Agri Vehicles Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: overwintering on wet field  (Read 4762 times)

oink

  • Joined Feb 2009
Re: overwintering on wet field
« Reply #15 on: August 22, 2017, 04:49:12 pm »
Hi backinwellies, thanks for the kind offer. I'd love to come and visit if that's ok? I'll pm you once everything has calmed down with the baby :) Thanks for the info on the smallholders group too, I've sent a join request

Thanks for your advice harmony. I've spoken to the neighbours who currently graze the fields, they're very helpful. They're used to a bit bigger scale than I'm thinking but helping me none the less. I'm not charging them but they'll be giving me some meat at the end of the year. To be honest, I think they're busy enough with their own place!

I think I'll just watch the fields this winter and see how wet they get, which areas are the worse affected and which areas stay dry etc. There are some old drainage ditches that maybe need sorting out etc.

YorkshireLass

  • Joined Mar 2010
  • Just when I thought I'd settled down...!
Re: overwintering on wet field
« Reply #16 on: August 22, 2017, 10:49:06 pm »
If there are any older locals around (you know, been there since 1784, knows everyone that ever lived or died in each house), try to find out if the land has ever been worked, had drains put in, had ditches put in or filled in, streams diverted, etc etc. Buried land drains easily break if newer, heavier machinery is driven over them for example. A blocked stream or ditch elsewhere could send water onto your land.


What you could also do is have stock only for summer - a few lambs to fatten that go in the freezer in October?


I hear you, in that wet pasture land is a vulnerable habitat, and could be fantastic for wildlife. The RSPB has some info for farmers which might be worth a look e.g.  https://ww2.rspb.org.uk/globalassets/downloads/documents/farming-advice/grazed-pasture-advisory-sheet-england_tcm9-207691.pdf

farmers wife

  • Joined Jul 2009
  • SE Wales
Re: overwintering on wet field
« Reply #17 on: October 17, 2017, 09:48:02 pm »
Personally no way.  If you want to raise good animals and sheep are susceptible when poorly raised on poor grass.  You cant have good grazing and winter grazing on bog.  Unless you have good drainage you cant keep smart pasture.  You would need to move cows every other day if plan became poached. Once poached you get docs etc in spring.  Im not convinced the acreage on wet land will sustain 2 cows over 4 seasons.  Not forgetting Oct - April your grass hardly grows in cold Wales.  Taking out hay makes a mess plus the seeds and if hay has docs/weeds in it adds to a nightmare of weeds. We wouldnt consider that here as we are spending a lot of our time improving the pasture.  Think about the amount of buying in you would need.

sabrina

  • Joined Nov 2008
Re: overwintering on wet field
« Reply #18 on: October 18, 2017, 11:16:57 am »
I am in the North East of Scotland and our winters can be very wet. Farmers around me all take their cattle in by Octobert. As far as I know renting fields run from April to October. I have a paddock at the roadside which is lower then the road so all rain water collects in my paddock. I can only use it in the summer if we get dry weather. I planted a load of willow trees around the outside edge ( 50 plus ) They are fast growing and help with the standing water. Be handy if you have a wood burner. We run 3 sheep which are raised for our freezer and 2 pigs. I have 5 Shetland ponies and a small cob. A few hens. This is on 5 acrea. Ponies are in at night during the winter. Ponies are stripped grazed over the summer. I rest paddocks as much as possible. Looking  after the grazing is vital when you do not have much.

 

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