Monthly Diary – February/March 2020

It has stopped raining at last but has become dry and cold so lets hope spring is definitely around the corner.

We have started putting cattle out to grass but growth is slow at this present moment.  I am glad we started calving later this year with the pressure of weather and space.  So far it hasn’t been going too badly.  The new CCTV cameras in the yards have proven to be a huge asset.

The visit to Carlisle in early February ended with me bringing back more than I took up – trade was very selective and our TB1 situation does not help.  I bought a young bull MEADOWRIG OTIS with slightly different breeding, not my normal type but our end market seems to be altering. To get the lower carcase weights with condition on them is proving difficult as we often have young bulls at the required live weight at 12 months old.

Due to current marketing conditions – Coronavirus – with all the sales cancelled for the foreseeable future we do have a selection of useful limousin bulls and heifers for sale.  The bulls have been semen tested.

We did manage to get all our winter cereals in last autumn.  Some crops are looking quite well where others on heavier land have struggled, every wheel mark can be seen and certain areas are quite bare but not warranting being ripped/re-drilled.  The only spring cropping left to be put in is the maize and we have time on our side at this present moment.