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

[Poorbuthappy]

I can see why you're concentrating on the cattle @Kiwi Pete .
Getting fed up with sheep again. It's the same every year about this time - they just seem to lose respect for fences. And of course this year I have more subdivision and therefore more fences for them to trash.
Moved 1 lot today and they went straight through the fence into the next paddock. Put them back, put up an extra strand, and strimmer under the wire. 2 hours later they'd gone through it again.

Get to the autumn, then it's not an issue, right through til the next summer.

Had cause to travel a neighbour's ground the other day (retrieving sheep) who is kiwi style dairy. Oh how easy to set up paddocks and lanes for just cattle!

I see James Daniel (kiwitech uk) has a session at groundswell - "grazing infrastructure - keeping the b*****s in" !
Got that 1 marked down to see!

 

[onesiedale]

I can see why you're concentrating on the cattle @Kiwi Pete .
Getting fed up with sheep again. It's the same every year about this time - they just seem to lose respect for fences. And of course this year I have more subdivision and therefore more fences for them to trash.
Moved 1 lot today and they went straight through the fence into the next paddock. Put them back, put up an extra strand, and strimmer under the wire. 2 hours later they'd gone through it again.

Get to the autumn, then it's not an issue, right through til the next summer.

Had cause to travel a neighbour's ground the other day (retrieving sheep) who is kiwi style dairy. Oh how easy to set up paddocks and lanes for just cattle!

I see James Daniel (kiwitech uk) has a session at groundswell - "grazing infrastructure - keeping the b*****s in" !
Got that 1 marked down to see!

it's not just sheep that are b*****ds, these two had chewed through my wire as I was reeling it in!

 

[Henarar]

a fencer with more bite is needed

 

[RushesToo]

View attachment 812174
it's not just sheep that are b*****ds, these two had chewed through my wire as I was reeling it in!

@onesiedale I'd watch those two. They are trying to lull you into a false sense of security with cute looks. They are out for you. Don't turn your back on them.

The B&W has a look in its stance.

 

[onesiedale]

a fencer with more bite is needed

they're fine with fencer connected, that happened in the couple of minutes I was reeling in !

 

[Blaithin]

Probably had an inch of rain here in the last week and a half, nice and cool today, things are reacting well. The grass is looking lovely in many places and even the canola in the fields is finally growing. It's been scary how small that's been.

The cows aren't here, they're on a rented field, my goal being to give the acreage a rest because it was so overgrazed the last couple years. Well... the cool season tame grasses have appreciated that. Brome is looking good and there's places the Timothy is up to my waist. Most areas where those two grasses are predominant are averaging around my knees. This specific photo is actually from the sacrifice area where they were locked in for the winter and spring. Part of the reason I chose that area, besides the better fencing, is the fact the grass there seems indestructible! You can see that it's lifted up some of the cattails that were fed in the hay to act as cover for the ground

I've got a couple other areas that are more native grasses. These are generally smaller to begin with but I also know native grasses tend to grow slower and later so maybe in a couple of months they'll be looking lush too. Especially if we get steady rain. When I was out for a walk in the shortest, most abused bit, I actually found strawberries! I've lived here 7 years and never knew I had strawberries The things you learn and find when you don't let an area be grazed.

Then there's this stuff. No clue what it is, I'll have to get my plant book out.

 

[Poorbuthappy]

a fencer with more bite is needed

I think a rifle is needed!
Just not sure I'd have any sheep left!


Hmmmm, maybe not such a bad idea.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

I can see why you're concentrating on the cattle @Kiwi Pete .
Getting fed up with sheep again. It's the same every year about this time - they just seem to lose respect for fences. And of course this year I have more subdivision and therefore more fences for them to trash.
Moved 1 lot today and they went straight through the fence into the next paddock. Put them back, put up an extra strand, and strimmer under the wire. 2 hours later they'd gone through it again.

Get to the autumn, then it's not an issue, right through til the next summer.

Had cause to travel a neighbour's ground the other day (retrieving sheep) who is kiwi style dairy. Oh how easy to set up paddocks and lanes for just cattle!

