The Beast from the East!

Woolless · Mar 1, 2018

Just had a look at the weather. They are forecasting that the wind will stay in the east for at least another week. Looks like things will improve from Saturday onwards (up here at least) but remaining cold. Below average temps for the following week.

Wolds Beef · Mar 1, 2018

Lincolnshire wolds cut off from anywhere struggling to keep water flowing!! Its the same for a Longhorn breeder just north of me in Tetford!!
WB

JMTHORNLEY · Mar 1, 2018

Glossop here,

just struggling to keep my moral up now more than anything. Spent the last two days clearing drifts and as quick as I can push the snow up it's filled in again. Only one road open to our farm and that is being pushed beyond it's limits. Water has been frozen for 4 days solid having to cart drum after drum from a good friend down the road..

Seen some hard winters up here but never seen anything like this and never want to again!

alwayslearning · Mar 1, 2018

Drifts over walls and fences at hexham Northumberland.
Takes all day to trundle round all the ewes in tractor as bike won't travel and takes a age to defrost all the pipes and going through alot of straw as it's blowing in sheds.
But I'm still enjoying the change and challenge
.. for now

Benr · Mar 1, 2018

We have only got about 30 ewes and lambs out that are running in and out of some old stables as there isn’t enough room to shut them in. The biggest challenge is getting them water - will they eat snow for water or do I need to keep carrying them water

Downton_shep · Mar 1, 2018

I’m glad Phil came and fitted the doors yesterday!

RushesToo · Mar 1, 2018

Benr said:
We have only got about 30 ewes and lambs out that are running in and out of some old stables as there isn’t enough room to shut them in. The biggest challenge is getting them water - will they eat snow for water or do I need to keep carrying them water

@Benr You need to keep giving them water.

Northeastfarmer · Mar 1, 2018

_sheptastic said:
View attachment 640148I’m glad Phil came and fitted the doors yesterday!

let the poor dog inside it

Downton_shep · Mar 1, 2018

Northeastfarmer said:
let the poor dog inside it

I did let her in yesterday because I felt sorry for her but she definitely prefers it in the back.

Benr · Mar 1, 2018

RushesToo said:
@Benr You need to keep giving them water.

OK thank you

Sheep92 · Mar 1, 2018

Moral is low here as well drifting big time here as well, pulled 5 ewes out of drifts today couldnt find any more stuck, they have hay with them so are just about coping, sheds full of snow too and pipes froze, argh get me whiskey quick!

irish dom · Mar 1, 2018

Sheep92 said:
Moral is low here as well drifting big time here as well, pulled 5 ewes out of drifts today couldnt find any more stuck, they have hay with them so are just about coping, sheds full of snow too and pipes froze, argh get me whiskey quick!

Jesus thats a bitch. we have feck all snow but the wind would cut you. Ewes are all 10 miles away. Hauling hay and nuts and the roads are deserted. God help lads lambing the last while. Planning permission got today for new shed. Looking forward to having themin out of this sh!t next winter. How is the straw chopper going? Are you feeding silage with it?

Old Shep · Mar 1, 2018

Totally exhausted tonight - building is 1 mile from the house and 100's of yds of 6 foot drifts between one and another on the road. Walked it there over the fields to feed up and back but can't get hay back to some triplet bearers and tups just by the house, but managed to carry half a bag of cake. Hay will run out tomorrow anyway (main farm is at my sons). So on a mix of hay and straw. Need to walk 30 odd single bearers over the mile to the building tomorrow so they can get hay and cake. If I can't get feed to the sheep I need to get sheep to the feed!

Sheep92 · Mar 1, 2018

irish dom said:
Jesus thats a bitch. we have feck all snow but the wind would cut you. Ewes are all 10 miles away. Hauling hay and nuts and the roads are deserted. God help lads lambing the last while. Planning permission got today for new shed. Looking forward to having themin out of this sh!t next winter. How is the straw chopper going? Are you feeding silage with it?

Iv never seen it as bad here, dad says he has but not in my time, yea luckily were not starting til 20th, same have ewes and ewe lambs still out have round bales of hay scattered everywhere i supose im lucky to have it,
We are clearing passes to feed nuts on the ground, chopper is flying only use it for straw, find its quicker dropping bales of hay in the passage and feeders than putting it through the blower, id use it if we were feeding silage but the hay is easy handled
Going to extend the shed in the summer to house more of the sheep hopefully, youll find great comfort with the shed, u going for slats?

neilo · Mar 1, 2018

RushesToo said:
@Benr You need to keep giving them water.

+1 If they are getting any dry feed, they will need water.

Nearly · Mar 1, 2018

Vividly remember taking little bales of hay to sheep in 1979. Had bales on plastic fert bags dragging them over the snowdrifts. I was only 10.
Bit more difficult with big bales now but just thought it might help someone. Stuff a small bag with hay and drag it?

Good luck to all on 2 and 4 legs.

Werzle · Mar 1, 2018

irish dom said:
Jesus thats a bitch. we have feck all snow but the wind would cut you. Ewes are all 10 miles away. Hauling hay and nuts and the roads are deserted. God help lads lambing the last while. Planning permission got today for new shed. Looking forward to having themin out of this sh!t next winter. How is the straw chopper going? Are you feeding silage with it?

Planning was quick, on tuesday you threw the toys out the pram when i said about people increasing there flock without too much thought to if they could house them during a bad winter, in fact your words were- How the hell does an average sheep farmer afford a shed!

irish dom · Mar 1, 2018

Its

Werzle said:
Planning was quick, on tuesday you threw the toys out the pram when i said about people increasing there flock without too much thought to if they could house them during a bad winter, in fact your words were- How the hell does an average sheep farmer afford a shed!

Its been years of hard shitty work on all rented land building a flock from nothing. Bought a farm six months ago and got planning right away because I lost my winter grass keep because farm I winter on is being sold. Any new keep is outrageously priced and I don't feel like spending a fortune for somebody to starve my sheep in the muck. This winter has been last straw and out wintering sheep is becoming impossible in the west of Ireland. My off farm work is gonna pay for this shed and it will be an asset to my business when it's paid
But I do stand by my statement that no commercial sheep farmer can afford to have a shed to house all ewes and young lambs because of a freak once every 30 year event. Wintering his ewes, taking weather out of the equation and trying to control his costs is a different matter and if it stacks up then that makes sense. That's what we were discussing. You were merely branding people who didn't have indoor space for every eventuality as somehow reckless. I didn't throw toys out of pram I just strongly disagreed with your view on what would be the vast majority of farmers. It was a cheap shot kicking people when they were down. We are all just trying to get through whatever way we can.

irish dom · Mar 1, 2018

Sheep92 said:
Iv never seen it as bad here, dad says he has but not in my time, yea luckily were not starting til 20th, same have ewes and ewe lambs still out have round bales of hay scattered everywhere i supose im lucky to have it,
We are clearing passes to feed nuts on the ground, chopper is flying only use it for straw, find its quicker dropping bales of hay in the passage and feeders than putting it through the blower, id use it if we were feeding silage but the hay is easy handled
Going to extend the shed in the summer to house more of the sheep hopefully, youll find great comfort with the shed, u going for slats?

I am gonna go for a simple straw bedded shed. Just concrete passage and gravel floor with homemade wooden barriers ( my dad was a chippy and is recently retired so a wee project for him to keep him out of the bloody mart). Local guy i shear for doing me a good deal on a kit and i will stick her up myself . Grant was gonna cost me more than going it alone. As soon as i wanted grant spec stuff it got silly.Slats were kind of getting too dear and couldn't justify for a shortish winter. Interested in buying a chopper to feed silage and bed ewes because time is at a premium in winter when I am out scanning ewes. Also want it all mechanized so I can get someone to pick up slack if I am away on the road for days on end. Are they fairly robust for silage i wonder

MJT · Mar 1, 2018

Everythings frozen solid here, pipes , taps, heating oil pipes, clutch cables, throttle cables

. Drifts are bad too , here’s a picture of the road to lambing shed. A lot more people up north with a lot worse weather, feel sorry for Some of you guys ! Keep at it !

The Beast from the East!

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100% I’ve had enough of farming!

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