Neil Davies – Precision Grazing really does bring a pot of gold!
The decision to come back to the family farm was an easy one for Neil Davies, sheep and beef farmer from Llangammach Wells, “because once you sell the farm you will never get it back”, and he didn’t want that that happen. A partial return 15 years ago, whilst still working as a carpenter, saw long days and so 12 years ago the decision was made to farm full time.
Neil was very busy following the same system as his grandparents; 50 Belgium Blue x Lim suckler cows and 2000 ewes, kept on the Epynt, lambing at home and taking lambs through to finish.
Having moved to live on the farm 4 years ago, Neil and his wife Sian started to think about making changes to the traditional system. Lack of labour was a key driver for them to seek to build efficiency and ease of management into the system. Traditionally lambing and calving took place at the same time however too much time was being spent with the cows mean lambing performance suffered.
Angus cattle on precision grazed paddocks
Hiring out his shed to Farming Connect for an on-farm event was the catalyst of change. Neil is a keen participant in farm walks and discussions groups and was interested in becoming a Farming Connect demonstration farm; with emphasis on making the most from grass, slurry and re-seeding trials. This was also an excellent opportunity to take the advice and guidance from Precision Grazing to improve their farming system.
One of the most important things for me is to see with my own eyes how someone else is doing it, and to learn from their mistakes and triumphs.
Neil had been following a 5-year re-seeding regime and had improved his swards with a ryegrass, clover mix, but felt the grass was not being utilised properly. This is where working with Sarah from Precision Grazing offered an opportunity to step back from the day to day work, review objectives and implement a system that put pasture first.
Sarah Morgan says “The first step to change was aligning the enterprises on farm to match the pasture growth curve as closely as possible, maximising the amount of grazed grass utilised. This involved using farm management software FARMAX to produce a number of scenarios and analyse which would suit the farm going forward best, in terms of production, profitability and sustainability. To utilise the pasture and reduce the peak work load the suckler herd was dispersed, and a dairy beef system was set-up with 150 Angus X dairy calves arriving weaned in the spring and being taken through to finish at 20-22 months.”
Once a plan for the type of livestock enterprises was in place, Sarah then assessed the existing fields and infrastructure to design a low cost but effective paddock system ensuring paddock sizes were as even as possible with a plan for access water.
Sarah from Precision Grazing has worked with Neil to help him get the best from his grazing.
We had quite a few small fields already, so we’ve kept them the same but split the bigger ones into paddocks, especially the 18 acre fields!
The previous system saw fields being set stocked, with sheep grazing for 2 weeks before being moved on, the sheep were selective and grass went to seed. Turning to a rotational grazing system sees the grass being grazed quickly and evenly, allowing the plants to then recover before being re-grazed again once they have fully replenished leaf and root reserves. This has seen the quality and yields of the pastures improve and allowed the percentage of clover in swards to increase.
Another advantage of the regular move is less poaching, the cattle aren’t standing around field corners and gateways, and on the wetter days the cattle are moved every 12 hours. The system offers flexibility and is adapted to weather and time constraints.
It’s easy to work out the grass demand and therefore area required for grazing each day for 150 cattle on farm for 12 months, it’s been more complicated with the sheep, but having Precision Grazing at the end of the phone has been a great help in making it work.
Precision Grazing came in and looked at the whole farm, from the hill down to the farm ground. One of the main changes was to reduce the number of livestock groups on the farm and ‘mob up’ existing livestock into larger groups allowing for reduced labour and more effective grazing pressure.
We still set stock at lambing, but when they are about 5 weeks old we bunch them up into bigger groups and start them rotating. This has eased management and allowed us to reduce the need for so much subdivision. Initially I was worried about stock performance in larger groups, but they have exceeded expectations.
Cattle growth rates are monitored throughout the grazing season, aiding decision making and provide confidence that the cattle are performing. This year they averaged 0.9kg Liveweight per day on pasture alone which Neil was very pleased with considering the dry summer. The focus has moved away from sale price per head to margin per head and per ha.
Multi-Cut silage is fed when they are housed along with a whole crop forage, minimal blend is mixed in as they move away from feeding concentrates. They are then turned out to grass the following spring or sold when they reach their ideal store weight of 500kg.
I’m pleased with the cattle they’ve averaged 0.9DLG over the summer, we made some lovely silage so I hope this will push them over the winter. I was worried going from 50 sucklers to a 150 Angus X but they really fit well alongside the sheep and there is a lot less labour involved.
The paddock system is set up each year in January, using the Rappa fence system, to ensure it is ready to go from April onwards. Most of the fields are split into 2ha paddocks, fencing is easily removed when the silage fields are closed, or as like this year, a field of turnips have been planted. 3 strands of wire are used to ensure that flexibility for cattle and sheep to graze the system.
