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Latest Rural Rambling

A Gardening Man's musings on life, gardening, music and incidental things — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 23:53:10 GMT

Latest Rural Rambling - in the newspaper today (Ross-shire Journal) and online from Canada Not too sure about that bit "...stockbrokers at the bar and spaniels under the table..". In the current political climate should it be the other way round Read More......(read more)

Crossbreeding in Ayrshire improves fertility

cows365 — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:44:00 GMT

In a herd visited today outside ballyconnell, co. Cavan. 250 Ayrshire and Ayrshire cross cows were presented for scanning. Overall reproductive performance was excellent with average herd calving interval reaching 370 days. Milk yields are approximately 1300 gallons, with 3.32% butterfat and 4.2% milk solids on average. Dr Dan

First showing for Olympic hopefuls at Lincolnshire’s world class equestrian event

Lincolnshire Events Centre — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:40:00 GMT

The annual Lincolnshire Horse Trials takes place in March at the Lincolnshire Showground at Grange de Lings. Olympic hopefuls will be heading the line up at this year’s Lincolnshire Horse Trials, with up to 700 competitors expected to take part Read More......(read more)

SAM chaos - it " should never have happened"

Bovine TB — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:56:02 GMT

Speaking in oral evidence to the EFRA committee on 1st February, SAM, Defra's new, all singing but not dancing, computer system gets a mention in the last few minutes of the video. More of that session in a separate posting. But to save you ploughing Read More......(read more)

Back...

matty s — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:57:00 GMT

Ok, after much neglect, I have decided to get back into the swing of things blogging. Quick update: I started Newcastle University in October reading Ag with Farm Business Management. Since then, I've never stopped. It's proving to be great fun so far and I have lots going on both in and out of uni. The past few months I've managed to do a load of things. One being a trip to Wales as part of NFYFC. It was great fun and we had a very productive meeting to discuss things we can develop and change within the Federation. I've also been down to the Oxford Farming Conference which also proved a great trip. It was great to see so many high profile speakers talking about world Agriculture and more importantly, the future of it. Embarking on an Agri-degree is daunting but its great to see what the future of the industry may hold and it was really encouraging hearing from some of the speakers. I've also finished Semester 1 exams. Less said about them the better. We shall see what results day brings. Finally, Harper Block Fixture in November was a great chance to have a great weekend and meet lots of people. It was great fun and I'm looking forward to the ploughing match this coming month. That's it for now but hopefully I'll be back into the swing of things with the blog before long...and write abit more about what's going on!

Grand Old Girl

Roburt — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:58:00 GMT

Stand aside jubilee!

Almost by accident I remembered that 2012 is the seventieth year that Farm Services has been in existence. It’s a long time, and I can’t think of another drainage contractor who has been around for so long a length of time. I’m the third generation of my family to work for the company: My grandfather joined the company in 1952, my father in 1982 and I joined in 2002. It is a lot of history and I suppose I should mark the company’s birthday which is in May.

Perhaps a birthday party or maybe a cake?

www.farmservicesltd.co.uk

Excellent reproductive performance in suckler herd

cows365 — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:39:00 GMT

On a farm visit outside Kilgarvan, Co. Kerry today. The client presented 80 suckler cows for reproductive assessment. Of the 80 cows scanned, in excess of 70 were in calf between 20 to 100 days, with the rest being embryonic deaths, poor uterine repair post calving, or cows on heat or coming on heat. This is an excellent result. There are 3 vital factors at play : the use of AI., high meal intake and cow comfort. Dr Dan

The dilemma of cows calving in July and August for a Spring calving herd

cows365 — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 10:30:00 GMT

Visited a dairy farmer in North Tipperary. This client presented a group of cows where calving dates were required. A number of the cows were confirmed pregnant between 90 and 190 days. This would leave them calving between July and August. These cows will put on excessive body condition if managed on grass. This client plans to fatten these cows for 5 to 6 weeks and slaughter them.

The hens are gone, compost and marmalade...

