How would you cope with another summer of 76 ?

Dr. Alkathene

Member
Livestock Farmer
Didn’t burn up here in 76 so I am told, grass kept green and ticking along. This year it’s been dry enough to get on everywhere, had 3 or 4 days rain a couple of days after second cut. Looking grand and it makes a change not to be paddling round in mud / trying to get silage between rain showers. While looking at pics posted on here by you lot in the tropics of cows out, monster grass crops and dry ground. We needed this grand weather after the fecking appalling summer / autumn / winter rain and forage shortages of last year.
 

Ducati899

Member
Location
north dorset
Didn’t burn up here in 76 so I am told, grass kept green and ticking along. This year it’s been dry enough to get on everywhere, had 3 or 4 days rain a couple of days after second cut. Looking grand and it makes a change not to be paddling round in mud / trying to get silage between rain showers. While looking at pics posted on here by you lot in the tropics of cows out, monster grass crops and dry ground. We needed this grand weather after the fecking appalling summer / autumn / winter rain and forage shortages of last year.




After a 7 month stint of having the cows housed I’m enjoying every day of this current weather in the sunny south and long may it continue
 
Untll i get my silage (either monday or tuesday) only got 22 acres split into 5 paddocks, each paddock strip grazed, unfortunately due to the fields being steep, their not suitable for back fencing. After i get my silage, another 24 acred comes into the rotation.
 

The Agrarian

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Northern Ireland
I'm about to mow second cut tomorrow for a Monday start. Cows are in on all grass silage here, and I am a bit concerned that there really might not be anything grow back afterwards. And I really need the silage.

When I look at what heifer rough grazing is doing at the moment, it's scary. Shot like crazy. Some of it's grazed and will soon top, others got heavy and had to be cut. Grazed PP is just sitting there doing nothing, despite probably three-quarters of an inch, to an inch of rain in the past week. Forecast dry for next ten days and beyond. Would normally bring a bit of silage ground in after second cut for the heifers, but it may well be stalled too. Ditch backs and hedges will be well grazed the year.
 

yin ewe

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Co Antrim
I'm about to mow second cut tomorrow for a Monday start. Cows are in on all grass silage here, and I am a bit concerned that there really might not be anything grow back afterwards. And I really need the silage.

When I look at what heifer rough grazing is doing at the moment, it's scary. Shot like crazy. Some of it's grazed and will soon top, others got heavy and had to be cut. Grazed PP is just sitting there doing nothing, despite probably three-quarters of an inch, to an inch of rain in the past week. Forecast dry for next ten days and beyond. Would normally bring a bit of silage ground in after second cut for the heifers, but it may well be stalled too. Ditch backs and hedges will be well grazed the year.

If the weather's good and the ground dry, less grass seems to do them, though it does help if the fences are good and little grass on the other side!!
Going to try and keep the youngstock tighter than normal so we can cut more 2nd cut than usual. 1st was mowed 4 weeks ago and 2nd is coming nicely after the rain but still 3 weeks away depending on the weather.
 

early riser

Member
Location
Up North
Why oh why do cows insist on huddling together in a group in the middle of a paddock during hot weather when there is a line of trees on the edge providing ample shade :banghead::banghead::mad:

I fear I will be feeling the effects of heat stress in the bulk tank tonight :(
 

pappuller

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
M6 Hard shoulder
Thought id just resurrect this thread, 21st feb wettest ground here dry as a bone, bore hole stopped since july and talk of a dry march and april.
maize crops been talked of at £650/acre already in Shropshire, I know we don't know the outcome but I loved the buzz of ducking and diving to feed the cows last year but wonder if another one would be quite so appealing.
 
Thought id just resurrect this thread, 21st feb wettest ground here dry as a bone, bore hole stopped since july and talk of a dry march and april.
maize crops been talked of at £650/acre already in Shropshire, I know we don't know the outcome but I loved the buzz of ducking and diving to feed the cows last year but wonder if another one would be quite so appealing.
Last year cost 250k on this farm, another year like that can fcuh off
 

som farmer

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
somerset
quite agree with above, we have a dry farm, and while the brook is running, it isn't anywhere near normal. digger moved some soil about this week, dry as a bone. my neighbours say it will be allright, bound to get rain. all I know is we need an awful lot of rain to get back to where we should be. the old saying, febuary fill dyke isn't going to happen.
 

More to life

Member
Location
Somerset
Thought id just resurrect this thread, 21st feb wettest ground here dry as a bone, bore hole stopped since july and talk of a dry march and april.
maize crops been talked of at £650/acre already in Shropshire, I know we don't know the outcome but I loved the buzz of ducking and diving to feed the cows last year but wonder if another one would be quite so appealing.
Pervasively I quite enjoyed last summer the bank balance on the other hand....
 

paddler

Member
Location
lancs
Another year like last would be ideal.Never had as much silage at this time of the year before,feeding really well to.It is the complete lack of stress on both man and beast that was the best thing about last year.No paddling about in mud,no poached fields, no ruts,no floods,not working half the night trying to get the crop in before rain came, no mud scald,digi or foul.No breakdowns at all doing field work or silaging.No financial stresses as the cows milked well and costs plummeted Time during the day to sit in the garden having a glass of something and reading a book or just sit and watch nature.That was how farming should be and I for one would very much like a repeat.
 
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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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