Wake up to Tiredness

[Highland Mule]

I wouldn't, what on earth is a bit of paper going to do? I'll do one done get me wrong, but if your tractor takes off down a hill how on earth is a piece of paper going to save you?
If a bull knocks down a wall jumps over 10 fences and pins you against the ground are you going to tell him to wait whilst you consult the health and safety plan?
I'll make one, give it to each of my employees and then expect to see each piece of paper chcuked in the bin afterwards

Or perhaps, if you took health and safety seriously then those scenarios wouldn't happen in the first place. Tractor taking off down a hill suggests either poor training or poor maintenance regime. Wild bull suggests that the wrong animals are being kept.

 

[Jdunn55]

I'm really not trying to be contrary for the sake of it, but does Red Tractor really take more than about 2 days of anyone's time? It would probably take less if I actually kept all my certificates in the right place. I understand some of it is a ball-ache but is there anything thats really that bad in it? There's not much that they ask that I wouldn't do anyway. I mean, I probably wouldn't keep a record of when I washed my trailers down each time but then it is just a clip-board next to the pressure washer. It also only costs about £200 a year so they aren't exactly taking you to the cleaners.

Red tractor costs me days if not weeks of work and hundreds of pounds without a doubt, does it really matter if I have a cobwebs 10 miles away from any of my clusters in the parlour? Or if theres rust on my girders? Or if my cow track is a bit muddy? Or if I don't have a parlour routine written down and laminated in the parlour? Or if I don't write down where I've set my rat poison? Or if I've written down the freeze brand in my calving book instead of the tag number?

The amount of pressure and stress I'm under from them atm is absolutely ridiculous, I'm trying my absolute best to get everything ready for my next inspection on top of doing everything else needed, I'm not sleeping, I randomly wake up in the middle of the night sweating and screaming about sh!t in the parlour and medicine records. Because of this I'm exhausted, I keep falling asleep in the middle of doing things. But it's ok because theres no longer a little bit of lichen on the window sill of the dairy...

Instead of working with me as a new start up and trying to help, they've instead put this looming spot inspection over my head but there we go

 

[Jdunn55]

Or perhaps, if you took health and safety seriously then those scenarios wouldn't happen in the first place. Tractor taking off down a hill suggests either poor training or poor maintenance regime. Wild bull suggests that the wrong animals are being kept.

Just to say those were examples but:
I would never ever keep a wild bull anyway, but we both know the quietest of bulls can turn for seemingly no reason, then what?

Tractor maintenance, what if very just had my brakes replaced but someone didn't tighten up a bolt quite right and its snapped halfway down the hill causing the tractor to go flying? Are you suggesting that you check EVERY single bolt on all your machinery every single day?

I don't let any of my workers do anything remotely risky, the only person who cuts corners is me, because whilst red tractor would take me for everything I have if one of my workers was injured, they wouldnt care less if I died so as far as I'm concerned it doesn't matter!

 

[Holsteinfriesian90]

I'm really not trying to be contrary for the sake of it, but does Red Tractor really take more than about 2 days of anyone's time? It would probably take less if I actually kept all my certificates in the right place. I understand some of it is a ball-ache but is there anything thats really that bad in it? There's not much that they ask that I wouldn't do anyway. I mean, I probably wouldn't keep a record of when I washed my trailers down each time but then it is just a clip-board next to the pressure washer. It also only costs about £200 a year so they aren't exactly taking you to the cleaners.

What type of farm do you run?

 

[Goweresque]

the only person who cuts corners is me, because whilst red tractor would take me for everything I have if one of my workers was injured, they wouldnt care less if I died so as far as I'm concerned it doesn't matter!

Reminds me of what the fire inspector said to my friend who runs a restaurant during a particularly nit picking inspection, after she pointed out that she did live in the flat above the premises and thus had a significant vested interest in everything being safe: "We don't care about you, you're the owner, we only care about the public'.

 

[betweenthelines]

Red tractor costs me days if not weeks of work and hundreds of pounds without a doubt, does it really matter if I have a cobwebs 10 miles away from any of my clusters in the parlour? Or if theres rust on my girders? Or if my cow track is a bit muddy? Or if I don't have a parlour routine written down and laminated in the parlour? Or if I don't write down where I've set my rat poison? Or if I've written down the freeze brand in my calving book instead of the tag number?

