green giant
Member
- Location
- Northumberland
I like the modern extra to the dash
Selectamatic's Farming Thread.
- Thread starter Selectamatic
- Start date
Selectamatic
Member
- Location
- North Wales
I like the modern extra to the dash
A high tech extra, when your a contractor on a scale such as me, it's essential...
Selectamatic
Member
- Location
- North Wales
Crappy weather recently, I'm chomping at the bit to get on...
After lopping some of the lower branches off, and giving the hedge a good trimming, Dad and I set about with some amateur fencing, only replacing some of the rotten posts and nailing some narrow sheep netting to it, it will, hopefully stop the B&B sheep which will be with us soon getting stranded deep in the hedge. The posts are not that old, most were rotten at ground level, poor really.
The docks I sprayed are mostly dead or dying, but the dandelions seem to be withstanding it well. I'll see how I get on when the sheep have been on it for a while.
Barley is ready to cut, but I'm waiting for a few consecutive days of good weather, the straw will need a day or two to die properly, the barley is not hurting for now, and will survive a while yet, as I don't fancy buggering about to try to dry the straw.
Hay is pretty much the same story, well past its best now, but again, waiting on some good weather. It is noticeably poorer this year, it will go under the plough in spring.
Swedes are doing well in this wet and warm season, but there are far more gaps this year than last, not sure why, but there should be a good bite for some sheep here too.
Potatoes are dying off surprisingly early, I was worried it was blight, but i'm pretty sure it's not, what's left of the earlies and second earlies are completely died off, the maincrop are following, apart from a green patch that is under the shadow of a tree.
Finally, the shed has it's door on! Lockable and secure, I can start moving in as time allows.
After lopping some of the lower branches off, and giving the hedge a good trimming, Dad and I set about with some amateur fencing, only replacing some of the rotten posts and nailing some narrow sheep netting to it, it will, hopefully stop the B&B sheep which will be with us soon getting stranded deep in the hedge. The posts are not that old, most were rotten at ground level, poor really.
The docks I sprayed are mostly dead or dying, but the dandelions seem to be withstanding it well. I'll see how I get on when the sheep have been on it for a while.
Barley is ready to cut, but I'm waiting for a few consecutive days of good weather, the straw will need a day or two to die properly, the barley is not hurting for now, and will survive a while yet, as I don't fancy buggering about to try to dry the straw.
Hay is pretty much the same story, well past its best now, but again, waiting on some good weather. It is noticeably poorer this year, it will go under the plough in spring.
Swedes are doing well in this wet and warm season, but there are far more gaps this year than last, not sure why, but there should be a good bite for some sheep here too.
Potatoes are dying off surprisingly early, I was worried it was blight, but i'm pretty sure it's not, what's left of the earlies and second earlies are completely died off, the maincrop are following, apart from a green patch that is under the shadow of a tree.
Finally, the shed has it's door on! Lockable and secure, I can start moving in as time allows.
DeeGee
Member
- Location
- North East Wales
Crappy weather recently, I'm chomping at the bit to get on...
After lopping some of the lower branches off, and giving the hedge a good trimming, Dad and I set about with some amateur fencing, only replacing some of the rotten posts and nailing some narrow sheep netting to it, it will, hopefully stop the B&B sheep which will be with us soon getting stranded deep in the hedge. The posts are not that old, most were rotten at ground level, poor really.
View attachment 562044
View attachment 562026
The docks I sprayed are mostly dead or dying, but the dandelions seem to be withstanding it well. I'll see how I get on when the sheep have been on it for a while.
Barley is ready to cut, but I'm waiting for a few consecutive days of good weather, the straw will need a day or two to die properly, the barley is not hurting for now, and will survive a while yet, as I don't fancy buggering about to try to dry the straw.
View attachment 562024
Hay is pretty much the same story, well past its best now, but again, waiting on some good weather. It is noticeably poorer this year, it will go under the plough in spring.
View attachment 562032
Swedes are doing well in this wet and warm season, but there are far more gaps this year than last, not sure why, but there should be a good bite for some sheep here too.
View attachment 562034
Potatoes are dying off surprisingly early, I was worried it was blight, but i'm pretty sure it's not, what's left of the earlies and second earlies are completely died off, the maincrop are following, apart from a green patch that is under the shadow of a tree.
View attachment 562038
View attachment 562040
Finally, the shed has it's door on! Lockable and secure, I can start moving in as time allows.
View attachment 562042
If that is spring barley Emyr mine looks very similar. It maybe looks far from ready with the heads not yet down, but is biting as if 18% here.
Mine is Kelim and had Roundup yesterday to try and dry up some greens, and in anticipation of it being ready to combine in about ten days to a fortnight.
Selectamatic
Member
- Location
- North Wales
This one is hard to the bite, even the ones that are not fully down. It's going to be crimped anyway, so I'm keen to get on it before the weather sends heads towards the ground...
I just want a few days so that the straw will make without having to bugger about with it.
I just want a few days so that the straw will make without having to bugger about with it.
Selectamatic
Member
- Location
- North Wales
Today was the day, combining my spring barley!
I would have liked to have left it, as the forecast is not great and I'd like to get my straw, but I lost my nerve and cut it, and the heads were pointing downwards, and a week of bad weather would have done nothing but hammered it, so out came the Lely!
Just a few quick pictures this time, as I was up against time, we were on the way to a neighbouring farm. Cutting corn is the easy bit, its the faffing about moving, on roads, in and out of fields etc that takes the time... I had sown the small field, where my swedes and spuds were last year, only a few runs up and down there, I was concerned that it would be more trouble than it was worth to bugger about with a allotment of barley, but that too yielded well.
Very happy with my crop of barley, I guess it's yielded about 2.5t to the acre, very pleased. A good load of straw too, lovely clean stuff, but not fit to bale, we'll see what comes of it after the rain that we're promised.
The Lely happily worked her way through it, cutting ripe stuff stood tidily is a pleasure. On days like this I'm still impressed by her output, it's nothing to write home about compared to today's monsters, but back in her day, she was certainly on par with the rest.
1494 on the Richard Western Trailer, cracking trailer that, strong, well built, carries 6.5t, wide enough, but not high, so easier to see where your reversing to.
Pulled the lever, folded her up, and went next door to cut some later. Header Trailers are a thing of the past...
Finally, a big sigh of relief, I trundled her to her new home tonight, the back doors of the shed purposely there so the combine could get under cover. I saw the doors going to place and started doubting myself, "Crikey, will she fit?" I thought... I've had a terrible niggling feeling until tonight...
I would have liked to have left it, as the forecast is not great and I'd like to get my straw, but I lost my nerve and cut it, and the heads were pointing downwards, and a week of bad weather would have done nothing but hammered it, so out came the Lely!
Just a few quick pictures this time, as I was up against time, we were on the way to a neighbouring farm. Cutting corn is the easy bit, its the faffing about moving, on roads, in and out of fields etc that takes the time... I had sown the small field, where my swedes and spuds were last year, only a few runs up and down there, I was concerned that it would be more trouble than it was worth to bugger about with a allotment of barley, but that too yielded well.
Very happy with my crop of barley, I guess it's yielded about 2.5t to the acre, very pleased. A good load of straw too, lovely clean stuff, but not fit to bale, we'll see what comes of it after the rain that we're promised.
The Lely happily worked her way through it, cutting ripe stuff stood tidily is a pleasure. On days like this I'm still impressed by her output, it's nothing to write home about compared to today's monsters, but back in her day, she was certainly on par with the rest.
1494 on the Richard Western Trailer, cracking trailer that, strong, well built, carries 6.5t, wide enough, but not high, so easier to see where your reversing to.
Pulled the lever, folded her up, and went next door to cut some later. Header Trailers are a thing of the past...
Finally, a big sigh of relief, I trundled her to her new home tonight, the back doors of the shed purposely there so the combine could get under cover. I saw the doors going to place and started doubting myself, "Crikey, will she fit?" I thought... I've had a terrible niggling feeling until tonight...
Keep up the good work.
Small scale potatoe harvest equipment is very cheap, at a farm sale around us a potatoe sorter in very good condition £20 the wood it was made from was worth ten times that, and a good small machine for lifting is an AMAC single row harvester, it doesn't require much power a David brown 1394 is up to it, it does need 2 spool valves or you have to reach out the cab to control things, 2 people can lift potatoes without bending the back....all from a tractor seat.....they go for around £200 or less. A weigher £15 the 25kg weight £20 if you haven't a bag stitcher then you should get one as well.
We made a counter balance we added to our old weigher, so the stitcher hanges above the bag when it sits on the weigher, you pull it down to stitch the bag up, and made a bag chair for 12.5kg bags that sits on the weigher so you can stick them above the back rest so we didn't have to alter the reach of the stitcher to get to the little bags. It's just basicly a pole with a pivot where we attach the stitcher on one side and the counter weight on the other I used a top link end as the pivot at the top to allow free movement. And some plastic weight training weights as the counter weight. It was also hight adjustable. Very simple but takes all the weight from the stitcher you have to only lightly push it down.....and it rises out the way when not needed.
Basic stuff like above will let you scale up to what you can sell, 5 acres would be no trouble. For little money. Because it's all far to small for the big growers we have now.
Selectamatic
Member
- Location
- North Wales
For closing the bag, we have some wire that is twisted together, with a wire twister, although Mrs S insists on calling it the "Wanky Thing"
multi power
Member
- Location
- pembrokeshire
Good description
We used to do the same
, but they stack so much better stitched that now we would not go back. And you don't cut your hands on them.....
New Puritan
Member
- Location
- East Sussex
@Dave645 :
Any chance you could upload a photo of this, it might be easier to understand (to me anyway).
Any chance you could upload a photo of this, it might be easier to understand (to me anyway).
holywell farmer
Member
- Location
- holywell, north wales
Looking good,Haymaking today!
I cut it on Friday evening, turned it on Saturday, and yesterday, rowed it up and baled it today.
Rowed it up with the Haybob 360, which is a totally different machine now i've set it correctly, and that I have fitted the right tines to it, did a fantastic job of rowing up the hay ready for the baler.
View attachment 537886
View attachment 537888
It's much more pleasant to be baling at a steady pace following a decent row that suits your baler, than running round and round the field like a fool chasing some little whiff of a row! and, you dont have to get off the tractor to move bales!
View attachment 537890
Hay was fit and smells lovely, had bang on 100 bales to the acre today, baler missed a few when the string changed from one spool to another, otherwise it's worked well. Little drag sledge is a handy thing even if you just drop them off in rows of two's and three's.
View attachment 537892
Carried them tonight, some sold from the field, others are all under cover.
View attachment 537894
Wanted to go to out for tea to the pub when I got home, but it's too late tonight, we can go another time!
Ok as requested.....
The handle allows up and down movement and the small bar is the back stop for the stitcher we just pushed the stitcher on its chain around the back to hold the stitcher out the way when not needed.
The stitcher hungs on a chain which has an easy clip like on a dog lead. From the other end of the weights
The R clip allows the top bar to be taken off. You adjust the balance with positioning, as the weights closer to the pivot, the less counter balance you get. And you can see the old top link end as the pivot....
The 12.5kg bag stand we just added 14lb to the bag side to balance it against 25kg weight on the back.
I don't know what I took the adjustable section off that allows hight adjustment but it works great, I just drilled some holes in the top of the weigher and pushed them down the same at the base, I just didn't go all the way through on the base to make 2 pockets for the bars to sit in and hold it firm. Hope that helps.
The handle allows up and down movement and the small bar is the back stop for the stitcher we just pushed the stitcher on its chain around the back to hold the stitcher out the way when not needed.
The stitcher hungs on a chain which has an easy clip like on a dog lead. From the other end of the weights
The R clip allows the top bar to be taken off. You adjust the balance with positioning, as the weights closer to the pivot, the less counter balance you get. And you can see the old top link end as the pivot....
The 12.5kg bag stand we just added 14lb to the bag side to balance it against 25kg weight on the back.
I don't know what I took the adjustable section off that allows hight adjustment but it works great, I just drilled some holes in the top of the weigher and pushed them down the same at the base, I just didn't go all the way through on the base to make 2 pockets for the bars to sit in and hold it firm. Hope that helps.
Selectamatic
Member
- Location
- North Wales
The weatherman should be sacked! They don't seem to know what it's going to do from one hour to the next.
Went to see my straw this morning, the swaths had died down flat, dry on top, but a soggy mess underneath. The promise of good weather encouraged me to give it a turn to try and dry it, ready to bale.
I would assume that the ideal tool for this would have been something like a Lely Acrobat? I wanted something that would effectively flip the swath over, bringing the wet to the top. I had a go with my Haybob 360, but called it a bad job, mixing the wet and dry straw.
So, I put the Haybob back in it's standard setting and shook it out.
It came along surprisingly well, fresh, windy and dry day. The weatherman then changed his tune, heavy rain tomorrow!
So, this evening, we rowed it up and put it through the baler! Plenty good enough for bedding, with one or two heavy bales from straw lying under the trees, nothing drastic.
Customers came, carried their loads away. Job done. Disappointingly, only 65 bales to the acre (proper bales though!) but I suppose there is nothing else to be expected after it's stood outside for a week, and been through a Haybob twice!
Weatherman thinks it's going to be a nice day tomorrow now!!
Went to see my straw this morning, the swaths had died down flat, dry on top, but a soggy mess underneath. The promise of good weather encouraged me to give it a turn to try and dry it, ready to bale.
I would assume that the ideal tool for this would have been something like a Lely Acrobat? I wanted something that would effectively flip the swath over, bringing the wet to the top. I had a go with my Haybob 360, but called it a bad job, mixing the wet and dry straw.
So, I put the Haybob back in it's standard setting and shook it out.
It came along surprisingly well, fresh, windy and dry day. The weatherman then changed his tune, heavy rain tomorrow!
So, this evening, we rowed it up and put it through the baler! Plenty good enough for bedding, with one or two heavy bales from straw lying under the trees, nothing drastic.
Customers came, carried their loads away. Job done. Disappointingly, only 65 bales to the acre (proper bales though!) but I suppose there is nothing else to be expected after it's stood outside for a week, and been through a Haybob twice!
Weatherman thinks it's going to be a nice day tomorrow now!!
Selectamatic
Member
- Location
- North Wales
The weather held up, so I thought I'd get some rape / stubble turnips / kale mixture sown on the stubble. Thanks @Great In Grass
In an effort to adopt new methods, I thought that min till was the way forward, so I hitched up the latest, state of the art, all singing all dancing piece of kit to an equally sophisticated tractor, and set about ripping the stubble up.
As I finished, it stated to spit with rain, which turned into consistent heavy rain. Bugger.
Broadcasting of the seed will have to wait a few days...
In an effort to adopt new methods, I thought that min till was the way forward, so I hitched up the latest, state of the art, all singing all dancing piece of kit to an equally sophisticated tractor, and set about ripping the stubble up.
As I finished, it stated to spit with rain, which turned into consistent heavy rain. Bugger.
Broadcasting of the seed will have to wait a few days...
Yes but it will dry quicker now it's opened upThe weather held up, so I thought I'd get some rape / stubble turnips / kale mixture sown on the stubble. Thanks @Great In Grass
In an effort to adopt new methods, I thought that min till was the way forward, so I hitched up the latest, state of the art, all singing all dancing piece of kit to an equally sophisticated tractor, and set about ripping the stubble up.
View attachment 567850
As I finished, it stated to spit with rain, which turned into consistent heavy rain. Bugger.
Broadcasting of the seed will have to wait a few days...
- Location
- Cornwall.
Sorry I couldn't send some sun.
- Location
- S. Staffs
Great to see the old Lely still doing the job, I have thought many times since ours went what a pity that someone didn't take the design of the folding header more seriously and with hydraulic motor knife drives I think it could have been really brilliant. Mind you, it couldn't have worked for more than a 20' cut as they would have been too high folded up !!
ThatsSomeSheep
Member
The weather held up, so I thought I'd get some rape / stubble turnips / kale mixture sown on the stubble. Thanks @Great In Grass
In an effort to adopt new methods, I thought that min till was the way forward, so I hitched up the latest, state of the art, all singing all dancing piece of kit to an equally sophisticated tractor, and set about ripping the stubble up.
View attachment 567850
As I finished, it stated to spit with rain, which turned into consistent heavy rain. Bugger.
Broadcasting of the seed will have to wait a few days...
Good to see classic doesn't have to mean plough, plough, plough.
TSS