Dealing with depression - suicidal thoughts - Join the conversation (including helpline details)

Alicecow

Member
Location
Connacht
@waterbuffalofarmer have you tried blackout linings on your curtains? Or fit a blackout blind in the window well for whenever you need it.

@Cowmangav , I wish I had the answer for you, but I'm afraid I don't, but I do sympathise with you as our terrain here is less than favourable, as is the weather very often. The social aspect of local and/or regional unemployment also has more impact than people may realise too. Just keep plodging?
 

Cowmangav

Member
Location
Ayrshire
@waterbuffalofarmer have you tried blackout linings on your curtains? Or fit a blackout blind in the window well for whenever you need it.

@Cowmangav , I wish I had the answer for you, but I'm afraid I don't, but I do sympathise with you as our terrain here is less than favourable, as is the weather very often. The social aspect of local and/or regional unemployment also has more impact than people may realise too. Just keep plodging?
Probably going to dry most of my cows off in the next 10 days , mostly spring and summer calvers , giving very little on the poor forage we managed to buy. End of 150 years of dairying here.
 

Alicecow

Member
Location
Connacht
Probably going to dry most of my cows off in the next 10 days , mostly spring and summer calvers , giving very little on the poor forage we managed to buy. End of 150 years of dairying here.
I remember reading last year you saying about stopping milking :(. Even worse to have to stop like this :cry:
Some people here have run out of fodder already (n)

Will you take in summer grazers or something?
 

Cowmangav

Member
Location
Ayrshire
I remember reading last year you saying about stopping milking :(. Even worse to have to stop like this :cry:
Some people here have run out of fodder already (n)

Will you take in summer grazers or something?
Problems are - we can't guarantee to carry cattle from 1st May , might be later before ground is dry enough. I hoped to bring on my youngstock a bit , we are BVD free so don't really want other stock coming on.

Can just imagine showing someone over the grazing in March:scratchhead: , they might need waders on.

We have almost done a six month winter already - and 4 months still to go.
 
I'm sure they do such a lot of good work. FCN don't really cover Scotland though.
'New venture launched for farmers in Scotland to seek confidential help both emotional or financial. For anyone in rural Scotland with work worries, stress, crisis, financial pressure or anxiety RSABI have a free helpline 0300 111 4166 open 7 am to 11 pm 7 days a week.' RSABI - supporting people in Scottish agriculture.
 

Cowmangav

Member
Location
Ayrshire
I'm sure RSABi are a great help to those in serious distress. A few years ago we had an issue with Council Tax on a burgalled and vandalised cottage ( copper pipes stolen , water brought ceilings down). NFU mutual insurance wouldn't pay anything because the cottage had been empty for more than 6 weeks, although fully insured all that time. It was unlettable , not mine to sell , but we still had to pay council tax. RSABI said Cit Ad Bureau would help. It took me about ten days to get an appointment with CAB , who then said it was a business matter and not personal and therefore not for them to engage with . A small point perhaps , but at a stressful time it was disappointing.
 

Bury the Trash

Member
Mixed Farmer
I'm sure RSABi are a great help to those in serious distress. A few years ago we had an issue with Council Tax on a burgalled and vandalised cottage ( copper pipes stolen , water brought ceilings down). NFU mutual insurance wouldn't pay anything because the cottage had been empty for more than 6 weeks, although fully insured all that time. It was unlettable , not mine to sell , but we still had to pay council tax. RSABI said Cit Ad Bureau would help. It took me about ten days to get an appointment with CAB , who then said it was a business matter and not personal and therefore not for them to engage with . A small point perhaps , but at a stressful time it was disappointing.
Several years ago we went to the CAB for help and we were told the same by them .. (n)

FCN are good as real farmers are in the organisation and they straight away understand where you are coming from, just someone to sound off to in confidence is a help for a start imo.
 

Alicecow

Member
Location
Connacht
Problems are - we can't guarantee to carry cattle from 1st May , might be later before ground is dry enough. I hoped to bring on my youngstock a bit , we are BVD free so don't really want other stock coming on.

Can just imagine showing someone over the grazing in March:scratchhead: , they might need waders on.

We have almost done a six month winter already - and 4 months still to go.

