The unthinkable.

7610 super q

Never Forgotten
Honorary Member
So, what happens if we don't get any rain in July / August either ?
In 1976 the water board cut off the supply for a few hours a day to conserve supplies. Dad had to fill churns when it was on to tip into cattle troughs later on. How will 2000 cow herds fair with this palaver ....the more switched on will presumably have their own borehole supply ?
Fodder ? Second and third cut won't be up to much. Plenty of 2 acre paddocks been baled with small bales though.:ROFLMAO:. Baling and wrapping grass in October/ November might save the day ?
Folks start flogging cattle, will that depress markets ?
Shortage of spuds / veg ? Unlikely, everyone's got irrigation these days haven't they ?. Will it keep up with evaporation in this heat though ?

Just a few thoughts, no need to get upity, and accuse me of scaremongering / jealousy / not been progressive / trolling / rose tinted glasses / schadenfreude / etc, etc.:rolleyes:
 

DRC

Member
One fellow TFF member from Wales is already carrying water as his supply has run dry. Said he was selling stock today to try and reduced work load.
 

DRC

Member
Could have a big knock on effect for the sheep wintering lads. Not muck point in trying to grow stubble turnips at the moment , despite having land cleared from rye harvest .
 

JMTHORNLEY

Member
Location
Glossop
One fellow TFF member from Wales is already carrying water as his supply has run dry. Said he was selling stock today to try and reduced work load.

Serious? Reducing stock for one months extra work? I have found even in this harder than normal time my grass is still growing, my cows are bloody loving this weather, calves have never looked so good and the money I'm saving on second cut fert I've ordered a few loads of hay for winter while everyone is selling it. I don't see a problem just yet, we are on wet heavy ground and it's doing it the world of good. 5-6 years of wet horrible summers and the ground is cracking up fantastic, no need for a subsoiler this year and the rushes are being punished badly, all look to be wilting away and dying back nicely.

I am very very fortunate that I farm in a valley and at the top is a natural spring that supplies a constant flow of fresh water to the cattle in my fields through some clever ditches done this spring so them having water is no issue and we've a bore hole at the yard.

I feel for all those struggling I really do.. :(
 

Bald Rick

Moderator
Livestock Farmer
Location
Anglesey
So, what happens if we don't get any rain in July / August either ?
In 1976 the water board cut off the supply for a few hours a day to conserve supplies. Dad had to fill churns when it was on to tip into cattle troughs later on. How will 2000 cow herds fair with this palaver ....the more switched on will presumably have their own borehole supply ?
Fodder ? Second and third cut won't be up to much. Plenty of 2 acre paddocks been baled with small bales though.:ROFLMAO:. Baling and wrapping grass in October/ November might save the day ?
Folks start flogging cattle, will that depress markets ?
Shortage of spuds / veg ? Unlikely, everyone's got irrigation these days haven't they ?. Will it keep up with evaporation in this heat though ?

Just a few thoughts, no need to get upity, and accuse me of scaremongering / jealousy / not been progressive / trolling / rose tinted glasses / schadenfreude / etc, etc.:rolleyes:

Already happening. Mold market saw a fall of £600/head on Holstein this week from last.

Thanks be we have a decent (& deep) borehole
 
The spring supplying our farm is down to a trickle.
Luckily we've mains backup and very little stock inside...

All the grass has droughted off, can't decide whether to cut all the grass instead of just the 8ac we've done.
It looks about dead stood up.

Top field had £400 of fert on it which has done no good...
 

stewart

Member
Horticulture
Location
Bay of Plenty NZ
So, what happens if we don't get any rain in July / August either ?
In 1976 the water board cut off the supply for a few hours a day to conserve supplies. Dad had to fill churns when it was on to tip into cattle troughs later on. How will 2000 cow herds fair with this palaver ....the more switched on will presumably have their own borehole supply ?
Fodder ? Second and third cut won't be up to much. Plenty of 2 acre paddocks been baled with small bales though.:ROFLMAO:. Baling and wrapping grass in October/ November might save the day ?
Folks start flogging cattle, will that depress markets ?
Shortage of spuds / veg ? Unlikely, everyone's got irrigation these days haven't they ?. Will it keep up with evaporation in this heat though ?

