Getting wet again

[The Agrarian]

It was a great early summer for the northwest, without any doubt. The rain came in the nick of time, but as usual doesn't know when to stop. After tolerating a right miserable sod of a day, where it precipitated from early morning until close of business, I felt moved to create a space for those of you who feel the need to have a good moan about the persistently damp weather, without upsetting our friends on the other thread who are moaning about it not being miserable and damp enough.

I'll kick off. Broadcast grass seed in rain this morning. Clay sticking to wheels. Not the done thing, but it's the best I could do. Couldn't get it rolled. But dad made me feel better later when he pointed out it would be better off not rolled in at this stage of the year. Fair point I thought. It's not like it's not going to perish through lack of moisture.

Out a long drive today, and plenty of pockets of spring barley now ready, and not a lot of hope of getting a nice harvest done for a fortnight yet. Getting moisture down to 16 by then is probably not going to happen. Glad I don't have any this year.

 

[William Mellor]

You don’t know how lucky you are, please send some rain my way, most of my milk cow grazing is still a brown/yellow colour and second cut growth has stunted, literally praying for rain but looks like it’s getting lost on route

 

[lazy farmer]

 

[The Agrarian]

If you were the chap with the spring barley, you would indeed hit your head against something hard looking at the forecast.

 

[Wishful Thinker]

Stupidly only cut half my 3rd cut last week of August thought I would get the rest last week. Got some but plenty still to do and as you say next 10 days look a write off.
Cows very discontent tonight, oceans of grass but all were huddled at gate to yard. Real autumn feed in the air

 

[The Agrarian]

You don’t know how lucky you are, please send some rain my way, most of my milk cow grazing is still a brown/yellow colour and second cut growth has stunted, literally praying for rain but looks like it’s getting lost on route

We knew how lucky we were when the weather was settled earlier in the summer William! Some contributers here expect to have conditions to graze until Christmas, and out again in February. Now that's what I'd call lucky!

 

[bigw]

We have been taking our cows back in for a feed at about 8 in the evenings for the last few weeks, tonight after milking they all stood on the track and pretty much refused to go anywhere. I opened the gates to the cubicles and they all trotted happily inside, I guess that'll be us housing them at nights from now on.

The forecast is crap for the week, we are also needing a few dry days in a row to get our harvest finished. A few more weeks of drought would have been lovely for us.

 

[yin ewe]

It has been a great summer here so far but it always seems to close in very very quickly. Hopefully be a normal housing, cows about 10 days into October, with youngstock about 3rd week onwards. Another few days like today and that may change. The ground around here just gets too wet to graze into November never mind christmas.

 

[Wee Willy]

While we Ulster men boast about what a great year we’ve had please remember cows are out full time 4 months this week. If they go back in at night that’s a very short grazing season.

 

[The Agrarian]

Just goes to show how easy we are to please.

 

[Beef farmer]

More life in a rain forest than a desert. Your lucky.

 

[bar718]

I think we need to press cancel on this one please as not needed.

 

[yin ewe]

More life in a rain forest than a desert. Your lucky.

Doubt if you'll still say that when you're still grazing at christmas and we've been housed for 3 months!!

 

[yin ewe]

While we Ulster men boast about what a great year we’ve had please remember cows are out full time 4 months this week. If they go back in at night that’s a very short grazing season.

We had an 8 month winter last year so maybe more relief than boasting, needed a good summer to get over last year.

 

[The Agrarian]

Not a lot of combine or silaging weather there then. The rush and docken spray will have to stay in the jar too. At least it looks mild at night, which is a plus, because it wasn't far off frost last week.

 

[bigw]

More life in a rain forest than a desert. Your lucky.

If you had a 2017/18 winter most years you would soon want back to dry conditions

 

[lazy farmer]

We have been taking our cows back in for a feed at about 8 in the evenings for the last few weeks, tonight after milking they all stood on the track and pretty much refused to go anywhere. I opened the gates to the cubicles and they all trotted happily inside, I guess that'll be us housing them at nights from now on.

The forecast is crap for the week, we are also needing a few dry days in a row to get our harvest finished. A few more weeks of drought would have been lovely for us.

Sometimes when it gets to this time of year I begin to wonder who’s keeping who.

 

[lazy farmer]

Cut my lawn yesterday. First time since mid July

 

[davidroberts30]

Nice innit how all who have it dry want rain and all who have rain want dry

Wet enough here with 80a of grass to cut and 15 barley left to combine

 

[Beef farmer]

We had the wettest winter, and even snow

If you had a 2017/18 winter most years you would soon want back to dry conditions