Desperate

[RushesToo]

If you have stock it might be a good time to get rid of the troublemakers, less stallar performing and annoying ones. Not having to feed those mouths later on might be very useful.

 

[The Ruminant]

Are you on the clay or the chalk? I've a chum near St Albans in the same boat, his arable is alright apparently, but the grass is a real worry - I'm not entirely sure how this is the case, but I don't doubt the concern I could hear in his voice.

Last summer some parts of his place reminded me of Zim'. I'm pretty sure that he fears a repeat of that, it would be bl**dy hard, and another year of the same could mean big problems.

Bit of everything. Some of the grassland I rent is light land over gravel and is starting to get very dry, some of the Estate is heavier clay which has just about enough moisture. Fingers crossed the drop of rain in next week’s forecast reaches us

 

[glasshouse]

Lots of barley round here with bald endriggs

 

[glasshouse]

seed has rotted

 

[Kiwi Pete]

We’ve had just under 100mm so far this year and these are meant to be the wet months. If it continues through the year at the same rate we will only have 340mm for the whole 12 months. I know it’s only April and a lot can change but it’s a real worry

Brace yourself.... sounds awfully familiar.

Generally we are awash going into May, and it's only just damp enough now to bring the earthworms out of dormancy.
The last time we were "wet enough" is going on for 3 years ago.

 

[AvonValleyFarmer]

Desperate for a drop around here, the light land used for lambing is looking poorer by the day. The real heavy clay further down the river has just enough moisture to stay green.

Be selling ewes with lambs at foot in a month if it doesn't rain

 

[Adeptandy]

Looks like next weeks forecast rain is disappearing yet again
Soon be time to start a Drought thread again [emoji848]

 

[7610 super q]

Trouble is weather has a habit of balancing out. I hope this doesn't turn into a 2012.
On the other hand......a decade of pish wet weather could mean a decade of dry weather in store.....

 

[AvonValleyFarmer]

Trouble is weather has a habit of balancing out. I hope this doesn't turn into a 2012.
On the other and......a decade of pish wet weather could mean a decade of dry weather in store.....

Not sure if I wanted to 'like' that, so commenting instead

 

[jondear]

If you have stock it might be a good time to get rid of the troublemakers, less stallar performing and annoying ones. Not having to feed those mouths later on might be very useful.

Good idea but what if your shut down with Tb

 

[Still Farming]

Over 22oC already

 

[Tarw Coch]

Defo more grass around here than last year at this point.

Straw will only be expensive if we do have a long prolonged drought from now onwards and if we don't then it will be trading at similar levels to last year off field.

As an aside I did get told today of some Maize silage that has just been sold for more than £50t out the clamp this week.

It was trading at £1000 an acre standing in the field around here last year. Takes a good crop to do 20 ton to the acre and much had suffered in the dry weather, with harvesting costs on top, £50 ton sounds cheaper than that.

 

[Tarw Coch]

I'd fill my straw shed now but it's full of scrap.
@TripleSix @JLTate

You’re probably a bit far away, otherwise I could put you in contact with a straw merchant who will swap straw for scrap as a backload, think he said he was paying £140 ton.

 

[Still Farming]

Lot cutting silage here now.

 

[Yale]

OK here at the moment but a shower would do the world of good.

It’s been an early growing spring here which we haven’t really had for years.

Grass is ahead but for how long?

 

[Bossfarmer]

seed has rotted

whats caused that?

 

[Wombat]

whats caused that?

I would assume it was too wet, like some late drilled wheat here or the odd wet hole in some early March drilled barley

 

[holywell farmer]

for rain...

Dry in north wales this weekend

 

[glasshouse]

whats caused that?

Endriggs panned down by machinery then rolled, then 2 inches of rain
Basic kids stuff really, rollers shouldnt be used in march

 

[Wellytrack]

Endriggs panned down by machinery then rolled, then 2 inches of rain
Basic kids stuff really, rollers shouldnt be used in march

My neighbor pounded round and round with a borrowed roller and four wheel drive tractor last week until he bogged it up to the transaxle.

15 minutes of ripping to get out, a chain on the roller, then the rest of the day fixing the mess and trying yet again to roll it in.

He’s about 74.