The golden hoof...

[beltextexel]

Just putting some feelers out there for winter sheep grazing 2020/2021. Would any arable farmers be interested in having a few sheep on some stubble turnips instead of the land lying bare over winter. I don’t charge anything for the muck the sheep leave behind or the increased yield of the following crop. May even consider paying a bit of money for you to look after the sheep while they’re with you!! I have references available and will pay monthly or when the sheep leave. Within reason, distance isn’t too much of a problem. We’re from North Yorkshire and have sheep grazing in Lincolnshire and Norfolk (organised through Tff) which I hope will continue. Any interest, let me know. Cheers

 

[average farmer]

Last time I had some here it was 30p a sheep/week . All I did was plant the covers.

what would you pay if I were to look after them and what would be involved?

 

[beltextexel]

Last time I had some here it was 30p a sheep/week . All I did was plant the covers.

what would you pay if I were to look after them and what would be involved?

Ill send you a message with details

 

[glasshouse]

Last time I had some here it was 30p a sheep/week . All I did was plant the covers.

what would you pay if I were to look after them and what would be involved?

You want money too?
You are getting the dung!!

 

[Brisel]

You want money too?
You are getting the dung!!

Planting cover/catch crops like turnips comes for free, does it?

 

[beltextexel]

While never getting rich from growing turnips, you’ll make a bit and do the land a bit of good as well. Especially if you consider the land could be sat empty anyway over the winter period.

 

[Brisel]

Around here headage rates for winter tack are 25p/head/week for lambs and double that for ewes. Hardly fair when you see the size of the stores my grazier buys! 35p is around break even for me to grow the turnips. My profit is the yield lift on the following spring barley. His is the uplift in price when he sell them fat. We're both happy.

 

[Devil's advocate]

How does grazing compare to just flailing or ploughing in a cover crop.

When you consider the dung gets depoisted in the sheltered areas & there is soil erosion from the paths that the sheep tend to create. Also wider choice of cover crop if not grazing like fodder radish or Decyst (trap crop for nematodes) which are not paltable but which have advantages.

I have my own sheep & don't like them getting so mucky either. I'm open minded really dry time graze it & if wet just plough the cover crop (more usually waste veg here) in.

 

[glasshouse]

Planting cover/catch crops like turnips comes for free, does it?

They are improving your land
You should be paying the grazier

 

[Devil's advocate]

They are improving your land
You should be paying the grazier

If a hogg walks onto a field weighing 30 kg & walks off weighing 40kg. It has removed nutriets & also paddled the soil causing compaction & the fertility can be left uneven ie in the sheltered bits.

Having said that mixed farming is great, but fodder crops are not for free.

 

[Spencer]

They are improving your land
You should be paying the grazier

Good one...

 

[glasshouse]

If a hogg walks onto a field weighing 30 kg & walks off weighing 40kg. It has removed nutriets & also paddled the soil causing compaction & the fertility can be left uneven ie in the sheltered bits.

Having said that mixed farming is great, but fodder crops are not for free.

Most of thr nutrients are left behind in a more usable form ie dung
The sheep transfer nitrogen from one year to the next
Thats why they are called the golden hoof.
They Should be charging

 

[e3120]

A balanced view is required. Feed usually has to be paid for. Roots are a damn good feed. However, if it's agreed that the stock will be removed if weather is poor, or never get on and the crop incorporated instead, then the value is a lot less, as the grazier will have to have a plan B.

 

[glasshouse]

A balanced view is required. Feed usually has to be paid for. Roots are a damn good feed. However, if it's agreed that the stock will be removed if weather is poor, or never get on and the crop incorporated instead, then the value is a lot less, as the grazier will have to have a plan B.

Agreed
The grazier will also have the cost and hassle of fencing, gates being left open by shooters, the sunday morning phone call “your sheep are in my garden/ churchyard/ oilseed rape etc.

 

[Devil's advocate]

Most of thr nutrients are left behind in a more usable form ie dung
The sheep transfer nitrogen from one year to the next
Thats why they are called the golden hoof.
They Should be charging

I'm not anti sheep & very pro mixed farming.

But the nutrients are from the cover crop not created by the sheep & incorprated cover crops really open the ground up & release nutrients much slower than dung ie slow release, weather proof helping the crop more.

There is the cost of incopration of course not necessary after sheep grazing.

 

[Devil's advocate]

Agreed
The grazier will also have the cost and hassle of fencing, gates being left open by shooters, the sunday morning phone call “your sheep are in my garden/ churchyard/ oilseed rape etc.

The grower has the risk of the sheep getting out & damaging neighbours crops. Then the grazier turning up with a bottle of whiskey thinking that puts thousands of pounds worth of damage right.

 

[redsloe]

They are improving your land
You should be paying the grazier

On that basis winter grazing of grass should be free to the grazier too!?
Sheep farming is going to be the best earner ever!

 

[teslacoils]

Sheep due this autumn to tidy up temporary grass. I'd rather them on while it was dry instead of a late cut, and get them off before it gets too tacky.

 

[glasshouse]

On that basis winter grazing of grass should be free to the grazier too!?
Sheep farming is going to be the best earner ever!

Well we all know that grass gets spoiled if it is left too long in autumn and risks winter kill, so again the grazier should be charging for a service, same as a lawn mower man will charge..
I have a lot of unfenced grass which i didnt take a second cut off, and i need to go and pay a contractor now to shorten it.

 

[Fish]

They are improving your land
You should be paying the grazier

wow, you want me to drill a cover crop and pay the sheep man to turn up.
Sorry, I’m oot