Julian Ellis has cut straw use in half

I’m pleased to report the cows have settled in well on their rubber beds. As a result we have cut our straw use by half without it seems compromising comfort.

Concerned about the potential mastitis problem we are using a small amount of bedding conditioner; so far things seem to be OK. The 130 cows in cubicles are only using one round bale a day as opposed to the 30 stale cows in loose housing who are getting through two a day. Although the later are slightly cleaner and obviously slurry storage is not an issue.

The mild weather continues hence grass and cabbage growth has been good meaning that none of the youngstock are getting any silage yet and the cabbage could need spraying again to keep out ring spot, a disease that enjoys the mild weather.

My sprayer seemed sufficient until I attended a sprayer operator course where we discussed new technology on modern sprayers from GPS and auto everything. Great although I question the lifetime, reliability and necessity of some of this gadgetry. Particularly as recently my laptop gave up the will to live, the electronic injectors on the car went wrong and I came home for dinner to find a note dropped beside my mobile phone which Sam tries to remind me to take with me, saying perhaps when you come home this evening you will bring back a glove so I can put this phone somewhere you won’t be able to forget it.

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