So as the past few days of snow has seemed to bring the county to a halt has anyone been having probloms on your farm will collections or delivery of stuff. I no that down in Devon just before christmas when there was a lot of ice about many milk tankers had probloms getting around and there was many that were pulled out by farmers or in some cases wreakers, also did hear that one of the tankers got wrote off as they slid into a tree.

Perry

Yes, it's pretty bad here in West Wales also, and it's made worse by the fact that the councill don't care two hoots about you....... unless you live in a Town or right next to an A road.

South, east Wales, Monmouthshire, looks driveable... but not many people know how to tackle a bit of slip. Hasn't stopped us hedge trimming so it's all good. Very low, or even no grit though.

Bits of Surrey really bad this morning. Started snowing about 10pm last night and sounds like a nightmare on a lot of the roads. We didn't have that much where we were - but a collegue who lives a few miles away had 8 or 10 inches!

 

 Here its more icy than snowy with some ice being 3 or 4 inches thick in places with some nice holes in it. We just had a Countrywide (BOCM Pauls) driver delivering some lamb creep who said than in Dorest near their depot its wasn't very bad but in Hampshire etc it was.

He also mentioned that he had taken a load to Cornwall yesterday ok then gone back to Exeter to take another 6 tons out only start going down a steep hill towards the farm to find a very sharp ungritted bend with a steep drop down if he didn't get around it he tried to reverse out and got some way before lost grip on the ice. In the end they had to leave the lorry there he went back to Dorset in a car and the Lorry is/was still there today till they go back with salt or something to de ice the bend to get to the farm.

These show what I call a snow fall.

http://www.twitpic.com/wtjaf

 

http://www.twitpic.com/wtiti

 

http://www.twitpic.com/wti5j

 

http://www.twitpic.com/wthqc

 

http://www.twitpic.com/wth6j

 

These were taken about 12 or so years ago I'll ask HLK as she will probably know by Busters age.

We have had about 3 to 4 inchs here on the south eastern edge of Dartmoor.

Normally no problem, but this snow packs down real tight after the first trip over it, then it is almost impassable. l struggled up the hill with the tractor in the gutter with the diff lock in, only just made it.

The quad bike slid about with the snacker on the back.

Probably be worse tomorrow if it freezes, still makes a change from endless rain and mud! 

bovey if you have a loader use it to push a track clear. It will freeze solid if you move the snow provided it is cold enough. If no loader use a link box backwards. Do the same for a quad track and clear a feed pad for the ewes. We do that all the time in Scotland works well provided you are used to driving on solid ice. Helps if it really cold as the snow is lighter. You need speed and skill though, the speed to keep momentum in hard bits, the skill is knowing when to kill the speed. Gets interesting when it thaws.

Sorry had to use herselfs login last time. Just watched the TV news, 10 miles from us has had a very hard time roofs down etc Shows how local variations can have a big effect last year we got hammered and they missed it, not so lucky this time. Still snowing, might beat last year here yet.

Our problem is compounded by the steep narrow lane up to the farm, going down on ice can get very quick!!!

 I would suggest the means at which my sister uses in the yard to get from the stable to the field and thats to spread the wee soak straw which melts the ice and stops it refreezing but you'd probably be had up for pollutiing the highway if you did that on the road

Does anyone think that councils should be trying to get farmers to help out in these time as they seem to be struggleing at the moment.

Perry

A friend of mine on Salisbury plain has said the farmers around there have been brilliant at shifting the snow off the roads.

Here in Dorset, it was snow free when I left for work 8.45am, travelled 17 miles east and still clear when I got to work. After being there 10 minutes, it started snowing and didn't stop until 1.30pm. In 3 1/2 hours, it snowed 3 inches - I only just got out, thank goodness the A35 was clear! Minor lanes aren't touched around here, so feeding my sheep will be even more of a challenge once this lot freezes!

 I meant to ask earlier I know its more of a Scottish thing in the UK but has any one tried curling with round haylage/silage bales and a loader with all the ice.

i totally agree perry7530, the council's cant handle snow..i think they used to pay farmers to clear roads & tow people if they got stuck! :)

 

Our council do pay farmers for clearing the roads - we are in Gloucestershire. On our farm we have a council snowplough and father in law is called out when the snow arrives and clears the roads in our village.  He is paid to do this.  I also think another farmer in the village is paid to clear the snow with his load all.

More snow again this morning. I will take a tape out and report what the depth is later.

See http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/scotland/Livestock-being-frozen-to-death.5961813.jp for some local news.

44cm (17and1/4 inches) deep here, up country in Ballindalloch there has been much more. Shed roofs down etc stock is a worry too. Still snowing.

Very serious stuff happening now http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/north_east/8445399.stm 

the reason the snow is hitting the roads so hardly is because once again the councils have not had sufficent supplies of grit and are running out so they are only gritting the main roads and not the small one around our farms.It happens every year and they never learn

I've emailed a load of our Farmer Focus writers to see how things are with them. One Tom Rawson from Dewsbury in Yorkshire says he has been to his local builders merchants for some more rock salt, in the last ten days it has gone from £70 per ton to  £200 per ton...

PS That link that HHS has just posted is shocking stuff.

52cm (20 and 1/2 inches) now. Still snowing. Getting a bit worried about my shed roofs now too. I really do not want to face a repeat of last year.

No rock salt available to the public around here at the moment as the government has appaently restricted supplies to authorities until the end of the month, I was told on Tuesday when I tried to get hold of a few bags.

 I had just cleared our drive when it snowed again  

thats the problem because the government have taken over all of the rock salt mines in britain all of the stuff we buy has to be imported as all the british stuff is given to local authorities etc.