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

[bendigeidfran]

View attachment 910121Garden ornaments FML

I always said I wouldn't be one "of those people" View attachment 910122
Lawn / garden has had about 55 days recovery I think. Or 65. I don't have it on the chart, but I did have some good sheltered areas setaside for the spring equinox.
"Last 2 weekends of September" my old man claimed to hardly ever fail to deliver crud weather, not proven him wrong yet. This storm (see above video) looks like a real lamb-killer TBH

If you get stormy weather in late september why don't you lamb in october?

Hope the hoggets take to silage/hay, every time ive got some ewes in at lambing because of a storm, they go down with twin lamb.
I just bring in any couples that are starving.
It can be hard work for a couple of days but it's better than dead ewes.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

If you get stormy weather in late september why don't you lamb in october?

Hope the hoggets take to silage/hay, every time ive got some ewes in at lambing because of a storm, they go down with twin lamb.
I just bring in any couples that are starving.
It can be hard work for a couple of days but it's better than dead ewes.

We do - they always catch up early lambs if the feed is there. We're due to start lambing next week, but most people are well thru lambing now.

 

[Blaithin]

@Kiwi Pete for sh1!s and giggles, what’s that heifers milk mirror look like?

 

[Kiwi Pete]

^^ only about 7 pairs of twins and a dozen singles when we put them inside. Was hoping to get them out today before it shat itself properly but the paddocks are nearly white, so it won't be happening. Wind is too strong to risk it and it's only getting colder

 

[hendrebc]

^^ only about 7 pairs of twins and a dozen singles when we put them inside. Was hoping to get them out today before it shat itself properly but the paddocks are nearly white, so it won't be happening. Wind is too strong to risk it and it's only getting colderView attachment 910255

They're in the best place they could be

 

[Kiwi Pete]

@Kiwi Pete for sh1!s and giggles, what’s that heifers milk mirror look like?

I'll try to get a closeup after work for you - she's sorta got the beef body but the dairy-heifer udder, not a hairy hereford udder

 

[Blaithin]

I'll try to get a closeup after work for you - she's sorta got the beef body but the dairy-heifer udder, not a hairy hereford udder

What is she, half herf half Holstein?

 

[farmer JD]

Hereford calves I can somewhat stomach. The adults are shat.

Look at that udder! She’s not going to be able to keep up with that calf in a month. Going to produce like a sh!t Hereford and put all her food on her ass until it pushes an eyeball out

Tidy animal she should be in a milking herd of cows

 

[Blaithin]

Tidy animal she should be in a milking herd of cows

No way. She should be on a plate.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

What is she, half herf half Holstein?

Half "fairly friesianish kiwicross" half hereford.

The neighbour was going to put her on the bobby-calf truck but she was a little tart and wouldn't suck, so Sarah took her home and I tubed her a few times til she worked out what a full belly was for (Ninja, not Sarah ) and then she took off.
She's very compact, you can see the browse line to indicate how high a sheep can reach

No way. She should be on a plate.

Next year....

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Needs must. Good to have the facility when you need it. Do you have much tree cover on the place Pete? Buying 250 in November for deliver in Feb, going to plant them in some pretty extreme places. The eventual little microclimates should be awesome for whatever critters I have on the place by then.

Not yet - most of our trees are still rooting as cuttings or seedlings yet. I planted a row of pine along the boundary last year which will soon give a little shelter from the south, and we'll get these others out when they are bigger.
Quite like the poplars and willows as they are free, fast to grow, and good for fodder. Got to get them "working"
We've also got 120 ish Kowhai growing (birds and bees) and 40-something tree lucerne, 40-something Kakabeak (all locally sourced legumes) but they won't be doing much for a couple of years. Then we can get our fruit and nut trees organised

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Calf lived Meet Quin the equinox eskimo

 

[clod hopper]

Thinking of you fellas down there tonight, hope the disasters are few. Bet it is banging and rattling! Two more days and it will be gone. Stay warm damn good reason for a whiskey !

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Thinking of you fellas down there tonight, hope the disasters are few. Bet it is banging and rattling! Two more days and it will be gone. Stay warm damn good reason for a whiskey !

Thank you. Looked like a bit of carnage today when we were out and about... but we'll get through.
We always get through!
Snow has mainly washed off the hills around here as we've had some wicked showers come through, really chilling.

We're about as sorted as can be. Everyone has a full belly and only the drystock are out in it.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Nart new, @Henarar, except "what we call things now"

 

[Henarar]

Nart new, @Henarar, except "what we call things now" View attachment 910328

Quite, seen that on FB meant to post it and forgot

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Quite, seen that on FB meant to post it and forgot

You guys will think I'm a stalker at this rate.
Sounds more like the terminology the old man would use, than Allan Savory, but they're both right

 

[Henarar]

You guys will think I'm a stalker at this rate.
Sounds more like the terminology the old man would use, than Allan Savory, but they're both right

I think at least some but most likely most of the old boys knew this stuff because they bloody well had to, get it wrong and they would starve
Then we seemed to get sold progress in a packet and it worked but didn't really if you see what I mean

 

[Kiwi Pete]

I think at least some but most likely most of the old boys knew this stuff because they bloody well had to, get it wrong and they would starve
Then we seemed to get sold progress in a packet and it worked but didn't really if you see what I mean

There are no cheats .
You can fool yourself all you like that there are, but you can certainly pay for your sins if nature gets her way.

Right now is a good example, we could have a really tight lambing pattern that cost good money (minerals, more/better rams, etc) and think we are the smartest buggers around; but if nature says "here's some weather" then you don't sell more lambs for all you spent, but fewer

There are a lot of fine-weather farmers out there

 

[Henarar]

There are no cheats .
You can fool yourself all you like that there are, but you can certainly pay for your sins if nature gets her way.

Right now is a good example, we could have a really tight lambing pattern that cost good money (minerals, more/better rams, etc) and think we are the smartest buggers around; but if nature says "here's some weather" then you don't sell more lambs for all you spent, but fewer

There are a lot of fine-weather farmers out there

The good news for you in this case is if you haven't spent it you don't have to make it back