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

[Kiwi Pete]

"That might come in handy" ?

"Why are all these sheds full of crap?" ????

A thing that constantly amuses/amazes me about farmer's yards, they have all the crap parked away in sheds.... and the expensive stuff outside.... maybe it's just "a local thing" ??

 

[som farmer]

A thing that constantly amuses/amazes me about farmer's yards, they have all the crap parked away in sheds.... and the expensive stuff outside.... maybe it's just "a local thing" ??

that's an easy answer, build another shed...………..then fill it with the 'might be useful things', and leave the machinery out side.

 

[jonnyjon]

Way off topic but:

In the last year I've felt healthier and fitter than ever before. I have congenital high cholesterol and a history of heart attacks in male family members. I've been offered Statins to reduce my risk since I was 30 but declined as I don't like needless medication. Perhaps I should have taken them. I certainly am now.

I now have to slowly build up my activity levels again to give my heart recovery time. I can still do most things for a short while but quickly get short of breath.

I do think a holistic view of life will help me adjust. We were aiming for a lifestyle similar tho Pete's anyway where moving a fence or 2 is most days work and the cows do our labouring. That's even more appropriate now.

I have no intentions of repeating the experience even though it was an anti-climax of a heart attack, all very calm and nowhere near as painful as I'd expected one to be.

Oh, and for any others of you in the risk group for it, I know a number of other men who've had heart attacks despite being slim, fit and active. It's not just fat people it happens to.

[QUOTE="holwellcourtfarm, post: 6914223, member: 42914
@holwellcourtfarm, just a suggestion, have a look on YouTube, " cardiovascular Health- cholesterol - the great American Health scam " by Dr John witcomb, part 1&11, very interesting talk. Sorry I don't know how to post an link

 

[Karliboy]

They need good flow, not much pressure.
Andrew aims to have 4-6 micros for his cow/calf mob of 480 cows if possible, thus the calves can get plenty of water when the day heats up without being crowded out by cows/popping under the wire to get water elsewhere.
Being under the wire, it's only ever one or two cows drinking at a time (not the whole herd treating it like their Friday-night bar)

My lot are a right bunch off pillocks.
Don’t drink all day to balance the low water volume out through the day then once it gets to 6pm there all off to the bar and drink it bloody dry.
It’s been a right old struggle this last 2 weeks with them doing that 17 cattle plus calves think nothing of guzzling 350ltr dry which then I have to re siphon which is a little bit of a ball ache.
Next lot will be easier as I’ve got the ibc to run from.

1 tip I learnt with siphoning if it is likely to run dry at all I’d leave a few loops in the pipe up and down hill then if it does run dry once your supply has topped up straighten pipe out down hill and it will pull through itself. Once running put loops back into pipe.

 

[Whitewalker]

We put cattle in a silo and fitted an iBc
With gravity to a little trough. Amazing what they can go through when carrying water. I bought a little water pump off Amazon for something else , pumps 12l/ min off a car battery for around £15 I think . Self priming . Would be handy wee job for switching water volumes

 

[Henarar]

I hope all those with bottom fill tanks are not on mains water

 

[Guleesh]

I hope all those with bottom fill tanks are not on mains water

All connections to mains are supposed to have double check valve I think?

 

[Rob Garrett]

Like this
View attachment 878940

This adapter allows me to put a half inch heavy duty water pipe on it. Have the adapter in the van, I think Philmac make them, will get a better photo tomorrow if it's any help.

View attachment 878942

Top bloke @JohnGalway what size is the female fitting into the tank? Can only seem to get Plasson fittings around here, so would have to buy Philmac off internet.

 

[Rob Garrett]

Have you got a cap that would thread onto your "wrong" IBC
I just drilled a hole in the middle of a cap and put a normal tank fitting thru the 'ole and a hose fitting threads onto that. For the little mob my boss keeps.

Worth checking tap valve type on tank first, won't work with butterfly type valves (like below) also 32mm (1") is to big to get a good cap seal, requiring lashings of insulation/PTFE tape!

