Thinking About Supplementary Feeding - Choose Your Site Carefully

Maintaining land in Good Environmental and Agricultural Condition (GAEC) is a requirement of Cross Compliance.

Good management of supplementary feeding sites is one of the GAEC measures and selecting a suitable site must be given careful consideration.

Supplementary feeding of silage, hay, straw, concentrates and minerals to livestock is essential on many farms throughout the autumn and winter months. The feeding site must be selected and chosen so that there is minimal damage to the environment and to the underlying and surrounding plant cover.

Supplementary feeding sites should be sited on hardcore areas where possible. This can include laneways. These sites should be regularly rotated and managed to prevent excessive trampling, poaching or vehicle rutting to minimise soil erosion and to avoid run-off to waterways.

Supplementary feeding sites should not be placed within 10 metres from a waterway, 50 metres from a borehole or well or 250 metres from any borehole used for public water supply. Avoid semi-natural habitats such as woodland, moorland, wetlands and species-rich grassland and do not place on or adjacent to archaeological sites.