World market are we kidding ourselves???

[Henarar]

We had 5 foot of snow everywere from the end march till may that year. Lost hundreds of lambs dozens of ewes spent £7000 extra on silage and £5000 extra on sheep nuts. Only slept 2 hours a day in all that time and lost so much weight i only weighed 8and a half stone at the end of it and made myself ill trying to keep everything alive. I never want to see a speing like that again

sorry
not meaning to sound like a bloody know it all but I think that we have to remember what the weather can throw at us and while perhaps not altogether "plan for it" at least have it in your mind that it can happen,
i.e. while its likely that we can turn out to some nice grass end of march/or at lest in April here, I plan to have enough feed and bedding to last way in to may which we did for the 7 month winter that was 2012/13
it did test the capacity of the dung pit though but its surprising how high the slew will put it
last winter wasn't even 5 months

 

[lloyd]

We had 5 foot of snow everywere from the end march till may that year. Lost hundreds of lambs dozens of ewes spent £7000 extra on silage and £5000 extra on sheep nuts. Only slept 2 hours a day in all that time and lost so much weight i only weighed 8and a half stone at the end of it and made myself ill trying to keep everything alive. I never want to see a speing like that again

Not nice .Did you ever consider emigrating to Pete land ?
Being serious your always going to be up against the weather!

 

[hendrebc]

sorry
not meaning to sound like a bloody know it all but I think that we have to remember what the weather can throw at us and while perhaps not altogether "plan for it" at least have it in your mind that it can happen,
i.e. while its likely that we can turn out to some nice grass end of march/or at lest in April here, I plan to have enough feed and bedding to last way in to may which we did for the 7 month winter that was 2012/13
it did test the capacity of the dung pit though but its surprising how high the slew will put it
last winter wasn't even 5 months

The silage thing was was a cumilation if being overstocked for the winter and not having any spare silage. Ewes were having some till mid may too. I had cattle in till june that was the killer. Dont know how anyone could expect such a bad spring to come so late. Lessons have been learned though i have 300odd round bakes of hay in a shed that isnt going anywere just being used as its being replaced with new stuff. Might not be efficient if your an accountant but im not so im keeping it idont care how much im offered for it. Was the turning point for us keepong hardier stock and lambing later too. I still think it would be a struggle if that all happened again though because theres only so much i can do in a day when im basically on my own

 

[lloyd]

sorry
not meaning to sound like a bloody know it all but I think that we have to remember what the weather can throw at us and while perhaps not altogether "plan for it" at least have it in your mind that it can happen,
i.e. while its likely that we can turn out to some nice grass end of march/or at lest in April here, I plan to have enough feed and bedding to last way in to may which we did for the 7 month winter that was 2012/13
it did test the capacity of the dung pit though but its surprising how high the slew will put it
last winter wasn't even 5 months

With all due respect Henarar the weather they had that year was beyond planning

 

[Henarar]

With all due respect Henarar the weather they had that year was beyond planning

I know that is why I said not planning but remember it can and will happen

 

[hendrebc]

I knowthe weather will always be our biggest problem and it is something we have to work around and expect losses every now and again but its still not easy seeing your hard work dying when your doing everythig you can and its still not enough
The money i spent was nothing compared to that

 

[Bob the beef]

Has anyone seen or heard from bossfarmer lately? He started this post nearly 6 weeks ago and he hasn't been heard from for nearly 30 pages, leaving us mincing on about weather

He has either been struck down with this "killer Aussie flu" or maybe stuck in a snow drift on the A9

 

[hendrebc]

Has anyone seen or heard from bossfarmer lately? He started this post nearly 6 weeks ago and he hasn't been heard from for nearly 30 pages, leaving us mincing on about weather

He has either been struck down with this "killer Aussie flu" or maybe stuck in a snow drift on the A9

Maybe weve broken him?!
Seriously though i hope hes ok i dont think ive seem him on any other threads either for a while not like him. @Bossfarmer you ok?

