Farm Update - March 2022
James Florey
In the last couple of newsletters we have referenced our lambing and calving preparations … we are pleased to say we are now well underway in both departments, and have welcomed lots of new life on the farm over the last couple of weeks.
Calving …
After the slightly rocky start that we described in our last newsletter, we have subsequently had a fairly straight forward run at calving. They arrived pretty thick and fast, with us having a record number of arrivals on one day … 5 cows having 6 calves. Usually we'd expect approximately 50/50 split of heifer and bull calves, but this year we have had significantly more heifers … there must be something in the water! This gives us a good selection of females to choose from when deciding which to breed from when they reach maturity (approx. 3 years old). We'll be keeping an eye on them as they grow and picking ones with good shape, a nice temperament, and good genetics.
TB …
You might remember from our last newsletter that we were awaiting our latest TB test … well we are delighted to say that WE PASSED!!!! This is for the fist time in nearly 18 months, and means we can now move cattle more freely, including selling animals to other farms as breeding stock. This feels like such a relief and we are preying that we can remain clear for our next test in 6 months time. This is another massive benefit, as up until now we have been having to test every 60 days. Whilst the cost of the test/vets fees are covered by the Ministry, the amount of time we have to spend setting up the yard, moving animals around, and then working with the vet to do the test is phenomenal. We will be glad to be able to use this time for the many other jobs on our to do lists.
Sheep …
In the last couple of days lambing has got underway and is now in full flow! A handful of healthy twins have been born out in the fields, along with a few sets of triplets and one single in the barns. Where possible we try and foster a triplet on to a single (the optimum number of lambs per ewe is 2), and so far we have successfully managed this with the only single to have lambed. The other triplets have been big strong lambs and the ewes seem to be managing well with 3.
The slightly warmer night time temperatures over the last couple of days have been welcomed, especially for the outdoor lambers. The sheep are in the field behind our house so spotting for new lambs and ewes in labour has become a new spectator sport!
‘You see me rollin’ …
Farmyard manure has now been spread on some of the arable fields, the drilling (planting) of the beans is finished and barley is underway. The ground was JUST about dry enough, and Alex has been following the drilling with the rolls. This helps to smooth down any lumps and bumps, and presses the seeds down in to the soil to help them germinate. Fingers crossed the weather will be on our side and we will see some nicely germinated seeds over the coming weeks.
Environmental work …
As always we continue to focus on our environmental enhancement, and we are currently considering various tree planting schemes. We'd love to be able to increase the amount of woodland we have on the farm - this would have so many benefits … increasing biodiversity, flood mitigation, improving water quality, and of course leaving a legacy for future generations. We met with the Forestry commission a couple of weeks ago and now have plenty of information to digest and consider. We will keep you posted with any decisions!
We are looking forward to having our chief lambers home from school for the Easter holidays from this Friday. No doubt they will spend most of their time sat in the lambing pen cuddling the new arrivals. Don't forget to place your beef order for pre Easter delivery … perfect for an Easter feast or Easter gift!
Have a fantastic Easter
James & Fi