Description

Practice abstract

Stefan and Erica run the farm Fyledala in Southern Sweden. The farm has certified organic production with 120 suckler cows and 300 ha where half is arable land and half is semi-natural grasslands. Horses and dogs are used for moving the cattle between the pastures. 

Moving cattle between pastures is time consuming and can be dangerous and sometimes stressful for the cattle. The animals are numerous, and the pastures are at different locations, sometimes far away from the farm. 

The cattle are moved between the pastures with the aid of horses and dogs. Much time is saved compared to moving the cattle with tractor and wagon. It also works great when moving the cattle to the paddocks. The cattle stay calmer when they are managed this way, and the job gets easier. Erika and Stefan have a big interest in horses and dogs, so including them in the farm activities is a way to combine the production with their interest which makes their job more enjoyable. 

Two Quarter horses are used for the work, but there are also more horses being raised and trained. The four dogs are of the breeds Border Collie and Kelpie. It’s important to have suitable dogs and horses. For a person who wants to start with cattle drive, both horses and dogs can be used, but dogs are easier to begin with. There are ready-trained dogs for sale for people who don’t want to start with training. And there are always experienced people to ask for advice. 

Context profil