a few pics

[24/7 farming]

a few pics of what i have got up to on our own small farm and with a local contractor/farmer over the last 12 months or so here in the northwest corner of ireland...

Will try and add all the bits and pieces i am involved in

started off a bit sticky...

but eventually got going...

the last nearly twenty four months of crap weather had taken its toll though...

but got it all done in the end

 

[24/7 farming]

bit of round baling on our own farm, baling done by the contractor i work with and draw in ourselves

 

[24/7 farming]

more silage...

at the pit

 

[cosmiccrofter]

Is that a 148? If so, I have one exactly like it with the Duncan cab, a great little tractor.

 

[blackbob]

the last nearly twenty four months of crap weather had taken its toll though...
View attachment 10133

View attachment 10134

Had this subsoiling done any good, do you think? Just looks a waste of diesel from here!

 

[spanners]

funky bale trailer

 

[Philip Watkins]

Had this subsoiling done any good, do you think? Just looks a waste of diesel from here!

Looks like it's done more harm than good!

 

[24/7 farming]

Had this subsoiling done any good, do you think? Just looks a waste of diesel from here!

dont think last year in general done any ground any good . That ground is the heaviest ground we work and is in a river flood plain, it can give the sensation of driving on jelly at times. When it gets water logged it never dries, when it does dry it turns to concrete. it sat over the winter with a few inches of water on it for months on end which seemed to seal it up completely so there was no drying happening whatsoever, was hard to know what to do with it, two fields were subsoiled at a level just above the permanent drains, and a third wasnt, the two that where done were ploughed in the condition you seen and sown around mid may, the plough still couldnt get through the third field in middle of june and had to be towed, so as for a waste of diesel... it appears it would either have been a day with the subsoiler or a day towing the tractor ploughing

In my ten years its the first time I ever seen it anywhere near this bad, apparently it happened once before and it took a track digger to pull the tractor and plough through it after it water logged over the winter, this ground is real tough work, drains are jetted annually and ditches cleaned at the same time and can wear out points of a plough in a day. Saying all that, there appears to be a pretty decent crop of spring barley there now about 3 weeks away from being ready, so hopefully its not a process that will have to be repeated anytime in the near future.

The tracks you see left by that bit of subsoiling were nowhere near as bad as some of the potato ground we have had to come in behind though, and the crops in some of that ground are suffering.

 

[Blue.]

@24/7 farming I have some river ground that does exactly the same,it spent 2 years under water till we got it opened up this spring.

 

[24/7 farming]

Is that a 148? If so, I have one exactly like it with the Duncan cab, a great little tractor.

@cosmiccrofter it is indeed, '79 i think, and just passed 9000hrs, mind you is in need of a bit of tlc now as we think there is a sticking valve, going to do a job on it now soon and get injectors done and anything else it needs, going to give it a bit of cosmetic attention too.
Was our main tractor for 25 or so up until 3 years ago, but the modern chopped bales are just too heavy for it and was more abuse than it deserved, but it can fly with that wee trailer which also had to be upgraded to twin axle for the chopped bales!!!

On one of its regular duties, topping with 5'6'' disk mower in less than ideal conditions!

 

[24/7 farming]

been at the harvest the past two weeks, two more days cutting will see us finished up. I am on baling and turning duties...

first bales of 2013!...

we have been very lucky with weather (for this part of the world on the north west corner of ireland!), been pretty much non-stop for the last ten days...

managed to nearly catch up with the combine in a few of the bigger fields...

some of the greener straw needed a bit of turning before it was fit, my own tractor was on duty for this...

using a shed on our own farm to park up when away from base, the only one high enough, but a bit on the skinny side!!...

 

[24/7 farming]

the harvest fleet for 2013...

back at home had spent a bit of time before harvest tidying up bits of our own kit..

meal trailer was treated to new tyres and some lights...

the loader on the 398 got a bit of tlc aswell..

 

[Post Driver]

Nice pictures mate, where abouts in Donegal you from?

My other half is from Ballybofey and her family have a farm out near Manorcunningham.

 

[24/7 farming]

Nice pictures mate, where abouts in Donegal you from?

My other half is from Ballybofey and her family have a farm out near Manorcunningham.

we are based in and around the lifford area, only about 15miles from ballybofey!

 

[Post Driver]

Ha, that's where the family are from on the fathers side. Will be there in Oct to meet her Aunt etc. I'll bring my work boots, then if all the tea and buns gets too much I'll come give you a hand and leave the women to it.

 

[24/7 farming]

@Post Driver not a problem, there is always something needing done!!, mind you, you might need to upgrade to the wellies after the week we have just had