The amount of pressure and stress I'm under from them atm is absolutely ridiculous, I'm trying my absolute best to get everything ready for my next inspection on top of doing everything else needed, I'm not sleeping, I randomly wake up in the middle of the night sweating and screaming about sh!t in the parlour and medicine records. Because of this I'm exhausted, I keep falling asleep in the middle of doing things. But it's ok because theres no longer a little bit of lichen on the window sill of the dairy...

Instead of working with me as a new start up and trying to help, they've instead put this looming spot inspection over my head but there we go

Are you a new starter? Plenty of your posts seem to indicate you are in a partnership with family members?

 

[Jdunn55]

Are you a new starter? Plenty of your posts seem to indicate you are in a partnership with family members?

Dads partner on paper, he helps when I feel like I'm snowed under and beg for his help but hes busy enough, this is my first time being partner in a business

 

[Hilly]

I’ve worked on my own for 31 years I’ve tried everything work wise work all
Day all
Night all day then sleep etc etc , only option for long term ie decades if you want to survive it is steady hours 10-12 a day any more it tires you and at some Point you will grind to a halt and if you grind to halt on your own their is no one to pass the ball to it ain’t no game.

 

[betweenthelines]

Dads partner on paper, he helps when I feel like I'm snowed under and beg for his help but hes busy enough, this is my first time being partner in a business

So all the stuff you post about being a struggling young farmer under extreme stress is, to put it mildly, disingenuous.

Why not just say that (like hundreds of others) you farm with your father but you do most of the work?

 

[JD-Kid]

know when I was contracting rush rush. all the time eat on the run etc started to stop at lunch time turn tractor off sit down eat check gear etc
got more done a day less breakdowns and not. falling asleep around 330 in afternoon
most of the time it's poor sleep not. work per day

 

[Bury the Trash]

know when I was contracting rush rush. all the time eat on the run etc started to stop at lunch time turn tractor off sit down eat check gear etc
got more done a day less breakdowns and not. falling asleep around 330 in afternoon
most of the time it's poor sleep not. work per day

same here but not when at home , funnily enough but out working on a tractor for others , early afternoon or so, very sleepy feeling ,especially if it was hot and the window couldn't be opened for noise , aircons not the same imo.

 

[Hilly]

That 3 o’clock tired feeling like you have fishing weights on your eye lids is just torcher total torcher .

 

[7610 super q]

This thread is making me very sleepy. Yawn. Dear oh dear, so sleepy I might have to tag @sleepy .
Must take me at least a week preparing for an RT inspection BTW. And the subscription costs £250 alone. That's on just 25 acres of corn this year....

 

[Jdunn55]

So all the stuff you post about being a struggling young farmer under extreme stress is, to put it mildly, disingenuous.

Why not just say that (like hundreds of others) you farm with your father but you do most of the work?

What do you mean?

I am a struggling young farmer, I am under a huge amount of stress, I can also turn to dad to help if I am absolutely desperate?

Dad doesn't touch a cow,
Dad doesn't spread any fertiliser
Dad doesn't pay any of my bills,
Dad doesn't put silage in
Dad doesn't scrape up
Dad doesn't milk,
Dad doesn't feed the calves
Dad doesn't bed the calves down

Dad does drop everything if the cows escape
Dad does help me change electricity supplier
Dad does help put underground electric wires in
Dad does help pull bale back when were busy
Dad does wrap bales when I have to go milking

I do not appreciate being called a liar.

I've been nothing but honest on, sometimes too honest if the truth is known.

 

[harrow]

Consider the possibility of sleep apnea
Sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. If you snore loudly and feel tired even after a full night's sleep, you might have sleep apnea. The main types of sleep apnea are: Obstructive sleep apnea, the more common form that occurs when throat muscles relax, ie you fall asleep.

 

[ajd132]

I'm really not trying to be contrary for the sake of it, but does Red Tractor really take more than about 2 days of anyone's time? It would probably take less if I actually kept all my certificates in the right place. I understand some of it is a ball-ache but is there anything thats really that bad in it? There's not much that they ask that I wouldn't do anyway. I mean, I probably wouldn't keep a record of when I washed my trailers down each time but then it is just a clip-board next to the pressure washer. It also only costs about £200 a year so they aren't exactly taking you to the cleaners.

