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

Henarar

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Somerset
I guess if the hay is round baled it would be ok sat out so long as they are on the side, not end up.

Yes. Will be looking at different sacrifice area each year.
If your putting them out for bale grazing put them on their side with the ends facing north/south
when you have thought about it you can tell me why that is, but it makes sense

bales tied with string shed the wet better than bales tied with net
 

holwellcourtfarm

Member
Livestock Farmer
Woohoo! Course complete. I'm a trained Holistic practitioner.

2019-11-07 08.40.20.jpg


Also graduating were Amy, @Poorbuthappy 's daughter and Bruce Kirk of https://www.greencurvesdesign.com/ , a Keyline landscape designer. His short introduction to the application of the keyline scale of permanence to farm landscape layout was fascinating.
 
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Kiwi Pete

Member
Livestock Farmer
Folks around here in the drier areas (sub 1800mm) will put their hay or baleage out and then get a fert truck to spin on the seed once they're placed, they tend to stick to rows but I would put them more evenly if it were me - I guess they're on the "we must utilise this because it cost $xxx" buzz so they don't aim to put much of it down. Then just tow a harrow bar around with a quad to rattle the seeds in a little and shut the gate, all that's needed is to shoulder the bales over and unwind the net, move the fence.
Pretty simple stuff and doesn't leave TheDreaded Balewrap everywhere, which is scum-of-the-Earth stuff IMO, hate seeing farms with plastic sprouting up
 

Kiwi Pete

Member
Livestock Farmer
Woohoo! Course complete. I'm a trained Holistic practitioner.

View attachment 842442

Also graduating were Amy, @ShooTa 's daughter and Bruce Kirk of Greencurves.org, a Keyline landscape designer. His short introduction to the application of the keyline scale of permanence to farm landscape layout was fascinating.
Good work! :cool:
(I think that's the direction we'll take our land, the permaculture/silvopasture route, it just makes sense)
 

CornishTone

Member
BASIS
Location
Cornwall
Woohoo! Course complete. I'm a trained Holistic practitioner.

View attachment 842442

Also graduating were Amy, @ShooTa 's daughter and Bruce Kirk of Greencurves.org, a Keyline landscape designer. His short introduction to the application of the keyline scale of permanence to farm landscape layout was fascinating.

Congrats Mr H! I’d like to do some of their courses too. I’m booked on to do the BASIS Quality of Soils advanced module over Dec-Jan. Will be interesting to see how they tackle the concepts of regen ag from their very conventional stand point. The syllabus mentions “conservation agriculture” but not regenerative. I’ll try not to be too controversial!

P.s. are you going to go on to become a trainer/advisor through 3LM?
 

holwellcourtfarm

Member
Livestock Farmer
Congrats Mr H! I’d like to do some of their courses too. I’m booked on to do the BASIS Quality of Soils advanced module over Dec-Jan. Will be interesting to see how they tackle the concepts of regen ag from their very conventional stand point. The syllabus mentions “conservation agriculture” but not regenerative. I’ll try not to be too controversial!

P.s. are you going to go on to become a trainer/advisor through 3LM?
I'm not sure yet. They are trying to build a network of demonstration farms in every UK county and we could be part of that when we move.

The presentation Bruce gave of the work he does in keyline based design in South America got me really interested. He was horrified that we supply our cattle drinking water from the public main (cost and chemical analysis were his concerns). He was shocked at how badly we UK farmers understand our landscapes.

I can see a place for us to use his service when we do buy somewhere.
 

Crofter64

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Quebec, Canada
I raw over the worst bits in late spring with the power harrow then broadcast a bit of seed on top and do it all again next year! Your right though. Looks like I am prioritising short term financial over long term bigger picture soil health and longer term financial gain.
It looks to me as though you startedfeeding at the bottom of the hill, where the water runs down to and possibly puddles. Wouldn’t it be better if you started feeding at the top.? The animals wouldn’t stand in the mud that way. Do you get footrot issues with your management?
 

Fenwick

Member
Location
Bretagne France
Good work! :cool:
(I think that's the direction we'll take our land, the permaculture/silvopasture route, it just makes sense)

+1 for the silvopasture. We start planting seriously next year. I'll keep you guys updated of course.(y)

The presentation Bruce gave of the work he does in keyline based design in South America got me really interested. He was horrified that we supply our cattle drinking water from the public main (cost and chemical analysis were his concerns). He was shocked at how badly we UK farmers understand our landscapes.