Heads down as the Angus X cattle enjoy their move onto fresh grazing.
Water was the biggest problem for Neil, however working with Precision Grazing and mapping out the paddocks and trough locations has made this doable. Previously mains fed water troughs were in the field corners so these were moved and now service multiple paddocks.
Using permanent troughs, although a greater investment, keeps the system simple, which is a must for us when we are busy during lambing, we know everything for the cattle is set up and ready to go.
Having Precision Grazing come in and look at the whole farm made Neil look at the farm differently, instead of seeing fields that were ‘just’ for calving cows, or some ‘old pasture’ just for a few ewes, every field is now part of the farm and not looked at in isolation, it has become a whole and the positive changes in those fields are already noticeable from using the paddock grazing system.
The farms PH levels have improved since using this system, from averaging low 5s, most of the fields are now up to a 6 – 6.5. The increase has been a result of spreading lime and paddock grazing which sees organic matter and improved phosphate and potassium indexes through the livestock doing the work of leaving their muck behind evenly distributed across the field.
There is still room for improvement, our P & K indexes are around 2, but we are definitely going in the right direction. It is 4 years since Farming Connect did a whole farm soil sampling, it will be interesting to see the changes.
Having the Precision Grazing team on board has seen Neil make less mistakes than if he started paddock grazing on his own, watching online tutorials can take you so far, but having the help and advice at the kitchen table will take you further.
Get advice from day one. Looking back it is something I should have done, regardless of being a Farming Connect demo farm. This is a big change to your farming system, so it’s worth getting it right.
Neil is now confident in using both Agrinet (Pasture measurement programme) and Farmax (Farm Management) hand in hand to assess the quantity of pasture on the farm and forward plan key decisions to ensure he has sufficient feed looking ahead.
It helps me have a clearer picture of where I will be and what actions I need to take such as, housing stock, supplement feeding or to sell stock. This saves me a lot of time and minimises procrastination!
Measuring and monitoring the pasture available, moving the stock regularly and resting the paddocks for >35 days, set the farm up in a good position for when the rain arrived following the dry summer of 2022.
How we are using the farm has changed quite a bit, we are making use of fields we once overlooked, and making the bigger fields into paddocks has really improved grass growth in them.
The most challenging part of changing to a new system was for Neil to ‘get his head around it’, working out stocking rates and having more cattle on the farm. Having Precision Grazing to help with advice and guidance made it a doable change.
Neil feels the return on his investment of time and attending meetings is ‘massive’ and a figure really can’t be put on it. He knows he is fortunate to have received this as being a Farming Connect demo farm, but the investment into setting up the system, taking the time to grass measure and use the apps has so many benefits to him and the business.
I would never go back to what we were doing before
Being part of a Prosper from Pasture discussion group and Welsh Pasture Project, run by Precision Grazing has been an important part of the journey, being able to speak and meet with other farmers who are facing the same problems, means Neil has not felt alone during this time, which was especially important during the dry summer and knowing they were all facing the same issues.
Losing the BPS is a concern, and Neil feels he is not yet there in terms of farming without it, however the new system means he can carry a lot more stock and selling the 150 head of cattle yearly ensures more income.
We are definitely in a better position than we were 4 years ago. Using the paddock grazing system means we are managing the grass better which results in higher yields which in turn has meant we can produce more to sell with less inputs
The next five years will see Neil concentrate on getting water into all the paddocks, look to split them even more, start with some herbal leys and to improve on what he has already done.
I will never for back to that system, going forward we are going to build on what we have achieved and make it even better.
Farm Facts
260 Acres owned / 230 Rented
Common rights for 2000 breeding ewes plus followers
600 Texel x / Mules – lambing January- March
1400 Epynt Hardy Speckle ewes – lambing April
150 Angus x Dairy finishers
Grass mix – Various but mainly Wynnstay mid-term ryegrass mixes
Standing 1400ft up on the hill watching 700 sheep run into new paddock, heads down grazing within minutes is an impressive sight. Knowing that the whole move took less than 15 minutes, including fence down, sheep through, water trough moved, fence up meaning Tom can head home to have the rest of the day free to get on with other jobs is even more impressive!
After a dry summer seeing grass that had ‘looked like a desert’ only weeks before, being greened up with ewes putting on flushing condition is even better. Going from worrying about how to out-winter sheep without creating a muddy pit to a planned grazing system where sheep out-winter on differed grass and bales, whist lambing fields are rested ready for ewes in April is a great testament to the positive impact Tom has seen.
Tom Burge, 4th generation farmer at Oaremead Farm on the Exmoor coast, had left the farm to become an engineer but the farm called him back. 6 months in New Zealand was spent seeing forage-based sheep systems and on his return Tom knew he faced a cross road, taking these new learnings, a new road was travelled. Tom took over the sheep enterprise, his parents main passion being the cattle, he was left to make his mark. Introducing a NZ Highlander ram and Romney ewes into the system, to improve the genetics, increase lambing percentage from less but more productive ewes.
I achieved this pretty quickly, within 3 to 4 years, I was producing more live lambs, more kilos of live weight but then I hit a point and couldn’t get above it.
Tom started to look at the quality of feed he was putting in front of the sheep, and he turned to fertiliser. A few years in, his fert rep, Sandy Campbell came to tell him he was joining a new company called Precision Grazing, and that there was another way to improve forage quality– paddock grazing. Wanting to grow grass without fertiliser interested Tom, and he became one of Precision Grazing first customers.
Ewes paddock grazing, semi- permanent fence and Kiwitech posts, set up weekly.
Working together they set out to trial 150 acres on the big upland fields; the land was GPS mapped and marked out to 0.1ha, to make it easy to divide into 1ha paddocks. 3 wire permanent electric fencing, using Kiwitech Arrow Posts was erected down the middle of each field with a 25mm water pipe laid on the surface underneath the fence with quick release hydrants every 200m.
I tend to run 1ha paddocks, it just makes it so much easier for myself.
Starting with a mob of 250 ewes and moving them every 2-3 days he soon saw the benefits of the new grass growth growing behind them.
I was convinced straight away and knew we had to get more land into the paddock grazing system.
Tom has kept to the 1ha paddocks but has increased the size of his mobs, post weaning he will run 700 ewes in a flock which are moved more frequently, leaving longer rest periods.
Ewes have put on condition after a hard dry summer, ready for flushing
Tom’s next challenge for James was to get the ewes out-wintered and move to outdoor lambing. Previously in the winter all the field gates would be opened, and the ewes given a free rein of the farm, resulting in a muddy pit, with ewes tracking through gateways to find grass.
I knew I wanted to lamb outdoors but there just wasn’t the grass for them in the spring.
Under this management there was no grass for outdoor lambing; instead there were the high costs of indoor lambing including labour and feeding cake. Moving animals regularly through the paddocks has increased pasture growth with some of this carried forward as differed grass for winter. Adding in some silage bales has meant that the lower farm fields were closed after they had been used for tupping, giving them a 4month rest before the ewes came back down to do a pre-lambing rotation before being set stocked in April.
When the ewes came down to lamb the grass behind them up on the hill was already recovering – thanks to the paddock system – I am convinced this is the way forward.
James gave Tom the confidence to move away from feeding 50+ ton of concentrate, knowing he had enough grass for ewes and lambs. This is massive cost saving to the farm along with the ‘hidden’ costs of labour, machinery and time saved.
We actually have less problems lambing outdoors, the lambs aren’t picking up bacteria and our losses have reduced.
As well as the permanent electric fencing Tom started with just 2 x 300m 3 wire Kiwitech temporary fences, moving them leap frog style to create paddocks for the ewes. This did make the job harder, as fencing had to be moved every couple of days, but it proved the system would work with minimal investment. Tom soon bought more equipment and now has 14 x 300m 3 wire kits. One day a week is set aside to set up the next weeks fences, this is done with Josh, their stockman which means they both know the coming weeks moves, giving Tom the confidence to leave the farm knowing there is a plan in place.
Seeing the new grass shoots growing, improving the grass quality, achieving higher yields and seeing ‘new’ old grass species come back to these permanent leys has really opened Toms eyes.
We are seeing better water infiltration, we aren’t seeing the run-off the hills anymore, and if there is some, it will be caught by the paddock below, it’s no longer running down the road.
Better water infiltration, more earthworms and better soil biology all lead to the farm faring well over the extended dry spring and summer. The grass recovered quickly after the first bit of rain, due to its rest, enabled by planned grazing and weaning early to get the ewes up onto the upland grazing so the lambs could have the best pasture.
There was no market for early store lambs, so I had to keep them and prioritise them until the market came back. To achieve this we culled out the older cows and leaner ewes to reduce our feed demand. This also protected ewe body condition and helped to ensure we have enough grass on farm for winter and a successful spring.
The rotations were slowed down, but whereas other farms were opening all the gates, Tom kept to the paddock grazing, making sure they didn’t go back to the same place too quickly.
The beauty of paddock grazing is the flexibility it offers, enabling you to adapt to the conditions, be they dry or wet, long swards or short swards. Tom started with 21-day rest periods but now pushes them to 30-35-day rest periods depending on the paddock.
Some fields are just naturally slower to recover than others.
