Mob grazing...is thistight enough?

[Jerry]

Question for the precision / mob grazers. Aiming for 3 day moves. But am I taking it down tight enough? Just going by eye st present until a sward stick arrives.

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

Question for the precision / mob grazers. Aiming for 3 day moves. But am I taking it down tight enough? Just going by eye st present until a sward stick arrives.

What are you aiming for? If it's just "look grazing" then probably ok. If you're looking for "regenerative"/"holistic" grazing that's looking too low to me.

 

[spark_28]

Id have them tighter if you're doing 3 day breaks

 

[Jerry]

@holwellcourtfarm
@spark_28

This field is perm pasture, though has been arable in the dim and distant past. It grows a lot of grass if treated well.

Its been shut up since November last year and had 50kg of N per ha about a month ago.

Aim is to give it a decent graze and then shut up again to cut for haylage. I want the sheep to remove the over winter grass, which is pretty decent, and then get a decent regrowth to cut. I also want them to eat out a few of the weeds, mainly buttercup, which they are doing.

There is about 150 ewes plus lambs in that group, and Ive been giving them about 2 to 2.5acres in each section for three days.

The grazed section is in fact two sections and they are in the 3rd section now, dont look too tight as most of the ewes rushed up to the next fence and started to graze there out of the picture.

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

@holwellcourtfarm
@spark_28

This field is perm pasture, though has been arable in the dim and distant past. It grows a lot of grass if treated well.

Its been shut up since November last year and had 50kg of N per ha about a month ago.

Aim is to give it a decent graze and then shut up again to cut for haylage. I want the sheep to remove the over winter grass, which is pretty decent, and then get a decent regrowth to cut. I also want them to eat out a few of the weeds, mainly buttercup, which they are doing.

There is about 150 ewes plus lambs in that group, and Ive been giving them about 2 to 2.5acres in each section for three days.

The grazed section is in fact two sections and they are in the 3rd section now, dont look too tight as most of the ewes rushed up to the next fence and started to graze there out of the picture.

Ok. I wouldn't graze it any tighter if you're looking to shut it up now for haylage. Take too much leaf off and it'll have no "solar panels" to grab growth energy with slowing it right down.

 

[Jerry]

Ok. I wouldn't graze it any tighter if you're looking to shut it up now for haylage. Take too much leaf off and it'll have no "solar panels" to grab growth energy with slowing it right down.

The grazed section, first one, is already shooting up with new growth, the 3.5mm of rain we had last night will certainly help.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Question for the precision / mob grazers. Aiming for 3 day moves. But am I taking it down tight enough? Just going by eye st present until a sward stick arrives.

A bit of a "halfway house" @Jerry, IMO
The two best options are either:
1. Severe, non-selective grazing with low residuals and long planned rest periods
2. Leaving cover for next time, ensuring it's all trampled flat but not too much is grazed, which can mean shorter recovery periods in more favourable growing conditions.

Both have advantages.
Option one is perhaps better for the land in general so long as the soil isn't lying bare between plants - it needs a constant litter supply to keep the biological processes (eg your nutrient and water cycle healthy).
Option two is better for livestock performance in general, as they are able to source more energy and leave more parasite larvae, less desirable plants behind for time to take care of.

We choose both options here; option two in the leadup to our summer-dry period (graze fast when it's growing fast) and then this ensures any moisture is locked into the soil and nutrient cycle is kickstarted.
Then we change (field by field, according to various concerns) to the more brutal grazing later on in the year when we have built enough cover ahead of us to ensure that long periods of zero growth can be accomodated.

We usually do this by adjusting livestock numbers and types, rather than by purchasing supplement or fertiliser, as we are largely a grazing operation not a breeding operation.
This means whatever livestock we have on hand are performing well as we've found that having them "treading water" is a major cost to us, the land, and the owner of the livestock.

Either way, the key point is to keep their area under grazing as small as possible, this means that your area not under grazing is as large as possible.
Thus your solar panels, if you like, are doing their job to the best of their ability and your energy balance is good.
That's the problem with reducing leaf area too much in springtime IMHO, you're effectively making your farm smaller too early to make best use of the growing season ahead.

Another key factor in what I mentioned (nutrient, water cycling) is that for best results, you do NOT want the soil surface to be dead flat. You want it to bear the marks of many feet, this greatly increases the flow of air, water, and residue into the soil.
Flat rolling pastures is for hay fields and hobbyists, leave that well to the experts

 

[Boso]

IME the magic starts happening if you move them daily or even twice a day. Which means in your case, up the numbers or make smaller grazing cells/divisions.

 

[Guleesh]

We're grazing different field sizes on same rotation and although not been doing it for that long we're already noticing that the 1 acre for 1 day fields are much improved compared to a 3 acre for 3 days equivalent- often fields that are adjoining.

 

[Northern territory]

We're grazing different field sizes on same rotation and although not been doing it for that long we're already noticing that the 1 acre for 1 day fields are much improved compared to a 3 acre for 3 days equivalent- often fields that are adjoining.

Is that sheep? I would like to try it but 3 strand could be quite a commitment every day, even if you have a few set up.

 

[Boso]

I set up a big paddock with a week worth of grazing (with netting/3 strand electric/ permanent fencing) and subdivide with single strand Electric to make daily moves quick and easy.

 

[Guleesh]

Is that sheep? I would like to try it but 3 strand could be quite a commitment every day, even if you have a few set up.

Yes sheep, most of our fields were set out as crofts so are narrow strips usually split by roads, we graze a few of these scattered over a few miles - It lends itself to rotations as these small areas are already stock fenced (only downside is frequent road crossings and moves) we have a couple bigger fields that we use 3 strand on, and yes it is a bit of a chore.
But once you get into routine you get pretty efficient and it gets a lot quicker.
I just do what I can, when I've time and energy for daily shifts I do it, if not 3 day shifts are better than nothing.

 

[Danllan]

We're grazing different field sizes on same rotation and although not been doing it for that long we're already noticing that the 1 acre for 1 day fields are much improved compared to a 3 acre for 3 days equivalent- often fields that are adjoining.

We usually run two - sometimes three - flocks and I noticed a big difference to grass regrowth last year when I joined them all together. Much, much heavier grazing for a very short period, typically 24-48 hrs and then on to the next field - we have many fairly small fields, which suits this grazing style very well, , but only a few decent sized ones for cutting... After a fortnight or so the regrowth is notably better.

Thinking on it, this makes sense and should be no surprise because, naturally, herds graze a given area flat and then move on, only to comeback after a fair amount of time when the grass they have evolved with has come back.

I should have added that our sheep follow cattle, but the cattle aren't stocked very heavily.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

We're grazing different field sizes on same rotation and although not been doing it for that long we're already noticing that the 1 acre for 1 day fields are much improved compared to a 3 acre for 3 days equivalent- often fields that are adjoining.

Likewise.
These lambs arrived yesterday and obviously had never encountered an electric fence before, I'd never hope to train them fast enough on larger, longer term breaks. So they're getting an acre a day (or metric equivalent) in a hope to train the little critters that they can stay in the mob and still not go hungry.

6 acres for 6 days, 350 ewe lambs and 26 bulls.

To facilitate easy shifting, they're also learning to go under the wires so as I can subdivide a paddock into 6 with 3 fences.

It becomes very easy, very quickly.
Hopefully within a week I can go from 4 strands back to two.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Is that sheep? I would like to try it but 3 strand could be quite a commitment every day, even if you have a few set up.

If you are keen, I have heaps of little tricks I can pass on to make multiwire fencing a little bit easier.

 

[Northern territory]

If you are keen, I have heaps of little tricks I can pass on to make multiwire fencing a little bit easier.

Yes I am keen. We have strip grazed root crops for years so I am used to setting up 3 strands. We tend to give plenty of area when ewes and lambs turned into fresh pasture then after about a month start to run bigger mobs and close some up for hay/silage. Average field size is 12 -15 acres with permanent fences with hedges around each field and another 25 acres on some riverbanks Which would be a bit more awkward to fence.

 

[hinchy]

If you are keen, I have heaps of little tricks I can pass on to make multiwire fencing a little bit easier.

Ooo I like the sound of this. ?

 

[Jerry]

I’ve just moved after a two day section. This ones a bit tighter again.

This is the 5th move since 1st of April

The residual looks like th.

And this is the regrowth from the first section that they moved from on the 3rd I think.

Only couple things I don’t like so far are is having to move water to each section which involves an IBC and telehandler.

And finding it harder to spot issues as they are so crowded. In set stocking the same field last year could easily spot issues through animal behaviour but with it being so crowded not so easy to spot a ewe that’s sulking for instance.

 

[Guleesh]

And finding it harder to spot issues as they are so crowded. In set stocking the same field last year could easily spot issues through animal behaviour but with it being so crowded not so easy to spot a ewe that’s sulking for instance.

Usually we're told how great mob grazing is because you see them run everyday but I agree with what you say, a lot of my ewes are pretty hardy and won't show any weakness unless they think they're alone, by the time you notice them not keeping up with the rest their ailments can be quite advanced.

 

[clod hopper]

I’ve just moved after a two day section. This ones a bit tighter again.

This is the 5th move since 1st of April

The residual looks like th.

And this is the regrowth from the first section that they moved from on the 3rd I think.

Only couple things I don’t like so far are is having to move water to each section which involves an IBC and telehandler.

And finding it harder to spot issues as they are so crowded. In set stocking the same field last year could easily spot issues through animal behaviour but with it being so crowded not so easy to spot a ewe that’s sulking for instance.

Yes, the only two negatives I can think of, mind you the ewes will settle down soon if you walk through them regularly. I have non pet ewes walk up to me now.
As for water, if you intend to continue with the system next year setting up a portable water trough is wise