The Stodart family will be looking for advice on overhauling their cattle enterprise at their next Angus monitor farm meeting on Thursday 7 December.
Currently Mill of Inverarity farm has 200 suckler cows (Simmental and Limousin crosses), with 150 stores and 150 finishers, however Rob Stodart isn’t certain they have the right breed for their system.
He says: “I’m concerned that our Limmy crosses, many of which are now being put to a Limmy bull, are going to become almost purebred Limousin and they will lose the good mothering and milk characteristics that we need. We’d like to take advice from other farmers about the future herd.”
The meeting will start on farm with a look at the present cattle enterprise before moving on to the nearby mart for what the team hopes will be a lively workshop which will see suggestions for real changes to their current system.
As well as discussing cow breed the group will also debate the use of AI versus natural service, benefits of a closed herd and how best to achieve it, consider the possibility of moving to only spring calving and whether they should sell store or finished, or both.
Rob says: “I think 2018 will see changes to how we farm here at the Mill. We need to ensure we are working as efficiently as possible and we’re really open to new ideas and hearing other farmers’ experiences to help us decide the future of the herd”.
On the arable side there will also be a review of the 2017 season, covering how the Stodarts coped with the challenging harvest, how the crops fared in terms of yield and quality, autumn planting decisions, as well as a discussion on spring planting plans.
Mill of Inverarity is now part of the Monitor Farm Scotland initiative, managed by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds.
The aim of the programme, which is funded by the Scottish Government, is to help improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Scottish farm businesses through practical demonstrations, the sharing of best practice and the discussion of up-to-date issues.
The meeting will begin at Mill of Inverarity Farm, Forfar, Angus, DD8 2JN at 10.30am, before moving onto Forfar Mart for lunch. It will close at 3pm.
The event is free to attend but to assist with catering attendees should book a place by contacting Stacey Hamilton by phone (01569 762305) or email (stacey.hamilton@sac.co.uk).
Morayshire monitor farmers Iain, Laura and Jemma Green revealed the results of their #soilmyundies experiment at a meeting for local farmers recently.
The Greens are one of the latest to join the #soilmyundies craze, where farmers bury 100 per cent cotton underpants in different parts of the farm, to start discussions on the activity of soil biology.
Eight weeks ago Iain buried seven pairs of undies around his farm: in fields of spring barley with and without biostimulants; in a field margin; under 2-year-old grass; under winter barley stubble; in a PGRS field; and in a spring barley try-out field.
The theory is that the more active the soil biology is, that is, the healthier the soil and the more degraded the pants will be.
The most unwearable pants – those most broken down by soil microbiology and earthworms – were those buried in a barley field which had been treated with biostimulants.
Iain says: “The pants in the worst condition were almost unrecognisable, so it seems that the biostimulants field had the most biological activity, and if that is the case it will be really interesting to see what effect that has on the yield.”
However, one of the surprises was the underwear buried beneath permanent grass at plough depth was more in-tact than expected.
AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds Knowledge Exchange Manager Gavin Dick said: “Usually you’d expect permanent grass to have a lot of soil biology activity. But we now have a trend of wetter, milder autumns and less frosty winters. This means that cattle are often left outside longer in less than ideal conditions. The livestock cause a layer of compaction and there is then less frost in the winter to break up that compaction.”
The results of #soilmyundies also seemed to show some of the impact of the huge amount of rain at Corskie Farm. Between 1 June and 30 October 2017 they have had 612ml – nearly all of the annual average 700ml. Fields that were wet for too long had poorer levels of soil biology activity.
Of course, it’s not just burying pants which highlights soil health on farm. Out in the field, the Monitor Farm group discussed simple ways to examine soil health, using just a spade, a knife and their senses, as well as more structured methods such as using a visual soil assessment (VESS) test to simply assess soil texture by sight.
The final message of the day was around choosing the correct tyres for farming operations.
In the field, the group saw the impact on the soil of different tyres at different pressures, with a demonstration from Tony Powell of Michelin Tyres.
Iain Green said: “It was very interesting today. A lot of growers do not pay enough attention to soils, but it is our biggest asset. We also heard about the difference between dual and single wheels, standard, flotation and super single tyres, and the effect they have on the soil.