Toms knowledge of his land has grown since using this system, helped by James and Sandy to get the system in place and learning from them, Tom is keen to keep splitting the paddocks more and create more moves for the sheep.
Water has been key to the system and Tom, with his engineer hat on, has devised the systems, taking advantage of streams, springs and bore holes. Making his own solar panel water pump; moving water 100ft up hill, watered 40 cows and 250 ewes throughout the summer. Water is fed from source, to holding tanks, along blue pipe and into Kiwitech quick release hydrants and moveable troughs.
The savings are huge when you invest time and money into water, it allows you to concentrate on the animals and paddock rotations. When you finally stop using fertiliser it makes it worth it.
Once spreading 50 ton of fertiliser Tom has gradually reduced this amount to 0 tonnes thanks to the changes in grazing management. Removing the use of chemicals has helped improve the soil biology resulting in increased pasture growth. Tom has introduced little wins, grazing the sheep on the top of the hill in the day and moving them to steep fields at night, for them to drop their dung and build the organic matter on fields which is the past have seen soil depletion from soil run off in high rainfalls.
Knowing his costs is important and he uses a farm account management programme and spreadsheet for budgeting, inputting predicted and then actual costs throughout the year to show how much each lamb needs to make, identifying where savings can be made and guiding investment for that year.
I like to know what things are costing me and the time spent on the computer is invaluable. It also makes me thinks of new ways to do things to save money.
On the hill round hay bales are lined up, for the suckler cows to out-winter on. Still under the control of his father, Tom is keen to see them calve outside in the future, but in the meantime, he has them out-wintering until they are housed for calving in February. The hay will be rolled out to be eaten and trampled, to add organic matter and seed back into the soil.
When I first did it my neighbours thought I was crazy, but the most rewarding thing is now seeing them do it.
Bales have been positioned ready for winter grazing.
Taking everyone on the journey can be difficult, your vision is not everyone’s, and long-standing systems can be hard to change, as humans we fear the unknown. However, Tom has worked out that by planting a seed in his parents’ mind, water and care for it, will see it eventually come to fruition.
It took a bit for my parents to get their head around the new sheep system, but now they love it.
As farmers it is too easy to fall into the trap of being too busy, a place that Tom knows well, however like Tom, you have to find a way to do it, not necessarily all by yourself but with help from James and his team. Learning from others and creating a flexible adapted system is what Precision Grazing bring with them, the knowledge and access to other people who are also facing the same challenges and great rewards as you. Creating a hub of people around you, maybe not geographically but via technology means you are not alone. There are answers and reassurance at the end of the phone.
Tom is now at another cross road, he has seen the positive changes that paddock grazing has made to farm, better and more quality grass, improved soil biology and water infiltration, his brain has expanded and he wants more; organic, regenerative, getting the whole farm in the system. Putting hedges back, planting trees for shelter belts are all on the part of the future of Oaremead Farm.
Start small, but start, contact James come for a farm visit, but start and grow the system. Seeing that fresh growth within a few days is the lightbulb moment and it is addictive.
In the grand scheme of things this is a low-cost system, with big savings. Cutting back on fertiliser and feed and using the BPS to get this system in place is time and money well spent.
Having got through one of his toughest farming years, weather wise, Tom knows this is a system that works and is excited about where he can go next. A growing interest in soil, carbon storage and regenerative agriculture, he hopes to increase cattle numbers on the farm and create a premium mutton from his Scotch Blackfaced ewes.
This system has helped Tom adapt, the system and himself. Being less reliant on the inputs gives you back control, and if there ever was a true word ‘less is more’.
Looking for new ideas to make things simpler on farm has seen Tom start using Bokashi to compost the cattle manure. Sprinkled onto the straw beds, Bokashi ferments the muck and aids its decomposition, stored under cover, the composting process speeds up the breakdown of the muck and straw, reduces the quantity and produces a better end product to go back out on the field, helping store more carbon and nutrients.
Farm Facts
1150 Romney x ewes
500 scotch blackface ewes and wethers
100 Angus suckler cows
North Exmoor – looking over Bristol channel
Farm yard – 750-1400ft (230-420m) – runs up to 1400ft
Average rainfall – 62-66” (1600-1700ml)
Soils – Peat on the hill – down to a sandy loam
Aim – to build up organic matter on the steep hills to improve overall farm productivity. Selling Exmoor Premium Mutton for scotch blackface and in time selling our own beef.
Joining the farming partnership on this 3rd generation Devonshire farm, was a great opportunity for Chris, but did start the question of Why are we doing it like this? Legally bound to sign off the accounts he started to question the finances and realised that without the BPS they were not looking good. Why?