I see James Daniel (kiwitech uk) has a session at groundswell - "grazing infrastructure - keeping the b*****s in" !
Got that 1 marked down to see!

Sheep are all good but IMO they're even better if you order a big mob in on a wagon, graze what you need grazed, then send them away again.

Doing fences for a small mob of ewes did my f#€king head in!!

So on a time spent/profit made equation they lost - even though very profitable.
Just getting a few hundred to graze means the workload is much less, and TBH the income is pure profit, I don't pay for losses or cartage or anything else, and get $9/month in my bank.

I guess cash and carbon are very similar, a diversity of "speeds" and "flows" are good for us

 

[ShooTa]

id go with a better ground and better teaching on the sheep fencing...... - AND you could try a single extra wire infront of the fence - it mucks with their depth perception and they get shocked before actually hitting the main fenceline... no more than 1 ft foward tho.

cows - you need a faster reel..... 3:1 or ...

 

[Poorbuthappy]

id go with a better ground and better teaching on the sheep fencing...... - AND you could try a single extra wire infront of the fence - it mucks with their depth perception and they get shocked before actually hitting the main fenceline... no more than 1 ft foward tho.

cows - you need a faster reel..... 3:1 or ...

They certainly need re educating atm.
But come the autumn they'll settle down again and stay behind the fences (unless starved), so it's something about this time of year. I have blamed it on poor earth due to dry weather in the past, but that's certainly not the current issue.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Not really much you can do if they learn to jump. Except get them gone before they teach the rest!

 

[Poorbuthappy]

Not really much you can do if they learn to jump. Except get them gone before they teach the rest!

Head down and run through it is the usual way.

 

[YorkshireAndrew]

Often I only discover being on fire after taking my welding helmet off, which can allow things to be fairly well involved.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Head down and run through it is the usual way.

Hard to stop that, although some electrified mesh on the other side would learn them

would also take half your day untangling it

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Not sure if it's the first, or last lamb of the season

So, we're a third of the way thru lambing

 

[Crofter64]

I think a rifle is needed!
Just not sure I'd have any sheep left!

Hmmmm, maybe not such a bad idea.

I couldn’t handle their disrespect of the fence either and switched to electric netting. It sucks the juice but they respect it anyway

 

[Poorbuthappy]

I couldn’t handle their disrespect of the fence either and switched to electric netting. It sucks the juice but they respect it anyway

Did wonder about trying some in worst places

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Probably had an inch of rain here in the last week and a half, nice and cool today, things are reacting well. The grass is looking lovely in many places and even the canola in the fields is finally growing. It's been scary how small that's been.

The cows aren't here, they're on a rented field, my goal being to give the acreage a rest because it was so overgrazed the last couple years. Well... the cool season tame grasses have appreciated that. Brome is looking good and there's places the Timothy is up to my waist. Most areas where those two grasses are predominant are averaging around my knees. This specific photo is actually from the sacrifice area where they were locked in for the winter and spring. Part of the reason I chose that area, besides the better fencing, is the fact the grass there seems indestructible! You can see that it's lifted up some of the cattails that were fed in the hay to act as cover for the ground
View attachment 812228

I've got a couple other areas that are more native grasses. These are generally smaller to begin with but I also know native grasses tend to grow slower and later so maybe in a couple of months they'll be looking lush too. Especially if we get steady rain. When I was out for a walk in the shortest, most abused bit, I actually found strawberries! I've lived here 7 years and never knew I had strawberries The things you learn and find when you don't let an area be grazed.
View attachment 812232

Then there's this stuff. No clue what it is, I'll have to get my plant book out.
View attachment 812234

Looking good
..will be interested to learn what that is, when you find out.

 

[GreenerGrass]

Head down and run through it is the usual way.

I sometimes mow perimeters if earthing is a problem. I try and just set in wheel rows when fencing which is mostly OK. But to be honest my flock are the same, they just start pushing boundaries this time of year, and then come back into line in due course. Glad to hear others are the same!

 

[Henarar]

View attachment 812396
Not sure if it's the first, or last lamb of the season

So, we're a third of the way thru lambing

altogether now as we know how much Pete loves them

AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH