Changes to benefit the environment...

Fluppen

Great thread.

I have 100 acres/40 hectares divided into 26 fields all separated by natural hedgerows, everything is low input permanent pasture or traditional hay meadow. My stocking rate is low 0.45LuH, just horses. I was in GLAS but I was kicked out over a blip in my membership of the CPBS.
My horses are out grazing all year and I make hay, FYM is spread wherever hay has ben made.

Out of the 40hectares I get BPS on 33. About 5 of those lost hectares are natural habitat, the two biggest chunks being a mostly hazel woodland and a wetland area. Each year I lose some more area on my BPS payment due to what they interpret as encroaching hedgerows, in some cases they are right (and these are left for the yearly harvest of blackberries) but in most it's just overhang from the growing trees in the hedgerows. The hedgerows are a mix of Hazel, Sycamore(more than I'd like), Crab apple, Gorse, Alder, Oak(less than I'd like), Ash, white and black thorn, and other things I don't know.

Firewood to reduce the oil needed for heating comes from any trees that overhang too much or branches that prevent me getting in at the edge of the field with the tractor.

So my question is, where lies the best balance between making a living, maintaining good farmland, maintaining/improving wildlife, maintaining/improving natural hedgerows and maintaining whatever payments I can get to help me do the above?

N.B. I am doing the Green Cert and have a Teagasc advisor but neither are particularly useful when it comes to wildlife or non intensive farming.

yosemitesam1

Fluppen wrote: »

Great thread.

I have 100 acres/40 hectares divided into 26 fields all separated by natural hedgerows, everything is low input permanent pasture or traditional hay meadow. My stocking rate is low 0.45LuH, just horses. I was in GLAS but I was kicked out over a blip in my membership of the CPBS.
My horses are out grazing all year and I make hay, FYM is spread wherever hay has ben made.

Out of the 40hectares I get BPS on 33. About 5 of those lost hectares are natural habitat, the two biggest chunks being a mostly hazel woodland and a wetland area. Each year I lose some more area on my BPS payment due to what they interpret as encroaching hedgerows, in some cases they are right (and these are left for the yearly harvest of blackberries) but in most it's just overhang from the growing trees in the hedgerows. The hedgerows are a mix of Hazel, Sycamore(more than I'd like), Crab apple, Gorse, Alder, Oak(less than I'd like), Ash, white and black thorn, and other things I don't know.

Firewood to reduce the oil needed for heating comes from any trees that overhang too much or branches that prevent me getting in at the edge of the field with the tractor.

So my question is, where lies the best balance between making a living, maintaining good farmland, maintaining/improving wildlife, maintaining/improving natural hedgerows and maintaining whatever payments I can get to help me do the above?

N.B. I am doing the Green Cert and have a Teagasc advisor but neither are particularly useful when it comes to wildlife or non intensive farming.

There's nothing wrong with cutting or laying hedges on a rotational basis to keep them from encroaching

Muckit

Anyone know what this is please? I have it growing in the same spot of a drain every year. Fabulous in April.

Have loads of primroses growing in by the ditches too.

Incidently how come you don't see cowslips anymore?

PoorFarmer

Muckit wrote:

Anyone know what this is please? I have it growing in the same spot of a drain every year. Fabulous in April.

Think it might be marsh marigold

Muckit

PoorFarmer wrote: »

Think it might be marsh marigold

God that was quick!! And judging by other photos on Google l would say u are spot on. Thanks!!

PoorFarmer

Plenty marsh here for the marigolds

endainoz

Fluppen wrote:

So my question is, where lies the best balance between making a living, maintaining good farmland, maintaining/improving wildlife, maintaining/improving natural hedgerows and maintaining whatever payments I can get to help me do the above?

I know the scheme is currently closed, but you do sound like an ideal candidate for the organic scheme, if you have animals out all year round, you don't have to make allowances for housing like I had to and you didn't mention anything about spreading chemical fert or spraying so sounds like it could suit you perfectly. As I said the scheme is currently closed but keep an eye out in the future, seems to be the way things will go anyway.

Birdnuts

Muckit wrote: »

Anyone know what this is please? I have it growing in the same spot of a drain every year. Fabulous in April.

Have loads of primroses growing in by the ditches too.

Incidently how come you don't see cowslips anymore?

Have noticed myself that they are now very scarce West of the Shannon. In contrast they still seem to be thriving on alot of mixed farmland and roadsides etc. around the Naas area of North Kildare where I'm from originally. Incidently they are now classed as a "Protected Plant" under law in NI, which suggests they have gone very scarce there too

gozunda

Lots of cuckoo flower in the fields atm

https://www.first-nature.com/flowers/cardamine-pratensis.php

And funny enough I was out early the other morning and heard the first Cuckoo. They always seem to return to the same area each year on a heavily wooded dry bank.

The messy house Martins are back and shouting the place down and fighting for nesting space...

Muckit

gozunda wrote: »

Lots of cuckoo flower in the upper fields atm

https://www.first-nature.com/flowers/cardamine-pratensis.php

And funny enough I was out early the other morning and heard the first Cuckoo. They always seem to return to the same area each year on a heavily wooded dry bank.

The messy house Martins are back and shouting the place down and fighting for nesting space...

I have loads of those flowers too on my LIPP. Didn't know what they were either!

Have a house Martin's nest here stuck up near the eaves on East side

kollegeknight

Roen wrote: »

Any luck with these? I've thrown down about 400 in the garden after prepping the soil and literally not one single seed has germinated. Planted about 6 weeks ago.

Not one germinated. I threw out a few boxes of wild flower seed yesterday. We used a cloche a few weeks ago for a fairy garden for the small lady and they’re flying up so we widened our scope.

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Got half an acre ploughed for a vegetable garden and plan on putting a load of wild flower seeds on the margins.

There's a pair of pheasants in the field as well.

Local farmer offered me cash to grow spuds/swedes next year but that would mean my grass field is gone for a few years (3 1/2 acres) at the back of the house.
Will think about it. 2 years of usage and he puts fertiliser etc into it. I then get to reseed it and have nice fresh grass.

Might be worth it.

Base price

gozunda wrote: »

Lots of cuckoo flower in the fields atm

https://www.first-nature.com/flowers/cardamine-pratensis.php

And funny enough I was out early the other morning and heard the first Cuckoo. They always seem to return to the same area each year on a heavily wooded dry bank.

The messy house Martins are back and shouting the place down and fighting for nesting space...

Muckit wrote: »

I have loads of those flowers too on my LIPP. Didn't know what they were either!

Have a house Martin's nest here stuck up near the eaves on East side

I didn't know what those flowers were either. I haven't heard the cuckoo but I only ever hear him when footing turf in the bog and the bog is too wet for cutting yet. We have plenty of swallows and house martins at the house and yard. The first pair of swallows to arrive are already sitting on eggs. The newer arrivals are still doing repairs their old nests.

80sDiesel

Yeah I have a load of those flowers. I go by the name milkmaids. First year in decades that the place I took over has had no animals on it. Should see some variety of grasses too.

For wildflowers u really have to open up the sward.i sowned some yellow rattle last autumn and they are coming up nicely. They are a semi parasic plant so tame back the grass ( especially rye) . Will let them reseed this year and then begin to add some wildflower mixes. I have done that on just one acre for now so that I can control it better.

80sDiesel

Here is something I learned today. Anyone here heard of cockchafers.

I was digging up some docks and kept coming across white grubs. After some research I found they are larvea of the cockchafer Beetle. Apparently they feed of roots and stay under great for 4/5 years and then emerge as better.

The larvae are supposed to be fantastic as bait for trout fishing.

Base price

80sDiesel wrote: »

Here is something I learned today. Anyone here heard of cockchafers.

I was digging up some docks and kept coming across white grubs. After some research I found they are larvea of the cockchafer Beetle. Apparently they feed of roots and stay under great for 4/5 years and then emerge as better.

The larvae are supposed to be fantastic as bait for trout fishing.

I don't know much about beetles/bugs etc but adult cockchafers are really pretty -

gozunda

Base price wrote: »

I don't know much about beetles/bugs etc but adult cockchafers are really pretty -

There mad looking yokes with feathery antennae and quite big too. They will swarm on warm summer nights and are attracted to light.

Base price

gozunda wrote: »

There mad looking yokes with feathery antennae and quite big too. They will swarm on warm summer nights and are attracted to light.

Are they the ones that whack into your head on a calm Summer evening when it gets dusky and your on the way back to the house after herding. Here is a even nicer pic -

gozunda

Base price wrote: »

Are they the ones that whack into your head on a calm Summer evening when it gets dusky and your on the way back to the house after herding. Here is a even nicer pic -

That's them. Mad yokes. The larvae can be a problem in fancy lawns and golf courses afaik.

