Farmer Focus: Ration prep tweak stops cows sorting feed
Colin Murdoch © Jeff Holmes How is it the middle of September already? Thankfully, we managed to finish harvest in the last days of August, as the weather has returned to its usual theme of constant rain.
I’d hoped to reseed about 20ha (49 acres), but with getting a lot of old stone drains replaced and now the wet conditions, I think we’ll wait until next year. I’m beginning to worry whether we’ll get winter grain sown at all and, with the ridiculous price of seed, it might be better left in the bag.
See also: Wholecrop barley silage solves key challenges on dairy farm
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Spring wheat for wholecrop came off in ideal conditions, averaging 24t/ha. This is the first time we’ve had it in a dedicated clamp, and I’m looking forward to getting it into the ration once it’s ready.
The winter wheat was a bit of a disappointment, yielding just 8.5t/ha. Straw also got a soaking, though luckily we got it baled about a week later.
The grains were a bit on the small side; I hear that’s a common complaint this year. It’s all been caustic-treated and will be ready to feed just as last year’s runs out.
We’ve always added additional water to the caustic-treated wheat when we feed it, to soften the grain, but for the past few months we’ve been adding 5kg a head of water to all the concentrates in the blend.
This so-called “compact feeding” has had a tremendous effect on rumen health, as the cows are no longer sorting feed in the passage. We’ve had a few near misses with the IBC nearly landing in the feeder, so we’re now rigging up a tank high enough to drive under.
Farm assurance has just been completed for another year. The assessor had to sit on the floor in the as-yet-unfinished office, which probably speeded things up a bit.
It’s always nice to hear a compliment on stock looking well and a tidy farm; just a pity that doesn’t reflect in any bonus to the milk price.
We celebrated Jack’s eighth birthday last month, and he got a new bike. Not to be outdone, I managed to find a second-hand one to replace the one I got when I was 12.
Needless to say, he’s a lot fitter than I am and I should have got one with an electric motor.