Aufrufe
vor 6 Jahren

XtraBlatt Issue 02-2017

  • Text
  • Krone
  • Machinery
  • Forage
  • Silage
  • Maize
  • Agricultural
  • Cows
  • Farmers
  • Menschen
  • Bale

MENSCHEN TITLE THEME 2

MENSCHEN TITLE THEME 2 Geese damage means it’s mid-May before the sward has recovered enough to allow grazing by the cows and calves. The cattle are run in three herds, one comprising heifers only. A total seven bulls are runs with the other two herd. “Normally, we calf year-round. Only with first-calvers do we try to arrange calving mainly within the grazing season. With this in mind, we turn two bulls into the heifer herd starting August,” adds Rolf Schlütter’s father Gisbert who, despite his 77 years, still helps almost daily on the farm. “At grazing, the cows calve on their own. Being Limousin, they manage well without us,“ adds the third generation in this family concern, six-year-old Mats Schlütter. He already knows the farm business well and is always enthusiastically present when papa and grandpa are working in barn or field. Since August, Mats attends primary school so he’s a “big boy” now, while little brother Mika, just approaching three years, will soon be ready for kindergarten … 1 SELF-HARVESTED FORAGE Optimum first calving age for his heifers very fibrous,” grins Rolf Schlütter. “Naturally, outsiders might ask why the forage is around 30 months, reckons Rolf Schlütter. This might be later than normal, but harvest is not left to contractors. But then it makes for easier calving for the somewhat bigger-framed animals here. Around once. This doesn’t fit with our work plan we would have to cart home everything at 40 heifers are kept as replacements each because not all the fields are ready for mowing at the same time.” year. All the rest, and bull calves, are weaned for auctioning at around 300 kg. The weaners provide main farm income. Mowing, turning and tedding are handled Feeding the males to slaughter and marketing the meat doesn’t (so far) fit the and wrapping. A front and rear mounted by the Schlütter trio alone, as is baling farm concept. “The work involved would mower combination (working width 6 m) be greatly increased so that my wife, my with conditioner is part of the mechanisation involved, along with two turners parents and myself wouldn’t manage on our own,” he says. (11 and 15 m working width), a twin rotor tedder (7.5 m) and two round balers. The This is also the reason why the forage for oldest baler is soon to be replaced by a winter on Gut Grind is mainly harvested by baler-wrapper combination. In spring, the family too. Depending on grazing requirements in the nature protection area, demonstration machine and it was then Rolf Schlütter managed to test drive a around 100 ha are cut once per year, mainly around mid-June. In 2017, 1000 1.50 m ease the work. Up until now, bales are clear that such a machine would greatly diameter round bales were carted home, wrapped with a wrapper mounted on a 300 hay and 700 silage. “Haylage would wheeled loader: always possible but still be more accurate than silage, the forage is very time consuming. 12

3 MAIZE FOR WEANERS ONLY Hay bales are kept dry in a variety of farm buildings while silage bales are stacked outdoors in three layers forming an imposing pyramid. Right behind this, there’s an equally impressive and neatly covered long row of straw bales. These are primarily used for bedding, although smaller amounts are used for feed. All straw is bought in. “While we do farm 30 ha arable land about 12 km away, we mainly use this for forage maize and feeding rye, explains Schlütter Snr. Incidentally, feeding rye is grown here instead of grass “because the geese don’t like rye so much,” adds his son. This brings the subject round to feeding in the Schlütter herd where cows get only hay and silage through the winter. The weaned calves also get maize silage and a little concentrate feed in their ration as they have to put on good body condition during the period up to their auction. There’s no mixer wagon, a Hoftrac loader being used for feeding. After all, the aim is not high performance, as with dairy cows or beef finishers, says Gisbert Schlütter. Still, feed uptake in the three herds is good and forage loss through “selection at the trough” low. Apropos selection: to the most exciting operations of the year undoubtedly belong those in November at housing, with the calves separated from their mothers at the same time. A general health check also takes place then, as well as worming and scanning for pregnancy. This is when the entire family is required, as well as outside helpers, for handling and housing in three herds up to 500 head. In 2017 this operation turned out especially stressful because two of the herds had mixed into one another when extremely low river levels in spring had allowed cows to walk round a fence. Separation during the grazing period was too dangerous, reckons Rolf Schlütter. “Limousin cows do not like it at all when someone gets too near their calves. This is a small disadvantage with this breed.” Despite this, he is very satisfied with his herd. Incidentally, the extreme low river levels just mentioned still did not bring to light any of the legendary golden cups or chains from Hagen von Tronje’s sunken treasure, smiles the farmer. But who needs things like this when they already have the splendid “Nibelung cows”? 1 Senior family member Gisbert Schlütter also works nearly every day on the farm. 2 Rolf Schlütter relies completely on round bales for feed and bedding material. Annually, this comprises up to 700 bales of silage, 300 of hay and 700 of straw. 3 Weaned calf sales provide the farm income. The calves are fed up to 300 kg liveweight in the barn and then sold at auction. 4 Own machinery, including the baler, is used for forage harvesting. 4 13