On the Monitor Farm experience, Laura, Iain’s eldest daughter, added: “I’m really enjoying the Monitor Farm experience so far. It’s great having other farmers come on our farm and share ideas with us – to challenge each other. It’s good to be helping other farmers in Moray too.”
The Morayshire Monitor Farm is one of nine monitor farms that have been established across Scotland in a joint initiative by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds, with funding from the Scottish Government. The aim of the programme is to help improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Scottish farm businesses.
The next meeting of the Shetland Monitor Farm on Saturday 2 December will focus on soil health.
Bigton Farm, a 300-hectare farm in the south of Shetland, is run by sisters Kirsty and Aimee Budge, with support from their family.
At the next meeting, which will begin at nearby Bigton Hall at 11am and includes lunch, Dr Bill Crooks, Soil Specialist from SRUC, Scotland’s Rural College, will explain how soil health influences grass growth.
Dr Crooks will also describe the essential soil nutrients and highlight options for improving soil structure. He will also suggest ways that farmers and crofters can make best use of fertiliser, dung and slurry.
The microbial activity of soil, an indicator of soil health, can be visually assessed in a simple practical experiment known as #soilmyundies.
Originating in Canada, this simple test is a popular way for farmers and crofters to get an indication of how healthy their soils are. Bigton farm has joined the other nine monitor farms along with other farmers and crofters in Shetland and buried cotton underwear on their farm this autumn. The results of their Bigton #soilmyundies trial will be shared at the meeting on 2 December.
“Aimee and I buried some very fetching cotton underpants in a field on Bigton Farm eight weeks ago and five other members of the community Group have done the same on their farms,” said Kirsty Budge.
“The theory is that the bugs, worms and micro-organisms living in the soil will eat the cotton over time. So the less cotton that remains when we dig up the underpants, the more healthy our soil is.”
Aimee added: “As well as being a bit of fun, the message is really important. We need our soil to be healthy so that we can grow good quality grass to feed our livestock in the summer. We also grow barley to help feed our stock in the winter, so we are really hoping that the results of this trial show our soil to be in tip top condition!”
Also at this meeting, Paul Harvey and Sue White of the Shetland Amenity Trust will present Bigton Farm’s Environmental Audit and lead the discussion around possible management options.
The Shetland Monitor Farm is one of nine monitor farms that have been established across Scotland in a joint initiative by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds, with funding from the Scottish Government. The aim of the programme is to help improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Scottish farm businesses.
The meeting on Saturday 2 December will begin at 11am. Lunch will be provided and the meeting is expected to finish by 3pm. All are welcome and the event is free.
For catering purposes, those interested in coming along on 2 December should confirm their attendance with Graham Fraser from SAC Lerwick and call 01595 639520 or email frbslerwick@sac.co.uk by Monday 27 November.
Farmers attending the next meeting of the North Ayrshire Monitor Farm will be given an insight into the management of the 300-head beef finishing enterprise run by Craig Bryson.
Mr Bryson, who is chairman of the monitor farm management group, will host the meeting on Friday 1 December on his own Gowanbank Farm at Newmilns and will give an overview of the priorities in the cattle business which he runs with his family.
The Brysons, who run Gowanbank and neighbouring Townhead farm, buy in store cattle at around six months old. The cattle are finished on a silage-based ration which includes home-grown crimped grains, minerals, distillers’ dark grains and half a kilo of straw per head, delivered through a Total Mixed Ration (TMR).
Finished cattle are supplied on a weekly basis to Stoddarts in Ayr at around 280-350kg deadweight, and at mainly R4L grades.
North Ayrshire monitor farmer John Howie, from Girtridge Farm, finished 220 cattle last year and is keen to see if he can learn from the Brysons’ management to improve his current system.
“I’m really looking forward to visiting Craig’s farm and seeing his finishing enterprise,” he said.
“Craig has successfully managed to reduce his feed costs by improving his silage quality over the last few years. I’m sure, along with the other farmers who attend the meeting, I will learn a few things that we might be able to put into practice on our own farm.”
At the meeting, which is free and open to all farmers, independent nutritionist Robert Gilchrist will lead a session on cattle rationing and the importance of meeting nutritional requirements of housed cattle over the winter.
