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

Kiwi Pete

Member
Livestock Farmer
20211122_125139.jpg
it was quite amusing to be reading this thread today about sheep predators and then watching this little dude doing his instinctive hunter thing, while the sheep did their "herd mentality thing" in response
He is quite the hunter despite being bright white, I have had a white cat in various evolutions for most of my life and they always make up for their disadvantages. He didn't catch a lamb but I think between the cats they've brought back 21 rabbits in the past 8 days

scaled up, it would wreck a lambing as these cats are only hunting for hunting, not for food or to rear young
 

Henarar

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Somerset
View attachment 999039it was quite amusing to be reading this thread today about sheep predators and then watching this little dude doing his instinctive hunter thing, while the sheep did their "herd mentality thing" in response
He is quite the hunter despite being bright white, I have had a white cat in various evolutions for most of my life and they always make up for their disadvantages. He didn't catch a lamb but I think between the cats they've brought back 21 rabbits in the past 8 days

scaled up, it would wreck a lambing as these cats are only hunting for hunting, not for food or to rear young
I spose if there were big cats or wolves around there would be two choices either lock the sheep away or shoot the predators, this re-wilding malarkey is all very well but the line has to be drawn somewhere, things have moved on in the last few thousand years, if we go on the premise that just because we can bring something back that was once here we should then we just have to hope they don't find Dino DNA, though I think they have found it for wooly mammoths.
 

Treg

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Cornwall
I spose if there were big cats or wolves around there would be two choices either lock the sheep away or shoot the predators, this re-wilding malarkey is all very well but the line has to be drawn somewhere, things have moved on in the last few thousand years, if we go on the premise that just because we can bring something back that was once here we should then we just have to hope they don't find Dino DNA, though I think they have found it for wooly mammoths.
A few round here put Llamas with the sheep for protection, not sure how well it works but I think that's what their used for in South America as well.
 

Humble Village Farmer

Member
BASE UK Member
Location
Essex
I spose if there were big cats or wolves around there would be two choices either lock the sheep away or shoot the predators, this re-wilding malarkey is all very well but the line has to be drawn somewhere, things have moved on in the last few thousand years, if we go on the premise that just because we can bring something back that was once here we should then we just have to hope they don't find Dino DNA, though I think they have found it for wooly mammoths.
They found all sorts when digging the foundations for Nelson's column: lion, hyena rhino of the top of my head.

To find out more you can read George Monbiot's book, Feral; although I understand some might have an allergic reaction to the very idea.
 

Boso

Member
A few round here put Llamas with the sheep for protection, not sure how well it works but I think that's what their used for in South America as well.
We have lynx and wolves. Lynx aren't a problem.
Wolves completely different story. However in my context, wild boar bulldozering in and over electric fencing and spreading asf are a bigger problem and dogs off leash.

When I kept geese, I used alpacas against foxes. Out of the 6 that I tried, 2 actually worked. Quite an expensive experiment.
Some also use donkeys, however succes is not as guaranteed as with guardian dogs. In my context (quite urban) I don't see a guardian dog as a solution.
 

Humble Village Farmer

Member
BASE UK Member
Location
Essex
We have lynx and wolves. Lynx aren't a problem.
Wolves completely different story. However in my context, wild boar bulldozering in and over electric fencing and spreading asf are a bigger problem and dogs off leash.

When I kept geese, I used alpacas against foxes. Out of the 6 that I tried, 2 actually worked. Quite an expensive experiment.
Some also use donkeys, however succes is not as guaranteed as with guardian dogs. In my context (quite urban) I don't see a guardian dog as a solution.
 

Rob Garrett

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Derbyshire UK
What’s in the cover crop?
Cheap DIY mix: stubble turnip, fodder radish, kale, mustard (that's the yellow you can see). Think I would reduce the mustard in future, awesome late nectar for pollinators, but won't stand frost & crowds turnip so not much bulb. Broadcast onto disced w barley stubble, then rolled. More of a mix for the soil than for sheep grazing.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 80 42.1%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 67 35.3%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 15.8%
  • 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

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  • 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/
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