Find Your Way to Bicton.Jpg

Farm and Estate Guide 2009/2010

Find your way to Bicton.jpg INDEX

Introduction 3 List of Farm Staff 6 Bicton Home Farm Cropping Plan 7 Set Aside 8 Countryside Stewardship 10 Conservation 11 Spring Barley 14 Winter Barley 16 Maize 18 Dairy Herd 20 Sheep Flock 24

2 INTRODUCTION

Bicton Home Farm was purchased in 1947, with land at Yettington and Woodbury being purchased or rented by Devon County Council at various times, thereby extending the area to 186.8 hectares.

The objectives for Bicton Estates have been defined as follows:

1. To provide resources for education, training and work experience and to meet the needs of the college curriculum activities.

2. To generate a financial surplus for re-investment and to minimise the need for educational subsidies.

3. To show efficient methods of production and demonstrate current practices in land use, exhibiting a high quality of operation.

4. To provide demonstration and research resources for environmental and agricultural industries

The academic plan has over the last few years become very diverse to meet the changing courses being run within the college. Historically, agricultural students have formed the majority; however, increasingly non-agricultural students such as equine study, animal care, vet nursing, countryside and environmental management, agricultural engineering, horticulture, arboriculture, rural arts and craft, and outdoor leisure students have entered the realm of the college. To meet this new intake, Bicton Estates has had to become more diverse, providing areas for non-farming activities, such as equine events and competitions, machinery training areas, countryside skills centre, cross country courses, ropes courses and canoeing facilities on the lake, as well as a conservation plan for the whole Estate.

The above illustrates that the Estate is not just a farm; it is a developing resource to meet the changing needs of the college. The management of the Estate, therefore, is reflecting these changes to provide the facilities required, whilst maintaining the strong farming base on commercial lines.

3 BICTON FARM

The total area of the farms is as follows: Bicton Home Farm 144.95 ha Bicton Old Rectory (Grazing Licence) 4.90 ha Woodbury 8 157 .85 ha

The College farm is run commercially with the aim of producing above average husbandry results and financial returns. To meet the work experience and academic needs of the students undertaking studies in agriculture, a range of enterprises are exhibited. Students undertake regular periods of work experience and practical instruction on the units, enabling them to gain a wide appreciation of the differing sectors of agriculture. Most students have limited experience and need close supervision by the teaching and farm staff, not least on health and safety grounds, but also to limit the effects of constant changes of unit personnel on efficiency of production. Overall profitability of the farms is only one of the prime objectives, but it does enable investment and improvements in the systems for the future, whilst still meeting the academic needs of the College.

PHYSICAL AND GEOGRAPHIC FEATURES ON THE FARMS

BICTON HOME FARM AND SURROUNDING LAND

Bicton Home Farm has a light sandy loam soil which can suffer during dry summers from drought. This limitation means that the majority of the land is categorised as Grade 2/3. The B3178 main Budleigh Salterton road splits Home Farm, isolating the farm buildings and 43 hectares of mostly low lying land adjacent to the River Otter.

The listed parkland surrounding Bicton House is also permanent pasture, because of the large number of trees, planted in the last century, and planned conservation management with English Heritage. These areas are utilised by the sheep flock, dairy youngstock and small Pedigree North Devon Suckler herd.

Bicton Home Farm rises to a height of 61 metres above sea level and is in the rain shadow of the Haldon Hills, so limiting rainfall to 750 mm per annum. The latitude of the South West peninsula, together with the effects of the Gulf Stream and warm South West winds, provides Bicton with a growing season in excess of 200 days allowing early growth in the spring and a reduction in the length of time livestock has to be housed over winter.

4 SUMMARY OF LIVESTOCK AS AT 1st AUGUST 2009

BICTON HOME FARM

CATTLE SHEEP Dairy cows 190 Pedigree ewes 40 Bulling heifers 43 Pedigree ewe lambs 25 Yearling heifers 61 Commercial ewes 150 Pedigree Devon Beef 5 Stock rams 9 Suckler cows Intensive Beef 25 Bulls 3 Teasers 1 Suckling lambs 310 Total 338 402

Pigs 60 Sows 8 Boars 1

FARM STAFF

BICTON HOME FARM

Paul Redmore...... RWE Farm Manager

Steve Salter...... Herd Manager

Philip Squire...... Stockman/Assistant Manager

5 CROPPING PLAN 2009/20010

Spring Barley /Red Clover

Red Clover Broad field 6.3 5.1 Spring Village End 6.3 Barley/Vetches Student Plots

Maize Warren 5.6 New Field 5.0 Party Close 5.0 Hulmans 6.3

Lucerne Hortic Field 6.0

Horses West Park A 2.32 West Park B 4.02 Slaughterhouse 2.00 6.32 Machinery West Park D 4.39 4.39 Dairy Cow Grass Barnfield 5.38 Brickmoor 4.98 Chestnut 1.76 Front Meadow Left 2.57 Right 3.13 Railway 2.56 South Field 9.1 Moors 6.27 Nursery 5.35 Rydons 11.83 Shorelands 3.59 Church Close 10.00 Wrights 6.27 Hollow Close 4.77

6 Sheep DYS Beef

Barnfield Orch 1.20 Bet Roads 4.15 Cricket Field 3.09 First Park 2.09 Globes Knappe 3.78 Bicton Rectory 4.90 Lake Field 5.81 Rams Paddock 0.83 NE Park 2.90

NOTES ON CROPPING PLAN

The areas of grassland and crops will provide the forage needs of all the farm stock.

THE COUNTRYSIDE STEWARDSHIP SCHEME

The College farm joined the Countryside Stewardship Scheme in the Autumn of 1999 for a minimum of 10 years. The stated objectives are:

Landscape: To restore and maintain the hedges on the farm as features of the landscape. To create a grass buffer between intensive agriculture and historic tumuli and obelisk, thus leaving them visible in the landscape.

Wildlife: To restore and enhance hedges as nesting sites and a food source for birds. To provide 6m. grass margins as habitat for grey partridge, butterflies and birds. To provide buffer strips to protect watercourses from inputs and by-products of intensive agriculture.

History/archaeology: To provide buffer margins between the historic sites on the holding and intensive cropping.

Access: To ensure PROW’s across the holding are free from obstruction.

7 The work to be done on hedge laying and planting is phased over a number of years. Payments are based on i) Annual Management ii) Capital works

Annual Management involves the maintenance of the arable margins and buffer strips. Ideally each year 5 ha of spring barley stubble should be left to overwinter untouched until May, to provide feeding sites for birds such as the cirl bunting. Claims have to be submitted before October 31st each year.

Capital works refer to hedge laying, planting and protective stock fencing. Each project can be claimed for as it is completed. There are set rates for the differing types of work.

6 metre arable margins exist in:

Southfield around the obelisk Rydons along the eastern hedge Nursery along the eastern hedge Barnfield along the eastern hedge Village End along the north hedge and an area in the north west corner Broadfield along the north and east boundaries Party Close along the southern hedge Church Close along the southern hedge Hortic along the eastern hedge

It is important that these areas are not used for travelling on, parking vehicles or equipment, or storing manure or harvested crops. Any of these could invalidate the agreement.

CONSERVATION

Conservation practice is now very much an established part of many farm management programmes, especially as funding from various sources may result from such considerations.

The Bicton College Estate has considerable interest for students, including wildlife, game, recreation, landscape and woodland/tree practical work. There are some sites clearly identified - see list/map for summary detail.

Conservation practice on the farm is aimed at demonstrating wherever possible, , to show how these ideas may fit into a typical enterprise, and more recently, including Countryside Stewardship Schemes.

8 WILDLIFE CONSERVATION AREAS

1. ARBORETUM - an area of mixed woodland, some coppice, good for bird species and a ‘pasture’ area with orchids. Roe deer, fox and badger evidence regularly found.