The cattle at Gowanbank and Girtridge are both housed over winter and adequate ventilation in buildings is vital in order to minimise respiratory problems. Jamie Robertson of Livestock Management Systems Ltd recently visited Girtridge to assess the buildings which house John Howie’s cattle and his report conclusions and recommendations will be shared at the meeting. SAC Consulting vet Helen Carty who also attend the meeting and review the most common cattle respiratory diseases and methods of control.
The North Ayrshire Monitor Farm is one of nine monitor farms that have been established across Scotland in a joint initiative by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds, with funding from the Scottish Government. The aim of the programme is to help improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Scottish farm businesses.
The meeting on 1 December at Gowanbank Farm, Newmilns, KA16 9LB will begin at 10.30am. Lunch will be provided and the meeting is expected to finish by 3pm. All are welcome and the event is free.
For catering purposes, those interested in coming along on 1 December should confirm attendance by calling 01292 525252 or emailing FBSAyr@sac.co.uk
The Mitchell family who run the Borders Monitor Farm are considering a range of options, including switching to organic production, to drive profitability in their business.
The next monitor farm meeting on Wednesday 22 November will have the theme of “Assessing Opportunities” and provide an opportunity for farmers attending to consider different options which could potentially improve their margins.
Host farmers Robert and Lesley Mitchell along with son Stuart from Whitriggs Farm are keen to open their minds to potential opportunities as they continue to strive to improve the performance and productivity of their farm.
At the meeting, which is being held at the Auld Cross Keys Hotel in Denholm, there will be a panel of speakers to discuss the pros, cons, regulations and practical issues connected with two of the options the Mitchells have been considering with support from their management team. These are converting to organic production and the potential of introducing deer farming to their business mix.
At the meeting, which begins at 11am, Debs Roberts, Policy Manager for the Scottish Organic Producers Association (SOPA) which certifies 70% of organic farms in Scotland, will speak about the process and steps that farmers need to take in order to move towards organic conversion. She will also answer any questions farmers interested in exploring organic conversion for their own farm, may have. Mrs Roberts is also an organic farmer in her own right, producing organic beef and cereals in keeping with an organic rotation.
Mrs Roberts will be joined by Andrew Grant, from Riddell Farms in Lilliesleaf, who has a mixed livestock and arable organic farm. Mr Grant, whose beef, sheep and arable enterprise was certified organic by the Soil Association in 2009, will share with the group his practical experiences of being an organic farmer.
The 480 hectare Whitriggs farm near Denholm currently has 140 suckler cows and a flock of 1,000 Lleyns. With 442 hectares of mainly semi-permanent and permanent grassland and 40 hectares of winter wheat and oats, the family are able to produce the majority of feed for their own stock.
Robert Mitchell is keen to see if there would be any advantage of Whitriggs becoming organic. “As we are able to produce good quality silage and grow our own cereals, we largely rely on home-grown feed. We are therefore intrigued to see if Whitriggs would benefit from any premium that is afforded by being certified organic,” he said.
The family have also been researching the possibility of diversifying into deer farming and John Goffin, Farm Manager at Arniston Estate in Gorebridge, which has an established deer herd, will give a presentation on the practicalities of moving into deer farming, as well as a summary of the market potential and the future prospects for venison production in the UK.
Whitriggs farm is one of nine monitor farms established in Scotland as part of a joint initiative by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds with funding from the Scottish Government. The aim of the monitor farm programme is to help improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Scottish farm businesses.
The meeting on 22 November will be held at the Auld Cross Keys Hotel at Denholm, TD9 8NU and will begin at 11am. Lunch will be provided and the meeting is expected to finish by 3.30pm. All are welcome and the event is free.
For catering purposes, those interested in coming along on 22 November should confirm attendance with Stephen Young, one of the project facilitators, on 07502 339613 or email stephen.young@saos.coop.
The exceptionally wet summer is posing a real winter challenge for livestock farmers round the country with straw and quality winter forage in short supply.
The steps farmers can take to manage their cattle through the winter, in light of these additional challenges, will be top of the agenda at the next Lochaber Monitor Farm meeting on Thursday 16 November.
Strone Farm, a 1,200-hectare hill farm located in the Great Glen, is run by Chris Cameron in partnership with his father Malcolm and mother Eileen. As well as a flock of 500 cheviot ewes, the family have a herd of 40 pedigree Limousin cows, which produce store calves.