Diary entries from Emma — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 16:14:44 GMT

Whilst I was away there was a tragedy. A sneaky four legged fiend got into the hen house. It was a massacre, we had 24 hens and now there are only 10. I’m kind of glad I didn’t see the carnage, it must have been horrible. I know a fox has to eat too but it did not need to kill that many. Sad times at the farm, no eggs for anyone for a while it think, the poor girls must be traumatised. We have some pullets on order but they won’t be ready until March. Our sad little brood will have to survive until...(read more)

Seaweed, Stockbrokers, Bee Gees and Masterchef.

A Gardening Man's musings on life, gardening, music and incidental things — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 17:10:18 GMT

Just back from collecting seaweed to spread on the raised beds. Needs chopping finely with the petrol hedge cutter. I look forward to that tomorrow! Newspaper Rural Rambling Column in the Journal next week tells of of Stockbrokers, Hogs, Spaniels and Read More......(read more)

Cattle Farm Gate Prices Up But Beef Consumption Down

Land Strategies Farming Blog — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:04:00 GMT

Whilst beef farmers breathe a sigh of relief that farmgate prices for cattle have improved, there is a cloud on the horizon in the shape of falling beef eating. In the 12 weeks prior to Christmas the amount of beef bought from shops plunged by 9 %. And Read More......(read more)

Take part: Bangor University Survey: GHG emissions on sheep farms

Blog posts — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:42:45 GMT

Author Name: Farming Futures Bangor University is taking a survey of expert opinion on the potential effectiveness of a range of mitigation options for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from sheep farms. Their first survey, carried out at the end of 2011 Read More......(read more)

Take part: Environment Agency Climate Change Survey

Blog posts — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:38:30 GMT

Author Name: Farming Futures The Environment Agency has taken on a lead delivery role for Government to help organisations plan for the effects of a changing climate. The Environment Agency is currently working to develop a programme of work, to begin Read More......(read more)

Crisis? Wot crisis?

Bovine TB — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 01:27:02 GMT

Last week, all livestock keepers in SW England received a letter, explaining new changes and "why they are necessary". Now 'change' - if not undertaken for the sake of it - usually implies improvement, but with Government in general Read More......(read more)

Not so many bulls about farms

Owd Fred — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:55:00 GMT

Not so many bulls about farms these days, particularly the dairy herds. Before the advent of Artificial Insemination, you often reared a bull calf out of one of your own best cows, the resultant heifers coming into your herd and completing their first lactation, would be very hit and miss. It was not uncommon to see cows with curled up toes and long pendulous udders often having front teats pointing east west. Also you had three more years of calves on the way before the bull had been proven. Read...(read more)

Problems associated with twins

cows365 — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 12:59:00 GMT

On a farm visit outside Derry, today. We scanned a herd of Holstein dairy cows for reproductive assessment. While I was there a cow was calving. The cow was previously scanned by me as carrying twins. The first calf born had all the clinical signs of being a free-martin. Just as we finished the scan she had a second calf, in the shape of a rugby ball. This mummy calf must have been a male foetus in the early stage, resulting in the female co twin. This is a classical example of the problems associated with twins. Dr.Dan Ryan @ www.cows365.ie

Rolling herd average of 14,000 litres

cows365 — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:54:00 GMT

Visited a Holstein breeder County Clare. This herd of Holstein cow is an exception in terms of type and fertility. The rolling herd average on this farm is 14, 000 litres. One of the cows presented is in her fourth lactation and has produced over 14,000 litres. What makes the cow special is her overall strength, udder attachment and docility.

War Horses and Donkeys

A Gardening Man's musings on life, gardening, music and incidental things — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:05:41 GMT

Temperature below freezing over-night so no need to start work until at least ten in the morning as everything will be too frozen. One of the perks of the job in winter - that's the optimistic way to view things. I shall have a lie in. Excellent. Read More......(read more)

Beechnut is stuck, helping the neighbours and seminar...