We were a ‘traditional’ farm, Continental X South Devon suckler herd, early lambing Dorset & Suffolk X ewes, spring lambing mules, feed, fert, heavy carcass weights, always busy but looking back totally inefficient.
Further talks with his YFC and college peers, the question of why are we working long hard hours, when others are working less for a better income, really started to be questioned.
Not one to sit still, Chris won a farming scholarship to New Zealand and this was the ‘lightbulb’ moment he needed, seeing forage based systems with 1 man running 4000 sheep whilst him and his father worked hard with 600 really hit home, there was a better, simpler way of doing things. On coming home Chris was keen to make changes, starting with the sheep genetics.
He bought in a couple New Zealand Highlander rams; forage based, hardy out-door lambing genetics, he was crossed onto 160 Mule ewes. With something to prove and a positive mindset, Chris saw a successful first lambing, which was the catalyst of change.
Ewes enjoying the plantain!
Next were the cattle, a move to an Angus x South Devon meant a hardy, polled, lighter, easier calving cow, which could finish well, without the high inputs of creep feed. A welcomed move away from the heavy continental finished at 24-30 months who spent most of their life growing a frame to eventually put the 400kg desired weight on to.
We didn’t jump in all at once, it was a gradual change, as we had more questions, but we found answers from people doing the job well.
Conversations, questioning, delving into the finances, all expand the mind, and see changes of opinions and ideas. It leads to questioning ‘is this the right way’? Is this the only way? These conversations and small moments in time led to gradual changes for Chris, for which he is grateful, making it fun to look at the farm again through different eyes and see what else can be done.
Signing up to the AHDB Benchmarking (https://farmbench.ahdb.org.uk) highlighted that later lambing looked better on paper, with the Highlander X sheep already in the system this was the evidence he needed to start finishing the lambs off grass and reduce reliance creep feed. The autumn suckler herd and arable were both working at a loss, the time had come to unleash the forage-based system Chris had been working towards!
Benchmarking is a really important tool for understanding your business, and the farming community is not good at doing this. Any decent business will have its focus on costs, as most of them haven’t got a subsidy to fall back on.
Chris started rotational grazing on his own, seeking answers from others already on the journey. Visits to other farmers, talking it through and seeing it with his own eyes saw him make a start. Having the gear and some idea but no plan for infrastructure Chris knew he needed help. Newly married with a baby on the way, Chris needed to up his rotational grazing game, so he could be focused and have more family time.
Bringing James from Precision Grazing into the farm business was a game changer, focusing the mind, setting Chris in the right direction and keeping him on track! James brought with a different perspective of the farm, answers to a growing list of questions and accountability.
Lambs being finished off herbal leys.
Measuring to manage the grass, benchmarking and creating a sustainable system that worked for the whole farm to ensure they could keep grass in-front of stock during the dry Devon summers, were the key aims for Precision Grazing and Chris to achieve.
Getting out on farm plate metering saw the utilisation of the FARMAX program but importantly saw Chris re-connecting with the farm, as he walked and measured the farm with his newborn son strapped to his chest.
Walking with him on my chest gave me a different feel for how life might be, especially for him and the farm – I just knew it was the right direction to be going in.
Next came herbal leys, to Chris they had been ‘a bunch of weeds’ until he discovered their value. The risks of the farm were the dry summers on free draining sandy soils, trying (with limited success) to finish lambs on summer brassicas and keep forage in front of the stock. James suggested herbal leys. Loving a trial Chris took out 8ha from the arable land and planted a mix of chicory, plantain, red and white clover, put the weaned lambs in at 26kg and weighing them off field a month later at 36kg – this was the ‘magic bullet’ the farm needed.
Herbal leys survived the dry summer and have come back with vengeance!
Requiring no fertiliser and being drought resilient, Chris was convinced to establish more and took the opportunity to do so under the Countryside Stewardship Mid-tier Scheme sowing a mix compliant mix of 5 grasses, 5 herbs, 5 legumes including 10% red clover. Herbal leys now account for 20% of the farm area, a target set by James as the minimum area needed to provide sufficient – summer safe grazing for finish lambs. This, combined with grazing management, has been a big game changer to the farm business.
The whole system is now geared towards soil biology which Chris knows is their biggest on farm asset. Farming with high fertiliser and chemical inputs will only make the soil more acidic which has a negative impact on soil health. No inputs, a grazing plan and growing herbal leys have seen a positive change to the soil health and organic matter levels.
These changes have also had a wider environmental impact, being part of a Carbon footprint case study, Chris was able to show that he has reduced his emission by 156ton of carbon a year. The reduction in inputs is also saving the business £47,000 a year whist production has increased – see below!