Just a few thoughts, no need to get upity, and accuse me of scaremongering / jealousy / not been progressive / trolling / rose tinted glasses / schadenfreude / etc, etc.:rolleyes:
The weathers great enjoy it while it lasts.
 

Werzle

Member
Location
Midlands
So, what happens if we don't get any rain in July / August either ?
In 1976 the water board cut off the supply for a few hours a day to conserve supplies. Dad had to fill churns when it was on to tip into cattle troughs later on. How will 2000 cow herds fair with this palaver ....the more switched on will presumably have their own borehole supply ?
Fodder ? Second and third cut won't be up to much. Plenty of 2 acre paddocks been baled with small bales though.:ROFLMAO:. Baling and wrapping grass in October/ November might save the day ?
Folks start flogging cattle, will that depress markets ?
Shortage of spuds / veg ? Unlikely, everyone's got irrigation these days haven't they ?. Will it keep up with evaporation in this heat though ?

Just a few thoughts, no need to get upity, and accuse me of scaremongering / jealousy / not been progressive / trolling / rose tinted glasses / schadenfreude / etc, etc.:rolleyes:
Most people who plan on multiple cuts have done second cuts already, anybody putting up old sward for second cuts might as well not bother now. Most stock are well fleshed now too so sun,water and shade will keep them happy till the autumn. Maize crops look fantastic, spud haulm is starting to wilt
 
Serious? Reducing stock for one months extra work? I have found even in this harder than normal time my grass is still growing, my cows are bloody loving this weather, calves have never looked so good and the money I'm saving on second cut fert I've ordered a few loads of hay for winter while everyone is selling it. I don't see a problem just yet, we are on wet heavy ground and it's doing it the world of good. 5-6 years of wet horrible summers and the ground is cracking up fantastic, no need for a subsoiler this year and the rushes are being punished badly, all look to be wilting away and dying back nicely.

I am very very fortunate that I farm in a valley and at the top is a natural spring that supplies a constant flow of fresh water to the cattle in my fields through some clever ditches done this spring so them having water is no issue and we've a bore hole at the yard.

I feel for all those struggling I really do.. :(
i was in and mowed a couple of pieces of ground that I've been fixing drains in that's covered with rashes (very slowly) left it a few days and baled it. It'll do for bedding!
 

JMTHORNLEY

Member
Location
Glossop
i was in and mowed a couple of pieces of ground that I've been fixing drains in that's covered with rashes (very slowly) left it a few days and baled it. It'll do for bedding!

I have a question on the back of this if you don't mind?

Do you not worry that if you bale up rush then use it for bedding, when you clean the sheds out to spread in spring or aftercut that you will actually be spreading a pre-fertilised rush seed and therein just spreading the problem onto good ground that dosn't have rush on it?
 
I have a question on the back of this if you don't mind?

Do you not worry that if you bale up rush then use it for bedding, when you clean the sheds out to spread in spring or aftercut that you will actually be spreading a pre-fertilised rush seed and therein just spreading the problem onto good ground that dosn't have rush on it?
Welll... After reading a bit about compost making in some of the old-school books (and I've only really read about it and began dabbling, so by no means any expert whatsoever) that if the muck is mixed properly and gets enough air through it and the temperature gets high enough, it should kill the weed seed. Along with sorting the burst drains and proper grazing techniques.... I don't think it should be a problem...
the cattle here have scoffed the rashes in one part where I kept them tight for a few days longer than they would liked to have been.
 

JMTHORNLEY

Member
Location
Glossop
Welll... After reading a bit about compost making in some of the old-school books (and I've only really read about it and began dabbling, so by no means any expert whatsoever) that if the muck is mixed properly and gets enough air through it and the temperature gets high enough, it should kill the weed seed. Along with sorting the burst drains and proper grazing techniques.... I don't think it should be a problem...
the cattle here have scoffed the rashes in one part where I kept them tight for a few days longer than they would liked to have been.

That's good to hear, genuinely hadn't a clue on it. I am still hoping for a bit of strip grazing this year but what with the weather and all and water being the way it is I've not yet given it a go (don't tell @Kiwi Pete ;) ), but I'm hoping that the cattle will graze the rush down a bit here also. We have been wiping it out with a weed wiper year by year.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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