Diary entries from Emma — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 17:43:47 GMT

The boss is away and I’ve been left in charge. This is quite a daunting prospect as things tend to keel over as soon as she goes away. Today disaster is averted though when I spot Beechnut acting oddly at Wallace field. She is up near the fence and looks like she is eating the grass through it. I go past again and have a closer look about 20 minutes later and she is still there, that’s not right. I go over and sure enough she has got her horn stuck in the fence. The grass is always greener, but she...(read more)

Mr and Mrs Basserole

A Gardening Man's musings on life, gardening, music and incidental things — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 20:31:26 GMT

Mr and Mrs Basserole remembered - from 2008! I'm sure they are still at it today. Read More......(read more)

Recovery of AI straw from uterine horns

cows365 — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:00:00 GMT

Visited a client in County Derry. He had a cow that had been presented on a previous scanning visit, where an AI straw was placed deep in 1 of the uterine horns. I advised the client that this would leave the cow infertile. I advised him to have the cow on heat after my next visit, to have some hope of recovery of the AI straw. The cow was on heat today, and I managed to massage the AIstraw using guidance of ultrasonagraphy through the cervix. The client was astounded when I recovered the AI straw from the vagina. This news will travel far and wide around the farming community in Derry.

RASE soil and water survey

Roburt — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 10:22:00 GMT

The following is a press release from RASE its regarding a soils and water survey there would like farmers to complete. You may remember that I posted a blog about attending a meeting about trying to get a conference and some practice on-farm demonstrations up and running, well this is the first step. The idea is to tailor the program to suit the needs and thoughts of these who it indents to benefit. As mentioned previously I think it’s a fine idea, especially practical open days which in people can come and see drainage being installed. If you have a few spare moments the soil and water survey is now live.....

“RASE launches nationwide survey to probe levels of soil and water management

A nationwide survey of farmers in arable and grassland regions is to be carried out by the Royal Agricultural Society of England as it launches a major initiative to help improve the management of soil and water resources across UK agriculture.

Climate change, rising costs and consumer demand for minimising the environmental impact of food production all make the management of soil and water resources a vital area for farming in the years ahead, says RASE.

The Society has highlighted these issues through a succession of reports from its Practice with Science Group. Now it wishes to help every farmer improve the management of their soil and water resources so boosting farm outputs and ultimately profitability.

“Since RASE published its report on the state of UK soil science in 2008, soil management has risen up the agenda – both in terms of R&D and in farmer awareness of its overall importance. Unless soils are well managed, all other farming activity is under pressure - winters are longer on livestock farms; establishment and autumn cultivation more difficult for arable farmers,” said RASE Chief Executive, Denis Chamberlain.

“RASE is launching two-years of activity in this area with a major, interactive conference planned for autumn of this year, followed by some regional, practical on-farm days in 2013. The research, which will be carried out by telephone and on line, will probe farmers activity in drainage and winter water storage.”

The key areas this research will cover include:

· What the major concerns are for different types of farmers in different parts of the country relating to soil and water management

· Exactly what measures farmers are currently taking to manage their soil and water resources

· How farmers plan to manage the challenges posed by extreme weather patterns

· What drainage investment has been made in the past 15 years

· What plans are in place for drainage, water for irrigation and water storage in future.

“Water has to be treated as a scarce resource. Farming uses a significant share of the UK’s available water so the industry has to make its case that it is managing the resources effectively and doing all within its power to make its use of water sustainable,” said Mr Chamberlain.

Research

richardrampton — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 11:03:00 GMT

