Farmer Focus: Water supply starts playing up after 80 years

There is a saying that “the wind makes the weather”. It’s certainly been true in Orkney recently.

As I write this, there are heavy showers on the window and my neighbour’s wind turbines are going way too fast for June.

About the author

Steven Sandison

Livestock Farmer Focus writer Steven Sandison farms 90 Simmental and Salers-cross suckler cows on the Orkney Islands in partnership with his wife, Lorraine, on 134ha (330 acres). They have a 150-ewe flock of Shetland cross Cheviot ewes. Maximising grass is a priority.

Read more articles by Steven Sandison

Cold and dry is the best description of this spring. Cows were housed until mid-May and it was near the end of the month before it warmed up enough to get proper grass growth.

Dry weather has been welcome for the dairy farms and anyone else who has been cutting a bit of earlier silage.

See also: Farmers warned to check fertiliser and by-product ingredients

There were quite a few cows that came into heat before they were turned out.

From 1 May, I put them with the bull. I’ve heard farmers and vets say that the change of diet and conditions increases the chances of the cows not holding.

It isn’t something I’ve had much problem with before, so time will tell if it has an affect this year.

Ewes and lambs seem to be doing okay. Last year we sold most of our lambs in September without having dosed them for worms.

This year they went out on land that has had a break from sheep. I try to only have them on a field once while the lambs are with their mothers.

I also keep them moving regularly. But despite this, I very quickly saw a few dirty bums.

I haven’t done much during the winter with the block of land we bought last October, but there is plenty to do now. 

A well in one of our fields and another in a neighbour’s field are linked and they supply the water for the troughs on this land.

After having lots of hassle in the past with our water provider, I thought having our own supply would make things so much simpler. Yeah, right.

The supply, which one neighbour told me has run for 80 years, has decided to play up this year.

While I’m waiting for a digger to come and investigate, a friend has kindly given me his slurry tanker to take water to the cows.

It’s seems crazy in a place like Orkney, where there is so much water, that it’s so complicated to water a few cows.