Farmer Focus: Winter farm maintenance checks include me

During the winter months, the emphasis has been on maintenance, so that all areas of our farming system are up to speed and ready for the season ahead.

With lambing and calving soon approaching, a lot of the work has been getting all animals healthy for this occasion.

January tends to be a cattle-handling month: cows have been scanned, and all animals in the sheds have been injected and vitamin dosed, and all ears, heads, backs and tails trimmed.

See also: 5 ways to ensure a safe and successful beef calving

About the author

Dafydd Parry Jones

Dafydd Parry Jones and wife Glenys, Machynlleth, Powys, run a closed flock of 750 Texel and Aberfield cross ewes and 70 Hereford cross sucklers cows on 180ha. Their upland organic system uses Hereford bulls, Charollais terminal sires and red clover silage, multispecies leys and rotational grazing.

Read more articles by Dafydd Parry Jones

The ewes have been scanned, injected, fluked and vitamin dosed and tail docked.

Another essential part is soil sampling some of the fields, to create a nutrient plan for the years ahead.

We had the post knocker on for a few days to repair a few injured gateposts to get them back into action.

Many gates and doors that will be regularly used around the farm and buildings have been adjusted and oiled, as squeaky, awkward gates are a pet hate of mine.

Gates that are poorly maintained add time and frustration onto an already busy day.

The tractor, farm handler and pickup have all been serviced, and a bearing fixed on the muckspreader. The insurance has been reviewed and renewed, and the organic inspection completed.

But, over this winter, I’ve also taken part in many personal health checks that I haven’t been participating in before.

As I’ve recently turned 50, I’ve been invited to undertake urine and blood tests, and a PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test for prostate cancer, with my local doctor.

I’ve also been sent a test kit by Bowel Screening Wales to check for bowel cancer.

And during the Welsh winter fair in November, I took part in the DPJ Foundation mobile lorry, which offers free health checks as a community service to promote wellbeing.

My blood pressure, blood sugar levels, heart rate and oxygen saturation were all checked.

Very often we all excel at getting the farm ready for the busy season, but sometimes we overlook one of the most important tools of all: ourselves.

We owe it not just to our families and animals, but to ourselves. After all, if we are not physically and mentally fit and healthy, we can’t help them.