The meeting on 16 November, which will begin at 11am and include lunch, will discuss the issues faced by both in-wintering and out-wintering systems and alterative feeding strategies will be considered.
With specialist input from Derek Hanton of SAC Consulting, John Smith, nutritionist with Harbro and Mairi Thom from Crown vets, the existing wintering system and future plans for the various management groups of cattle at Strone will be examined and critiqued.
“I’m keen to hear from the speakers and to look at identifying potential improvements in the way we go about over-wintering our cattle here at Strone. I am sure our business can benefit from changes to optimise cow condition and performance,” said host monitor farmer Chris Cameron, who is looking forward to the meeting.
Livestock farmers in the west have struggled to produce good quality silage due to the poor summer season this year. Silage from the monitor farm and other farms in the area has been analysed to assess this years’ quality.
Niall Campbell of SAC Consulting Oban, one of the facilitators of the Lochaber Monitor farm, believes all suckler cow producers in the area would benefit from attending the forthcoming meeting.
“This meeting aims to address how farmers can deal with the lack of supply of good quality silage as a result of this summer’s poor weather,” said Mr Campbell.
“Our three speakers will suggest a step-by-step approach to deal with the effect of the poor summer on forage quality. We will also explore silage yield and highlight the essential minerals for cattle.”
Speakers at the meeting will also suggest how best to manage the health and nutrition of stock bulls.
As the Strone cattle are in-wintered, those attending the meeting on 16 November will have an opportunity to view the cows’ condition at the start of winter and see this year’s crop of calves.
The Lochaber Monitor Farm is one of nine monitor farms that have been established around Scotland in a joint initiative by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds. The aim of the programme, which is funded by Scottish Government, is to help improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Scottish farm businesses.
The meetings are open and free for all farmers to attend. Attendees will also have an input into topics covered, speakers invited to meetings and visits to other enterprises and businesses.
To book your attendance (and lunch!) please contact Niall Campbell or Morven MacArthur on 01631 563093 or email fbsoban@sac.co.uk.
Producing cattle and sheep which meet market specifications will be more important than ever in the post-Brexit era, farmers heard at the recent North Ayrshire Monitor Farm meeting.
This was the message from speakers at the meeting held at Girtridge Farm, near Dundonald, which was attended by over 80 livestock farmers.
The focus of the event was a live assessment of cattle and sheep on the host farm run by John Howie in partnership with his mother Margaret and his sister Mary. As well as the 200 bought-in cattle that they finish, the Howies run their own small suckler herd and 140 breeding ewes.
Cattle at a range of weights, stages of maturity and conformation were discussed and key points highlighted by Jim Gibb of processors AK Stoddart, who urged farmers to understand their chosen market and what that customer is looking for.
“Around 85% of beef is sold through supermarkets so if they are the target market then it is important to meet the spec they require,” said Mr Gibb.
While he observed that farmers are paid for animal weight, he said it was important to resist the temptation to keep cattle too long resulting in animals putting on fat to increase weight. He emphasised that “fat costs feed” to put on the carcase and the result will almost invariably be less profit.
“One example of this would be a Aberdeen Angus cross heifer grading at O+4L which could realise £1,058 if sold now. If kept for two months longer to reach a heavier weight it might grade at O+4H, meaning it had fallen out of the spec required by the abattoir. As a result, this heavier, older animal would return just £1,050 and have used an additional two months feeding – meaning a much tighter margin,” said Mr Gibb.
Using the Howies’ cattle in the pens he highlighted how important it is to weigh and assess condition when selecting for slaughter, especially with smaller animals like heifers which will reach finished condition at lighter weights.
One investment which the Girtridge business has made recently is the purchase of a set of weigh cells for their cattle handling crate. “This was a cheap and cheerful and means I can monitor weights and target feed and sales better,” said host farmer John Howie, who is also planning to develop an improved cattle handling system as part of the monitor farm experience.
Mr Gibb also outlined other steps farmers can make to potentially maximise sale price including ensuring carcases are not damaged by bruising (on farm or during transport). He also reminded farmers of the need to correctly choose injection sites, emphasising that the rump is one of the highest value cuts on the carcase which can be easily damaged by injections.
Colin Mair of co-operative Farmstock Scotland highlighted the importance of a steady flow of communication between processors and farmers and emphasised that farmers need to supply the correct type of finished lamb to the correct outlet in terms of carcase weight range and finish to maximise returns.
