Bugs in freshly harvested barley....????

[Longneck]

Morning all..

So we harvested some feed barley on Friday 7th july, it was fit but straw was a little bit green nothing too bad.

Anyway all tipped onto a drying floor that had not had any grain in it for at least 6 weeks, had been sprayed out and smoke bombed, also no record of any bugs in that shed for the last few years.

Cold air blown through until the merchant started collecting it to take into store this week (harvest pool!!!)

After the second load goes i get a call..... "we've found ergot in it". This seems unlikely as i had noot seen any trace of ergot.

Then they say "we've also found bugs in it". Hang on, this is freshly cut not old crop.


So in my disbeleif i take three of my own samples to the merchants own lab nearby (the store they are taking the barley to is 3 hours away) and low and behold they test it clear for ergot and bugs!!!!!!!!!!!

Obviously someone is taking the P#@S!!!!

Next load (which was already on route.... they find more ergot!! I have searched the entire heap and have not found a single piece of ergot. (or bugs!!)

Question is... is there anyway that there could have been bugs in freshly harvested grain???

Sorry for the lengthy post but in needed to get it off my chest!!!!!!!

 

[spin cycle]

you can get clover weevil in fresh harvested stuff but they're harmless and die out circa 3 weeks

disclaimer... off top of head from hot/stressed 'shepherd'

 

[neilo]

you can get clover weevil in fresh harvested stuff but they're harmless and die out circa 3 weeks

disclaimer... off top of head from hot/stressed 'shepherd'

I thought you might suggest that dry, pelleted lamb poo might be mistaken for ergot in a sample.

 

[David.]

Is the store near a posh "farmhouse"?

 

[Longneck]

Is the store near a posh "farmhouse"?

Not sure, but they do have a very flashy website offering their lab and cleaning services!!!!

 

[oldoaktree]

Get them to come out and test the heap and get your own test independently done. I’d dispute there findings if it was me .

 

[Longneck]

My feelings are, if they had just said they had found the odd bit of ergot I may have excepted at face value and taken the hit. BUT the way I see it, they probably assumed it was old crop barley coming into store and thought they would chance the “bugs” card.
Now I don’t trust a word they say and am quite prepared to fight it all the way!!!

 

[Brisel]

Sounds like the merchant is taking the p*ss. Unless it was collected by a blower lorry that are frequently full of bugs, they are having a laugh.

There was a fair bit of ergot about last year, even in winter barley. My blackgrass is full of it.

How was this issue resolved? Smart move taking more samples to the same merchant. I'd go for independent testing as I'll bet a 3 hour drive back wasn't cheap.

 

[Barleymow]

When was it sold?

 

[yellowbelly]

Then they say "we've also found bugs in it". Hang on, this is freshly cut not old crop.

What sort of professional outfit calls 'em bugs?

If they know what they're doing, they's say they found weevils or thrips or whatever.

Sound like a bunch of chancers to me.
Don't let 'em get away with it.

 

[Widgetone]

Is the store near a posh "farmhouse"?

?? please

 

[4R Man]

Ask to see their sample, wouldn't be the first time there is a new person on the weighbridge who can't distinguish brome, ryegrass seeds or bits of straw from Ergot

 

[Brisel]

?? please

He's hinting at the store in question and the merchant concerned without naming them.

 

[Longneck]

Ask to see their sample, wouldn't be the first time there is a new person on the weighbridge who can't distinguish brome, ryegrass seeds or bits of straw from Ergot

They emailed me a picture of a piece of ergot…. Case closed obviously!!!!!

 

[Longneck]

Sounds like the merchant is taking the p*ss. Unless it was collected by a blower lorry that are frequently full of bugs, they are having a laugh.

There was a fair bit of ergot about last year, even in winter barley. My blackgrass is full of it.

How was this issue resolved? Smart move taking more samples to the same merchant. I'd go for independent testing as I'll bet a 3 hour drive back wasn't cheap.

The funny thing is it didn’t get rejected!! So I assume it’s been tipped in store as I’ve heard nothing more since I told them my suspicions. They even came to collect another load after the initial issue was discovered!!!

I did wonder if it was contaminated from the trucks at first as they were pretty shabby looking trailers but I know from the drivers they had just come from a local flour mill that is hot on anything like that so they were “clean” as far as I can tell.

Yes, we had plenty ergot issues last year but couldn’t see a single piece in this 100t heap on the floor

 

[PSQ]

An acquaintance of mine used to be the person at an intake a good bit further north, and his job at harvest was to phone farmers and see if they would tolerate downgrading ‘marginal’ malting spec to feed, and then directing the ‘feed’ to the malting intake to blend with the better spec…

 

[thorpe]

An acquaintance of mine used to be the person at an intake a good bit further north, and his job at harvest was to phone farmers and see if they would tolerate downgrading ‘marginal’ malting spec to feed, and then directing the ‘feed’ to the malting intake to blend with the better spec…

it seem's the arable jos's as bad as the meat trade! but we already knew that didn't we?

 

[Longneck]

When was it sold?

Its in a harvest pool.

 

[Grass And Grain]

Ask them what they've done with it.

If they've tipped it then I can't see how they're going to lose out.

Lots of harvest grain is crawling with bugs from the crop. Point out it was growing in a field.