We are urgently developing research requirements with other European laboratories to make sure we understand and the disease (Schmallenberg) better.John Davies: Our new combine is currently parked in the rain
What seems a distant memory now was a good week of sunshine at the start of August. It meant all systems were go for a hectic time on the contracting side of the business.
Some of the ground we do is steep so it must be dry. Long hours were needed to catch up for a few days. Thankfully all the boys know how important it is. It will probably be an expensive works ‘do’ this Christmas!
The field we injected with slurry worked well, with a quicker turnaround for grazing and more growth. We have also spread some farmyard manure - no worries this year with it drying out on the surface!
We’re still on budget with the lamb sales and I’ve sold a couple more batches to average just over £60. We’ve also sold some old ewes for a good shot, with a couple of the best making £75, and the batch to average £60.
On the corn side, I got fed up of waiting for the weather. So we wholecropped 6ha (15 acres) more than originally planned - it being a steep, awkward field and not very combine-friendly.
We seem able to grow it fine, but for the past couple of years, harvesting has been a challenge
John Davies
We’ve changed the combine and bought a second-hand Deutz Fahr (jointly with two friends). It’s currently parked in the rain. We have done around 6ha (15 acres) of crimp and it seems fine. Hopefully, we’ll be able to do the remaining corn dry. We seem able to grow it fine, but for the past couple of years, harvesting has been a challenge.
We’ve bought some brewers’ grains and some bread, and are waiting for pot ale syrup and some rape seed meal. So by the end of this month, we should have all our winter feed rations in store.
We’ve gathered the MOD range for dipping. All graziers have to gather and dip or inject to prevent scab. We dipped ours.
We’ve sold some cattle in Brecon market. After coming out of the box, one of my friends said he nearly saw me smiling. We were drawn first and I was a little nervous, but the first heifer weighed 580kg and made £1,045.
It was a pleasing trade with the five heifers averaging £973, a better price signal to maintain cow numbers and beef production than the one offered by the deadweight prices a few weeks ago.
I came home and housed the strongest steers which were standing still due to the rain - time to get them moving, I think.
