Ag Flashcards
Year in Sheep
September - Check condition (aim for 3 on the scale)
October - tupping
March/April - Lambing
May - Shearing
Hill breed lambing percentage
under 100 percent
Pregnancy length
sheep 5 month
cattle 9 month
Common breeds
Swaledale
Herdwick
Blackface
North of england mules
tupping details
pre tupping condition checks
Tupping - raddle harnesses -
tups removed after for compact lambing period
50-90 days in lamb scanned
Weaned - 12-14 weeks of age
Terminology
Lamb - under 6 months
Hogg - 6 months - first shearing
Gimmer - first to second shearing
Cast ewe - ewe removed from hill to upland
wether lamb - castrated male
store - further finishing required
how can grass be used
grazed
cut and transported
cut and preserved
Grass systems
catch crop - a fast-growing plant grown between main crops to improve soil health and prevent nutrient loss
short ley - lasts between one and three years is best suited for silaging should produce large crops and high yields commonly used when a break crop is required in arable rotations.
long ley - a mixture of grasses and clovers that can last for up to five years or more. They are often used for grazing, but can also be cut for silage. Long term leys are a good long-term solution for the land and can help maintain soil fertility
Grass species
Italian ryegrass
perennial ryegrass
Timothy
How to improve grassland
Liming
ferts - NPK (nitrogen, phospurus and potassium)
Draining
Harrowing
manage weeds
reseed
sileage production facts
Grass is cut with a mower or forage harvester
baled or chopped
2 - 5 cuts possible a year
Silage facts
can be treated with supplements
Light green and smells acidic
25% dry matter
ph 4
25 tone per acre
6 bales per acre
Benefits of a break crop
improve soil health
disrupt disease and pest cycles
wool price
140 p per kg
Common cattle breeds
Continental - large size, late maturity, rapid weight gain.
charlois
simmentel
limousin
Native - small size, hardiness, early maturity, calving ease
Angus.
Devon.
Galloway.
Hereford.