Agree it’s not actually onerous to do if you keep things organised through the year. People get stressed because they are completely disorganised and leave it until the night before. I hate red tractor but doing it in the online portal and filling in the pre populated handbook was incredibly simple.

 

[betweenthelines]

What do you mean?

I am a struggling young farmer, I am under a huge amount of stress, I can also turn to dad to help if I am absolutely desperate?

Dad doesn't touch a cow,
Dad doesn't spread any fertiliser
Dad doesn't pay any of my bills,
Dad doesn't put silage in
Dad doesn't scrape up
Dad doesn't milk,
Dad doesn't feed the calves
Dad doesn't bed the calves down

Dad does drop everything if the cows escape
Dad does help me change electricity supplier
Dad does help put underground electric wires in
Dad does help pull bale back when were busy
Dad does wrap bales when I have to go milking

I do not appreciate being called a liar.

I've been nothing but honest on, sometimes too honest if the truth is known.

Some of the things you post are contradictory. For example in the above post you say that "Dad doesn't pay any of my bills" but in an earlier post you say you farm in partnership. So which is it? Does the "business" pay the bills, what Account does the Milk "cheque" go into? One in just your name, or a joint/business account, or an Account in your father's name? More importantly, in who's name are any loans o/drafts etc. and who signs the cheques?

As for your list, that probably applies to 90% of farmers who's fathers are still involved in the business.

Nothing wrong with that, but you certainly give the impression that you're "on your own" You actual say you are a "new start up" in an earlier post, but you're just new to the family business.

There's nothing wrong with that (being a partner) but there's a world of difference between a young guy starting out totally on his own and having the security of an established business behind you and having the wise counsel of an experienced farmer near at hand while you try to grow the business.

 

[Jdunn55]

Some of the things you post are contradictory. For example in the above post you say that "Dad doesn't pay any of my bills" but in an earlier post you say you farm in partnership. So which is it? Does the "business" pay the bills, what Account does the Milk "cheque" go into? One in just your name, or a joint/business account, or an Account in your father's name? More importantly, in who's name are any loans o/drafts etc. and who signs the cheques?

As for your list, that probably applies to 90% of farmers who's fathers are still involved in the business.

Nothing wrong with that, but you certainly give the impression that you're "on your own" You actual say you are a "new start up" in an earlier post, but you're just new to the family business.

There's nothing wrong with that (being a partner) but there's a world of difference between a young guy starting out totally on his own and having the security of an established business behind you and having the wise counsel of an experienced farmer near at hand while you try to grow the business.

I'm not even going to bother arguing with you, you very clearly know everything about me and my business far better than I do.

 

[Vader]

What do you mean?

I am a struggling young farmer, I am under a huge amount of stress, I can also turn to dad to help if I am absolutely desperate?

Dad doesn't touch a cow,
Dad doesn't spread any fertiliser
Dad doesn't pay any of my bills,
Dad doesn't put silage in
Dad doesn't scrape up
Dad doesn't milk,
Dad doesn't feed the calves
Dad doesn't bed the calves down

Dad does drop everything if the cows escape
Dad does help me change electricity supplier
Dad does help put underground electric wires in
Dad does help pull bale back when were busy
Dad does wrap bales when I have to go milking

I do not appreciate being called a liar.

I've been nothing but honest on, sometimes too honest if the truth is known.

No offense mate, but think lot of family type farms like that .
I do everything, apart from harvest time where mum helps in combine while I cart.
She hauls bales while I load.
Rest of time I do the rest.

Most tired I been was after 36hrs straight cutting. No sleep.
No dew at night so I just kept going, filled 2 trailers, hauled back myself, then refilled.
Kept going all night, mum took me off on combine next morning and I was back to carting.
We ring fenced so no public roads to go on for those fields.
Cut right through to midnight again.
Knocked off, could not sleep then as yo much caffeine in the system!!

 

[wrpugh20]

Physical health plays a key part in working consistently long hours. I myself use minerals, vitamins, electrolites, and caffeine to ensure I stay healthy during these times. Does anyone else use any of the above?

This is for the short-term but for long-term health, I use minerals, vitamins, and fish oil. Does anyone else do anything similar? Or is there anything people currently use to stay healthy?