Pasture for life

[Derrick Hughes]

Can you feed maize or wholcrop silage

 

[Cowgirl]

But the tactical feeding of supplementary feeds at certain times could save a significant amount of time in the time taken to finish. It can have a big effect on the amount of conserved grass needed and can help compensate for variations in roughage quality and availability. It can allow cattle to be marketed at an earlier date if market prices and demand dictate.

Supplementary feeding to meet the above objectives is completely different to mainly grain diets, and I can't see why anyone would want to deny themselves its use. A sound motto in farming is always to allow yourself as much flexibility as possible. And don't forget that cereals are grasses.

All true and perfectly fine if that's what suits your business, but for us 100% pasture fed for life is a good marketing tool and suits the cattle we have as they do not need grain - it's only what we would be doing anyway. No-one is forcing you or anyone else to do anything you don't want to do. Technically you are correct that cereals are grasses, but they are very different from a nutritional perspective.

 

[Cowgirl]

Can you feed maize or wholcrop silage

See PFLA standards 4.4 - permitted if wholecrop seed contains a minimum of 30% non cereal seed by weight, but not if it precludes a cereal crop being harvested on the same land in the same cropping year.

 

[Farmer1001]

But the tactical feeding of supplementary feeds at certain times could save a significant amount of time in the time taken to finish. It can have a big effect on the amount of conserved grass needed and can help compensate for variations in roughage quality and availability. It can allow cattle to be marketed at an earlier date if market prices and demand dictate.

Supplementary feeding to meet the above objectives is completely different to mainly grain diets, and I can't see why anyone would want to deny themselves its use. A sound motto in farming is always to allow yourself as much flexibility as possible. And don't forget that cereals are grasses.

Your talking as if this is being imposed on everyone, it's not, it's a choice and works extremely well for a lot of producers. I'd be all over it if I could change my (similar to your) mindset of the "need" to feed some concentrate, hopefully by the spring. But well done @Cowgirl for your knowledge, enthusiasm and desire not to be a "sheep".

 

[ollie989898]

See PFLA standards 4.4 - permitted if wholecrop seed contains a minimum of 30% non cereal seed by weight, but not if it precludes a cereal crop being harvested on the same land in the same cropping year.

What the cronk does that mean. A minimum of 30% non-cereal seed by weight? Can you grow wholecrop wheat (which is a forage) and feed that?

 

[Cowgirl]

What the cronk does that mean. A minimum of 30% non-cereal seed by weight? Can you grow wholecrop wheat (which is a forage) and feed that?

Perhaps you should read the standards for yourself. I think the idea is that they want to discourage growing a crop for whole crop silage if the land could be used for growing a grain crop for human consumption instead.
This is probably not a system suitable for arable farms that also keep cattle - it is more suited to grass farms that would normally not be growing grain - we certainly don’t grow any now.

 

[ollie989898]

Perhaps you should read the standards for yourself. I think the idea is that they want to discourage growing a crop for whole crop silage if the land could be used for growing a grain crop for human consumption instead.
This is probably not a system suitable for arable farms that also keep cattle - it is more suited to grass farms that would normally not be growing grain - we certainly don’t grow any now.

Why should any farm be discouraged from growing any crop? That makes no sense. There are perfectly sound reasons for wanting to rotate your land, and growing a forage crop is growing a forage crop, simple as that. I see no difference between a crop of grass waiting for the mower or a crop of wholecrop wheat about to go up the spout.

 

[Cowgirl]

Why should any farm be discouraged from growing any crop? That makes no sense. There are perfectly sound reasons for wanting to rotate your land, and growing a forage crop is growing a forage crop, simple as that. I see no difference between a crop of grass waiting for the mower or a crop of wholecrop wheat about to go up the spout.

I didn’t make the regulations - I repeat no one is asking you to do it if it doesn’t suit your system.

 

[Henarar]

I spose its like organic, a set of rules

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

It sounds like cruelty to cows. Why on earth would anyone decide not to feed a small amount of grain or protein supplement to cattle in times of need. It can have an enormous benefit in terms of efficiency of roughage use, it can improve health and wellbeing, and cattle love that bit extra addition to their diet.

And can the same animals be bedded on straw grown by wicked arable farmers? And if they can, are they allowed to eat any grain still remaining in it.?


Such stupid draconian systems shouldn't be allowed.

There are some folk who manage to get around 2kg dlwg from diverse forage alone. Why would you use grains if you can do that?

 

[Cowgirl]

Some young steers in February this year on hay.

 

[Tim W]

I spose its like organic, a set of rules

Exactly---it's a certification scheme to give customers confidence that what they buy is reared in the way they want it reared
Same as organic /RT/ etc
They also do a good job in helping farmers learn skills to help them rear stock in this way and in lobbying for a decent premium for their products

Anyone can bitch all they like about it but if it helps educate the public about the environmental/health benefits of grass fed red meats as well as increasing profit and expanding markets for some producers then it has to be a good thing

 

[delilah]

Apologies for bringing politics in to this, but hey ho all of life is politics.....

