Stuart Kemp

Pasture R&D including plant evaluation, breeding, endophyte, project development and managment. Run a small sheep flock.

[Stuart Kemp @pasturewise]

An innovation I am working on......felt fencing...
Sigh, the transition to shedding sheep presents some challenges...

[Stuart Kemp @pasturewise]

@BradW00ldridge @paradooprime @Tedthekelpie Yes. True cost of energy sources would allow the market to allocate resources efficiently and negated the need to use other tools to like LGCs for renewables.
Nb, plenty of roos live in our local pine plantations... control measures are insufficient.

[Stuart Kemp @pasturewise]

@paradooprime @BradW00ldridge @Tedthekelpie With respect, a price on carbon via a market approach would probably have avoided the need for LGCs which is the bulk of "subsidies" which incidentally is pd by retailers ie us.... "We" got that wrong ~10 yrs ago... no doubt I will be criticised for this.

[Stuart Kemp @pasturewise]

@paradooprime 3.2mm over the 3 days here too....

[Stuart Kemp @pasturewise]

Weighing out fertiliser for forage cereal trials just harvested. Forecast rain in the coming few days will be welcome!

[Stuart Kemp @pasturewise]

@KennedyCreek1 Fescues also a great option. Going to put phalaris in next year. Have massively destocked to ride out this year and will take 2-3 yrs to recover numbers, so good chance to get the slower establishing species in.

[Stuart Kemp @pasturewise]

It's a bit stressed, but gee the phalaris has hung on well. Curiously, every night my stocking rate lifts by 30-40% but the roos clearly preference everything else before phalaris....

[Stuart Kemp @pasturewise]

Well, that point has been reached. Nil autumn break means no late winter feed for lambing so these girls will have to go. 21/22/23 drop Composite x Nudie ewes mated to Nudie rams. Great way to kick-start entry into shedding sheep. Lambing ~10th August. DM or call if interested.

[Stuart Kemp @pasturewise]

Been a fairly tough period and not much rain fell over Easter. Going to be interesting to see how well everything has survived... can you spot the phalaris?

[Stuart Kemp @pasturewise]

@agronomybrady Challenge seems to be holding the reproduction rates up as I make the transition. The larger composites helped with reproduction bit they were too large really....80+kg and 3+ CS gave weaning rates over 180%....but dragging them across the boards was getting harder. 🤣🤣

[Stuart Kemp @pasturewise]

One for you @agronomybrady ...I have woolly ones and full shedding ones, and everything in between... its an untidy looking ewe flock atm. Last of the coopworth Composites leave the farm in 2 weeks.

[Stuart Kemp @pasturewise]

@agronomybrady @OldFarmUte Any key differences to Nudies or much the same?

[Stuart Kemp @pasturewise]

@Binnicreeklamb @agronomybrady Probably a good option.

[Stuart Kemp @pasturewise]

@agronomybrady Paid the same rate per head for each of these at shearing...🤣🤣 Looking forward to bot needing to shear again..

[Stuart Kemp @pasturewise]

@lochsfarming @k_bolto @benfirman11 @kbolto In the end tho, it was the challenge of getting shearers, easier care, and lower workload for me, and the cost for updating and expanding infrastructure that helped drive the decision to go shedders.

[Stuart Kemp @pasturewise]

@lochsfarming @k_bolto @benfirman11 @kbolto Our composite flock reliably weaned 180% or slightly better. We are nowhere near that yet with shedders. Next year will be a clear test as I will have good numbers of F1 and F2 ewes on their 2nd and 3rd lambing.

[Stuart Kemp @pasturewise]

@lochsfarming @benfirman11 Yep, this is why as a composite breeder/producer I have abandoned wool......but the cost external to wool seems to be at least 10 loss in reproduction from a similar "wool free" animal. Will have a better handle on this next year.

[Stuart Kemp @pasturewise]

@KennedyCreek1 @agronomybrady Nudies. I have F1 and F2 ewes, and F3 ewe lambs.

[Stuart Kemp @pasturewise]

Weighing, mixing and applying fertiliser to trials...not much has changed over the years running trials. If you cut and remove forage to measure growth, you have to put the nutrients back.