Base price

gozunda wrote: »

That's them. Mad yokes. The larvae can be a problem in fancy lawns and golf courses afaik.

When I was younger I used to have long hair and occasionally they would get caught in it which wasn't as bad as a bat getting caught in it :eek:

As an aside, around 12 years ago my brother built a small extension to my late Uncles house in Longford and within a year or so bats moved in. They arrive in Spring and stay well into the Autumn. They do their bat thing and hang outta of the eves. Unfortunately he found two dead on the floor a couple of weeks ago after the cold spell.

Any idea what type of bats the are.

gozunda

Base price wrote: »

When I was younger I used to have long hair and occasionally they would get caught in it which wasn't as bad as a bat getting caught in it :eek:

As an aside, around 12 years ago my brother built a small extension to my late Uncles house in Longford and within a year or so bats moved in. They arrive in Spring and stay well into the Autumn. They do their bat thing and hang outta of the eves. Unfortunately he found two dead on the floor a couple of weeks ago after the cold spell.

Any idea what type of bats the are.

Afaik theres a couple of different species in Ireland. There was a bat group that used to ask permission to check out some old buildings, but havn't seen them in a couple of years. They had a 'bat box' which I think picked up sonar so they could track the bats at dusk.

Base price

gozunda wrote: »

Afaik theres a couple of different species in Ireland. There was a bat group that used to ask permission to check out some old buildings, but havn't seen them in a couple of years. They had a 'bat box' which I think picked up sonar so they could track the bats at dusk.

At the time I paid for a download app thingie for the phone that was supposed to identify their sonar calls/sounds but it didn't work.

My brother never finished off the room where the bats are hanging over as at the time he didn't want to disturb them. He then discovered that they produce lots of of small mouse size pellets/****s - there is no ceiling/plaster board in the room.

I think one of the dead bats fell onto the widow sill and is still there. I will take a pic during the week.

Base price

As mentioned by Say my name on Chit Chat, tonight/this morning is the Dawn Chorus and is broadcast live on RTE1 - Mooney Goes Wild.
Listening to it now I didn't realise that Tory Island is the main corncrake habitat in Ireland where they heard two males and one hen. It's awfully sad that we don't have them around any more.

I was talking to a elderly neighbour and he reckons that he hasn't heard the corncrake in over twenty years. I haven't heard one since I was a child. Farming in this area hasn't changed much since then other than small dairy farms converting to sucklers during the 80's - so I wonder what has changed.

Lime Tree Farm

I have only heard the cuckoo once this year.

and have only seen one or two swallows flying around the farm yard.

Anyone else noticed their reduced numbers ?

Dinzee Conlee

Lime Tree Farm wrote: »

I have only heard the cuckoo once this year.

and have only seen one or two swallows flying around the farm yard.

Anyone else noticed their reduced numbers ?

Good few swallows around here, they have taken up residence in the shed...

Fcuking bats in the garage - I wish they’d leave...

No cuckoo here, but I don’t know if I have ever heard one here. Never remember a summer where I didn’t hear one in my home place about 30 mins away...

80sDiesel

Yep swallows here. They come back every year.I was watching them feeding over a rush area yesterday.

80sDiesel

Base price wrote: »

I was talking to a elderly neighbour and he reckons that he hasn't heard the corncrake in over twenty years. I haven't heard one since I was a child. Farming in this area hasn't changed much since then other than small dairy farms converting to sucklers during the 80's - so I wonder what has changed.

Isn't it because of early hay cuts and sileage cuts. They need the grass longer for longer to nest.

80sDiesel

I have a Hare on my place too. Also hides in the same area so I can nearly walk up to him before he flees. Not too pleased with the trees he destroyed that I planted in winter.

gozunda

Lime Tree Farm wrote: »

I have only heard the cuckoo once this year.

and have only seen one or two swallows flying around the farm yard.

Anyone else noticed their reduced numbers ?

There still arriving afaik. I think their journey from Africa can sometimes be delayed due to prevailing winds or weather. That said the same ones come back each year so anything could happens en route I suppose.

Say my name

gozunda wrote: »

There still arriving afaik. I think their journey from Africa can sometimes be delayed due to prevailing winds or weather. That said the same ones come back each year so anything could happens en route I suppose.

There's talk the Europeans are shooting swallows for sport. Namely in Italy and Spain.

There was a few shooters turned up in this country from Italy one time and were shooting anything that moves. So I'd well believe it. I wouldn't see any sport or pleasure in that myself.