Re: Cattle prices

"Jim Webster" <Jim@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
news:dh5nn5$t1t$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx:

>
> "Derry Argue" <home@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:Xns96DC5A107F9C7derryadviegundogscou@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> "Jim Webster" <Jim@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
>> news:dh49d0$php$2@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx:
>>
>
>> More good advice. Yes, I can probably get draff locally and an 8'x5'
>> >
> ready for next time!
>
> so long as it as a plastic *** over it to keep the air out it should
> keep well enough
>
>>
>> The problem over the years is to find a tenant who understands this,
>> but trailer load would keep me going. I don't want the cover mown
>> down like a bowling green as I train the pointers on bob white quail
>> which home like pigeons after the dog training session and enter
>> their pen by a funnel
>
>> stock owners are usually intent on removing grass to ground level as
>> quickly as possible -- even myself when I had the sheep! Currently,
> trained
>> dogs are quite profitable so a new approach is called for.
>>(Snipped)>
I would suggest that you want too few
> cattle, plus perhaps a handful of sheep. The cattle will smash things
> up a bit and eat down a lot, but still leave some, while the sheep
> will nibble right down the areas the cattle have taken down, so you
> will get a wide variety of heights.
> I suspect you want to avoid genuine scrub?
>
> Jim Webster
>
>
>
Exactly! Which is why I thought of Highland cattle. Thinking long term, a
friend has suggested that there should be an increased demand for low
maintenance cattle in the future as more want animals to maintain the land
and are quite happy to wait for beef to mature for the freezer.

I did find it a problem when my sheep flock (Lleyns) shrank to a critical
level after the usual collapse of the pedigree sheep market. The
professional shearers weren't really interested and there was still the
same old problem of drenching, dagging, trimming feet, etc. to go through,
all without a dog as that too demands a certain flock size or they go "stir
crazy". My mind was wandering towards some of the primitive breeds -- to be
harvested for the freezer with the rifle but otherwise put on minimum
maintenance!<g>

I deal with scrub with Blaster from a knap-sack sprayer applied from the
back of the quad. Very effective if not particularly cheap.

I have had to be careful to stay "agricultural" so I still qualify for the
various crofting grants. Otherwise, the Scottish Woodland Grant Scheme
should work out quite nicely with the new forestry being ideal for dog
training for some few years yet. Should see me out anyway.

Derry
.