Outwintering on the Burren

pakalasa

Anyone have experience of outwintering cattle on the Burren?

I'm from East Clare myself, so no direct experience. It's a great resource to have, just let them off for the winter. No slurry spreading, fancy housing, small amount, if any fodder.

I drive through it a bit, notice that it's becoming more and more overgrown with shrubs. They reckon that soon they will be paying farmers to outwinter cattle as the overgrowth is destroying the ecology of the place. In other words, it was farming, via grazing cattle, that created the unique landscape and ecology in the first place.
Kinda ironic, dont you think?

blue5000

Yeah bit ironic. I wish the rest of us could out-winter a few cattle too.

I know a few people who carried out the research. They just fenced off a patch so cattle had no access to it for a few years, wasn't long before it was covered in scrub.

I wonder could we convince brussels that out-wintered cattle release less methane, and also less carbon dioxide from making silage, feeding and spreading slurry?

Birdnuts

pakalasa wrote: »

Anyone have experience of outwintering cattle on the Burren?

I'm from East Clare myself, so no direct experience. It's a great resource to have, just let them off for the winter. No slurry spreading, fancy housing, small amount, if any fodder.

I drive through it a bit, notice that it's becoming more and more overgrown with shrubs. They reckon that soon they will be paying farmers to outwinter cattle as the overgrowth is destroying the ecology of the place. In other words, it was farming, via grazing cattle, that created the unique landscape and ecology in the first place.
Kinda ironic, dont you think?

What your talking about is known in the business as "conservation grazing" and is widely practiced and researched in the UK and other EU countries. Of course being Ireland, were more then a little behind the times on this and its not just the Burren that needs attention. Many of our eskers and other important natural grasslands have also been neglected and have lost species diversity due to scrub and rank grass encroachment.

When attempting conservation grazing its important that it is carefully planned so as the desired results are deleivered - no point in eliminating one problem and creating another one!!. The NPWS may be of assistance here and should have access to professionals in the area who would be only too willing to assist on a voluntary basis:)

5live

blue5000 wrote: »

I wonder could we convince brussels that out-wintered cattle release less methane, and also less carbon dioxide from making silage, feeding and spreading slurry?

Ah... No i think the answer would be. Teagasc have tonnes of science and proven fact going in for the new nitrates plan up against opinion and misguided belief systems(green policies?). Who do you think will win? Somehow my money is not going on the facts and science:(

Username John

A slight digression - but what are the requirements for outwintering?

We have a 'glen' that was used for outwintering cattle years ago. Its all ovegrown with bushes, but its good and dry and sheltery, and was good for the job.

Just wondering is it even possible to do this again. Or is it one of those cases, where it is possible, you just need 10acres/cow with a lie-back of another 30acres/cow, to meet the requirements

(Am in REPS, so its a non-runner at the minute, but just curious as to what the rules are now)

bogman_bass

as far as I know, as long as you dont cause any poaching you can fire ahead (though you still need storage for dairy cattle)
not poaching around the feeder would be the trick

Casinoking

5live wrote: »

Ah... No i think the answer would be. Teagasc have tonnes of science and proven fact going in for the new nitrates plan up against opinion and misguided belief systems(green policies?). Who do you think will win? Somehow my money is not going on the facts and science:(

The current nitrates plan was drawn up on the back of Teagasc recommendations in the first place so I wouldn't be relying on them too heavily if I were you

blue5000

Casinoking wrote: »

The current nitrates plan was drawn up on the back of Teagasc recommendations in the first place so I wouldn't be relying on them too heavily if I were you

I thought you were going to say 'The current nitrates plan was drawn up on the back of a brown envelope in the first place so I wouldn't be relying on them too heavily if I were you':cool:

lalababa

Would be interested in hearing from burren farmers and the likes about their and traditional methods farming on limestone especially outwintering. For example what age of animal can be outwintered , when to have calfing etc. Many thanks

Limestone Cowboy

lalababa wrote: »

Would be interested in hearing from burren farmers and the likes about their and traditional methods farming on limestone especially outwintering. For example what age of animal can be outwintered , when to have calfing etc. Many thanks

We outwinter everything but ideally you shouldn't be putting cattle that are teething to the winterage, they will struggle to graze the wirey grass. Weanlings will be fine if they are getting enough meal. Cows normally are put to the winterage at the end of October and kept there until March/April depending on the weather in spring. Cows really need to be getting some meal from Febuary on when tgey are getting heavy in calf. I'd say the miidle of February to middle of May would be when the vast majority of calves are born with most people aiming for Paddys day, would be some lads with sheds that would start grazing the winterage earlier and would be calving earlier aswell but they wouldn't be going back to the winterage after calving. Nearly all suckler cows on the winterages now, it used to be different back before the 30 month limit and they were used more to graze agey store bullocks up to 3 years old before they were sent up the country to be finished but there's only two farmers I can think off still operating that system now. Anything else just ask.

kk.man

It was practiced widely throughout the country years ago...out wintering that is. Then slatted sheds arrived and that was the start of the end.
Fellas that did it had a much better profit margin than todays farmers as the cow was cheap to keep. Weaklings were much hardier and wilder. Old people said you would have better cattle.
Not everyone had the land suitable for it though.

lakill Farm

kk.man wrote: »

It was practiced widely throughout the country years ago...out wintering that is. Then slatted sheds arrived and that was the start of the end.
Fellas that did it had a much better profit margin than todays farmers as the cow was cheap to keep. Weaklings were much hardier and wilder. Old people said you would have better cattle.
Not everyone had the land suitable for it though.

outwintered cattle for 2 years here, on land I had taken that had a serious dry yard and loads of shelter. the land was wet and boggy so they had maybe 3/4 to 1 acre of land and 1 acre around house and yard.

it was great. bale every 2nd day and meal everyday. they did better than cattle inside at home. lad renting it got greedy and I kicked on it and for 2 years now he hasn't let it.

Pidae.m

lakill Farm wrote: »

outwintered cattle for 2 years here, on land I had taken that had a serious dry yard and loads of shelter. the land was wet and boggy so they had maybe 3/4 to 1 acre of land and 1 acre around house and yard.

it was great. bale every 2nd day and meal everyday. they did better than cattle inside at home. lad renting it got greedy and I kicked on it and for 2 years now he hasn't let it.

He must be starved.

lab man

If the see u making a bit of money or doing any better than them on their land they'll try screwing you..in my experience