2. MUD HUT - energy conservation building, tree and other plant raising, e.g. Thyme for butterfly pasture.

3. WEST PARK - a range of trees and shrubs to screen buildings including Oaks, Beech, Sweet Chestnut and Walnut. There is also a Forestry Commission Tree Establishment Plot.

4. LAKE/BOAT HOUSE - fresh water management, waterfowl, marginal plants/planting, bird hide and nest boxes.

5. RYDONS - hedge (thorn) and other screen species - now reduced by sports area but growing well. Planted woodland area.

6. NORTH EAST PARK - maintaining shelterbelt - more Walnut, Sweet Chestnut, Oak and Rowan.

7. SIDMOUTH LODGE - mixed coppice woodland also screening sports area/road.

8. BRICKMOOR - popular planting and coppice establishment (since 1989). Wet areas valuable for winter birds - Snipe, Widgeon, Teal and others.

9. OLD ORCHARD - cricket bat willows planted in 1976 - now cropped and mixed planted to screen buildings.

10. FARM ENTRANCE. MOO PLATT - landscaping exercise, some coppice.

12. WARREN/OLD ORCHARD - shelterbelt, including old Sycamore which is good for owl roosting (Tawny and Barn). Early Bronze Age barrow - grant aid for site.

13. OTTERTON PLANTATION - mixed planting (1976) Oak, Larch and Sitka spruce. Site of old cattle pens for Otterton Station.

14. SOUTHFIELD - valuable road verges, Sycamores and public footpath/bridleway. Also monument site (obelisk). Owls using nest box in old buildings.

9 15. HEDGEROWS - attempts to re-establish hedgerow trees, trimming practice according to current thinking.

16. OTHER AREAS - these are continually being explored, e.g. owl release, trout in lake, road verges, demonstration plots and game/wild bird plants and tree planting. Release of hares into the local countryside.

Other initiatives include, field margin/headlands consideration, hedgerow management for wildlife, recycling of cans, glass and plastics, pollution control and others.

Chestnut field was planted with 40 Oak trees as part of the 40th Anniversary of the Queen Elizabeth II programme. The area also has other species incorporated in to the plants and a hedge screen has been planted along the south east edge. West Park trees project is continuing to be monitored and 40 trees were planted around the parkland perimeter, again as the 40th Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II and National Tree Week. Countryside management inputs will increase ease of access around the estate and monitoring of species continues, especially wild flower species and birds.

10 FORAGE MAIZE

Plant Population 104,000 seeds/ha must be sown to achieve over 80,000 plants at harvest, (lower populations are under investigation).

Seed Rates Seed purchased in packs of 50,000 seeds. Now quite common to drill 42,000/acre (103,000/ha).

Fertiliser The crop responds well to slurry. However the following is a typical recommendation:

N P K Soil Index 0 2 2 Kg/ha 60 40 100

Sowing Typically precision drilled on 0.6m rows widths. Sow seed at 5cm depth when soil is 8°-10° C at 10cm.

Pests Seed dressing or post-emergence O/P.

Harvesting When grain is cheesy ripe and the whole crop Dry Matter is around 30-35% - must not be later than this. Usually last few days in September.

Green yield 50t/ha DM 300 g/kg (target) DM yield 15t/ha ME 9 MJ/kg DM CP 90 g/kg DM

Clamping No additive necessary but normal consolidation and sheeting. However, additives applied at ensiling can prevent face deterioration when feeding out. Clamps intended for feeding later in the season may benefit from a layer of salt on the shoulders and top of the clamp. Density 680kg/m at 30% MC.

Advantages of Maize

1. Single harvesting operation 2. High dry matter yields 13t/ha. Grass 9-11 t/ha. Fodder beet 15t/ha. 3. Use can be made of FYM/slurry in spring. 4. Useful feed for dairy cows and beef - excellent with grass silage, up to 70% inclusion. 5. Little artificial fertiliser required. 6. Good cleaning crop.

11 7. Cheaper than grass silage per tonne of DM., providing yields are high.