Impact (2018 vs 2021)
Inputs Reduced:
● Antibiotic usage from 186.35 mg/PCU to 43.13 mg/PCU (Saving £1012)
● Worth = £32,000 / year (£180/ha) (based on average of £4.5/kgDW)
Total Benefit = £440/ha/year!
This summer was a dry one, the last decent rain fell the day before lambing started, which was great for the lambing season, but as the dry weather continued, the grass growth slowed, and decisions had to be made. Lambs were weaned earlier, and priority grazed on the herbal leys, so they could be finished quickly. Cattle were shut up on silage.
Having a plan in place gave Chris the confidence to make these changes, knowing what covers he had going forward, ensured there was light at the end of the tunnel for this seasons grazing but also knowing he was making decisions to protect ewe condition to ensure a good scanning, preventing one tough year becoming two tough years.
The rain came at the end of September, and the rested fields and herbal leys were extremely quick to recover meaning the farm is now in a great positon heading into winter – a testament to what planned paddock grazing can achieve.
Chris feels 100% that he is in a positive place moving forward as the BPS declines and input costs increase, as he is able to farm without them, he has taken back the control and has enthusiasm and excitement for farming.
Knowing the finances are there to do something you love with a system you’ve been creating for 10 years really has given me back the excitement of farming.
Having Precision Grazing push him in the right direction has sped up the farms progression by 10 years. Having someone who has experience, a positive mindset and who Chris is accountable to was the right decision for him to take.
Going forward Chris is confident in his system, but is happy to not sit still as he is excited where the farm has come from and where it can go! Improving the infrastructure with some permanent electric fencing to split the largest fields in half will simplify the system and reduce labour further.
Advice for those thinking of changing their grazing system –
Be curious, don’t be afraid to try things, don’t expect them to fail – give it your all!
The future is certainly looking good for Higher Thornton farm, by moving to a system that feeds the soil biology, grows drought resistant plants and cuts out external inputs has given Chris the gift of control.
I have a low risk farm, good financial security and time to spend with my young family– it is all looking rosey!
Every generation of farmer has had different opportunities and therefore different decisions to make, be it taking advantage of grants to establish a suckler herd, to improving grazing land by making fields bigger or by introducing continental cross cattle. Today as subsidies and markets change many are taking it all back to basics and simplifying the system to improve profit and lifestyle.
Will Evans, 4th generation farmer at Hendreseifion near Machynlleth, along with his wife Nia and 3 young sons, is taking a different approach to the farm than his father and grandfather, wanting to work smarter, not harder whilst aiming to bring a better balance to the family, work, well-being and the bank balance as government incentives lessen and change.
‘I like to think we weren’t lazy before, but wonder if we were busy without needing to be THAT busy’.
10 years ago Will received a HCC Scholarship, which took him to South America to see cattle finished off grass, even then, something was not sitting right with him, one being that Australia, America and South America took our Hereford genetics to grow beef and finish off grass, and we moved to continental breeds and finished on concentrates. This started some changes on the farm, a move away from Lim X Belgium Blues to a Stabiliser suckler herd, tweaks to the sheep flock, and time ticked on and they continued to do their best.
Eventually Will invested his time, joining the Farming Connect ‘Profit from Pasture’ course which introduced him to James Daniel and Rhys Williams from Precision Grazing, along with other independent expert speakers on grassland and soils. the course really opened his eyes to what could be done with pasture.
Filled with confidence in Precision Grazing, Will knew they were the right team to bring onto the farm to help make the big changes required. The initial conversation of where the farm wanted to go and how PG could help them get there, saw some pretty bold thoughts; get rid of the suckler herd, sell the machinery, use contractors and most importantly; keep it simple.
‘We thought we had already narrowed our costs down, introducing the Stabiliser cow, finishing off grass, however by taking a whole systems approach Rhys has helped us get the input costs down even further’.
It’ll come now… next year it’ll come good
‘We felt we were on stand still going, nowhere’
They started by reviewing the accounts using Xero accounting software, which meant they could really dissect the costs of each enterprise down to the last £1 and determine what was actually making money. That was the start, Rhys helped them to make a plan based on improving grazing management and pasture productivity to off-set some of their input costs.
Precision Grazing really have the farm and families interests at heart, they have moved us forward and we feel we are now getting the rewards from our their hard work with the finances and farm in a much healthier place.
In his wildest dreams Will never thought he could bring Kiwi X dairy heifers to a block of land 800ft above sea level. Quite the view, the trees growing on an angle show the extremes, traditionally set stocked with sheep and cattle; finding water where they could, now it has been converted into a successful paddock grazing system which is about to go into its second rotation.