“The grading information which abattoirs provide to farmers offers huge potential in terms of its value as feedback on lamb performance,” said Mr Mair.
He also urged producers to consider the importance of ensuring animals are clean when they are presented for slaughter.
“Keeping lambs off feed, but with water, for 12 hours prior to travelling them will in no way affect their slaughter weights but will deliver the dual benefits of cleaner animals coming off the trailer at the abattoir and sheep travelling better,” he said.
At this time of year, lambs’ bellies should be clipped before slaughter and cattle should also be clipped if necessary.
Mr Mair also flagged the need for farmers to be aware that the killing out percentage of sheep can vary considerably, from 42% – 50%, depending on many factors including age, time of year and the condition of sheep.
During a wider update at the meeting, Mr Howie gave an update on the paddock grazing system he established earlier this year. He also informed the group that he had recently bought 75 Aberfield gimmers from Lothians Monitor farmer Peter Eccles to increase their ewe flock size. Mr Howie had also bought 83 Scotch Mule/Texel gimmers, as he aimed to increase the farm’s flock size to 250 ewes.
The day after the farm meeting, over twenty members of the community group visited the AK Stoddarts’ abattoir in Ayr to see the range of beef carcases from Girtridge and to compare their actual weight and EUROP grades with their estimates on the farm the day before.
The North Ayrshire Monitor Farm is one of nine monitor farms that have been established around Scotland in a joint initiative by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds. The aim of the programme, which is funded by Scottish Government, is to help improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Scottish farm businesses.
The next North of Ayrshire monitor farm meeting will be held on Friday 1 December. For more information about the next meeting contact facilitator Raymond Crerar (SAC Ayr) on 01292 525252 or email FBSAyr@sac.co.uk
It might be Halloween, but the attendees of the upcoming Morayshire Monitor Farm meeting on Tuesday 31 October will be unearthing undies, rather than donning costumes!
At the meeting, which is focused on soil management, monitor farmer Iain Green will reveal how the cotton underpants buried way back in September have fared using the theory that the worse the condition of the pants, the better the condition of the soil.
Iain says: “I’m really interested to see the state all the underpants are in. The theory behind the Soil my Undies test is that the cotton will be devoured by the microbes and bacteria in the soil, so the more you have the better. We buried them in different fields, some which we think have healthier soil, and others which aren’t as good, so I expect to see some pants in much worse condition than others.”
The meeting will also look at a number of other areas important for soil health, including soil compaction and tyre pressure, GPS soil sampling and liming products.
AHDB Knowledge Transfer Manager Emily Smith will lead the session at the soil pits where the group will discuss levels of compaction, working out where in the soil profile issues are apparent and how best to alleviate any damage.
For facilitator Sam Stewart, the compaction issue is particularly relevant after such a wet harvest. She says: “Because we had so much rain this year everyone had to get out into the field whenever they could to get the crop in, whether that was grain or grass. That means there could be a fair bit of damage with machinery on ground which below surface level would still have been very wet.”
With machinery still the main cause of compacted ground the event will also have demos from Michelin and JCB. Tony Powell from Michelin will demonstrate the different levels of compaction caused by different tyre pressures while Angus Fettes from JCB will show attendees how tractors with four evenly sized tyres can put less pressure on the soil.
The final session will compare soil sampling methods, as well as contrasting the quality of different liming products on the market.
On the soil sampling side, one of Iain’s fields was sampled using three different methods, the traditional grid method and two GPS-based techniques. David Ross from SAC Consulting will discuss the benefits of using GPS methods outlining both the cost of each method, as well as the likely gain.
Project facilitator Derek Hanton will discuss the liming products which he has sampled for neutralising value, total magnesium and calcium, as well as putting them through a sieve to assess grain size.
The Monitor Farm meeting will take place on Corskie Farm, Garmouth, IV32 7NN, on Tuesday 31 October from 1.30pm until 5pm. The event is free of charge but to assist with catering it would be appreciated if you can book a place by contacting Samantha Stewart by phone (01343 548 787) or email (samantha.stewart@sac.co.uk).
Livestock and arable farmers can both gain from collaboration but it’s a fine balance to ensure both parties benefit.
That was the key message at the recent Lothians Monitor Farm meeting, where Farm Managers Bill Gray and Peter Eccles are developing a closer collaboration on their neighbouring farms.