I have read various snippets to indicate that there is a cross-over between people involved in Pasture for Life and Extinction rebellion. If there is anyone following this thread who straddles this divide (and fair play to you if you do) can you give us an update on what XR are planning for this autumn ? See below, full story on the Extinction Rebellion thread from a month or so ago.

Are XR still planning to disrupt UK agriculture ? Or, as has been suggested to them, will they instead focus their protest on the importation of meat produced below UK standards ?

As I say apologies for bringing this up, but if you read a suggestion that 'PFLA should be seen as the action wing of XR. Much benefit to be had from this.' then it is a pertinent question to ask.


Extinction Rebellion Meets Animal Justice Groups To Discuss Disrupting Animal Ag
The organizations discussed the mobilization of 10,000 animal advocates this October in nonviolent mass disruption of the industries of animal agriculture and fishing
Author:Maria ChiorandoPublish date:Jul 3, 2019

 

[Cowgirl]

Apologies for bringing politics in to this, but hey ho all of life is politics.....

I have read various snippets to indicate that there is a cross-over between people involved in Pasture for Life and Extinction rebellion. If there is anyone following this thread who straddles this divide (and fair play to you if you do) can you give us an update on what XR are planning for this autumn ? See below, full story on the Extinction Rebellion thread from a month or so ago.

Are XR still planning to disrupt UK agriculture ? Or, as has been suggested to them, will they instead focus their protest on the importation of meat produced below UK standards ?

As I say apologies for bringing this up, but if you read a suggestion that 'PFLA should be seen as the action wing of XR. Much benefit to be had from this.' then it is a pertinent question to ask.


Extinction Rebellion Meets Animal Justice Groups To Discuss Disrupting Animal Ag
The organizations discussed the mobilization of 10,000 animal advocates this October in nonviolent mass disruption of the industries of animal agriculture and fishing
Author:Maria ChiorandoPublish date:Jul 3, 2019

There was some discussion on the email Google group about possibly engaging with XR groups locally but though some people were keen others were very sceptical and said they didn’t think it wise. I can see that it might be a good thing to have them on our side but I can understand people being reticent.

 

[Agrispeed]

I'm a member but not yet certified, mainly because it doesn't offer any benefits yet. This year is the first year I have had to feed any concentrates since 2015 and I'll end up feeding around 80-100kg/cow mainly due to poor grass growth from the drought.

In my last Soil Ass. inspection I got a little note that some of my cows were too high BCS!

 

[mr grumpy]

This is something that has interested me but on the dairy side of things, how are people rearing calf's with good DLWG without concentrates

 

[MDL POWERUP]

While I'm all for animals being grass fed only when possible. I think the pasture for life title kind of pits farmers against each other. Trying to say pasture for life steak is a better steak than say someone who has given their cattle some supplementary feeding when necessary. We need less of these 'schemes' and more of a universal approach. RT, freedom foods (rspca), organic, pasture for life etc etc. Pick one and stick with it, after all it's just the scheme creaters that are making the money in the long run.

A far better approach I would of thought would be a food miles approach that would encompass some RT standards, this would surely help combat the crap the BBC etc are spouting about global warming due to cows and sheep.

 

[Woolless]

But the tactical feeding of supplementary feeds at certain times could save a significant amount of time in the time taken to finish. It can have a big effect on the amount of conserved grass needed and can help compensate for variations in roughage quality and availability. It can allow cattle to be marketed at an earlier date if market prices and demand dictate.

Supplementary feeding to meet the above objectives is completely different to mainly grain diets, and I can't see why anyone would want to deny themselves its use. A sound motto in farming is always to allow yourself as much flexibility as possible. And don't forget that cereals are grasses.

I can see how joining this scheme would really suit some folk. Not others though and each to their own, it's not compulsory. My biggest concern with cattle on this type of system would be spring block calving. Heifers would do very well to hit target weights for bulling at 15 months without a bit of cake over the winter and running them on empty for another year seems very inefficient. Any comments?

 

[Woolless]

This is something that has interested me but on the dairy side of things, how are people rearing calf's with good DLWG without concentrates

Very difficult. We reared three calves for the kids last winter. They've thrived at grass but I would be willing to bet that they would be different beasts without 1/3 tonne of ridiculously expensive calf cake between new year and turnout!

 

[mr grumpy]

It would just be interesting to know how everyone if doing 100% pasture feed beef, lamb i can see is easyish, beef out of a native bred suckler also easyish,. It's just the dairy side that would be interesting to to know about even native breeds from dairy such as Hereford and Angus would appreciate a bit of cake up to 6months of age?