Kiwi X dairy heifers – B&B on the hill
The land had been rested for 2 months, which was longer than Will anticipated, so a good wedge had grown, but in hindsight this was invaluable during the dry summer we’ve had. Kiwitech fencing system was used, 3 strands of wire cutting the block in half, this semi-permeant fence provides power to feed a pair of temporary electric fences used to create the 1-2 day paddocks, the size of which is varied according to pasture available. Currently the 125 R2 heifers require 0.7ha per day. A 5000 litre water tank is fed from the spring, and blue pipe goes all the way down to the lower paddock, with Kiwitech water hydrants feeding off it, to feed 2 paddocks with 1 Kiwitech drag trough, this trough holds 100 litres and fills quickly. Having a smaller area to graze means the stock can drink whenever they want, as individuals, as opposed to a herd going off to drink together meaning this small trough can be used (providing flow rate is sufficient).
The difference in the 1st grazed and last grazed paddock is impressive. The last paddock has been grazed, trampled and residue left, the 1st paddock has fresh new growth, having taken advantage of nearly 2 months rest and soil organic matter built up from the trampled grasses, which have taken advantage of the little rain we’ve had.
Electric fence set up – with the help of Precision Grazing
‘I’m so excited to see what has been done in 2 months, I can’t wait to see what changes will have happened by next year’.
And here is the problem, excited farmers, literally watching the grass grow and improve before their eyes, for the benefit of them, their family, the livestock and their business. A problem, why may you ask, because with this new found freedom of time and finances, they can really get serious about making other beneficial changes and take back control over their farm.
You can’t manage the grassland if you don’t have the right infrastructure
This system is an investment, it does take time and money, it takes help and guidance to get it right, BUT, the benefits soon become apparent. A system that works, makes life easier, is dependable, safe, saves money, improves the health & fertility of your livestock and means investment can be made elsewhere in the business.
Rhys said working with us will cost X – but we’ll save you or make you at least double that to begin with! – once you start it creates a snowball and you are benefiting all the time from the advice received.
Will decided to meet with Precision Grazing once a month, either in person or on-line, as he wanted to make big changes to the business relatively quickly, allowing them to adapt to the situation that is a likely reduction of subsidy payments and rising input costs.
Having someone to hold your hand through the process and be accountable to, has been key in this process, from initial big ideas, setting up the paddock system, sharing data and taking the business forward, Rhys from Precision Grazing has been an integral team player, always wanting the best for Will, his family and farm business.
Another benefit of being part of Precision Grazing has been joining the discussion group, they’ve been benchmarking their figures, and being able to see where you can get to is inspiring Will and others, whilst being able to learn from each other and see what has worked and what hasn’t. The language used is also changing, looking at soil biology, as opposed to fertiliser, kilos and pounds per hectare, not pounds per hd. Focusing on pasture first changes the way you look at things and opens your eyes to new systems and a new way of thinking.
Reward yourself
Any job needs a reward, but that reward has been missing from farming for many years. Here is a system that you can reward yourself with a healthier bank balance, a better way of life, but it all needs to be earnt and worked at. Will knows how lucky he is to live here at Hendreseifion, the farm, the lifestyle, but he believes as farmers we need to stop taking it for granted;
‘You can’t just have it or be it, you have to work at it to be here and work the land and doing what we are doing is earning our place here’.
It does need to be financially viable; it needs to be worked at, smarter and simply, and this is what Precision Grazing can help you achieve.
Hearing Will say he has the love of farming again was so great to hear, taking pleasure from moving cows through the paddock system, and rearing an animal to the high spec the owner wants them, is making him very happy, coupled with a clear vision of where he now wants to go and how to create a healthy and sustainable business has bought the joy back into farming.
But this joy has been lost by many, continued stress the strains, feeling helpless, but as farmers you can take that power back, you CAN make positive changes to your business, you CAN change your mindset and you MUST so you can have a healthy, future proof, business.
Precision Grazing is a company that wants the best for you, that can see your business through fresh eyes, here is a company you can have confidence in, and who will back you as far as you want to go. As Will said there is no shame in getting rid of the suckler herd, no shame in making decisions that are best for you and your business and there is certainly no shame in asking for help. Reaching out to ask for help, having someone who wants to have your back is vital in the process, by taking that first step, picking up the phone, with that action you are taking back your power, and giving yourself the freedom of time and money.
It all starts innocently enough, you come home to the farm and you want to make some changes, make some money, make your mark and before you know it you are addicted to grass which is fuelling your, nearly out of control cow habit!
10 years ago Ian came home to the farm full-time, and in order to do this changes needed to be made so money could be! Ian turned to pedigree Aberdeen Angus cows and to lessons he had learnt from the dairy farmers he had been building parlours for – strip grazing.
