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dougal



Joined: 15 Jan 2005
Posts: 7184
Location: South Kent
PostPosted: Mon Jan 14, 08 11:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Rob R wrote:
You don't want to encourage water downhill anyway, terribly destructive to soil & fertility.

Clearly, I'm a townie not a farmer, because I rather thought that standing water + stock had already resulted in, er, um, a soil of low fertility and appalling structure, that Nick was hoping to improve somehow...
Nick wrote:
.... experience suggests I get a green slime growing first, then nothing except thistles, which the pigs don't like. ...
And my simplistic view was that doing something, anything, about the drainage (or at least the standing water), looked like the very first stage!

Sure, a more elaborate solution, distributing the runoff right across the slope would be even better, but to *restore* fertility and soil structure to the top field, removing the standing water, somehow, has to be an early part of whatever solution, doesn't it?

Nick



Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford
PostPosted: Mon Jan 14, 08 11:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

The standing water is puddles, due to it raining since Noah vanished, or so it seems. As for it remaining sterile, I mean they've removed all the grass roots, and such that was there before.

Either way, the pigs are off today to new pasture, and I'll seed the ground with the GM soon as the rain dries up and the company will take my order.

Rob R



Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York
PostPosted: Mon Jan 14, 08 11:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

He's right about drainage, but if you were to put a pipe in it would have to be at subsoil level to avoid washing the P & K that the pigs have deposited or even the topsoil itself in heavy rain. I'm at a bit of an advantage though, as I've seen the site too.

mochyn



Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 24585
Location: mid-Wales
PostPosted: Mon Jan 14, 08 11:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

When the 2 boars go off for slaughter I'll be moving the girls up to the woodland. That will leave their (similarly muddy) field empty. I was wondering what to sow in it! Looks like the problem could be solved. Cheers!

Green Man



Joined: 23 Jul 2006
Posts: 5272
Location: Rural Scotland.
PostPosted: Mon Jan 14, 08 2:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Nick wrote:


4 pigs on quarter of an acre. Very, very intensive. Bad old me.


Bad news. According to this Soil Association Standard at your stocking level that equates to almost 40 pigs per Hectare you couldn't describe your pigs as organic, 9pigs, or Freedom foods, 25-30 pigs or even Red Tractor at 30 pigs. Do you market your pigs as being intensively produced?

Nick



Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford
PostPosted: Mon Jan 14, 08 2:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Nope. And currently, they're running about in 3 acres, between 5 of them.

Green Man



Joined: 23 Jul 2006
Posts: 5272
Location: Rural Scotland.
PostPosted: Mon Jan 14, 08 2:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

That's better.

Nick



Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford
PostPosted: Mon Jan 14, 08 2:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

It's NOT, the buggers should stay put, and not be out trashing the field!

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