Farmer Focus: Wet weather delays silaging and reseed

Eventually we got our fourth-cut silage in just after you last heard from us, although 2ha of grass ended up lying for a week before we could pick it up, as we got caught out with the weather.

We have so much grass we already have the winter lambs on for three months and we have had to reduce the heifers from running outside because of the ground conditions.

Our Scottish calf show was at the end of September. Michael was judging the Lancashire Calf Show on the same day, which he thoroughly enjoyed.

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Emma and I travelled up to Lanark Auction Mart with our two December calves. Unfortunately we did not qualify for the nationals at the All Breeds All Britain Calf Show, but the Scottish team did very well and well done to the Lancashire Club on their success at national level.

Floods halt reseed

We were planning on reseeding our field next to the river. But as it floods, we are still undecided on what the best option to do is.

We’re now too late in the year to put grass seed in, so the field may have to stay open until spring.

Our next project on the farm has begun. We are converting our old slatted cubicle shed into a general store shed for straw. However, we might struggle to source straw in order to store it this winter.

Homeopathy in youngstock shed

Some of the calves were getting ringworm, so we decided to hang holly in the youngstock shed.

So when vet arrived at the farm for a general fertility visit, he certainly got a laugh. He thought we were “progressive farmers”. Sometimes these old wives tales work!

Brian Yates, Castle Douglas, Kirkcudbrightshire, milks 250 pedigree Holsteins in partnership with his wife Sheila, son Michael and daughter Anna. Surplus heifers are sold for breeding.