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

Bury the Trash

Member
Mixed Farmer
So we have décided to try to outwinter our cattle. Thé area where we have thé ring feeders is getting a thrashing.
We have been Moving thé feeders around to try and spread thé fertility.
I dont liké seeing cows lying down in thé mud so they have accèss to 1 ha of grasse as well (in thé background of thé photo)
View attachment 855803
We will do a reeseed in spring.
What would you guys do?

We thought keep it simple roll - Sow(hand seeder) -,Roll.
Something that grows lots if biomass.
(IRG persian Clover, crimson Clover -phacelia)

Or perhaps but in some seedy Hay and Bâle graze it. (We only have haylage left).

Thoughts?
only when its completly dry and you can travel on it and workit without 'smearing around' put the spring tines (with a leveller tine bar on the back )through it tofurther air and create some lose soil to move around and hide the seed /give seed to soil contact...that will then be broadcast on. if lumpy and too open it might need a roll or press before broadcast. again only if dry enough.
einbok or similar then as long as its dry , a lightweight arable type roll or press to finish. or just roll to finish as long as its dry ..(no harrows)twice at different angles with an arable type roller or press.

dont work it moisty though , most important (y)
 
Last edited:

hendrebc

Member
Livestock Farmer
I'd reseed it too with some sort of high biomass mix. Up to you what you use but stick some daikon or tillage radish in it to help with any deeper compaction that might have happened.
Not sure what the difference between daikon and tillage radish is. It might even be the same stuff by a different name. Seem pictures of roots the size and length of your leg though!
 

CornishTone

Member
BASIS
Location
Cornwall
Not sure what the difference between daikon and tillage radish is. It might even be the same stuff by a different name. Seem pictures of roots the size and length of your leg though!
I think, strictly speaking, they're the same thing. Daikon is the flash, culinary term for it when it's grown for the table. Tillage radish is the term used for the seed shed floor sweepings used for cover crops. And when your seed peddler wants to differentiate his tillage radish from the other blokes tillage radish, he slaps the name "Daikon" on the bag. ;) Am I being cynical?!
 

bitwrx

Member
I think, strictly speaking, they're the same thing. Daikon is the flash, culinary term for it when it's grown for the table. Tillage radish is the term used for the seed shed floor sweepings used for cover crops. And when your seed peddler wants to differentiate his tillage radish from the other blokes tillage radish, he slaps the name "Daikon" on the bag. ;) Am I being cynical?!
I thought mooli was the flash culinary term? Either way, great as a component of kimchi.
 

Bury the Trash

Member
Mixed Farmer
I'd reseed it too with some sort of high biomass mix. Up to you what you use but stick some daikon or tillage radish in it to help with any deeper compaction that might have happened.
Not sure what the difference between daikon and tillage radish is. It might even be the same stuff by a different name. Seem pictures of roots the size and length of your leg though!
ir cocksfoot.. and tall fescue with a bit of wc and chicory mixed in for good measure.
 

Rob Garrett

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Derbyshire UK
So we have décided to try to outwinter our cattle. Thé area where we have thé ring feeders is getting a thrashing.
We have been Moving thé feeders around to try and spread thé fertility.
I dont liké seeing cows lying down in thé mud so they have accèss to 1 ha of grasse as well (in thé background of thé photo)
View attachment 855803
We will do a reeseed in spring.
What would you guys do?

We thought keep it simple roll - Sow(hand seeder) -,Roll.
Something that grows lots if biomass.
(IRG persian Clover, crimson Clover -phacelia)

Or perhaps but in some seedy Hay and Bâle graze it. (We only have haylage left).

Thoughts?
Looks like a reasonable bit of dirt, good colour. Wait till it dries out, buzz over with the power harrow, cambridge (rib or crosskill) roll if cloddy, broadcast your seed mix (include plenty of pan busters i.e. raddish, chicory etc.) and roll again job done.

Trouble is I would be tempted to "add some soil fertility" the old fashion way, then "add your biology" with your new reseed i.e. (this will be popular, not!) blather it with box muck and plough if it freezes or when dry, combi drill spring oat/pea mix, either cut for silage or combine for grain. Light cultivation (disc or harrow or just broadcast) stubble turnip or kale for autumn grazing. Blather with box muck again and plough in spring to turn up your old decomposed turf, establish new herbal/grass permanent seed mix under spring barley/pea nurse crop. Then go with your regenerative grazing to build soil biology. Using the plough as a reset in this situation can't be a bad thing!
 

Fenwick

Member
Location
Bretagne France
Lots of interesting and differing ideas!
I know it looks bad, but the ground is holding well. Thé mud doesnt cover my shoes when it's dry or my boots when it's wet.

How about doing nothing ?

Have done that before. Thé result was dissapointing. I think there is a compromise to bé made. Preferably involving as little tractor work as possible.
 

onesiedale

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Derbyshire
So we have décided to try to outwinter our cattle. Thé area where we have thé ring feeders is getting a thrashing.
We have been Moving thé feeders around to try and spread thé fertility.
I dont liké seeing cows lying down in thé mud so they have accèss to 1 ha of grasse as well (in thé background of thé photo)
View attachment 855803
We will do a reeseed in spring.
What would you guys do?

We thought keep it simple roll - Sow(hand seeder) -,Roll.
Something that grows lots if biomass.
(IRG persian Clover, crimson Clover -phacelia)

Or perhaps but in some seedy Hay and Bâle graze it. (We only have haylage left).

Thoughts?
Looks to me like you have been taking the feed out to the stock with the tractor. It's that, that has caused the mess. Next time put the bales out onto the sacrifice patch in the late summer and just move the stock daily (or as needed) to the feed.

Now you've got the wheel ruts and mess, maybe just a light harrowing when drying out, broadcast a cover crop over it then graze it out with high stocking rate in the summer followed by a reseed
 

Farmer Roy

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
NSW, Newstralya
80CB38F6-5731-4FC7-8DDA-1A968A3F4B73.jpeg
 

Kiwi Pete

Member
Livestock Farmer
I was quite surprised, thought it was working reasonably hard at times pulling uphill, but it was very deep :( don't really like going deep as that but had to hide the big legume seeds from the birds and that meant putting the coulters in

Thought you would laugh at this, 133mm row spacings :oops: so 22 runs = 10 feet

Handled the residue, though, piece of cake.
 

Poorbuthappy

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Devon
oh no roys got the corona virus.


@Poorbuthappy does the amount of soil exposed worry you - or are you hoping its exposure will bring more grass OR is it planned for a crop or other use in spring?
It's not my field. It's an arable field that's been left fallow and is going into a spring crop. I happened to be taking a red clover ley next to it used as a break crop and silaged by dairy farmer, so the owner asked if I wanted to graze it off. It kept 130 ish lambs for 2 weeks or so - I'm happy.

Was interesting how the half I grazed first had sprung again in just a week - 10 days. I'll take a pic if I remember when I pick up the fence later.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 80 42.3%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 66 34.9%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 15.9%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 7 3.7%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

  • 1,294
  • 1
As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
Top