Rain, Rain and even more RAIN ….. Never before have we all been so challenged and ‘cheesed off’. The final straw was just under 90 mm rain in the past week.
The recent deluge has forced us to wean calves one month earlier than usual as our river meadows have been flooded weekly for the past 6 weeks and the grazing ground is being poached. Both pedigree and cross-bred spring born bull calves are now housed but heifer calves will remain on the cows, grazing stubble turnips, along with other dry cows.
Following the SW Limousin Club AGM in September, the Committee organised a herd visit to Columbjohn. 75 enthusiastic members joined the tour but sadly wind/rain and generally cold weather spoilt the afternoon.
I am off to the Pedigree Limousin Sale at Carlisle with two bulls on 19 October – Killerton Gold and Killerton General. I hope if will be worth the 6 ½ hour journey and that trade is buoyant.
The maize is ready to be clamped but yields will be down on the average and the fields are certainly too wet to allow foragers to travel at the moment.
Potato harvest is finished on the farm (along with me….) and again yields are well down due to growing conditions. Up to 70% wastage had to be stomached this year in some fields as a result of greens and growth cracks although we were able to use them as ‘expensive’ cattle feed. We abandoned the final 4 acres in the last field as these had been under water for too long and were rotting in the ground.
On a positive note the beef price has improved – long may it continue. Continued support by the industry will help us all.
… and, thank heavens, the shooting season is about to begin.