John Gordon: Lack of grass remains a concern with a flock of hungry ewes to feed

We’ve spent an extra £8 a ewe on wintering costs and will probably need to feed until at least the middle of May.

Lambing has been very successful with minimal losses despite the horrendous weat-her. Our two sheep sheds have proved invaluable this year.

There have been some terrible stories of farmers losing hundreds of lambs, which is not only a huge financial loss, but also a soul-destroying experience.

We sowed the last of the barley on the last day of April so we can already expect a yield reduction. We have also sown a field of peas so we won’t have to buy expensive protein next winter.

This year we did GPS mapping on 150 acres. It highlighted some very interesting results with lime requirements ranging from 750kg/ha to 5,250kg/ha.This exercise has proved very worthwhile and we have targeted the lime where it is most needed.

We have two cows left to calve. All cows have had a booster BVD injection and calves have had two blackleg jabs.

We turned out 60 cows with young calves onto rough hill land. There is no grass so they will need silage for another three weeks, but it is a joy to put them out as they were becoming quite discontented.

Our straw requirement has therefore fallen, with 100 cows and calves on slats, two bales a day now does the bedding for the remaining 60 cows.

With our noses to the grindstone working 15-hour days we have been fortunate not to get caught up in election fever. I presume someone is still running the country or are we just free-wheeling into oblivion?

PS - Kate Humble didn’t take up my job offer!

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