The Smallholder Magazine No.8 Lambing Check List Back Issue

A few months ago I wrote that our fields were
already wet – well now they are saturated.
I think that grassland management this
spring will be key in their recovery. Are these
excessively wet autumn and winters the future for
our weather and if so how are we going to manage
our livestock and our land? there can be no more
important element of successful field livestock
than grass. It is key to health and welfare of the
livestock from growing as grass to being made
as hay, haylage or silage. Grass fed animals are in
much demand for meat and good grass is essential
for the development of young animals. Will we have
to reduce our stocking levels, house more animals
in the winter or rotate paddocks meaning having
more land available? As spring breaks all around us
we have six months or so to plan our future strategy
through what I hope will be a much dryer spring
and summer.