 

[Norfolk Hill Farmer]

What he's earning from it isn't really relevant. It's what it's worth to you, and who would take it on if you didn't, if anyone. You would need to see the requirements of the scheme to know what your up against.

 

[Horn&corn]

What he's earning from it isn't really relevant. It's what it's worth to you, and who would take it on if you didn't, if anyone. You would need to see the requirements of the scheme to know what your up against.

Fair point but I can hardly see anyone else taking it so late in the season with all the issues that come with it. Useful to know what he’d be earning for my work.

 

[Norfolk Hill Farmer]

I would say the ball is in your court. Perhaps work out a price that is good for you but not so much the land owner is tempted to find a better option.

 

[Six Dogs]

Grazing similar ground with the same issues as you have described only this is with sheep.I am fast coming to the idea that
1-stock generally don’t do and I end up needing to bring conditioning back on the stock by putting them elsewhere
2-the hassle of checking and sorting problems is far more than what they are paying me to graze it
If they used to have their own stock and now don’t-I wonder why....

 

[yellowbelly]

Grazing similar ground with the same issues as you have described only this is with sheep.I am fast coming to the idea that
1-stock generally don’t do and I end up needing to bring conditioning back on the stock by putting them elsewhere
2-the hassle of checking and sorting problems is far more than what they are paying me to graze it
If they used to have their own stock and now don’t-I wonder why....

Yep, you have to pitch it right.

With regard to your first point, I find (assuming you can get a longer term agreement) you need some draft hill ewes who are used to getting a living from poor ground. They just need an easier life about 1000 ft nearer to sea level.

I sometimes think ours think they've died and gone to heaven.

 

[Horn&corn]

I assume they’re getting an extra payment for cattle grazing but not much info to go on.
Now investigating drones to check them as would potentially be quicker

 

[RobJC]

GS2 + GS17
GS2: Permanent grassland with very low inputs 95 per ha
GS17: Lenient grazing supplement 44 per ha

 

[Horn&corn]

I’ve just looked again and perhaps it’s gs6 species rich £182
with cattle supplement £45
Organic Ot2 £20
Probably more as some sssi

he’s getting £100/ac before bps. Got to pay me £30-40?

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

I’ve just looked again and perhaps it’s gs6 species rich £182
with cattle supplement £45
Organic Ot2 £20
Probably more as some sssi

he’s getting £100/ac before bps. Got to pay me £30-40?

A hectare or an animal?
In my experience on this type of land the greatest value is in using it for outwintering but I expect there is a no supplementary feeding clause in the agreement. However you would get away with running native cattle at 1 to 2-3 hectares if the cattle were old enough.

 

[Horn&corn]

They out wintered their own cattle last year and made a big mess! I was thinking £30-40 per ac to get me to meet their scheme requirements. Prob 100ac all told

 

[spin cycle]

I’ve just looked again and perhaps it’s gs6 species rich £182
with cattle supplement £45
Organic Ot2 £20
Probably more as some sssi

he’s getting £100/ac before bps. Got to pay me £30-40?

walk away

 

[onesiedale]

Has it got a water supply?
Section it up into cells with electric fencing, mob graze cattle and move water tank with them. This way your cattle will be easier to check, they will do much better, you'll probably have some keep for wintering a number of them, and you won't have to buy a drone. The ground will respond too.