Cattle in winter

[Todd]

does anyone manage to keep shetland cattle outside all year round? or do they need to be in during winter?

same question for native ponies?

thanks

[concerned shetlander]

Shetland cattle need to be kept in in winter, but Shetland ponies can remain outside.

[paulb]

they come in to protect the land. even ponies in fields make a mess.

[Ghostrider]

Cattle can only be kept outside in winter in one or two spots that have good shelter and very dry sandy ground, I don't think you'll find that anyplace in Shetland unless the very southern tip. Its far from an idea solution either, as for the most part there's neither meaningful vegatation for grazing and stock lose condition rapidy on account of the relentless rain and gales we get all winter, and the daylight is so short they would struggle to have time to see to eat enough to sustain themselves even if there was adequate grazing.

[paulb]

thou some one had some highlands out over the inter near the junction with the aith road. the field looked muddy. but this year everywhere does.

[Ghostrider]

^ Highlands will stand up probably the best of any, but they still struggle if its a wet winter unless they're getting a lot of supplementary feed, the cold and wind they can cope with not so bad, but cold and wet wears them down. Nothing survives unscathed an extended run of cold, wet and wind in winter, not even shetland sheep.

[north]

If I were a Coo, I'd hope to be eaten in September! 

[Todd]

thanks very much, im sourcing sheds so hopefully will be prepared soon! 

now - how easy is it source hay or haylage as the land im looking at isnt really a hay field. presuming i can buy it, would i be able to get it deliver to yell?

advice much appreciated

[Kavi Ugl]

I sent you a pm but you didn't reply.  When I heard the combination of "cattle" and "Unst" my alarm bell wrang. 

 

Ghostrider is right and I said as much in my pm.  Shetland isn't a great place for cattle, except for a few minor areas notably the southern end of Shetland but that's all already owned and worked by farmers.

 

If you're serious about keeping cattle and that lifestyle, as I suggested to you perhaps Orkney would be a better place to investigate.

[Todd]

sorry i never saw the pm.

thats something to consider, thankyou

i would have a very low stocking density, and just a small herd of 10 natives. we were considering orkney but there nothing suitable on the market atm and my house is sold so im considering anywhere.

thanks again

[MuckleJoannie]

There are certainly people who keep cattle on Unst. From last year's Unst show.

 

https://www.facebook.com/UnstShow/photos/pb.338838092898638.-2207520000.1398378155./430387030410410/?type=3&theater

[Ghostrider]

There are a few merchants locally who stock hay, price however tends to be on the high side to cover the cost of shipping from the Mainland etc as anybody making any locally is making for their own use, some will deliver, and there's plenty of hauliers who you can hire to deliver from suppliers who don't. Sometimes locals will have surplus amounts of hay or silage for sale, but you can't rely on that as it will depend on how good the previous growing season was, how bad the winter has been etc. Price for it tends to be set according to what the imported stuff is going for, so no real bargains to be had usually.

 

If you're planning on keeping ten adult cattle, you're looking at needing a decent chunk of land, and "improved" land - ie either former crofts or re-seeded ground. Keeping cattle on the natural rough grazing in Shetland is largely a non-starter as its for the most part either heather or very sparse very poor quality grass, with a lot of bogs and moss, which cannot sustain cattle. Buying winter keep for ten is also going to cost you a small fortune, they'll need to be indoors from mid-November until mid-May, and given that hay/silage alone is unlikely to be adequate food for them unless you're planning to only keep fully mature and not pregnant stock over the 6 months of winter, you'll have to buy supplementary concentrates for them too, they're more likely to cost you money overall than bring you any profit.

Edited April 24, 2014 by Ghostrider

[paulb]

don't even think about cows unless you can grow your own silage. a big bale of hay is roughly 50 quid each. silage if you can get it which you often can't will cost about 35 quid. then you have your hard feeds and licks and vets bills. please think carefully.  Kavi tries to put off all incomers s ignore the orkney stuff lots of folks keep cows in fact all 3 of our neighbors do. work on between 1 or 2 bales per month per cow. assuming that they are good quality. so roughly between 8 and 16 per cow. £280-£560 per cow. as said you need your own.                                                                                                                     http://www.dardni.gov.uk/winterfeeding2012.pdf

the above gives good info. the odd house coo is however viable. same reason lots of folks have given up on pigs . they cost to much to feed with bought in feed. however anything is doable if your determined. 

[Todd]

thankyou so much, that is very helpful. i see now the place we are considering isnt going to work.

how many bales of silage would you get from an acre? about 5? 

really appreciate that info. 

are there many contractors who would cut and bale for you?

[Todd]

i just thought id give you a comparision of mainland East scotland, this winter my cattle and ponies wintered outside(we have dense woodland for shelter) on 30 acre of rough grazing. it was unusually very very mild, hardly any rain.

for 6 big ponies and 5 cattle and 2 young calves, we used 200kg cattle feed and 10 big bales of hay and 10 bales of straw. and 2 mineral buckets, 2 salt licks.

there are now out on grass alone and wont be fed until november. usually we feed twice this amount but its been mild winter.

 

thanks for the advice, we will keep looking for our croft.