Already the two farms share labour during busy periods but they are now exploring sharing land.
Arable farmer Bill has planted up one of Prestonhall’s fields with a stubble turnip cover crop, which Peter will then use to finish some of his lambs. The aim is to improve the structure and organic matter of Bill’s soils for his next arable crop, while Peter gains high energy feed for finishing his larger lamb crop.
Bill explains: “When I look at my field of stubble turnips I think they look great – thick leafy growth which will provide plenty of biomass and increase the organic matter in the soil. But when livestock farmers like Pete look at it they are worried that the bulbs might not grow big enough and so won’t provide as much dry matter for his lambs as he was hoping for.
“It’s a fine balance because I need that biomass but he needs good growth rates. The main thing is we are determined to make it work, so we can show other farmers how they can share resources in a way that can benefit both businesses.”
Peter, who manages next door Saughland Farm, agrees: “This is a huge learning curve, we just need to try things out and then review whether we both got what we needed, whether it was worth the effort for both farms and then work out what, if anything, we need to change. This time next year we will know so much more.”
Local arable and livestock farmers joined in discussions in the turnip field, debating how the lambs should be managed, how to protect their rumen from the transition from grass to turnips, how much dry matter the field should provide and how many lambs could be finished on it, allowing Bill to recoup his establishment costs.
For project manager Gavin Dick, AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds Knowledge Exchange Manager, this type of planned collaboration between local livestock and arable farmers is exactly what he wants to see from the Monitor Farm Scotland programme.
He says: “I’ve worked on Monitor Farms for years and this is the first time I have experienced this type of discussion, with livestock and arable farmers standing in the same field debating how it can be used to benefit a livestock and an arable enterprise.
“We need to be having these types of discussions across farms in Scotland, so we can improve our resource use efficiency across the board, in ways which benefit the bottom line. It can be done, if farmers are willing to engage in debate and try new things.”
The steps needed to maximise profit from pasture were highlighted to farmers and crofters attending the recent Sutherland Monitor Farm meeting.
Jason Ballantyne and his wife Vic, in partnership with Jason’s dad Murdo, run the 125-hectare Clynelish farm where they have adopted a strategy of almost 100% forage-based diets for their sheep and cattle enterprises.
The family run 80 outwintered suckler cows with calves sold store at 10 months of age. There is also a flock of 900 breeding ewes of which about half are Lairg type Cheviots and the other half Lleyn cross. The ewes currently lamb outdoors at the end of April.
Trevor Cook, a grazing consultant and qualified vet from New Zealand, was the guest speaker at the meeting and emphasised that the use of rotational grazing could result in up to 50%
more usable yield from pasture. With grass being the cheapest feed option for livestock, increasing the amount of grass available can help reduce costs and increase output.
Mr Cook said the two key aspects to consider are grass growth (pasture supply) and livestock needs (pasture demand). Controlling grazing will help match supply and demand as closely as possible.
“The aim is to ensure that grass, rather than supplementary feeds, makes up as much of the diet as possible. These principles apply no matter where in the world you are farming,” said Mr Cook.
“Knowing how much feed you have, and how much feed you need will help you plan your grazing and achieve as much production as possible from the grass you have available.”
Mr Cook also explained to the group the need to consider supply in terms of pasture cover at the start, required pasture cover at end and the expected pasture growth rate.
Demand, or the amount of feed animals need to eat, will depend on their stage of production, but can easily be calculated as a percentage of their liveweight.
“For example, when ewes are being rotationally grazed during winter there will be little grass growth, but ewe demand during mid pregnancy is also low. Doing a quick calculation will allow what grass is available to be rationed, and will highlight when supplements such as hay or silage will need to be fed,” said Mr Cook.
He also highlighted the need to regularly check this calculation by monitoring pasture covers and to assess the feed available ahead as well as monitoring animal body condition.
Mr Cook also discussed the grazing management regime required by the Ballantynes to ensure great grass swards for 2018 and suggested Jason and Victoria get a plate meter for measuring their grass so they can more accurately monitor sward height.
Clynelish Farm is one of nine monitor farms established in Scotland as part of a joint initiative by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds with funding from the Scottish Government. The aim of the monitor farm programme is to help improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of Scottish farm businesses.