Farmer Focus: Crazy temperature swings hard to work with

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I’m reporting more wild fluctuations in temperature.

My last article opened with the weather situation, with 9in [22.5cm] of snow falling, before thawing quickly.

It’s the same this month, with perhaps more extreme temperature swings. 

See also: Farmers will fight inheritance tax plans, warns NFU leader

About the author

Duncan Morrison

Aberdeenshire-based Duncan Morrison is aiming to run his 240 Angus and Stabiliser suckler cows and small Lleyn flock as low-cost as possible after getting a foot on the farming ladder by renting cows and land. Stock are outwintered on deferred grass, bale grazing and forage crops.

Read more articles by Duncan Morrison

Over Christmas, I was down to a T-shirt while bedding cattle, it was so mild.

More recently, it’s been as low as -15C, with drifting snow and frozen pipes. Soon after, 13C was forecast again.

These swings are not ideal for stock, or for us – it’s hard to tell how many layers to put on each morning.

My wife and I spent a couple of hours in the solicitor’s office recently drafting up a partnership agreement, as she is formally becoming part of the business.

It will be great to become a proper family business after I started as a sole trader in 2016. Time has flown, and the business has come far. 

We also drafted new wills and powers of attorney – particularly important now we will be farming in partnership, and we have a young family.

It’s a relief to know things are sorted and in writing should anything go wrong.

My father passed away suddenly nine years ago with an out-of-date will, which caused quite a bit of unnecessary uncertainty.

I urge anyone who hasn’t got their affairs in order to stick it at the top of their new year’s resolutions list, particularly in light of the recent turmoil with inheritance tax.

We have been experimenting with keeping our pedigree Angus bull calves through winter.

I have been really impressed how they and their dams have done through this weather while grazing kale and bales.

I think their genetics are vindicated when you see how well they have coped with the variable conditions.

Bull calves have thrived on forage and milk, and the cows can rear a growing calf deep into the winter while not losing too much condition.

The bulls are due to be weaned and weighed at the end of the month, so it will be interesting to see how they have done compared with those indoors.

There looks to be a great choice coming forward, so hopefully some of them find new homes later in the year.