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We’re thinking about getting Musk’s Starlink because our current broadband provider doesn’t seem able to provide a service of the quality we need. I was wondering whether anyone else uses Starlink bb in the way we would like to, and whether it is likely to work well. We’re currently on a max...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-67054663 Lots of pressure on public sector bodies to ensure the meat they buy isn’t contributing to antibiotic resistance BUT surely the unmentioned elephant in the room is imports. No point reducing AB use in livestock to the point that domestic...

Just wondering whether you’re supposed to have a sump for a livestock trailer for road use. I’ve never had a trailer with a sump before so my gut feeling is not to have one as it’s more expense and the extra weight will further reduce the effective payload (after waiting more than a year and a...

I’ll shortly be buying ~250 ewe lambs from Buckinghamshire and I’ll need them shifted up the country to Northumberland to establish a new flock. I’ve never done that sort of thing before so I’m entirely out of the loop about which livestock transporters regularly do that sort of trip and who...

Has anyone had a grant offer through yet for items in the Animal Health and Welfare Farming part of the Equipment and Technology Fund? Applications closed over 2 weeks ago. It’s all on computer and ranked so they would know instantly who they were going to be offering grants to; I’d expected a...

I ordered a new IW trailer one year ago in January 2022 from a local tractor dealership and IW retailer. Nothing too exotic; just a 14ft stock box. I’ve enquired a couple of times recently but as yet I haven’t had a straight answer about the expected delivery schedule- just salesman patter. I do...

I’m sure there’s an extended obvious thread on this- please point me in the right direction. My current supplier EDF is offering £0.60/0.7436 (SC/Unit) (1year) and if you faff about on the website the best they’re offering is £0.60/0.47 (2 years) Is that par, or are there much better offers out...

Help me out. Buildings/machinery that come into contacts with manure etc have to be washed with a combined detergent/disinfectant: ”If livestock buildings are intended for use as crop storage or temporary holding facilities they must be thoroughly cleaned, power washed and sanitised with a...

I’ve had a letter from HSE/Lantra saying “HSE will be inspecting farms in your area in the Autumn”. (Well.. don’t they inspect farms anywhere at all times of year?) I‘m invited to a free online Lantra training course in preparation. Anyone else had this? Good idea? In particula would this be...

My 8yr old Child1 came home from school today and I asked him what he’d been doing at school (an otherwise excellent country primary). “Science” What about? “Global warming” Hmmmm..... “Did you know that since xxxx the planet has warmed up xxx on a graph, and did you know that methane causes...

I’m considering getting a Mac, partly because my laptop’s on its last legs but mainly because I’ve grown to absolutely hate windows. The fly in the ointment is that I use Shearwell’s Farmworks for cattle management. I like the program well enough but it’s PC only, not Mac. I don’t use any of...

I’m just towards the end of a project to improve the farms water supply; I’ve built a shed to house a couple of 5m3 tanks (its a private water supply). After the manifolds, I’ll end up with 6x32mm alkethene pipes heading off to the various sheds, field troughs, houses etc. I thought it would be...

I’ve had a letter from the council today which has got me a little concerned. They are looking to add a “byway open to all traffic” to their definitive map and have provided a description and map of what they wish to add. Most of what they propose I have no problem with but one bit is just...

I had a fairly good FA inspection - just got picked up on the fact that I didn’t record the type of detergent/sanitiser I used in my temporary grain store as per standard ST.J : If livestock buildings are intended for use as crop storage or temporary holding facilities they must be thoroughly...

im considering getting a new (or at least fairly new) pivot steer telehandler. It will have to do everything our current Terex T250 does. I’m tempted by a sidearm JCB 526-56 as a neighbour has one and loves it having changed from a pivot steer, but I don’t think it would work here as I feed...

It strikes me that us farmers are a quietly proud breed, so what’s the moment that you’ve felt most proud? For me, it was the time my Dad answered the phone to me late at night and I told him we were naming our son after him. (Not his first name that he and I and his father share, but his...

Rant - sorry! It’s a miserable day outside so I’m in the office polishing paperwork for a forthcoming FA inspection. The paperwork required for vermin control seems to have become quite daft and onerous- with site surveys,environmental risk assessments (including justification of your use of...

I’m improving my water holding tanks for my farm. We have a spring supply, it’s pumped up the hill to a holding tank at the highest point on the farm from where it flows under gravity to where it’s needed. The local electricians have plenty of work on and those I’ve persuaded to have a look are...

I have a number of old ploughs about the place, collected by a relative who’s no longer with us who was interested in competition ploughing. I have little knowledge of, or interest in, these ploughs and they’re just rusting away outside or taking up shed space. Is anyone interested in any of...

Just doing a bit of long term planning. I currently grow winter oats and spring barley. It’s been yet another ‘difficult’ end to the harvest (barley practically trying to malt in the trailer, bales will be fusty) so I’m thinking of ditching the barley in a couple of years when our mid tier...