DAIRY HERD

The dairy herd at Bicton College consists of crossbred cows mainly Jersey X Holstein, subsequent crosses are Ayrshire and Friesian to produce hybrid stock which are hardier and show hybrid vigour. Current yield is 5500 litres per cow per lactation with butterfat averaging 4.8% and Protein 3.76%.

The Crossbred cows are aimed at reducing the production costs of each litre of milk produced, through lower vet and med costs, reduced housing costs, and their superior longevity which keeps replacement rates low at around 15%. Ultimately, the herd will comprise of 200 Crossbred cows, block calving in Feb/Mar/April each year, and producing the majority of their milk from grazed grass or forage. Track ways have been laid to all grass fields which can be used by the dairy herd, so access is clean and easy even during periods of heavy rain.

Currently we are milking 190 cows. Replacements are homebred.

The milk quota held at the farm is 810,184 litres at 3.99% butterfat, and the milk purchaser is Dairy Crest under a liquid contract. A major investment of £100,000 in a new milking parlour, milk storage facilities, and track ways in 2001. The cows are milked through a 24/48 direct line Waikato parlour.

DAIRY COW GRAZING

As the cows calve in February they are grazed on kale and grass that has grown over the winter months. A careful watch is kept on grass growth to ensure that grazing does not outstrip growth. All accessible grass is grazed with areas only being removed for conservation as grass growth exceeds demand. This is determined by measuring DM production with a plate meter. Daily dry matter production starts to outstrip daily dry matter intake in early April.

Cows are grazed in paddocks where possible and given a fresh piece every 12 hours. Tracks have been laid out to most fields to allow good cow access even in wet conditions. Grazing will continue through into the Autumn. An area of spring sown forage rape crops will supplement early spring and late summer grazing should the grass stop growing through lack of rain.

Most fields have P and K indices above 2. Only maintenance levels of these nutrients are required, i.e. 30-50kg/ha under grazing regimes. The majority of this will be supplied by judicial slurry spreading. More will be needed after a

12 silage cut. The more recent re-seeds have a high inclusion of large leafed clovers and lucerne, which increase intake at grazing, provide summer grazing and provide nitrogen to the grass.

Nitrogen is applied in early February and March, and then in regular small amounts throughout the year totalling 240Kg N/ha. The last application is made in mid Autumn to encourage growth through the winter for next season.

Trials over many years have shown the grass at Bicton responds to applications of Sulphur, so sulphur is applied with the nitrogen during the Spring and summer.

GRASS RE-SEEDING AND SEED MIXTURES

1995 Chestnut - Wrights 1996 Warren - Hollow Close 1997 Brickmoor 1998 Railway Meadow - Moors (part) - Slaughter House Mead 1999 Warren Orchard - Shorelands 2000 Barnfield 2001 Rydons - Nursery 2005 Southfield 2007 Hortic- Hollow Close- Broad Field 2008 Wrights and Shorelands 2009 Barn Field

13 BICTON HOME FARM SHEEP UNIT

THE SYSTEM

The flock consists of 100 Mule ewes, 30 Aberdale ewes and 50 pedigree Texels. The lambs will be sold into the butcher trade. Approximately 30 Aberdale ewe lambs are bought in as replacements for the flock in September. The Aberdale ewes are a crossbred ewe out of Brynock hill cheviot ewe by a texel ram which carry the Inverdale gene. This gene is a naturally occurring gene which was discovered in New Zealand and raises the potential lambing percentage by 40% in ewes carrying the gene. To keep the resultant lambing % to be 200% the ewes are negatively flushed. This results in more autumn grass being available for other stock. The benefits of the Aberdale Hybrid will be evaluated over the next few years as a greater proportion of the breeding flock is established.

PEDIGREE FLOCK

The pedigree flocks have accredited status which means they are free from Maedi Visna which is a viral disease causing nervousness and loss in weight. To ensure the accredited status remains valid, the flocks have to undergo regular blood tests.

