Farmer Focus: Electrical inspection prompts sockets update
Rob Goodwin © Nathan Stirk Grass seeds went in at the end of September and, thanks to a spell of warm weather and steady showers, they have soon got away.
The conditions also allowed us to take a third cut at the start of October, with yields close to what we had for second cut back in early June.
See also: How milk source heat pumps have slashed dairy’s energy bills
About the author
We mowed and picked it up within a few hours and it has filled the clamps nicely — a real relief after the summer. It was a bit wetter than ideal, but it will mix well with our haylage for youngstock.
Getting the grass finished in good time meant we could also get the last of the slurry out. We spent a few days digging the sand solids out of one lagoon, so we now have plenty of storage capacity for the months ahead.
We’ve also brought the in calf heifers back from summer grazing. They could have stayed out a little longer, however, a few are close to calving and they’re much easier to monitor when at home.
As field work slows down, we’re settling into our winter routine with the cows. Infectious bovine rhinotracheitis vaccinations are due and our TB test is booked for next month.
Routines are great until something goes wrong. Last week it was a universal joint on the feeder wagon which snapped after the first load.
It took all day to source a replacement; thanks to our mechanic James who dropped everything to help. I finally finished feeding at 6pm: I started at 6am. At least it was Friday and not over the weekend, when a replacement would have been even harder to find.
We’ve had a full electrical inspection on the farm which is something we’d put off longer than we should have, but our insurers required it at renewal so it had to be done.
Thankfully, most of the system was in good condition as we’ve been upgrading bits over the past few years.
A few improvements were needed, though, including new fuse boards and replacement sockets. Most importantly, all sheds are now properly earthed and we’ve added surge protection which is essential with the robots and solar.
We’ve also put up extra outside lighting ready for the shorter days ahead.