- Location
- West Yorkshire
wick ?
they always make a better photo after a few days
wick.
up and about. Fast. Doesn’t hang about.
probably a northern term.
wick ?
they always make a better photo after a few days
Just a compromise; I'm unable to really push it while we have sheep+lambs (and young calves) in the mob as I don't want them going backwards. I think they would stall on OAD shifting@Kiwi Pete just wondering how the non-selective grazing is going? I've been watching a Jim Elizondo video tonight. He reckons it's hard to do properly without four moves per day. That's going to be a struggle for me. Be interesting to hear how you manage it.
@Kiwi Pete just wondering how the non-selective grazing is going? I've been watching a Jim Elizondo video tonight. He reckons it's hard to do properly without four moves per day. That's going to be a struggle for me. Be interesting to hear how you manage it.
Ah, straight from the horse's mouth! It's going to be real trial and error here early on. But you can only do what you can do. I'll try OAD shifts and dabble with more moves when I have time.Had this conversation with Jim on FB. He's says 4 moves a day is optimal, but 1 move a day acceptable. I have tried total grazing with 3 moves a day, i think it was sub optimal.
I physically can't bé thérè to move thèm four times a day. So if i insist on doing so some kind of automation will bé needed.
It's good fun just playing around with it as @Fenwick has noted, you do need to watch your stock a lot more closely than when they're spoilt.Ah, straight from the horse's mouth! It's going to be real trial and error here early on. But you can only do what you can do. I'll try OAD shifts and dabble with more moves when I have time.
Yes, a big thing that I've picked up from my recent reading/viewing is assessing rumen fill and dung consistency. If they look full and the dung is alright, then they're alright! A really useful technique.It's good fun just playing around with it as @Fenwick has noted, you do need to watch your stock a lot more closely than when they're spoilt.
I notice they begin to change (behaviour, grazing habits) once the feed has gone and they begin picking at the litter, it's time to go.
However it does not create bare soil if done right, thus it probably suits us quite well because we've all been looking closely at these sorts of things for a while?
(Looking at animal behaviour, gutfill, at what's on the surface of the soil between the plants etc.. and not just measuring the height of the plants)View attachment 934135View attachment 934136
It's hard to keep cocksfoot down - this is only a couple of days behind the mob but it's already beginning to bounceView attachment 934137
Do I recall a Spanish firm doing automated pogo style sticks? What are the option's for automation, pogo sticks and Gallagher batt latch?Had this conversation with Jim on FB. He's says 4 moves a day is optimal, but 1 move a day acceptable. I have tried total grazing with 3 moves a day, i think it was sub optimal.
I physically can't bé thérè to move thèm four times a day. So if i insist on doing so some kind of automation will bé needed.
It's good fun just playing around with it as @Fenwick has noted, you do need to watch your stock a lot more closely than when they're spoilt.
I notice they begin to change (behaviour, grazing habits) once the feed has gone and they begin picking at the litter, it's time to go.
However it does not create bare soil if done right, thus it probably suits us quite well because we've all been looking closely at these sorts of things for a while?
(Looking at animal behaviour, gutfill, at what's on the surface of the soil between the plants etc.. and not just measuring the height of the plants)View attachment 934135View attachment 934136
It's hard to keep cocksfoot down - this is only a couple of days behind the mob but it's already beginning to bounceView attachment 934137
strip graze with a back fence, easy to adjust over the season, and entirely flexible, just have to sort the water out, have see wheeled water troughs, so pipe on top of ground.Doing a bit of planning for next seasons grazing and have this one blooody awkward field in the block.
Working on a provisional 25 day round on a new herbal ley with daily shifts of 0.4ha. View attachment 934274
I am thinking 3 paddocks on the left and 5 on the right with a semi permanent fence up the line where the line is. They would come in stage left just below the house working north then switch across the top to the right hand side and work south which they exit stage right.
The other paddocks are easy rectangles.
Does anyone else have a better idea?
Water will be run up the middle fence as far as needed. With the main line running along the other side of the hedge at the south side of the field. Trying to get more semi permanent fences in to ease the work load in the grazing season.strip graze with a back fence, easy to adjust over the season, and entirely flexible, just have to sort the water out, have see wheeled water troughs, so pipe on top of ground.
Yes, and noHi Pete. With this revised grazing technique; do you not feel worms will become an issue more for the sheep. Previously grazing just the tops you were avoiding the danger zone?
Make it into easy rectangles as well?Doing a bit of planning for next seasons grazing and have this one blooody awkward field in the block.
Working on a provisional 25 day round on a new herbal ley with daily shifts of 0.4ha. View attachment 934274
I am thinking 3 paddocks on the left and 5 on the right with a semi permanent fence up the line where the line is. They would come in stage left just below the house working north then switch across the top to the right hand side and work south which they exit stage right. It's only the odd shaped triangles by the driveway at the top that don't fit,
The other paddocks are easy rectangles.
Does anyone else have a better idea?
Yes, PensAgro makes wire-lifters on timers. Have two of them to unbox in the winterDo I recall a Spanish firm doing automated pogo style sticks? What are the option's for automation, pogo sticks and Gallagher batt latch?
I watched the Graeme Hand video last night, would trampling not have a similar effect on the less sought after grasses if the stocking density was high enough? Also, Greg Judy and the like talk of the trampled litter putting a layer of carbon on the ground, for the worms and soil microbes, as well as protecting the soil from extremes of temperatures. Does this layer not help build soil as well as helping with the sponge effect? Perhaps there's a time and place for both methods as @som farmer eluded to.Yes, and no
If we were just going around and around grazing at low levels, then I would expect some of the stock to fail (worm burdens etc) but that doesn't account for "time" nor the selective grazing element; sheep are still grazing some plants really low despite "leaving grass behind" and the time between grazings is perfect for reinfection of all sorts of pathogens and parasites.
To an extent (depending on how you look at our operation) what we are almost doing is what we always do - export problems - in this case we won't have any sheep to become reinfected in 4 months time so that's not an issue.
The next grazing will be months away so that in itself would reduce the transmission of things like footrot, parasites etc.
The real key in any case is sticking to the plan and not saying "but there's plenty of grass there now" and putting some lambs on it to fatten.
I think that's possibly the main issue with conventional grazing practices and certainly with the "take ⅓" grazing from a sheep farming perspective? It's like a propagation system for health problems in that respect, grazings 20-30 days apart are absolutely perfect for putting pressure on livestock.
What we do with those who fail under pressure is quite important, nobody wants to get rid of stock that a wormer will "fix" but that is an imperfect solution as well.
Yes, PensAgro makes wire-lifters on timers. Have two of them to unbox in the winter
Moving them more than once a day seems like an impossibility till you turn it into a habit and then suddenly it fits seamlessly into your day.Ah, straight from the horse's mouth! It's going to be real trial and error here early on. But you can only do what you can do. I'll try OAD shifts and dabble with more moves when I have time.
Mine took ages to arrive.Beat me to it! was going to buy a couple next month.