Farming and the ageing process

[Bald Rick]

Comments in the H&S thread got me thinking as I’m now within a few months of turning 60.

I suppose I am increasingly a bit of a liability.

I won’t drive tractors unless forced to but any machine has to be hitched on for me; Mechanical jobs take me longer as I like to get everything just so - I do most of the slurry scraping and spend hours over it; I can’t milk as the parlour is too fast for me; I can’t roll a cow on my own any more; I refuse to get up at 5am unless we are staff critical; I wear more clothes than anyone else so can’t get through squeeze gaps (might also have something to do with the tum too); I spend longer fussing cows than others; and so on.

But I do do the monthly VAT; I do take some of the fingering; I am generally around the yard when others aren’t; I moan until jobs get done; i am the gofer to the Ag merchants; I am a sounding board even if I get ignored; I get to wear freebies especially beanies ....

Damn it all, I’m not ready to retire thankee

 

[vantage]

I suppose I am increasingly a bit of a liability.

Actually, no. As stated on the H&S post, the average farmer age is 59, then if they have the same or lower percentage of accidents then numerically they will be the highest, a case of lies , damned lies and statistics.

 

[Bury the Trash]

Nor me .

Fit as fiddle and no retiring any day soon
and as Murdo the Bosun used to say " no holidays " either.

Just need many cups of tea and liquorice....and s n vinegar crisps....to keep me going ....

And cheese and chocolate and lager etc etc...

Happy days.

 

[yellowbelly]

Me neither.

@Bury the Trash 's post above applies almost exactly to me - just substitute water for his tea and Jaffa Cakes for his licorice

 

[czechmate]

I turned the six zero last year and feel fit for many years yet. I thought the suggestion that it should be illegal to continue after 60 so ridiculous it wasn’t even worth responding to.
My (younger) wife says I have to work for at least another 20 years. Dead chuffed with myself last year, managing to master my New deutz

 

[ARW]

When do you think you master farming? Is it just before you turn into the silly old duffer that stands directly behind a reversing machine

 

[Gedd]

Ike the opening post I to am 59 and I work this place mainly on my own cattle sheep and a bit arable everything takes longer to do but still love it even though I twist more often now

 

[Kevtherev]

Comments in the H&S thread got me thinking as I’m now within a few months of turning 60.

I suppose I am increasingly a bit of a liability.

I won’t drive tractors unless forced to but any machine has to be hitched on for me; Mechanical jobs take me longer as I like to get everything just so - I do most of the slurry scraping and spend hours over it; I can’t milk as the parlour is too fast for me; I can’t roll a cow on my own any more; I refuse to get up at 5am unless we are staff critical; I wear more clothes than anyone else so can’t get through squeeze gaps (might also have something to do with the tum too); I spend longer fussing cows than others; and so on.

But I do do the monthly VAT; I do take some of the fingering; I am generally around the yard when others aren’t; I moan until jobs get done; i am the gofer to the Ag merchants; I am a sounding board even if I get ignored; I get to wear freebies especially beanies ....

Damn it all, I’m not ready to retire thankee

You can’t retire as you are an integral link in the chain.

 

[czechmate]

When do you think you master farming? Is it just before you turn into the silly old duffer that stands directly behind a reversing machine

Yep. Your at your best for A day

 

[topground]

Copied from the Government website, don’t panic, they can’t force you to retire so any suggestion from the young ‘uns that us over 60’s should be forced to retire would require a change in the law that is unlikely given that the default retirement age was only ditched recently. F*ck ‘em!

Working after State Pension age
You can keep working past your State Pension age.
You can usually work for as long as you want to. ‘Default retirement age’ (a forced retirement age of 65) no longer exists.
You can also ask your employer if you can work more flexibly or work part-time. They have the right to reject your request.
This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).
When you can be forced to retire
In some cases an employer can force you to retire at a certain age - known as ‘compulsory retirement age’. If they do this they must give a good reason why, for example:

• the job requires certain physical abilities (eg in the construction industry)
• the job has an age limit set by law (eg the fire service)

 

[steveR]

Wrong side of 60 and deffo feeling vim and vigour have tailed off... Herself who is an integral part of the livestock enterprise is the same age and has really started to feel old and slow (her words) and it affects what and how we do some jobs.

More gates and alley ways to allow us to funnel stock safely and easily is a must I can see going in sooner than later... Cows won't be around for much longer as although the Hex are quiet, we are both too slow to deal with a difficult calving, or getting a calf to suck.

 

[czechmate]

Wrong side of 60 and deffo feeling vim and vigour have tailed off... Herself who is an integral part of the livestock enterprise is the same age and has really started to feel old and slow (her words) and it affects what and how we do some jobs.

More gates and alley ways to allow us to funnel stock safely and easily is a must I can see going in quickly. Cows won't be around for much longer as although the Hex are quiet, we are both too slow to deal with a difficult calving, or getting a calf to suck.

Slow is good, getting a calf to suck

 

[Suffolk Serf]

I'm 56 and when necessary I can put in the hard graft better than any of my much younger employees. I just seem to get into the "zone" and crack on with manual jobs at a good steady pace, when the youngsters keep stopping to look at their phones, roll a fag etc.
The slight problem is the aches and pains for a day or two after.
I sometimes wonder how the youngsters manage to procreate.

 

[Lofty1984]

Comments in the H&S thread got me thinking as I’m now within a few months of turning 60.

I suppose I am increasingly a bit of a liability.

I won’t drive tractors unless forced to but any machine has to be hitched on for me; Mechanical jobs take me longer as I like to get everything just so - I do most of the slurry scraping and spend hours over it; I can’t milk as the parlour is too fast for me; I can’t roll a cow on my own any more; I refuse to get up at 5am unless we are staff critical; I wear more clothes than anyone else so can’t get through squeeze gaps (might also have something to do with the tum too); I spend longer fussing cows than others; and so on.

But I do do the monthly VAT; I do take some of the fingering; I am generally around the yard when others aren’t; I moan until jobs get done; i am the gofer to the Ag merchants; I am a sounding board even if I get ignored; I get to wear freebies especially beanies ....

Damn it all, I’m not ready to retire thankee

You are aware of your shortfalls though so are much safer in that respect unlike a 60 yo who still thinks he/she is 40 and is as agile /strong as they once were

 

[TripleSix]

When do you think you master farming? Is it just before you turn into the silly old duffer that stands directly behind a reversing machine

At what age is it appropriate to turn from a good machine operator into an old duffer who slips the clutch everywhere, reverses over everything and adds ventilation to everything else with bale spikes?

 

[Still Farming]

You slip, fall, get complacent, can't be bothered, more tired , peed off etc ,take chances etc all adds up!!!

 

[steveR]

Slow is good, getting a calf to suck

It's bending down to get the calf on the tit... And then moving quickly when the cow is grumpy!

 

[steveR]

I'm 56 and when necessary I can put in the hard graft better than any of my much younger employees. I just seem to get into the "zone" and crack on with manual jobs at a good steady pace, when the youngsters keep stopping to look at their phones, roll a fag etc.
The slight problem is the aches and pains for a day or two after.
I sometimes wonder how the youngsters manage to procreate.

There's probably an app...

 

[czechmate]

It's bending down to get the calf on the tit... And then moving quickly when the cow is grumpy!

Keep on stretching and doing things that hurt - it’s what keeps you going. If you avoid anything that makes you ache, before you know it, you can’t do anything

 

[czechmate]

There's probably an app...

What’s that film ?... barbarela?