Mf240
Well-Known Member
You have too many cows. Would half of them be enough?
The back half , 🙃😆👍
You have too many cows. Would half of them be enough?
just look at the water data and see when the greatest pollution loading is at, its not the months of September and October.@Ozzy Scott you are correct re the stupidity of preventing farmers from spreading slurry in late September and then allowing them to spread in late January. Makes no sense to me from a pollution perspective, as I would expect chance of run off would be much worse in January / February than September.
The issue with slurry late in the year is that P is easily leeched out with rainfall. The best time to apply P is in the spring which gives enough P to support grass growth and easily available N as well, especially as soils dry out.just look at the water data and see when the greatest pollution loading is at, its not the months of September and October.
This extra month will hit me hard as we have about 20 - 24 weeks storage, but would always have the tank empties to the floor on the 15th of October, so it would take me through to at least the 15st of March without needing to spread. I would have a good few cattle off the land during the 15th of sept to 15th of Oct period, that I would usually spread their slurry fresh before the closed period, now this is going to have to be stored, but my storage will run out by the 15th of Feb, this means I will have to avail of any half opportunity in Late Jan early Feb to get out about 6 weeks worth of Slurry. Im still well within the storage requirements by law.
closing the spreading period on the 15th of September also goes against all of what I have learned over the last 5 years, that from a biological point of view for the soil, slurry should be spread as late as possible in Autumn and allow the soil to digest it over winter. Constant spreading during the season is having big Potassium issues with luxury uptake and causing unneeded animal deaths
If they pulled up the lads taking the piss it would be a start, instead of making it harder for us all. There is to much slurry going out at one time imo as soon as the closed period is up and extending it I can't see it having much of a effect.
Unless applying across major slopes, P will easily bind to soil. P concentrations in water are a very localised problem, so policy shouldn't be country wide. N is a different kettle of fish. The time period between the 15th of Sept and 15th of Oct is a very safe time to be applying nutrients. 30% of our grass growth happens after the 15th of sept.The issue with slurry late in the year is that P is easily leeched out with rainfall. The best time to apply P is in the spring which gives enough P to support grass growth and easily available N as well, especially as soils dry out.
Late season slurry has a difficulty as chemical reactions get faster as conditions get warmer and slower as conditions cool so a good share of the P won't be bound to the soil and the N won't be absorbed as well. Both will be prone to being washed across soils into drains and rivers because of that. The same risk is there in spring but rising temperatures means rising amounts are absorbed and bound to the soil.
So what different steps should the department be proposing?Unless applying across major slopes, P will easily bind to soil. P concentrations in water are a very localised problem, so policy shouldn't be country wide. N is a different kettle of fish. The time period between the 15th of Sept and 15th of Oct is a very safe time to be applying nutrients. 30% of our grass growth happens after the 15th of sept.
Spot-on. Serious issue for winter milk ladsI’ve no issue with the new rules bar the fact that we need to store all the parlour washings for 8 weeks, I’m not talking about stuff washed from where the cows stand in parlour or collecting yard but the water from washing the plant and bull tank, modern larger parlours with autowash systems use a phenomenal amount of water. Might not be as much of an issue for spring milk guys with herds dry but autumn calving herds milking all
Winter will gather serious volumes of water.
I can’t see merchants or coops registering fertiliser purchases unless they are paid to by the dept.
I can’t see merchants or coops registering fertiliser purchases unless they are paid to by the dept.
rules will make no difference around here anyway unless they start putting clamps on the slurry tankers . its the lads that are sticking to the rules are the only ones losing out.So what different steps should the department be proposing?
Imv the expansion of new and larger dairy herds is causing a problem in certain areas , mostly southeast as their soils are easier to leach from.this is where the water quality is testing poorer.
Why bring in countrywide laws and talk about suckler reduction when it's a localized problem and sector specific.
How is it a serious issue for winter milk lads? I missed the journal today I thought it affected everyone the same?Spot-on. Serious issue for winter milk lads
This X1000.rules will make no difference around here anyway unless they start putting clamps on the slurry tankers . its the lads that are sticking to the rules are the only ones losing out.
Contractor uses the pipes here to blow the slurry from my new shed to my slurry tower. Not everyone is breaking the rules with the pipes
We haven't broken the bans here though at times it's tempting.It's going to be along time storing from mid sept to march early April with cows going through a shed into the parlour.instead of trimming a month in the back end they could have put them month on in the spring.
Scandolous the videos that were doing the rounds last Jan / Feb on some of the ground that was been spread.if that wasn't a major pollution treath nothing will be
Id say 20% is being conservative. Had a large scale slurry contractor in twice at work. The lads took great pride in sharing that they only took Christmas day and new year's Day off as they were so busy at slurryThats it exactly, maybe only 20% of farmers flouting the laws and now were all gonna suffer!