Pendre Demonstration Site Update – July 2020

The dry period in May 2020 took its toll at Pendre, with 15 acres of slopes burnt off and out of the rotation. Luckily for Tom, the ability to offload stock enabled him to reduce grazing pressure. The decision was made in mid-May to sell lambs at a lighter weight, with 48 lambs sold on the liveweight at an average of 33kg and realised £90.50 each. Cull ewes were also sold with 45 being selected from the earlier lambing mob and these sold to a pleasing £95 each. In a normal year, some of these ewes would have been kept for another year but the need to reduce forage demand forced the decision.  A further 60 lambs were sold in early June, reducing numbers to stretch out forage supplies. Creep feed has been available to lambs on an ad lib basis to maintain dry matter (DM) intakes.

The rotational grazing system introduced this year has paid dividends with Tom being able to keep quality grazing ahead of ewes and lambs. In the early part of May grass covers were high enough for fields to be shut for silage, but by early June, the rotation was getting shorter and without rain, more lambs would be sold at a lighter weight than normal. A light cut of silage was made to reintroduce the fields to the grazing platform. The rest period has been key for paddocks and although growth has been slow, it has been growing even though the ground has been short of moisture.  

The investment in water troughs for most fields has been a wise one with this being one less worry for Tom. Water supply was adequate throughout the dry period in May. 

Nitrogen fertiliser was applied to fields as soon as rain was forecasted. 25-5-5 was applied at a light dressing of 1cwt/acre, just to encourage growth. The good growing conditions has seen the slopes recover and additional fields have been closed for silage. Lambs were weaned at off-lying ground in early July and as more lambs sold from home, these lambs are carried back to Pendre for finishing. The quality of grass maintained by the rotational system is such that creep feeding was stopped in the middle of June.

The impact of drought on land at Pendre, 6 June 2020

                                Slope recovery, early July 2020