Not just one rock and one hard place, but several all at the same time, and all the time.
I suppose cutting cow numbers back wouldn't work as then you wouldn't have enough output to cover inputs :(

I read something on here about different types of milk, a&b I think it was. One was suitable for people with allergies, possibly paid more per litre? Not sure how collections etc would work though. Although you probably know a lot more about it than I do.
 

waterbuffalofarmer

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Penzance
Not just one rock and one hard place, but several all at the same time, and all the time.
I suppose cutting cow numbers back wouldn't work as then you wouldn't have enough output to cover inputs :(

I read something on here about different types of milk, a&b I think it was. One was suitable for people with allergies, possibly paid more per litre? Not sure how collections etc would work though. Although you probably know a lot more about it than I do.

Buffalo you mean? For it to work you would have to buy in load from Italy or Holland, high yielding animals, along with a bull or 2. I have a few contacts. The milk is more expensive than cows milk, about £2.00 a litre if you sold it bottled milk to public, ik that's what others charge, but wholesale is between £1.00 and £1.20 per litre. This is because buffalo produce less amounts than cattle and their butterfat is much higher. 8% butterfat and 4. Something % protein. It's A2 group milk, as are the British breed of Guernsey, sheep, goats, Norwegian breed mountain cow. They have a higher stocking rate to cattle. So for example on 4 acres it's ample enough for 4 animals. They tend to prefer grass shorter,like sheep. They generally come into season as days get shorter, so have to run programmes on them for all year round calving. Success rate is usually 3/5 for AI, for us anyway. Where weather is harsher they will need to be indoors in winter, especially if imported ones and milking them. I'll stop now, I could go on forever. Either meat or milk you could do, both they do are brilliant and good market for them. If anyone wants any info please contact me and I'll be able to talk to you about it more :) don't want to divert this thread any further :D
 

Alicecow

Member
Location
Connacht
Buffalo you mean? For it to work you would have to buy in load from Italy or Holland, high yielding animals, along with a bull or 2. I have a few contacts. The milk is more expensive than cows milk, about £2.00 a litre if you sold it bottled milk to public, ik that's what others charge, but wholesale is between £1.00 and £1.20 per litre. This is because buffalo produce less amounts than cattle and their butterfat is much higher. 8% butterfat and 4. Something % protein. It's A2 group milk, as are the British breed of Guernsey, sheep, goats, Norwegian breed mountain cow. They have a higher stocking rate to cattle. So for example on 4 acres it's ample enough for 4 animals. They tend to prefer grass shorter,like sheep. They generally come into season as days get shorter, so have to run programmes on them for all year round calving. Success rate is usually 3/5 for AI, for us anyway. Where weather is harsher they will need to be indoors in winter, especially if imported ones and milking them. I'll stop now, I could go on forever. Either meat or milk you could do, both they do are brilliant and good market for them. If anyone wants any info please contact me and I'll be able to talk to you about it more :) don't want to divert this thread any further :D

I meant for cowmangav really, but it would probably still mean having to change most or all of his stock, which would be heartbreaking given the amount of breeding that has gone into his bloodlines and cow families over the last 150 years. Mrs mtx had stuff about milk types and allergies last year. Doesn't sound like buffalo would like Ayrshire very much :(
 

7830AP

Member
Location
Yorkshire
It hadn't ever occurred to me that some people struggle with the spring clock change and longer days, for me it's the autumn change and shortening days I dread. Think sleep becomes more elusive if you think of it as a problem and think about how you won't manage to sleep. Thinking of you in Ayrshire cowmangav, July onwards hasn't been great down here but not a patch on what you lot have had. Has there been anything done by nfu etc to address fodder shortages?
I find a pedastal fan,approx 4ft away from the bed,on lowest setting,really
Helps sleep,esp.in spring.Just gives enough background noise to drown out irritating noises.ie hot water pipes creaking,4am cockerel,but not enough so I can still hear workshop intruder blaster.Gentle breeze on forehead very soothing
 
I find a pedastal fan,approx 4ft away from the bed,on lowest setting,really
Helps sleep,esp.in spring.Just gives enough background noise to drown out irritating noises.ie hot water pipes creaking,4am cockerel,but not enough so I can still hear workshop intruder blaster.Gentle breeze on forehead very soothing
I've been having trouble sleeping lately, waking up with a load of worries in the middle of the night, so I turn the radio on low so it just burbles in the background on R4 and disrupts those negative vibes enough to get to sleep.
 
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SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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