The advantage of having a good quality pedigree flock at Bicton is to involve students in the day to day management of such a flock and showing. This includes pedigree records, growth rates, performance records, etc. It also enables the college farms to produce high quality breeding stock for sale. The pedigree flock are Estimated Breeding Value (EBV) recorded system called “Signet” to benchmark many important commercial traits such as fat depth, muscle depth. This year Artificial insemination is being used to allow access to higher genetic merit rams and increase the rate of genetic gain in the flock.

The pedigree sheep are usually shown at the local Agricultural shows with great success.

FLOCK CALENDAR

June/July - Lamb sales begin at fat score 2 (18kg carcass range). Lambs are weaned at approximately twelve weeks of age and are wormed and put on to good grass. Ewes are checked over and problem ewes culled. They are kept on a low plane of nutrition, then split into groups according to condition and leader/follower grazed.

August - The flock is split according to condition and leader/follower grazed to bring them up to the required body condition score of 3.5 at tupping, this is called

14 “Flushing”. Thin ewes of condition score 2-2.5 are fed a small quantity of concentrates if grass is in short supply, approximately 0.2kg of barley. Lambs continue to be sold.

September - Ewes are checked through for second cull (up to 20% of the flock are culled each year). Ewes are wormed with anthelmintics. Teaser rams are turned in with the commercial ewes to start them cycling and are left in for 22 days. At the end of the month rams are turned in with the ewes in breeding groups. Pedigree ewes are oestrus synchronised and artificially inseminated.

Finished lambs continue to be selected for sale at fat score 2 and 3L (40kg). Ram to ewe ratio = 1:30.

October – Rams are taken out from ewes after three breeding cycles.. All lambs are vaccinated with Ovipast against Pasturella. Ewe lamb replacements are vaccinated with Heptavac P against Clostridial diseases.

November – A quiet time

December - Poor ewes receiving (0.125kg) concentrates, roughage feeding starts. December all ewes are scanned.

January - All ewes housed. Full winter ration of haylage plus concentrates (16% protein) begins. Haylage is fed ad-lib, concentrate to a maximum of 0.8kg/head prior to lambing. Trough space for concentrate feeding is 0.5m, lying space per ewe is 1m. Ewes are vaccinated pre-lambing with HeptavacP for prevention against Clostridial diseases and Pneumonia. Ewes are housed according to litter size.

The ewes are wormed with an anthelmintic. Ewes are foot-bathed weekly with 5/10% Formalin or Zinc Sulphate solution, to prevent the spread of Foot-rot which is a major problem with housed flocks.

February - Lambing area prepared; mothering-up pens etc. Concentrate feeding up to 0.8kg, depending on silage quality, ideal ewe body condition score is 3.5-4 at lambing. As ewes lamb, they are turned out onto grass as soon as possible, ensuring they are “mothered-up” correctly. Lambs are castrated and tailed before turnout with elastrator, ewes and lambs are numbered for identification. Ewes feet are trimmed.

March - Lambing should be finished by the end of the month. Concentrate feeding continues, depending on the weather, grass availability and number of lambs a ewe is rearing. April/May - Keep lambs growing; change grazing, worm lambs monthly. Spray treatment to prevent fly strike. Foot bathing once every 2-3 weeks through the spring, depending on incidence of foot-rot.

15 Bicton Pig Herd A small outdoor pig herd of 8 Camborough (Large White cross Landrace) Sows was introduced in 2007, to provide hands on for the students. The resulting progeny are reared to finishing inside in small straw bedded groups. Dry sows are kept outside and moved to the indoor pig unit to farrow. After weaning at 5 weeks the sow is returned to the dry sow paddock and run with the boar

Pedigree North Devon Cattle A small herd was introduced in 2007. Resulting progeny are used for showing and breeding heifers and bulls for sale to other breeders.

Dairy beef rearing Enterprise 20-30 beef calves from the Dairy herd are reared intensively each year to finishing. These provide a convenient resource for teaching as they are housed all year round, with various feeding regimes decided on and monitored by the students