 

[Henarar]

Maybe weve broken him?!
Seriously though i hope hes ok i dont think ive seem him on any other threads either for a while not like him. @Bossfarmer you ok?

I hope he is the place wouldn't be the same without him

 

[Henarar]

I knowthe weather will always be our biggest problem and it is something we have to work around and expect losses every now and again but its still not easy seeing your hard work dying when your doing everythig you can and its still not enough
The money i spent was nothing compared to that

yes it must have been terrible
we would have to go back to the 60s for when we had snow that bad, had some in the 78 that brought part of the house roof down

 

[Hindsight]

Has anyone seen or heard from bossfarmer lately? He started this post nearly 6 weeks ago and he hasn't been heard from for nearly 30 pages, leaving us mincing on about weather

He has either been struck down with this "killer Aussie flu" or maybe stuck in a snow drift on the A9

He is currently focussing on the changed income tax status in socialist Alba.

 

[hendrebc]

yes it must have been terrible
we would have to go back to the 60s for when we had snow that bad, had some in the 78 that brought part of the house roof down

My late uncle remembered the snow in 63 and 47 and said 2013 was just as bad. Wasnt so much the amount of snow or the cold it was the time of year 22nd of march when everyone in our area was right in the middle of lambing. We went from inches of grass and thinking about cutting the sheeps feed down to feet of snow everywere and hundreds of little lambs out in the fields being buried and their mothers not being able to find enough to eat to milk for them. Carrying feed out was a never ending task i just couldnt xarry enough out fast enough and still lambing some inside as well. We were hoping it would thaw to make things easier but it never did.

 

[texas pete]

Has anyone seen or heard from bossfarmer lately? He started this post nearly 6 weeks ago and he hasn't been heard from for nearly 30 pages, leaving us mincing on about weather

He has either been struck down with this "killer Aussie flu" or maybe stuck in a snow drift on the A9

Nah, he's been busy learning his lines.

School Nativity week you know.

 

[Hilly]

I'm still waiting for some UK hours / acre

.5

 

[Henarar]

My late uncle remembered the snow in 63 and 47 and said 2013 was just as bad. Wasnt so much the amount of snow or the cold it was the time of year 22nd of march when everyone in our area was right in the middle of lambing. We went from inches of grass and thinking about cutting the sheeps feed down to feet of snow everywere and hundreds of little lambs out in the fields being buried and their mothers not being able to find enough to eat to milk for them. Carrying feed out was a never ending task i just couldnt xarry enough out fast enough and still lambing some inside as well. We were hoping it would thaw to make things easier but it never did.

can't "like" that

 

[hendrebc]

can't "like" that

Dont blame you. It was rough going but i wont forget it in a hurry if we get snow like that again with lambs on the ground ill be more ready for it and have a better idea what to do

 

[Henarar]

Dont blame you. It was rough going but i wont forget it in a hurry if we get snow like that again with lambs on the ground ill be more ready for it and have a better idea what to do

more housing ?

 

[hendrebc]

more housing ?

That would be the ideal but i couldnt afford to do that. Id take bales of hsy or silage to the trees and in any shelter i can find and gather the sheep there all in big bunches so i wouldbt have to run round lots of little bunches. I have a much better idea were snow collects in deep drifts now just leave bales were it doesnt collect amd not worry about ring feeders even just get the feed there and worry about waste after. Creep feeders fornthe little lambs too as soon as i can. Even if it thaws and i have wasted bales rotting on the ground it would be easy to clean up after. I wont arse about feeding hay on the ground again. If i had some square straw bales for windbreaks as well id leave them near the shelter or at least were the snow isnt deep but is quite exposed. Id cut fences around places were ewes got trapped before and take gates off hinges so they can not get trapped and idont have to dig them out every time i want to go through and the snow has drifted in the gates. Lessons learnt thenhard way.