Rising rolled barley price an issue for John Bainbridge

In February we are often keen to diminish rabbit populations before they begin breeding too much with the odd night spent shooting. It is not my favourite pastime but it’s important to keep a check on their numbers so I actually have some grass come spring.

Store cattle have kept a strong trade and some near-10-month-old feeding bulls I sold exceeded my expectations, which is an unusual occurrence. With the rolled barley I am using steadily rising in price, I’ll probably be selling a good few more cattle before the start of lambing.

Most ewes have been treated for fluke and lice, and have had their annual vaccination for clostridial diseases. Some earlier lambers are now getting an 18% premium ewe pellet instead of sugar beet pellets. I find it’s worthwhile preparing the ewes as best you can at this period to save a lot of problems down the line.

Lamb crops this year are particularly high, with crossed Swaledale ewes scanning at 199%, even though there was a few more geld on the year. The Mule ewes, although unscanned, are looking particularly heavy and it was probably no coincidence the first truss, of probably a few, was put on a prolapsing ewe yesterday. As I get nearer lambing these incidences can be expected.

As a family we recently celebrated my father-in-law’s 80th birthday. Although retired for 12 years, he still plays an active role on the farm and enjoys keeping everybody in check.