Today we worked hard at obtaining individual and group responses to a number of environmentally-focused, taxing questions. First up was a detailed and testing examination of the long-term environmental and social benefits of a major plank of New Zealand policy: namely care and sustainable maintenance of the considerable volume of maritime environments by which the two islands are surrounded. The measures put in place have included the establishment of a substantial number of maritime reserves, with strict and draconian enforcement measures for those who trespass on the spirit and operation of such wildlife safety areas. These are designed to ensure that no further environmental degradation occurs in the defined area. One such marine reserve is at Whitianga, which has necessitated us staying for a Sunday in one of the most beautiful and diverse areas of New Zealand, and checking out the long-term impacts of the reserve – from a glass bottomed boat equipped with two 115 hp outboard engines and a certain amount of snorkelling gear. We are delighted to be able to report that locals say there has been a 20-fold increase in some species within the reservation – and that the water was lovely! We went on from this arduous and demanding exercise to explore some of the opportunities for thermal power and heat generation, whereby digging a precisely specified and carefully constructed hole in a specific sandy location resulted in the ingress of water that was actually hot – as was the underlying sand base, as could be revealed by a cautious wriggling of toes and the gradual submegence of ankles and legs under the sand. While this unarguably reduced the height of the head of the wriggler above mean water levels, it also resulted in the raising of their overall bodily temperature, not to say an increase of the rare (to us) risk of scalding from a sand pool on a beach. These investigations were carried out carefully but enthusiastically by a number of our group, specially equipped with suitable hand-operated excavation tools. Others, at some personal cost, confirmed the value and effects of the heated water by lying down in it, with no concern for their individual safety or discomfort. Further, this particular investigation was also being carried out at the same time and in virtually the same place, by a wide range of other teams, mostly from other nations, including Japan, Korea and other Asian countries. It has to be admitted that they appeared to be suitably adroit and efficient in their working practices and to have reached similar conclusions – though of course they cannot be verified until published independently and eventually peer-reviewed. In the meantime, it is not altogether unlikely that members of our team will repeat the investigations in Norfolk and Suffolk, sadly areas with much less reported geo-thermal and earthquake activity than Hot Water Beach in North Island. We are confident that this barrier will be overcome and that shortly we will be enabled to exploit this almost limitless power resource; however this may take longer than anticipated, leaving the Kiwis with a field free of competition and an unfair advantage worthy of reporting to the WTO. Or at least, they will continue to have a tourist attraction. And we did all that on a Sunday! Next a move to the dairying area of Hamilton and a return to an intensive study programme. Richard Rampton, NRBAS, Easton College

Rotorua and beyond

richardrampton — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 11:34:00 GMT

Rotorua is where the hot springs are – it is of course strange for us to see steam rising from holes in the ground, or at least to catch the rotten egg smell that goes with it.. It does seem to linger and catches you even when there is apparently no bubbling mud near by. Today we ahve been guests of the Rotorua and District Agricultural Association at their A & P (Agricultural and Pastoral) Show. They treated us well (of course they did – this is New Zealand and that’s what they do) but it was a bit of a surprise to hear the PA saying “Today, Richard Rampton is with us”; that obviously meant nothing to anyone and actually would have probably have been just as much a mystery if announced in Norfolk! At least hey did go on to explain that we were a party of farmers from East Anglia. It was really entertaining show with cattle, sheep and alpaca (large classes) judging; vintage machinery; horses, including a large Western riding class; axemen ; stiltwalkers – all the fun of show in the country for country people. There is an Agrodome sheep show at the showground. We watched a performance (and of course one of our number got involved). Most of the audience came from Japan and Korea, and apparently, with three shows a day, they play to about 300,000 a year (at $40 a pop, I believe). That’s real agri-tourism. I thought the most spectacular thing was the axeman competitions, in which men (actually with one woman) compete to chop a substantial log in half, whirling razor-sharp axes into vertical and horizontal logs. The top competition involved halving a log on top of about a three metre pole, up which they climbed by making notches in the trunk, inserting boards to stand on – and they had to do it attacking the log from two sides, so two climbs up the trunk. I’m not sure what H&S would make of it, but they certainly would be an attraction at any UK show – perhaps they already are. We did meet one guy who explained how he prepared his axe (which you could probably shave with); he said we have competitions in Europe and that he had trained a UK team which actually came 4th in an international competition. Time to see more of them, methinks. On to the sea and a meeting with a farming journalist in NZ. No reason why they shouldn’t know how impressed we are. Richard Rampton, NRBAS, Easton College

On "Weeding The Web" website

A Gardening Man's musings on life, gardening, music and incidental things — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 00:48:15 GMT

On "Weeding The Web" - thanks to Helen Gazeley. Read More......(read more)