Some new feet
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My heifers arriving tomorrow or Saturday. Are yours in-calf? They'll need a couple of pals, surely?Some new feet
So do I. Not enough people are saying it.I'll be expecting payment from @Tim W
In, truth it was the only clean one I could lay my hands on
Yes, wasn't too disappointed with the overall slant of their piece. Wasn't a general meat bashing thing, and seemed to highlight it's consumer "pound in your pocket" that drives this.
Was a bit concerned what I was getting involved in!
On the plus side, Tom Clarke, the science editor who did the piece, said he was keen to come back and do a more general piece on regenerative farming
When I said to him "I genuinely believe the anti meat drive will be detrimental to the battle against climate change" he said "ooh, I wish you'd say that on camera!"
Ah that's good. Exciting. From what I can see on twitter everyones got a new "herd" of Herefords this last week or two! Yeh they are in calf. Are yours?My heifers arriving tomorrow or Saturday. Are yours in-calf? They'll need a couple of pals, surely?
Yes, due March which is a bit early really but I'll let them slip back to possibly April, maybe May for the following year. Pics to follow!Ah that's good. Exciting. From what I can see on twitter everyones got a new "herd" of Herefords this last week or two! Yeh they are in calf. Are yours?
Yeh Earlyish April for these so maybe let it slip next year. Absolutely get them sent on!Yes, due March which is a bit early really but I'll let them slip back to possibly April, maybe May for the following year. Pics to follow!
Trouble is Pete, another 3 weeks and that grass is surely going to bolt to head.Happy critters6 shifts today, about ⅓ha all up
Hard to know what to do, really. Could race them around faster or slow them down even more. So I'm just working off density rather than anything else
Spot on - it's great having a decent group to bounce ideas off - that's why I'm trying the "density focus" this spring, the final frontier of grazing management if you like.Trouble is Pete, another 3 weeks and that grass is surely going to bolt to head.
Keep the pictures coming because it's these 3-4 weeks leading up to mid-summers day that we all struggle to control. We're watching closely
I would hang that second photo on the wall, they look great in the autumn coloursSome new feet
You'll find this interesting thenTrouble is Pete, another 3 weeks and that grass is surely going to bolt to head.
Keep the pictures coming because it's these 3-4 weeks leading up to mid-summers day that we all struggle to control. We're watching closely
So, for the maths;Spot on - it's great having a decent group to bounce ideas off - that's why I'm trying the "density focus" this spring, the final frontier of grazing management if you like.
We tried the residual focus for long enough, and that doesn't do much. Last year we got the grazing charts going and put the focus on recovery times - better than grass measuring, but I am hoping that maintaining density and then bouncing the plant recovery time off that will be better still.
Obviously we don't have quality concerns as these cattle are well adapted, if quality is an issue then we have plenty of tools "in the box"... including getting bigger older cattle to mop it up. But I really want the seed this year, it appears at this stage that we will have the moisture so there will be feed.
Not entirely sure of the weight of the mob, but they're getting about 450m² at a time, so multiply what you reckon they average by 48 head, times 22 shifts per ha and that's the stock density we're running.
Yes, that would be about exactly what my guesstimate saysSo, for the maths;
450m² for 48 beasts is say 9.3m²/beast.
Weight of beast say 350kg
Therefore 37.6kg/m²
= 376,000kg/ha
or 152,000kg/acre
What sort of recovery/rest time before next graze are you thinking? Would you be putting lambs on it to finish them?Spot on - it's great having a decent group to bounce ideas off - that's why I'm trying the "density focus" this spring, the final frontier of grazing management if you like.
We tried the residual focus for long enough, and that doesn't do much. Last year we got the grazing charts going and put the focus on recovery times - better than grass measuring, but I am hoping that maintaining density and then bouncing the plant recovery time off that will be better still.
Obviously we don't have quality concerns as these cattle are well adapted, if quality is an issue then we have plenty of tools "in the box"... including getting bigger older cattle to mop it up. But I really want the seed this year, it appears at this stage that we will have the moisture so there will be feed.
Not entirely sure of the weight of the mob, but they're getting about 450m² at a time, so multiply what you reckon they average by 48 head, times 22 shifts per ha and that's the stock density we're running.
Maybe, not too sure as the sheep mob are kinda on better "sheep tucker" where they are.What sort of recovery/rest time before next graze are you thinking? Would you be putting lambs on it to finish them?
Surely that's one of the advantages of this system? You can always control and reset any topgrowth with high density impact. Or maybe just go round faster to catch the green before it goes. Alternatively, save some of the quality by taking a cut, but obviously that involves machinery and expense. It's what most of us end up doing in the UK though.Trouble is Pete, another 3 weeks and that grass is surely going to bolt to head.
Keep the pictures coming because it's these 3-4 weeks leading up to mid-summers day that we all struggle to control. We're watching closely
You're right. But it's the machinery and expense that we all want to ( got to) avoid.Surely that's one of the advantages of this system? You can always control and reset any topgrowth with high density impact. Or maybe just go round faster to catch the green before it goes. Alternatively, save some of the quality by taking a cut, but obviously that involves machinery and expense. It's what most of us end up doing in the UK though.
I want to see what I can store on the landscape, it needs that big boost of energy/hydration I reckon. It's had a bit of a hammering latelySurely that's one of the advantages of this system? You can always control and reset any topgrowth with high density impact. Or maybe just go round faster to catch the green before it goes. Alternatively, save some of the quality by taking a cut, but obviously that involves machinery and expense. It's what most of us end up doing in the UK though.
I think that maybe it doesn't want to be "kept on top of", what's the worst that can happen? We get too much grass and too many insects?You're right. But it's the machinery and expense that we all want to ( got to) avoid.
How do we keep that grass in the growth phase? - pushing up green shoots and deep roots rather than stalks, seed heads and just creating litter beds.
As a dairy farmer, we've always been taught you must graze that leaf right down to allow green leaf to come back. I'm now thinking of what KP just said; all that's doing is causing stress, and what happens when your grass is stressed? Seed heads!