Field & Stream
We’re making sure ewes have fresh grass THE FIELD with Tria Stebbing Freezing February has well and truly arrived at the field. On the plus side the mud that was relentless has frozen solid, making it slightly better to walk on. The ewes are in their last four weeks of pregnancy and ensuring a good mix of food has become paramount. The unborn lambs during this time have their biggest growing spurt, which can if you are not careful cause loss of condition in the ewes and lack of good quality colostrum. Having preserved the field for as long as possible by grazing elsewhere we are now releasing the grass for the girls to enjoy, bit by bit. We are using a system called strip grazing.
Rather than let the ewes have the whole field we started them off with a strip at the far end, fenced off with an electric fence. We control the amount of grass grazed by slowly moving the fence up the field every few days and are holding a good percentage back for when the lambs are born. Grazing is often the most effective and natural way to maintain the quality of the
pasture on the field, we use no pesticides, so rely on the sheep to graze both the good stuff and the rough. There are different methods of grazing: With continuous grazing, a fixed area of land is normally grazed non-stop for a specific period. This can vary from just a few weeks to the entire growing season. Continuous grazing can lower grass production and in our case the field would quickly lose condition and quality. Rotational grazing is where fields are grazed and rested alternately. Once one field has been grazed, livestock are moved to a new patch of grass. As we have one big field this is not an option for us. We do rotate our grazing but achieve this by removing the sheep completely from our field for six months at a time. By holding a large strip of good grass back we can offer the
feeding ewes and lambs quality grazing, clean unsoiled grass with no risk of worms in droppings, and more importantly the villagers enjoy the sheep being up the road end of the field. All of which is great if the grass is not frozen solid! We have been supplementing this week with the beautiful hay that we baled back in July, and they love it. All systems are go now to prepare for the arrival of the lambs, for those of you that know your lambing, I am pleased to report that the first few are “bagging up*” I certainly hope that it warms up a bit before they make their entrance in this crazy world. *Bagging up – Udders and teats start to grow in preparation for birth. WANTED – Person with working ferrets to help out, 07853 001994
Join us to count species at Bere Marsh By Andy Fale, Dorset Conservation Manager, Countryside Restoration Trust There is a wonderful opportunity for everyone who relishes a walk in the sun to get personally involved in the breathtaking transformation starting to take place at the Countryside Restoration Trust’s UK showcase farm at Shillingstone, near Blandford. I am about to launch a recruitment drive to find a small army of nature lovers and wildlife enthusiasts to help me discover just what the iconic Bere Marsh Farm holds within its 95 idyllic acres on the banks of the winding River Stour. I need volunteers who can set aside a few hours a week throughout the summer carrying out vital audits and species 82
Bere Marsh Farm ByAlan Wicks (Permission granted)
counts of birds, butterflies, moths, reptiles, wild flowers and mammals which abound in its fields and hedgerows. We are starting from scratch with what is, effectively, a blank canvas so its vital for our conservation programme at Bere Marsh that we build up a sound picture of what we are dealing with. Until we have that picture then we cannot tailor our farming practices accordingly or work
accurately on creating the right sort of habitats to encourage biodiversity and species harmony and development. We need this help from volunteers to get us to first base in our long term plans for the farm. Bere Marsh is the landmark pinnacle of the CRT’s portfolio of 16 farms throughout the UK which have been taken over to save their precious ecosystems and habitats from damaging intensive farming. The trust,
which believes in taking a holistic view towards agriculture, uses both traditional and innovative methods of farming to achieve sustainable, economic food production whilst encouraging and providing safe homes for wildlife. I will provide full training – amidst covid-secure conditions – for volunteers in how to conduct butterfly and bird transect walks, moth trapping and mammal and insect counts. I hope to start the training programme at Bere Marsh by the beginning of April. There is nothing complicated or difficult to it and it will give those who volunteer a fantastic insight and focus to what is a spectacular farm and landscape. Who could ask for a better way to enjoy a weekly walk in the summer sunshine?’
