The golden hoof...

[e3120]

We have a number of different arrangements. One end of the scale is farmer doing all work (planting/growing/fencing/lookering) and getting paid a headage payment. This options means he is taking slightly more risk in terms of getting a poor crop or crop failure, sheep get out on a Sunday etc but also gets more reward £££.

Other end is the farmer does nothing other than make the land available over the winter. We do everything from drilling to fencing and lookering etc. No money changes hands.
Also have one agreement whereby we provide the seed, the farmer drills the crop, then we do the fencing/lookering. Still no money changes hands.

This obviously only works if the land is within a reasonable distance from ourselves. Otherwise, the top option usually works better for most folk.

When he reads this, I doubt farmer in scenario 3 will be happy to learn that he drilled it for nowt!

 

[JD6920s]

When he reads this, I doubt farmer in scenario 3 will be happy to learn that he drilled it for nowt!

I thought that too, but he must have agreed to it at the time, and I bet it’ll be different next season if he is on here!

 

[beltextexel]

I’m open with all the people we have keep with. The chap in scenario 3 doesn’t want a brassica so it makes our seed choice slightly more difficult and also more expensive. He wants the sheep before his potatoes so he’s happy to help us out a bit. This year was challenging as the weather was against him but he established 310ac of winter keep for us.

 

[glasshouse]

I thought that too, but he must have agreed to it at the time, and I bet it’ll be different next season if he is on here!

Some arable farmers recognise the long term value of livestock feeding on roots etc in the winter. They know also that if they screw the sheepmen into the ground they will go bust or give up, so they dont charge much or nothing

 

[Mc115reed]

I’m open with all the people we have keep with. The chap in scenario 3 doesn’t want a brassica so it makes our seed choice slightly more difficult and also more expensive. He wants the sheep before his potatoes so he’s happy to help us out a bit. This year was challenging as the weather was against him but he established 310ac of winter keep for us.

If you wanted too pm his details I’d happily buy him the seed for next year and pay him a headage rate also for while I grazed it [emoji23]

 

[beltextexel]

Few more sheep arrived home today from their holidays in Norfolk. Was hoping to put them straight outside but they’ll be happier in here for a couple of weeks and it will hopefully start drying up by then. This collaboration was organised though Tff and we’re always on the look out for a bit more...

 

[beltextexel]

Anyone fancy a few sheep on keep this winter? Feel free to message if interested

 

[spin cycle]

one of my neighbours said today his best bit of barley was next to mine....i said it was cos my sheep were out on his stubble mosta last winter

 

[Spencer]

Anyone fancy a few sheep on keep this winter? Feel free to message if interested

200 acres of lowland grass here, if interested?

 

[beltextexel]

200 acres of lowland grass here, if interested?

I’ll message you!

 

[D14]

Tried this last year on a 15 acre field. They provided the seed and we planted it for them and they paid us the going rate for direct drilling. They put a bag of N on it as well. The sheep went on in mid december and were off mid feb. That field has just yielded 1.5t/acre of spring wheat where as every where else that did not have sheep yielded 2.5t/acre.
I have also had sheep on a 2nd year ley between Oct and March and it pretty much ruined it so I won't be doing it again. The 'golden hoof' costs money not makes it for the person providing the land.

 

[Purli R]

Tried this last year on a 15 acre field. They provided the seed and we planted it for them and they paid us the going rate for direct drilling. They put a bag of N on it as well. The sheep went on in mid december and were off mid feb. That field has just yielded 1.5t/acre of spring wheat where as every where else that did not have sheep yielded 2.5t/acre.
I have also had sheep on a 2nd year ley between Oct and March and it pretty much ruined it so I won't be doing it again. The 'golden hoof' costs money not makes it for the person providing the land.

So why did it not crop so well then? compaction,drought,disease?

 

[bobk]

They are improving your land
You should be paying the grazier

He can always grow his own crops

 

[David.]

Sheep hammered root ground last winter, set like concrete here within a week from being waterlogged.
I shall be damned if I would be giving free wintering ground to anyone for the scattering of bumbles they leave behind, so that they can give their other grass a nice rest. This last point is the main reason we plant them for ours, and in a wet year the whole miserable process feels like leaving them out there until they have started to sink enough to need rescuing.

 

[teslacoils]

Sheep arriving here end of the week.

 

[Bogweevil]

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.

The trick, if you want a favourable nutrient balance, is to have your sheep escape in the morning graze your neighbours meadows/OSR/cereals/gardens/orchards/forestry plantations/greenhouses/sports pitch all day and be driven back into the field by nightfall.

 

[thorpe]

2 years ago had upto 600 lambs here off aneighbor we planted them put n on , lambs did well he was happy paid us 50p a week would do it again must have done the ground good. ps stubble turnips.

 

[Spencer]

The trick, if you want a favourable nutrient balance, is to have your sheep escape in the morning graze your neighbours meadows/OSR/cereals/gardens/orchards/forestry plantations/greenhouses/sports pitch all day and be driven back into the field by nightfall.

Ahhh I see your an experienced shepherd/grazier.. you must have some sheep next to me