Livestock Farmer Focus FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: No mud on road as maize brought inThe day my previous article was published, the weather finally turned and we had some very welcome showers. The grass turned green within hours and it hasn’t stopped growing since.… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Rain gives clover-rich reseeds perfect soakingLampeter Serengeti is now green. To say that we planned for the rain to start on 27 August would be a lie. I finished sowing grass seed with the new… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Ration prep tweak stops cows sorting feedHow is it the middle of September already? Thankfully, we managed to finish harvest in the last days of August, as the weather has returned to its usual theme of… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Forage stocks get 37t/ha maize boostWell, the rain has finally come, but maybe too late for some. Our grass has really taken off in the past 10 days and should be ready to cut before… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Pig tent flaps are up and down like a yo-yoI have come to the conclusion that making hay in September on our coast is either for the brave or the foolhardy. The rain at the end of August warranted… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Finished lambs disappoint at marketSo far, we have missed most of the promised rain. A fantastic crop of maize came off on the Glorious Twelfth in 37C temperatures, but the herbal ley seed stayed… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Extreme weather prompts grassland rethinkWe have seen a return to what is a more typical weather pattern in north-east Scotland in late summer: a real mix of sunshine and rain. Grass growth has found… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Rain comes too late for reseeding plansIn my last column, I mentioned that the farm was still more green than brown. That didn’t last long. The next heatwave in early to mid-August tightened its grip and… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Late calvers go to reduce stocking rateWith September upon us and summer drawing to a close, what does your grass situation look like? Are you still feeding silage reserves? Ask any farmer in Northern Ireland and… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Morale and winter forage up after rainIt finally rained, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. We had been holding off drilling the forage crop as the forecast was looking very hit and miss.… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Bluetongue confusion ahead of ram saleAs I write my penultimate article, I am watching a beautiful shower of rain: not too heavy, just enough to soak in. I hope it’s not my imagination, but I… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Herd fertility takes hit in summer heatI am reluctant to say how well harvest has gone for fear of upsetting those who have struggled. But there have been plenty of bad weather years farming in Cumbria,… More articles
