Recent content by Wids

If you were not feeding before the snow came because there was enough grass then a couple of days of snow is nothing to worry about. If you were feeding hay/haylage because there was no or v little grass then keep feeding maybe up it if it's sticking around for days

That's reassuring to hear!

Its a bit worrying hearing that people are not getting paid on time/schedule. How have anyone found it to be claiming for capital works? Are they any good at paying for that side of it? We started Jan 17.

Heard nothing about an agreement for this years mid tier, applied before the deadline. So frustrating not knowing either way to plan ahead. Anyone else hearing anything recently?

We've a fair few lonks, great sheep. Put to a texel for reasonable fat lambs, do keep some of the best gimmers for ourselves to put back to texel for abit more shape. Do well on our exposed upper ground. Nothing more than half texel here as everything's lambed outside.

we have some individual pens set up in a shed for anything that needs to come in for extreme weather, mis mothering, or whatever but everything lambs outside. Usually go around 4 times a day to keep ringing, moving on ewes and lambs intro fresh fields. But main check is first thing half hour...

If you've good forage and feeding good concentrate no need on pricey lick tubs. Analyse your forage to see what's in it, if it's poor may be that a few tubs isn't a bad idea. Outdoor lambing here and we went off them and no difference.

Any tips on catching the last few moles on the farm that seem to know every which way to not get trapped! I've caught moles successfully over the years but I've two places where hey have a stronghold! I'd guess from experience there could be no more than 10-15 moles at each stronghold. I...

If ewes are receiving good concentrate pre lambing the very minimum blocks should be used IMO is a week or two pre lambing (if bad weather or poor grass/forage) and if onto decent grass post lambing shouldn't be any need for them either. I see people feeding blocks from Autumn right through...

I've a fair bit of hedgeing and fencing potentially if I get approval. It would be a worry if they pulled the plug after I've paid for fencing materials etc.... I very much doubt they would enforce a break clause however, they can't seem to organise anything let alone something so controversial!

Nothing yet, but had an email a week ago regards a query of the application from NE, so they must be at least looking at them!

My advice is get someone to show you! And once you have got going and catching some keep on at them! It's easy when you are in a position to catch any moles moving into your land, not so when you've got a field black over with moles!!! I had 120 two years ago, 52 last year and so far on 18...

That's the thing it's a bit of a contradiction, although we do rubber ring on new borns while they are easy to catch, but your not after being within stick reader distance of the ewe, often they can be nearly next to you other times a fair way off, but in fairness they never miss mother at this...

Some good tips on here for people new into outdoor lambing and some who have been into in generations! We have lambed outside for over 60years now and have seen a lot, however I'm wanting to score each ewe against three standards: Ease of lambing Miss mothering Up and sucking So I need to...

Can you not just leave the rushes to die after weed wiping....? Seems a pain to have to top them off if they are set to die anyway. Is it just to look better or is there some reason for doing so? Cheers