Farmer Focus: Herbal leys look popular round here

We found a bit more barley straw, although it was 20 miles away, and it coincided with the extra hay being ready. Still, two barns of hay and straw are the reward for bouncing around for nine days.

We have put 180 of our 36kg-plus lambs onto 3.5ha (9 acres) of herbal ley to finish.

After first-cut silage and heavy grazing with the cows, it was shut up for three weeks to recover.

Now in its third year, the chicory and red clover dominate. The electronic scales are fixed, so hopefully we can track daily growth rates.  

The 400 smaller lambs are back on a new ley after an orange wormer and a flyspray. We’ll rotate them round a few fields, pulling out  lambs as they reach 36kg, to put onto the herbs.

See also: Herbal leys help halve nitrogen fertiliser use for wheat

About the author

James and Belinda Kimber

Livestock Farmer Focus writers James and Belinda farm 850 commercial and pedigree sheep and 30 pedigree Simmental and Charolais cattle in Wiltshire across 95ha (45ha owned). James also runs a foottrimming business and Belinda has a B&B.

Read more articles by James and Belinda Kimber

Ewe lambs are on a small, rented farm we recently took on in the village. We will lightly stock this until we know what the ground is like. 

The landlord has been advised to drill the whole farm with herbal leys and claim the Sustainable Farm Incentive (SFI) as a small pension. We have agreed to comply with any rules in exchange for a smaller rent.

We have decided to put the home farm into SFI herbal leys as well when our stewardship agreement ends this year. The new enhanced option should balance production and payments. 

The tups are in the early lambing groups. The Charollais ewes have a super new ram lamb to play with and there are 50 of the children’s Blue Texels to tup.

We are tupping 120 commercial ewes for 20 days to keep lambing tight, giving us plenty of recovery time before the main batch.  

We have a young apprentice coming to help who is very keen on sheep. How long this affliction lasts I don’t know.

Hopefully, she’ll learn from us and bring some new ideas as well. Call me mad, but I think British sheep farming looks pretty good, and keen youngsters are needed to take things on.

The British Charolais Cattle Society young breeders’ day was held in Wales recently. The prizes on offer are fantastic – last year’s winner is currently touring Australia. 

Opportunities to learn and socialise is what we need to encourage young farmers.