Love the idea of keyline design, which would certainly help up on our dry hill.
But it wouldn't it involve removing hedges and trees and fences? No small undertaking. Useful though if you have a blank sheet as a starting point.
 

Kiwi Pete

Member
Livestock Farmer
on the end of leggies :ROFLMAO:
Yep, that's them. Hippies are everywhere if you look.
:playful:

Going on from what @holwellcourtfarm was just saying about understanding where our "default landscape settings" are/were, I thought of where cattle/sheep fit in to this:
20191108_010657.png

What do you reckon the Giant moa would weigh in at on the hook (remember it has feathers) compared to a great big bullock?

(Note the lack of electric fencing, tame grass, and wheel marks in photo).
My natural landscape here was probably something like this... tussock, patches of flax and scrub.

It's shocking to calculate the real cost of "putting it back the way it was", it would come to literally thousands per acre
 

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Woohoo! Course complete. I'm a trained Holistic practitioner.

View attachment 842442

Also graduating were Amy, @ShooTa 's daughter and Bruce Kirk of https://www.greencurvesdesign.com/ , a Keyline landscape designer. His short introduction to the application of the keyline scale of permanence to farm landscape layout was fascinating.

Well done, I've signed up to the 3 day fundamentals end of this month, plan to finish off by doing the additional 6 days in Feb, so looking forward to it.
 

Kiwi Pete

Member
Livestock Farmer
+1 for the silvopasture. We start planting seriously next year. I'll keep you guys updated of course.(y)



Love the idea of keyline design, which would certainly help up on our dry hill.
But it wouldn't it involve removing hedges and trees and fences? No small undertaking. Useful though if you have a blank sheet as a starting point.
With keyline, it's feasible that rips could start and finish at hedges/walls as long as they keep following the key line - chances are that these will be situated in suitable places as the old farmers weren't as blind to what they had in front of them?
Many fencelines are on ridges so that's not going to be a problem for you?

What are you planning to plant?
 

Rob Garrett

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Derbyshire UK
I keep about 300 bales of hay (as well as a lot of straw) out like this. On the edge of a cereal stubble field. Always use them first, I have about 350 in a shed, as well as my wrapped silage. I’m feeding suckler cows. There is not really any wastage. I’ve got 40 bales still out from 2018. Black on the outside, but green and dry in the middle. I’m lucky as I have space and some good hedges and rows of trees to use as protection. These ones in the photos are the most exposed. I’m in a (usually) dryish area. I farm a tenanted farm so building sheds are not my choice, but this works for me. In calf heifers are currently on a bale of this stuff and a watering can of molasses on top.
Are you feeding those bales to housed cattle or cattle outwintered on your arable stubble? I like the molasses idea.
 

Rob Garrett

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Derbyshire UK
It looks to me as though you startedfeeding at the bottom of the hill, where the water runs down to and possibly puddles. Wouldn’t it be better if you started feeding at the top.? The animals wouldn’t stand in the mud that way. Do you get footrot issues with your management?
Top of the down would be better. No foot problems with cattle, only sheep! Tried setting out in a dry time silage wrapped in evil plastic onto sacrificial sheep overwintering ground. Didn't work with my sheep!
 

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Henarar

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Somerset
Yep, that's them. Hippies are everywhere if you look.
:playful:

Going on from what @holwellcourtfarm was just saying about understanding where our "default landscape settings" are/were, I thought of where cattle/sheep fit in to this:View attachment 842512
What do you reckon the Giant moa would weigh in at on the hook (remember it has feathers) compared to a great big bullock?

(Note the lack of electric fencing, tame grass, and wheel marks in photo).
My natural landscape here was probably something like this... tussock, patches of flax and scrub.

It's shocking to calculate the real cost of "putting it back the way it was", it would come to literally thousands per acre
Goodness Pete, are you a leg or breast man ?

wouldn't be as heavy as you think hollow bones but its on two legs but bigger feet to spread the weight
 

Poorbuthappy

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Devon
Woohoo! Course complete. I'm a trained Holistic practitioner.

View attachment 842442

Also graduating were Amy, @ShooTa 's daughter and Bruce Kirk of https://www.greencurvesdesign.com/ , a Keyline landscape designer. His short introduction to the application of the keyline scale of permanence to farm landscape layout was fascinating.
Amy wants to get Bruce here to plan some ponds I've been talking about for the last year or so.
(I didn't know @ShooTa had a daughter called Amy on the course too? )
 

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