"Improving Our Lot" - Planned Holistic Grazing, for starters..

[Kiwi Pete]

The leader mob are actually eating quite a bit now the lambs are eating too.
26 ewes, 53 lambs, 26 young cattle.

But, this is about what we are growing ahead of them; I think I have done the right thing giving the 'silage area' a bit of a pluck as the 'grazing area' has really come away with the extra week's recovery time, may have been a bit keen!
We should have some fairly decent covers to begin mob-grazing - about a foot of grass.

Really surprised how well these ewes with triplets are feeding them, but if they weren't I really don't think I could have them eating any more than they are...

as per @Crofter64, I really want the ram lambs gone ASAP, they will be about 7 weeks old now so I need them to "be doing"

And yes, @holwellcourtfarm, they are too busy munching to hear me for a start - but they come soon enough

 

[foobar]

There was a small piece on regenerative farming on Countryfile last night ... very short ... they could have made more of it. However, the lady in question seemed to have her cows on very very short grass ...

 

[Chasingmytail]

There was a small piece on regenerative farming on Countryfile last night ... very short ... they could have made more of it. However, the lady in question seemed to have her cows on very very short grass ...

I did notice the short grass but they were feeding silage so not sure when it was filmed. That was Liz Earle who owned the company but sold it for a undisclosed sum to Avon. Avon sold it to Boots for £140M. Millionaires subbing farms painting a picture of how farming should be done. This is my issue with 'pasture fed group' they all seem to have ££££ to bolster or invest. There arent many of them that start with nothing.

 

[Blaithin]

Regen farming doesn't mean tall grass. They're still at the mercy of natural issues like weather and seasons and run the risk of having to graze farther than intended/planned/desired. On top of that many regen systems utilize a sacrifice area for times when pastures need rest or animals can't be on them for whatever reason.

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

There was a small piece on regenerative farming on Countryfile last night ... very short ... they could have made more of it. However, the lady in question seemed to have her cows on very very short grass ...

I did think that. She pointed out clover but I couldn't see anything else broad-leaved ....

 

[Farmer Roy]

https://www.theguardian.com/environ...rth-farming-in-australias-unrelenting-climate

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

https://www.theguardian.com/environ...rth-farming-in-australias-unrelenting-climate

He wants to see properly funded agricultural education for Australia’s farmers and agronomists as well as soil and water scientists – independent from companies with vested interests.

“We need independent research separate to that conducted by chemical companies. That’s why you need government-run research stations, in my opinion, with properly trained agricultural scientists,” he says. “We ought to know if it is good, bad, indifferent, OK in little bits.”

“If it is causing problems and people are being dishonest then there should be all hell to pay. It is a little like the banks doing things improperly while knowing it. I suspect, in part, if there are companies who do this, they may have to be held accountable for what they have done.”

Spot on

 

[Kiwi Pete]

How's everyone's stockpile of feed looking? Has it been a difficult year to achieve one?

 

[Crofter64]

How's everyone's stockpile of feed looking? Has it been a difficult year to achieve one?

six weeks left. should be done by the beginning of December. We will probably have snow for the winter by then

 

[Karliboy]

My stockpile looks extreamly poor compared to what I produce in the past but I’ve bought in 100 rounds from other sources and a extra 10ton off wheat straw.
Going to fetch cattle in this weekend a week earlier than normal as I don’t want them eating anymore as I don’t want my overseedings damaging as there coming through nicely now.
Its also extreamly dry again at the moment so i won’t get to much poaching damage.
Hopefully everywhere should get a good recovery on before winter sets in fingers crossed.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

six weeks left. should be done by the beginning of December. We will probably have snow for the winter by then

How short do you take it before the snow comes, I'm curious?

 

[Kiwi Pete]

My stockpile looks extreamly poor compared to what I produce in the past but I’ve bought in 100 rounds from other sources and a extra 10ton off wheat straw.
Going to fetch cattle in this weekend a week earlier than normal as I don’t want them eating anymore as I don’t want my overseedings damaging as there coming through nicely now.
Its also extreamly dry again at the moment so i won’t get to much poaching damage.
Hopefully everywhere should get a good recovery on before winter sets in fingers crossed.

That's almost exactly where I was at the same point last summer, after the rain came it was too late in the season and I was overstocked for all the sunshine we had left.. so after some soul searching I realised I needed more water!

But, trough water, I guess that is one of your limitations on your land, getting water to cattle.

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

How's everyone's stockpile of feed looking? Has it been a difficult year to achieve one?

Our pastures are now short but the cattle will be indoors in a week or two. This year has been the start of our transition to planned mob type grazing so, combined with the very low summer rainfall (even for here) I am happy with where we are. We have plenty of fodder for the winter and I have high hopes for seeing changes in the pastures next year.

 

[Henarar]

How's everyone's stockpile of feed looking?

in a word small

 

[Karliboy]

I’m Thinking if I’ve got enough bales about holding cattle in a extra 2 or 3 weeks in the spring too just to ensure I’ve got plenty of cover on to start my mob grazing plan.
Normally my mowing ground I can cut at end off May straight out of winter with nothing being on them. but my grazing ground is only just getting going then so I can sometimes be short on fodder in the spring, but I’m going to hold off mowing next year as I’m aiming to use no N and just address my p and k issues then cycle cows through the mowing ground then shut it up end off May.
By then my main pasture hopefully will have ooogles of grass fingers crossed.
Then I’ll take a cut 6 weeks later about mid July then shut up for another 3 weeks then hopefully start to mob graze/paddock graze back fence etc and see how it works out and what works best.

(I need to write this plan down on paper and see if/it works changes I make or if I go weak and buy some N)

Have you passed your stock through your silage ground yet @Kiwi Pete ?

Have you any concerns about the amount of dung left behind in the grass for contamination of the bales as that’s my concern for next year ?

 

[Blaithin]

How short do you take it before the snow comes, I'm curious?

Usually you want to treat it as just another grazing. Maybe take a little bit more if you need too.

Grass acts as a catchment for the snow. Prevents it from blowing away and keeps the moisture there. It also helps insulate the ground, both the grass and the snow. When it gets really cold you want as much insulating the ground as possible. You want a grass matt and all the snow the grass has caught.

It may sound odd to people not used to snow that it provides insulation and while the species here can withstand the frost in the ground, they don't always do so well when directly exposed to cold temperatures and wild chills. I think it was 2012 we had early snow and a LOT of it, before the temperature got to freezing, and it didn't go away. It actually prevented the frost from getting into the ground. Whenever we plowed snow to feed the cows, you'd see steam coming up out of the dirt because it wasn't frozen. Actually had to be careful plowing because you could take quite a lot of dirt with you when usually you wouldn't dig in.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Have you passed your stock through your silage ground yet @Kiwi Pete ?

Have you any concerns about the amount of dung left behind in the grass for contamination of the bales as that’s my concern for next year ?

Yep, I have run them quickly over it over the past few days, a paddock per day so that's fast (think, 19 day rotation)

Not really too concerned about pats in the silage as it will be fine-chopped and will be almost a month away from mowing - likely there will be very little above mower height by then, as their poo is not squirty but definitely not real firm "hay poo"

They did quite a good job of topping it, and gave the odd area a good trample
(see about the middle of the bottom picture, there is a bald patch there so I made a corner for them to congregate in)

It allowed the other grass to just get that bit further along, and mature slightly.

 

[Agrispeed]

I did notice the short grass but they were feeding silage so not sure when it was filmed. That was Liz Earle who owned the company but sold it for a undisclosed sum to Avon. Avon sold it to Boots for £140M. Millionaires subbing farms painting a picture of how farming should be done. This is my issue with 'pasture fed group' they all seem to have ££££ to bolster or invest. There arent many of them that start with nothing.

Its quite a split group. There are some 'proper' farmers who do it because it makes economic sense, theres the ones who do it for marketing and then there are the ones that have bought into the lifestyle, and play at it. All have quite different views on how to do it.

My view on it is obviously the right one

I spent the morning speaking to Graham Harvey of ORFC and Archers fame. Interesting chap and gave me some ideas of what I should be doing in the future.

My phone recently went for a swim in my dirty water tank so I haven't uploaded and pictures for a while

This is how I am building OM on the banks. This is part of our Agroforestry trial, but the trees have suffered a bit in the drought. We have some volunteers coming to replant some soon, probably with a leguminous species.

 

[awkward]

How's everyone's stockpile of feed looking? Has it been a difficult year to achieve one?

About 45 day ahead of us at moment . Regrowth very good for time of year thankfully. Skinning paddocks now and slurry on after so expect to be back on in early February. Happened to be talking to a guy today about holistic grazing and of how stock are eating the dockleaf so well. He said that dock is loaded with iodine which makes sense with our deficiencies

 

[Karliboy]

Yep, I have run them quickly over it over the past few days, a paddock per day so that's fast (think, 19 day rotation)

Not really too concerned about pats in the silage as it will be fine-chopped and will be almost a month away from mowing - likely there will be very little above mower height by then, as their poo is not squirty but definitely not real firm "hay poo"View attachment 730948 View attachment 730950 View attachment 730952
They did quite a good job of topping it, and gave the odd area a good trample
(see about the middle of the bottom picture, there is a bald patch there so I made a corner for them to congregate in)

It allowed the other grass to just get that bit further along, and mature slightly.View attachment 730956 View attachment 730958

Those lambs are looking really good and fit and I’m not a sheep man.
How old are they now ? I let doesn’t feel that long since you were lambing your first lot?