Nithsdale Monitor farm20th September 2018

Agenda

• Farm update Andrew Marchant

• Farm tour of grass fields to be improved with Charlie Morgan

• Lunch

• Grass update & feed budget Rhidian Jones

• Managing soils and grass Charlie Morgan

• Re-Seeds are both average at best

• Mineral Drench Trial

• Worm Egg Counts/Zolvix

• Footvax and Hep P

• Fattening Lambs on rotation since weaning, averaging 170g/day in past 4 weeks and 110g/day since weaning

• 2nd Highlander Tup Purchased to go to Aberfield Gimmers

Farm update

Farm Update

• Health Scheme testing Cows

• Wean calves? Currently 85-154 Days old

• Focusing on building grass covers

• Winter Feed Budget

• Ewes were set stocked on poorer grass post weaning but are now rotating

• Deer Fencing – 24Ha Fenced

• Shed Alterations and Handling Pens

Glengar- focus improvements

Permanent pasture 5.7 pH, high P, VH Mag

Silage fields 5.8 & 5.9 pH, high P, Low K, VH Mag

Field Ha pH Lime

required

Phosphorus

(P)

Potassium

(K)

Magnesiu

m

12 5.8 2t/ha High Low V High

10 5.9 2t/ha High Low V High

6 6.6 Low Normal V High

8 6.4 High Low V High

11 5.8 2t/ha High Normal V High

7 5.7 3t/ha Normal High V High

14 5.5 4t/ha Low High V High

13 5.7 3t/ha High Normal V High

17 5.7 3t/ha High Normal High

Glengar soil results 2018

2018 Av pasture cover KgDM/ha

2017 Av pasture cover KgDM/ha

3rd May 1161 23rd May 1463

15th May 1329 12th June 1898

5th June 1500 3rd July 1779

16th July 1375 24th July 1816

23rd August 1913

14th September 1978 29th September 2521

The figures behind the reality

• Average pasture cover on 14th September

– Clonhie 1978kg DM/ha– Glengar (part of) 2,143 kg DM/ha

• Would like to be over 2,500 ideally• Difficult year

• Challenge now is to make the current grass, and, as yet un-grown grass last as long as possible

• BUT!

– Losing another 4.2 ha to deer for rut– 2018 re-seeds not successful- 9 ha- will provide some DM– No forage crops available this year

Grass update

• As of 14th September available grass and un-grown grass (have assumed PGR from 0-30 kgDM/ha/day) from 174 effective hectares was 491,000 kg DM

• @ utilisation % of 70% = 344,000 kg DM

• Demand from grazing stock ON THE FARM from now until lambing is 391,000 kg DM

• Deficit of 47,000 kg DM!

• Silage available of 21,000 kg DM (60 tonnes FW @35%DM)

Grazed forage budget

Supply Extra grass yet to grow

Effective ha Month Av PGR Days Extra DM

174.05 Sept 30 16 83544

174.05 Oct 20 31 107911

174.05 Nov 10 30 52215

174.05 Dec 5 31 26978

174.05 Jan 0 31 0

174.05 Feb 5 28 24367

174.05 March 15 31 80933

174.05 April 20 5 17405

203 393353

Totl DM av

Clonhie 55275

Glengar 42983

To grow 393353

Total 491611 70% 344128

Demand no kgDM/hd days total

Ewes to tupping 735 1.75 57 73316

ewes-tupping 735 2 34 49980

ewes tupping to scan 735 1.25 42 38588

ewes scan to lamb 735 1.5 70 77175

Gimmers to tupping 105 1.75 57 10474

Gimmers tupping 105 2 34 7140

Gimmers tupping to scan 105 1.5 42 6615

Gimmers scan to lamb 105 1.5 70 11025

Gimmers to wintering 170 2 35 11900

Gimmers when back 170 1.5 88 22440

ewe hoggs 330 1.25 10 4125

ewe hoggs 330 1 46 15180

Lambs 370 1 14 5180

Lambs 285 1 30 8550

Lambs 200 1 30 6000

Lambs 100 1 30 3000

Cows 21 12 90 22680

Cows 21 5 120 12600

Calves 16 5 56 4480

Cattle 5 10 14 700

Total 391148

• Options

– Increase supply

• Bulky forage- fodder beet, swedes etc

• Concentrates

• Off farm grazing

– Reduce demand

• Take more stock off farm

• Sell lambs earlier/store

Meeting the deficit

• 50 tonnes fodder beet

• 20 tonnes concentrates

• Should meet the deficit

• OTHER OPTIONS? DISCUSS

Meeting the deficit

• Allocate grass carefully from now on

• Only way to utilise high covers is to subdivide and rotationally graze

• If stock spread out grass will run out

• Get rid of passengers

• Also measure conserved forage stocks and carry out a feed budget for housed livestock

• Segregate ewes by condition and preferential grazing to lean ewes

Generally

The end