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

[Whitewalker]

Cows had to come home last night as needed to get last one to calve inside I thought about rolling it out but didn’t risk it on the hills behind the farm probably end up inside a house or something
Think I’m going to invest in a hydraulic bale unroller when I get a few spare £££

Had to give it a pull was a big calf (to much good living outside this last month) all ended well

Tonight Called cows to go back to the last 3or 4 days worth off cells

Straight into taking the docks down

Calves all growing extremely well so happy days

Look beautiful calves , a proper hill too . That looks steep behind the farm.

 

[Karliboy]

Look beautiful calves , a proper hill too . That looks steep behind the farm.

Thanks.

 

[Henarar]

had to walk the cows across this today so took a photo, its had nearly two weeks recovery

 

[Kiwi Pete]

had to walk the cows across this today so took a photo, its had nearly two weeks recovery

Sometimes, having "a wet farm" is bloody handy, not always. That looks good.

 

[Henarar]

this is the last field I put them in that should have been for mowing, they have been out just over a week

 

[Kiwi Pete]

this is the last field I put them in that should have been for mowing, they have been out just over a week

The tail of the season might wag, and you will probably still get to mow it and have just as many bales to pick up. Just later

 

[Henarar]

Sometimes, having "a wet farm" is bloody handy, not always. That looks good.

Had to walk the cattle from one end of this block to the other this morning through 4 fields to get there and was surprised how well it all looks.
Once silage is done they go round the 10 fields in this block and it works well but as we clear the fields I like to put them in each one straight away to eat the corners and bits we can't cut, this sort of messes things up for a bit and means moves all over the shop, now tis all done it will sort itself out again.
Even the fields we cut are greening up quite well though how long that will go on I don't know, I will skip these as they go round to give them a chance to cover up again

 

[Kiwi Pete]

I didn't realise this pic was so blurry but the calves are doing pretty well yet still leaving plenty of cover on the soil. This patch is fairly fertile anyway so I took it down a bit lower.

The back bit was 520 T/ha density and the front bit was 720T/ha, you can see the difference in how much they crush onto the ground that they then aren't interested in. They've grazed a whole lane now, and are heading back downhill from the top boundary

 

[Henarar]

The tail of the season might wag, and you will probably still get to mow it and have just as many bales to pick up. Just later

You never know, at the moment its shooting well and will be something for them to eat down later if stuff gets tight, I think a year off will do this field good and am not to bothered if its not cut

 

[Johnny Whiteheads]

Hi All,
I have problem with Molina (Purple Moor Grass) dominance on my hill. Hill was ungrazed for 60 odd years & this is my third year grazing it. I have started battle early this year & with more numbers, moving every day & am on third time around it so hill now looks bare. My question; Do I rest hill now or do i keep on my 14- 18 day rotation. Will diversity come if I rest or will Molina crowd everything out as it has reserves after its winter rest

 

[Guleesh]

Hi All,
I have problem with Molina (Purple Moor Grass) dominance on my hill. Hill was ungrazed for 60 odd years & this is my third year grazing it. I have started battle early this year & with more numbers, moving every day & am on third time around it so hill now looks bare. My question; Do I rest hill now or do i keep on my 14- 18 day rotation. Will diversity come if I rest or will Molina crowd everything out as it has reserves after its winter rest

Its not hard to get rid of it in my experience, Ive cleared a little bit of molinia here, the mistake i made was to not get some seed down of what I wanted to replace it with, so cleared the molinia only to make way for the diversity of horsetail and rushes that was obviously all that was in the seedbank.

I'd think if you've prevented it getting away and growing any real leaf it'll already be severely weakened, but, like any weed there's no point in clearing it if there isn't anything better ready to take its place.

We use hill ground that was rank and overgrown when we started on it and i know its not easy, to graze it hard enough to clear the dead rubbish, but at the same time to allow the more useful grasses to compete and recolonize- by allowing them to go to seed. All about good timings I believe,

@JohnGalway has posted about his molinia and said he found it really useful as it grew so early in the season, For extensive hill ground i think i'd agree I, suspect in some cases it may be as well to just better manage the Molinia to keep it palatable and work towards gradual change rather than concentrating on trying to remove it.

 

[onesiedale]

Hi All,
I have problem with Molina (Purple Moor Grass) dominance on my hill. Hill was ungrazed for 60 odd years & this is my third year grazing it. I have started battle early this year & with more numbers, moving every day & am on third time around it so hill now looks bare. My question; Do I rest hill now or do i keep on my 14- 18 day rotation. Will diversity come if I rest or will Molina crowd everything out as it has reserves after its winter rest

How much ground and how many stock?

 

[Johnny Whiteheads]

How much ground and how many stock?

Its 100 acres & I have 36 cows & 23 yearlings on it, I will have to take yearlings off soon as I am concerned I might stunt their development.

 

[Johnny Whiteheads]

Its not hard to get rid of it in my experience, Ive cleared a little bit of molinia here, the mistake i made was to not get some seed down of what I wanted to replace it with, so cleared the molinia only to make way for the diversity of horsetail and rushes that was obviously all that was in the seedbank.

I'd think if you've prevented it getting away and growing any real leaf it'll already be severely weakened, but, like any weed there's no point in clearing it if there isn't anything better ready to take its place.

We use hill ground that was rank and overgrown when we started on it and i know its not easy, to graze it hard enough to clear the dead rubbish, but at the same time to allow the more useful grasses to compete and recolonize- by allowing them to go to seed. All about good timings I believe,

@JohnGalway has posted about his molinia and said he found it really useful as it grew so early in the season, For extensive hill ground i think i'd agree I, suspect in some cases it may be as well to just better manage the Molinia to keep it palatable and work towards gradual change rather than concentrating on trying to remove it.

You are right, in my head this was the year I would solve its rank nature & get in diversity but in reality I may break up the overgrown stuff with the bigger number of stock but useful grasses are a long way off & I can't get machinery in as its peaty, steep, full of tussocks etc

 

[Johnny Whiteheads]

You are right, in my head this was the year I would solve its rank nature & get in diversity but in reality I may break up the overgrown stuff with the bigger number of stock but useful grasses are a long way off & I can't get machinery in as its peaty, steep, full of tussocks etc

& National Parks & Wildlife would have me arrested !

 

[Whitewalker]

I have never been more motivated to learn about farming a different way. Been listening to different podcasts etc. I always liked the thought more organic system but could never understand how I would build fertility into the whole equation. This is like a game changer for me.

 

[bitwrx]

I have never been more motivated to learn about farming a different way. Been listening to different podcasts etc. I always liked the thought more organic system but could never understand how I would build fertility into the whole equation. This is like a game changer for me.

S'great innit? So revitalising.

 

[onesiedale]

Its 100 acres & I have 36 cows & 23 yearlings on it, I will have to take yearlings off soon as I am concerned I might stunt their development.

I would say on that ground that your recovery should be lengthening out now, especially as we're heading into what could be an extended dry spell.

 

[Sharpy]

Its 100 acres & I have 36 cows & 23 yearlings on it, I will have to take yearlings off soon as I am concerned I might stunt their development.

Any way of giving the youngstock a protein lick or similar, feed the bugs to digest the poor quality roughage?

 

[Johnny Whiteheads]

I would say on that ground that your recovery should be lengthening out now, especially as we're heading into what could be an extended dry spell.

I am inclined to lengthen yep as it looks bare, no worries about drought tho with peat layer and the three hundred acres of hill my neighbour has offered that he sees as worthless for grazing