He could see the benefits of this system, though it wasn’t still 100% right – the cows were walking over the eaten grass to get to the water trough, it wasn’t getting the rest it needed.
The game changer…
A water bowl, no bigger than a large dog bowl changed the game and turned Ian into an grass growing addict! Whilst on a farm open day in Cornwall Ian saw the KiwkiTech water trough, enough for 50 cows, moveable around the paddocks and fed off the main trough. That £45 was a great investment and meant a back fence could be introduced and rotational grazing could commence.
A lot can happen 24 hours….
and grass can do a lot of growing… seeing that first paddock starting to green up after 24 hours was a magical moment, and one he is still in awe of today… THAT was a game changer! By overcoming his infrastructure issues and ensuring cows had access to water meant Ian was truly in the grass growing game!
The ultimate Swiss Army knife…
Electric fencing is like a Swiss army knife – there are so many ways to use it! Permanent around all the fields, feed off it with temporary, single strand, double strand, its quick to put up, it’s neat and tidy, keeps the stock in and the hedges in good condition. Having the PEL820 mains fed, permanent electric fence saves so much time when preparing the forward grazing cells and having the Speedrite remote means he can turn the fence on and off from anywhere on the farm.
Strategic decisions..
Ian says yes to a lot of opportunities to get the Mobberley Angus name out there, taking part in news, magazine articles and now working with AHBD and Datamars. Datamars are strategic partners and have loaned Ian their TruTest XR5000 Indicator for accurate weight capture, this links with the XRS2 stick reader. Within 24 hours of receiving these Ian had ordered readable EID tags which has made the job super easy and quick – game changer!
Calves are tagged at birth, with Caisley tags, BVD and DNA tested and EID tagged. Information is gathered on this first day, from weight, time of birth and tag number, all recorded on the stick reader and transferred to the FarmPlan software, which is added to through their lifetime, tracability at its finest!
The XR5000 has been a game changer! It collects and delivers as much or as little information as you want, you set the data you want to see for the decisions you want to me.
Accurate data, accurate decisions…
MiHub has helped Ian make great decisions and save money. Ian aims to finish a 350kg cow , he can set his weight goal month to kill between 16-22 months, weighing cattle every 3 weeks, MiHub can tell him if he is on target and how much Daily Liveweight Gain he needs to achieve – which was 0.8kg per day, not the standard 1kg we read about, saving him money on feed costs whilst still hitting his targets! By having all the information right in front of you with proper facts and figures means that you know where your business is really at, where you can save money and where you can make money.
No more Top Gun moments.
Trying to read a tag number as the cow is moving its head around.. always made me feel like Goose in Top Gun trying to get my aim on a ‘boogey’! Add some muck and a hairy ear and mistakes are made, especially when there are sheets of paper, full of ear tag numbers on TB testing day. The Stick Reader and EID tags have made life so easy and safe. As long as the stick bearer hears the ‘Beep’ as the tag is read, easy days… This is so important for Ian, who relies on outside help on TB testing day, when he feels he should be in the danger zone of pushing cattle into the race, it means father in law can help… as long as it beeps!
The same with the medicine book; no longer scraps of paper, lost in a draw trying to remember quantities and withdrawal dates, it is all there, ‘Beep’ then straight into the FarmPlan software.
Learn together, learn from each other and work together…
Ian wants to do the best job he can and the way to do this is to learn from others, from farm open days, AHDB days and discussion groups. Not afraid to travel the distance in order to learn from those that have done it, who have made mistakes and learnt from them! Ian joined the Precision Grazing discussion group, a group of like-minded people with a positive attitude who want to give things a try. But he wants to up his game and so investing into 1:2:1 time with Precision Grazing will be his next move to get the most of the land he has for optimum cattle growing conditions and maybe enough sneak a few more head of Angus in!
Start at the end…
And work backwards. Ian has set the income he wants to achieve and worked backwards from there. Breeding a smaller cow, 650kg, that can grow itself and raise a calf on grass, a smaller cow that does less damage to soil and grazing, a calf that can be finished off grass at 350kg, to suit the system, and consumer desire for smaller cuts of meat, to finding a local market for his beef, his brand with full traceability and setting the price, all leads to the end goal and a bigger slice of the wedge. Technology is helping Ian to be the best he can, make the best decisions for his stock and his business. By knowing facts not guesses means he is control.
Say yes to opportunities, learning and technology, say yes to your farm business!
Sian Mercer
Photography, Listener of thoughts, asker of questions, Writer of Blogs
I am Sian Mercer, the writer of these blogs, which are based on thoughts and ideas, quetions I have asked, feelings I have had and wonders which have been answered.
I am a photographer, please check out my website www.myruraltribe.com to see my work and book your own photoshoot, for your rural business or family.
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