Dry weather causes forage supply worries for Paul Vicary

After last article’s prayers for a wetter spring, we have only had half an inch of rain and the chickens are sunbathing on the lawn in 20C heat.

Ploughing maize stubble on 22 March resulted in a dust cloud in places and made me call the contractor to Sumo some of the harder ground to prevent it baking (weald clay makes fantastic bricks in such conditions, but dreadful seed-beds).

We cut silage on the 20 April last year – our earliest ever – and I have been contemplating cutting some around the 1 April, with the dry weather playing on my mind. We may have nothing midsummer and could be very grateful of any extra forage, plus the early silage was fantastic last year. All this silaging talk is bound to make it rain.

The new unit is starting to bed in. Last month’s slurry issues were solved with a large sledge hammer – it flows lovely now. The feeders seem to either give the cows unlimited cake or none at all, which has taken some time to sort out and the segregation gate is not as reliable as we’d hoped. The success rate is about 50%-60%, which is hopeless. Now other things have settled we can concentrate on that.

I have really upset my already sensitive neighbours. The new vari-speed vac pump has just been re-commissioned by Mr Ohnstadt and it now whines like a pack of dogs, hence multiple texts from aforementioned neighbour about her lack of sleep (her husband snores blissfully through it so she tells me). A rather expensive baffle has now been ordered, which I pray appeases her – if not I have offered her a lifetime’s supply of sleeping pills. Instead of praying for rain I think I will pray for my neighbour’s divorce.

Farmer focus: Paul Vicary