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It’s been a non-stop week. A full herd test on all the cattle, fertiliser on all the crops and emergency herbicide on the winter barley and oilseed rape. We also continued to sell a few bulls as they became fit.
Ages ago, we had organised the herd test for the end of March. As usual, we tested on the Tuesday and read on the Friday. We didn’t of course know that we were going to be so busy – we got through it even though it threw the week out of sync but everything passed so we are clear for another year and free to buy and sell as we wish. I had intended to buy this week but with marts suspended and real warnings not to leave the place, we have stayed put and discouraged all but essential visitors.
We still have some stores out just by day but we are gradually leaving an extra group out full-time. The remaining bulls are in full-time.
They are now all clear and tested so the bull enterprise, which we have had for over 20 years, is in its final wind-down phase. We have one animal with what seems to be mycoplasma and, as usual, the response to expensive antibiotics and painkillers we have given under veterinary supervision is poor.
The aspect of bull production I have found morale-sapping is their susceptibility to accidents and infection. Overall mortality might be low but I hate to see animals incapable of responding to treatment and slowly deteriorating. I am afraid we have another one now. The new store bullocks on the other hand have been trouble-free, health-wise, and presumably in time I will get used to their narrow plain looks.
Silage
Meanwhile, we intend to close up for first-cut silage this week with the aim of cutting in the last week in May or the first week in June, depending on the weather. The weather itself has been as close to perfect as I could have wished for. Last week, I mentioned that we could do with some soft rain to help the long-suffering February-sown winter wheat and gluten-free oats. The oats didn’t need much encouragement but the wheat has been absolutely transformed by the weekend rain.
Plants that seemed to have died off after flooding and subsequent rapid drying leading to widespread capping have suddenly appeared green and full of promise though I still reckon about 10% of the field will have no, or a very poor, crop. The winter barley has also changed almost overnight from a squat yellow starved looking plant to a deep green upright specimen. The combination of favourable weather and nutrition has also affected the oilseed rape. We are now seeing the spindly plants forming side branches with pods, so perhaps the prospects may be better than seemed possible as recently as a fortnight ago.
SHARING OPTIONS: