Anyone wishing they hadn’t drilled?

bankrupt · Nov 9, 2019

4course said:
not regretting what weve sown even if some doesnt look the best

Same here, 4course.

For example, of the 7 different fields we did on 10th Oct, 5 or possibly 6 are OK.

It seems that it's a total lottery as to which will fail and which will succeed.

One might argue that past experience should have guided the risks on this but, having pulled out in a forecast drizzle that midnight, one really didn't expect yet another 15mm to fall before breakfast.

The fields that are OK correlate with the order of drilling on that particular day rather than with any previous cropping, soil type or any other historic factor.

My conclusion is that it was right to have got all the seed in the ground in reasonably good time somehow or another, and just to accept the cost of having to re-drill 10-15% where necessary.

bankrupt · Nov 9, 2019

texelburger said:
just hope we get a dry spring.

Same here, texelburger.

Problem here is that we know from our records that planting it all up in mid-late September gives us an annual yield disadvantage of 10-15% compared with early October.

Whereas not being able to plant until February/March is a 50% disadvantage.

So, early October seems the best bet here but only if it can successfully be done in at least 3 years out of every 4.

Unfortunately, the jury's still out on that one because we've only actually managed it 9 years in the last 12, (2008, 2012, 2019 being the exceptions).

So, it's been a score draw here with the weather in recent years.

teslacoils · Nov 9, 2019

My daddy has told me he did 4t sowing here on Christmas day nineteen ninety something.

I reminded him we harrowed some in during Christmas week in 2008 and it was a sack of crap.

So it's now well in the "chance it" territory. But I think if we have a decent frosty spell we will give some a go, simply as milling wheat must be a better option price wise than spring feed barley or oats.

Farma Parma · Nov 9, 2019

Yes the last 50 ac i did a month ago then rolled some, deffo not been the season for rolling.
Not had a single chance since to get back on, its been nearly dry enough & then it would rain again & again & again
Such a diff 12months ago, all drilled up by 7th of Oct, everything looking very well by early Nov & all had a weed-spray
Agchem Suppliers gonna have a much leaner season.
To be honest its about time we used less anyways.

teslacoils · Nov 9, 2019

Farma Parma said:
Such a diff 12months ago, all drilled up by 7th of Oct, everything looking very well by early Nov & all had a weed-spray

Last year we could have drilled the whole lot again after we finished....

....actually did drill 50ac again as the BG from early drilling was a real mess.

Decent late drilling rig? Hopper on top of markstig drag on the back of a little old cat 55? Horsch sprinter do the job?

lloyd · Nov 9, 2019

Sure,y wont be long till we see £150 plus for feed spot wheat again!

Farma Parma · Nov 9, 2019

teslacoils said:
Last year we could have drilled the whole lot again after we finished....

....actually did drill 50ac again as the BG from early drilling was a real mess.

Decent late drilling rig? Hopper on top of markstig drag on the back of a little old cat 55? Horsch sprinter do the job?

My neighbour only just started the day i finished & he drilled everything by end of Oct no issues what so ever

teslacoils · Nov 9, 2019

lloyd said:
Sure,y wont be long till we see £150 plus for feed spot wheat again!

USDA need to stop printing their bullcrap first.

Farma Parma · Nov 9, 2019

lloyd said:
Sure,y wont be long till we see £150 plus for feed spot wheat again!

London Feed Wheat was £159 yesterday (SOZ Nov20) according to AHDB
i know its less ex farm but surely not £9

Wombat · Nov 9, 2019

teslacoils said:
My daddy has told me he did 4t sowing here on Christmas day nineteen ninety something.

I reminded him we harrowed some in during Christmas week in 2008 and it was a sack of crap.

So it's now well in the "chance it" territory. But I think if we have a decent frosty spell we will give some a go, simply as milling wheat must be a better option price wise than spring feed barley or oats.

We have the seed so I will have a go at some point before the end of Jan, if we can get some cold it could dry up nicely

lloyd · Nov 9, 2019

Farma Parma said:
London Feed Wheat was £159 yesterday (SOZ Nov20) according to AHDB
i know its less ex farm but surely not £9

spot not forward

teslacoils · Nov 9, 2019

Wombat said:
We have the seed so I will have a go at some point before the end of Jan, if we can get some cold it could dry up nicely

Usually we get some nice dry from the east - only been crap so far.

Werzle · Nov 9, 2019

Next years standing straw trade is already being talked up on the back of the poor drilling conditions!

robbie · Nov 9, 2019

Had a walk/ drive around today and I must say I'm very pleased with everything I've drilled with no regrets(I appreciate I'm on kind ground) despite many of my peers thinking I was daft to be going and that I should wait for better weather.

Cassie drilled 16th oct

Cassie drilled 3rd oct.

Diego drilled and rolled in on the 17th which had a biblical storm on it just as we pulled out of the gate.

The rest of the barley all looks the same, the only bare patches I can find are the odd wheeling left when drilling headlands or backing into a corner. A fair chunk of the wheat is now just showing in rows.

Flat 10 · Nov 9, 2019

robbie said:
Had a walk/ drive around today and I must say I'm very pleased with everything I've drilled with no regrets(I appreciate I'm on kind ground) despite many of my peers thinking I was daft to be going and that I should wait for better weather.
View attachment 842939
Cassie drilled 16th oct
View attachment 842940 View attachment 842941
Cassie drilled 3rd oct.
View attachment 842942
Diego drilled and rolled in on the 17th which had a biblical storm on it just as we pulled out of the gate.

The rest of the barley all looks the same, the only bare patches I can find are the odd wheeling left when drilling headlands or backing into a corner. A fair chunk of the wheat is now just showing in rows.

Jealous

robbie · Nov 9, 2019

Flat 10 said:
Jealous

Especially when in the 2nd,3rd and 4th pictures the headlands were drilled first and turned on!!!

farmerm · Nov 9, 2019

Flat 10 said:
Jealous

Ditto!

Farma Parma · Nov 9, 2019

robbie said:
Had a walk/ drive around today and I must say I'm very pleased with everything I've drilled with no regrets(I appreciate I'm on kind ground) despite many of my peers thinking I was daft to be going and that I should wait for better weather.
View attachment 842939
Cassie drilled 16th oct
View attachment 842940 View attachment 842941
Cassie drilled 3rd oct.
View attachment 842942
Diego drilled and rolled in on the 17th which had a biblical storm on it just as we pulled out of the gate.

The rest of the barley all looks the same, the only bare patches I can find are the odd wheeling left when drilling headlands or backing into a corner. A fair chunk of the wheat is now just showing in rows.

Thats just nice to see some very even growing well done

Farmer_Joe · Nov 9, 2019

robbie said:
Had a walk/ drive around today and I must say I'm very pleased with everything I've drilled with no regrets(I appreciate I'm on kind ground) despite many of my peers thinking I was daft to be going and that I should wait for better weather.
View attachment 842939
Cassie drilled 16th oct
View attachment 842940 View attachment 842941
Cassie drilled 3rd oct.
View attachment 842942
Diego drilled and rolled in on the 17th which had a biblical storm on it just as we pulled out of the gate.

The rest of the barley all looks the same, the only bare patches I can find are the odd wheeling left when drilling headlands or backing into a corner. A fair chunk of the wheat is now just showing in rows.

saw some near york like this other day, was surprised how well it looked considering the weather, on the other hand some fields were completely waterlogged!

Mark C · Nov 9, 2019

Werzle said:
Next years standing straw trade is already being talked up on the back of the poor drilling conditions!

Yep. Big power station contract Baler men panicking! One was going to buy another £150k krone Baler for 2020 has thought better of it and we have been luckier than most with what’s been drilled

Anyone wishing they hadn’t drilled?

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100% I’ve had enough of farming!

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