 

[Karliboy]

Worth checking tap valve type on tank first, won't work with butterfly type valves (like below) also 32mm (1") is to big to get a good cap seal, requiring lashings of insulation/PTFE tape!
View attachment 879048View attachment 879049

I had a similar problem with my ibc. The shut off valve on tank Is a piston type arrangement that you could not close once the adaptors to 20mm were on so resorted to drilling the cap and using some orings and compression fittings to keep from hitting valve.
I shall modify them to fit myself though when I get a hour spare. (Bloody Chinese crap)

 

[Rob Garrett]

I had a similar problem with my ibc. The shut off valve on tank Is a piston type arrangement that you could not close once the adaptors to 20mm were on so resorted to drilling the cap and using some orings and compression fittings to keep from hitting valve.
I shall modify them to fit myself though when I get a hour spare. (Bloody Chinese crap)

Was it one of those caps + 20mm fittings £10.99 off amazon?

Water Butt,Water Storage Tank IBC Tank Adapter S60X6 Direct to 20mm mdpe Coupler Connector,by Cost Wise®,The Irrigation Specialists: Amazon.co.uk: Garden & Outdoors

Great prices on your favourite Gardening brands, and free delivery on eligible orders.

www.amazon.co.uk

 

[Henarar]

All connections to mains are supposed to have double check valve I think?

all have to have an inch air gap once the trough is overflowing

 

[JohnGalway]

Tell ye this much, it's much easier move sheep around on paper than in person, 149 ewes & lambs (including some real special young cheviots ?) moved from one parcel to another a few miles apart, aberage 15 at a time. Got another two or three runs to do in the morning then we ready to waste some grass ?

Is that not a bsp thread? 1½"??

I have no idea ?‍

A thing that constantly amuses/amazes me about farmer's yards, they have all the crap parked away in sheds.... and the expensive stuff outside.... maybe it's just "a local thing" ??

Reminds me of a story. Lad I know tells me about the great lambs his father brought to the local mart. Totally the wrong place as they were well fit to kill. I ask why? Because if he brought them to the factory the neighbours wouldn't know he had them!

That's why expensive stuff is left outside.

My lot are a right bunch off pillocks.
Don’t drink all day to balance the low water volume out through the day then once it gets to 6pm there all off to the bar and drink it bloody dry.
It’s been a right old struggle this last 2 weeks with them doing that 17 cattle plus calves think nothing of guzzling 350ltr dry which then I have to re siphon which is a little bit of a ball ache.
Next lot will be easier as I’ve got the ibc to run from.

1 tip I learnt with siphoning if it is likely to run dry at all I’d leave a few loops in the pipe up and down hill then if it does run dry once your supply has topped up straighten pipe out down hill and it will pull through itself. Once running put loops back into pipe.

Nice tip on the siphoning ?A lot of videos I've watched have indeed warned about water delivery and cattle, they come drink at the same time ??????

Top bloke @JohnGalway what size is the female fitting into the tank? Can only seem to get Plasson fittings around here, so would have to buy Philmac off internet.

These any use?

 

[onesiedale]

all have to have an inch air gap once the trough is overflowing

Just to put your mind at rest @Henarar . We put our own borehole in 5 years ago. Best investment return I've ever had. ?

 

[Karliboy]

Was it one of those caps + 20mm fittings £10.99 off amazon?

Water Butt,Water Storage Tank IBC Tank Adapter S60X6 Direct to 20mm mdpe Coupler Connector,by Cost Wise®,The Irrigation Specialists: Amazon.co.uk: Garden & Outdoors

Great prices on your favourite Gardening brands, and free delivery on eligible orders.

www.amazon.co.uk

Looks the same but got mine through eBay ?

 

[Blaithin]

Are these what I think they are

 

[CornishTone]

Are these what I think they are
View attachment 879179

Depends what you think they are?

 

[ShooTa]

btw little joy from yesterday (other than some rain) I saw my first dung beetles!!!
usually see the affected dung..and lots of holes and lavae...

 

[awkward]

Are these what I think they are
View attachment 879179

On my place these bugs do a great job of eating the dock as larva. But no idea what their clled

 

[Karliboy]

btw little joy from yesterday (other than some rain) I saw my first dung beetles!!!
usually see the affected dung..and lots of holes and lavae...

Funny enough I actually turned some dung over last night to see if I could see any better much to my joy I found the odd one or two. Currently the cattle dung is very sloppy as probably taking to much from the bottom of the plant.

I can’t decide if these are beetle larvae or fly larvae/maggots though ??