Getting concerned

4course

Member
Location
north yorks
I would imagine anything sown will be looking a bit sad after all this rain
not so, its pleasing me so long as I ignore the occassional pond and wet corner how well most of what weve sown is managing to survive and emerge esp looking down the rows in the low sun ,I put it down to the sterling efforts of the team here who never missed a chance even past midnight on a couple of occassions. Whilst we still have almost a third to sow all is not yet lost. Half jokingly one of the lads was saying the chances are xmas day will be our only opportunity and from the look in his eye I reckon he would try
 
not so, its pleasing me so long as I ignore the occassional pond and wet corner how well most of what weve sown is managing to survive and emerge esp looking down the rows in the low sun ,I put it down to the sterling efforts of the team here who never missed a chance even past midnight on a couple of occassions. Whilst we still have almost a third to sow all is not yet lost. Half jokingly one of the lads was saying the chances are xmas day will be our only opportunity and from the look in his eye I reckon he would try
Xmas day drilling would be cracking, as we've got a good chunk of my wife's family coming this year.☹️☹️??
 

czechmate

Member
Mixed Farmer
not so, its pleasing me so long as I ignore the occassional pond and wet corner how well most of what weve sown is managing to survive and emerge esp looking down the rows in the low sun ,I put it down to the sterling efforts of the team here who never missed a chance even past midnight on a couple of occassions. Whilst we still have almost a third to sow all is not yet lost. Half jokingly one of the lads was saying the chances are xmas day will be our only opportunity and from the look in his eye I reckon he would try


Christmas Day being the best drilling day looks a certainty
 
Very rough numbers:
3 young stores/ac
200kg lwg each
£1.20 per kg lw
Gross output £720, or 4t wheat @ £180

Inputs:
Establishment 1 year in 5
Similar rates of N
Less/no P or K
1 herbicide pass in new seeds, no other chems
No harvest/drying costs
No break-even break crops

Just the small matters of capital, stock selection & and putting in a bit of graft.

In my experience, heavy land in the east is ideal for the green stuff as it holds on during the summer and normally doesn't get washed out as soon as the west.
200kg lwg in very optimistic try 150, but why £1.20/kg when stores are about £2/kg?
 

Manny

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
In the middle.
I think we could of planted some crops even thought we have had 12 inches of rain since the 22nd sept, if we had not been averaging an inch of rain a week since 1st June. We still haven't cut a lot of in field hedges as its so wet. I could of done and left paddled hedge sides with standing water. But I decide not to thinking it may help get drilling sooner. I'm into my forth season with a Mzuri drill and a lot of my ground is in far better condition now than it has been for years, but all of our fields have several different soil types in, upto 7 in one 32ac field that has been scanned which makes getting timing very difficult when it's wet. After a poor rape crop last year due to csfb larvae attacking what looked like a good crop going into winter we have not planted rape and had decided on a spring break crop which ironically happens to be on most of my ground with the bigger areas of lighter soil. I could of changed my cropping and tried to maul some wheat in but the light bits can run together and cap when followed by an inch of rain and the red marl areas in the fields would not of grown, along with the fact it would of been a fourth cereal. I only have one neighbor with any wheat planted and the field is full of ruts from the drill and the sprayer. As for rape three neighbors have lost most of it and the bits that are left within a mile or to, most has larvae in the leaf branches already. This area of Warwickshire is not very pretty at the moment.
 
Also missed this magical “dry spell”

IMG_0706.JPG

Well this isn’t going to help progress now! Falling heavy this morning haven’t seen snow like this in November that i can remember!
 
I think we could of planted some crops even thought we have had 12 inches of rain since the 22nd sept, if we had not been averaging an inch of rain a week since 1st June. We still haven't cut a lot of in field hedges as its so wet. I could of done and left paddled hedge sides with standing water. But I decide not to thinking it may help get drilling sooner. I'm into my forth season with a Mzuri drill and a lot of my ground is in far better condition now than it has been for years, but all of our fields have several different soil types in, upto 7 in one 32ac field that has been scanned which makes getting timing very difficult when it's wet. After a poor rape crop last year due to csfb larvae attacking what looked like a good crop going into winter we have not planted rape and had decided on a spring break crop which ironically happens to be on most of my ground with the bigger areas of lighter soil. I could of changed my cropping and tried to maul some wheat in but the light bits can run together and cap when followed by an inch of rain and the red marl areas in the fields would not of grown, along with the fact it would of been a fourth cereal. I only have one neighbor with any wheat planted and the field is full of ruts from the drill and the sprayer. As for rape three neighbors have lost most of it and the bits that are left within a mile or to, most has larvae in the leaf branches already. This area of Warwickshire is not very pretty at the moment.
Needs a not liked button really
 

e3120

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Northumberland
Thought this might generate some comments. Happy to stimulate some thoughts. As I said rough numbers, but, intentionally, not all waivering in the same direction.
And fencing and water. No costs with preserving the grass? Mind they can’t be worse than combining wheat.....
Keep fencing & water simple - on top pipes and single strand electric. Removable (if things change/you're a tenant) and easily covered by income from looking after someone's sheep for some of the winter. Grass all grazed
Cost of stock to get the output??( equal to seed and establishment)
3 130/140kg native dairy cross would cost £1100plus
I did mention that little issue. That's the problem with farming in general - the capital employed is out of kilter with income potential. But yes, you could price the borrowing/opportunity costs in the same order as seed/establishment. But don't dare compare with return on the capital outside farming, or we'll all be in trouble.
And of course the cost of concentrates feed in winter;
Silage cut and fed;
Straw purchased, baled, hauled for bedding,
Shedding with water/electric

200kg lwg? Is that offering buffer feed? Or hoping to keep stock out 7 months a year on this heavy wet ground?
200kg lwg in very optimistic try 150, but why £1.20/kg when stores are about £2/kg?
Winter has to look after itself or isn't done. But relatively small amount of quality silage, own grain/straw/pulses will still leave a margin.

200kg is quite possible when using young grass, hard pushed with N, on arable land, rotationally grazed. I concede not every one will do that, hence I played down the value per kg, as noted by the boss. Dairy-bred and current fat price (they're only worth what you sell them for, not what you paid!) is the other factor.

On the other hand the comparison is to 4x£180, which isn't any more achievable.
 

Gadget

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Sutton Coldfield
ive though about getting something to measure rainfall would this be best?

I've only ever had a Davis so can't really say if it is better than others, I am pleased with it.
I haven't replied to the telehandler thread for the same reason, only ever had JCBs and have never really had a proper go on anything else.
 

goodevans

Member
200kg lwg in very optimistic try 150, but why £1.20/kg when stores are about £2/kg?
Those 200kg store will cost about £2.75 a kg in the spring and when they come in in the autumn will be about £1.75 a kg in my experience so even if they are a 150 kgs heavier will only be worth about £60 to £70 pounds more,the only beauty is they are on the farm and you know what you have got
 

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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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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