Why am I fertilising this?

I am currently fertilising the pastures, even though we do not need extra feed to be produced. Why? This is one of the topics I will be discussing on our up-coming field day (Friday 27th October 2023 - 2pm start).

It is not for the clover, and not for the ryegrass. Kikuyu is the foundation of our pastures and it is the core species for why we can achieve what we are currently doing (currently >45DSE and aiming for >60 DSE/ha). The kikuyu is growing stealthily underneath the clover and ryegrass, but this is peak time for the winter species. We have had some lovely warm and sunny days this week and it has accelerated the pasture growth and every species is loving it. By the end of October, the winter species (clovers and ryegrass) will be starting to mature and dry off, but the kikuyu will be about to take over as the dominant pasture species from November to June.

With some rain forecast from this Sunday, I have been spreading the last dose of fertiliser for the year. We are not planning to cut any silage or hay. I would rather have all that growth for the ewes and lambs.

We are currently lambing (for the second time this year), and so the pasture quality and quantity should be excellent for them. I have a reservation though. As you will see in the photos below, the paddocks ahead of the ewes that are lambing are rapidly getting tall. I am wondering if this is good for protection for the new lambs from any cold wind that comes, or if it will be difficult for the ewes to find their lambs? In another 2-3 weeks, each paddock the ewes and lambs move into will be even taller. Is this going to be a problem? Maybe. Maybe not.

I would love to hear your thoughts at the field day - Friday 27th October 2023. We do move them every week or less into a new paddock, even during lambing - another topic visitors love to discuss. We do not have all the answers, however we are pushing to see what is possible. We can hopefully learn off each other. For catering purposes, please email us if you are coming to the field day - office@calukafarms.com

In the background are our Cleanskin ewes that are lambing. They will be moved into the paddock in the foreground tomorrow (30th Sep).