Sounds like 2017. 2018 was last year.
How would you cope with another summer of 76 ?
- Thread starter pappuller
- Start date
- Location
- Northern Ireland
Bring on another year like last. It had certain drawbacks. We were on the verge of having a significant reduction in for age stocks, but the two months of dry weather ended in time for us to make a recovery. It was challenging to make high quality for age with our wagon system. Couldn't get it picked up quickly enough when it was burning up in June, and couldn't get enough dry weather in August and September to make any nice dry silage. On top of that, residual nitrogen was a problem for third cut in August, as the grass took a flush of previously inaccessible nitrogen up in the couple of weeks before cutting, affecting silage quality. Also not ideal or efficient to have to continue spreading slurry in the burning up weather, but needs must. As for sitting in the garden, there was none of that. Flat out doing work we've struggled to get done in the last few wet seasons.
On the plus side. Never saw cattle eat so little, and still do well. Never saw such little grass wastage or so little hoof damage to swards, ever. That is showing even now. Have been over previously wet areas with the urea already that I don't believe I've ever been able to travel over in the last twenty years. Last spring, some of those areas weren't even good on 1st April. So it was incredibly efficient on acreage. I ended up with 70 acres more fourth cut than would be normal, because grazers just needed so little land compared to normal wet years.
If anything, I'd like it spread out a bit more, instead of two really dry months followed by two quite wet ones. But I'll take it anyway. Wet years are darned expensive, especially when it's nearly every year. And if it happens again this summer, there'll hopefully be less work to catch up on thanks to last year.
On the plus side. Never saw cattle eat so little, and still do well. Never saw such little grass wastage or so little hoof damage to swards, ever. That is showing even now. Have been over previously wet areas with the urea already that I don't believe I've ever been able to travel over in the last twenty years. Last spring, some of those areas weren't even good on 1st April. So it was incredibly efficient on acreage. I ended up with 70 acres more fourth cut than would be normal, because grazers just needed so little land compared to normal wet years.
If anything, I'd like it spread out a bit more, instead of two really dry months followed by two quite wet ones. But I'll take it anyway. Wet years are darned expensive, especially when it's nearly every year. And if it happens again this summer, there'll hopefully be less work to catch up on thanks to last year.
Martyn
Member
- Location
- South west
Surely with the excellent autum and Spring grazing by 5th of April your bank will of adjusted, it's looking like a very good year all round for ourselves.
It's not a patch on the year before
Yeah, proper drought this time.....might sell the fodder that I made last year....
- Location
- Near Beeston Castle
Flood follows drought. (ask the Aus guys about that one!)
It hasn't rained enough here yet but I would not be surprised if it starts and never stops. Always seems to balance out in time.
It hasn't rained enough here yet but I would not be surprised if it starts and never stops. Always seems to balance out in time.
Tarw Coch
Member
- Location
- Bottom of Wats Dyke
Reminds me of 2011/2012, 2011 was very dry and we had low forage stocks but just like this year we had a very dry winter and cows were out in March, March being the driest month the cows grazed that year.
I’m hoping this year will be like 2012, I’m sure those who liked last year won’t agree.
Basically the opinions expressed on this thread show who has a dry farm and who has a wet one.
Yeah 2012 was no disaster. Cows are water proof
It was here , still not rectified all the damage .
What damage?
We had torrents running off the fields and cattle still in them , 2 more need ripping up . then we're back to normal .
Princess Pooper
Member
- Location
- East Mids
We'll certainly be struggling over here, after such a dry year last year and a dry year so far this year with no rain forecast for at least another 2 weeks. Last year we buffer fed big bale silage and then hay in June - this year we will have none, big bale silage finished in Jan and hay will run out mid March. Ground water levels a lot lower than this time last year, streams have run briefly but almost dry again, river running at summer level. But we definitely don't want another 2012! Our worst harvest in living memory, on our small wheat area, massive ruts in fields from hay and silage making - we are a clay land farm.
Cows 'n grass
Member
- Location
- Modbury, South Devon
This is basically north Vs south. In the south it hurt. 2017 was the perfect year here.
buffalo_soldier
Member
- Location
- cumbria
2012 I turned out in June and gave up and brought them back in early July I think.
Made one massive pile of God awful silage in the end of July or early August.
Harvested about 50% of my spring barley the rest was abandoned at the end of November.
At the same time the yard was a building site as I was putting up a cubicle shed and milking parlour.
Milk price was also on a downward spiral.
Grain prices were constantly rising.
2018, was awesome. Same again please.
Made one massive pile of God awful silage in the end of July or early August.
Harvested about 50% of my spring barley the rest was abandoned at the end of November.
At the same time the yard was a building site as I was putting up a cubicle shed and milking parlour.
Milk price was also on a downward spiral.
Grain prices were constantly rising.
2018, was awesome
. Same again please.
- Location
- Northern Ireland
Yes this does divide us up into dry farms and wet farms. But more regarding the prevailing weather type than soils on the farm, though they do of course have a bearing. What 2018 reminded us, that we all had almost forgotten here, or been convinced otherwise over the years, was that we have better land than we think. It's just that the weather's pretty poor half time.
jimmer
Member
- Location
- East Devon
You didnt have 300 milkers in 2012
More to life
Member
- Location
- Somerset
Or 1
Correct. Still had plenty of feet on the ground mind..i fact far more.
- Tags
- maize