Archive Article: 2000/08/04
Peter Delbridge
Peter Delbridge farms 162ha
(400 acres) in the Exmoor
National Park, near South
Molton, Devon. The farm is
mostly permanent grass,
classed as less favoured and
environmentally sensitive,
and all above 300m
(1000ft). It is stocked with
800 ewes, replacement ewe
lambs, 60 spring calving
sucklers and their followers
HARVEST is over, what a relief. This years hay and silage gathering was all about being patient and making the best of opportunities.
Although a little overgrown, the forage is well made and theres plenty of it. Since good forage is cheaper to make than poor quality fodder, I felt chuffed to see the last hay bales go into the barn.
This year as well as small bales, I have made big round bales for cattle. I also have made a quantity of big square bales to be fed to sheep indoors, these were cleared to a nearby shed in next to no time.
Lamb sales are well under sway, three-quarters of Swaledale ram lambs have been sold as lightweight, 10-12kg carcasses. These lambs are never any better shape than they are now, it also gives any sibling ewe lambs a better chance to grow.
And selling at £19 each they will be a better return now than they will make in autumn store sales. With Swaledale gimmer lambs at a more realistic value than a few years ago, one does wonder if I should abandon breeding pure Swaledales. But with a closed flock central to my sheep policy I shall continue.
The first large lambs went on Jul 15, which coincided with a lift in the trade due to a tightening in supplies possibly because of harvest. Twin lambs averaged 17kg carcass weight at Lloyd Maunders. Heavier singles went to the local market and returned less money, unfortunately all the dealers were chums that day, and it seems that the best trade is only obtained when they fall out with each other.
I have received notification, like all other suckler producers, of a 2.75% cut in my quota, reducing my total by 1.5 cows. This is galling when I have heard of retiring dairy farmers having sold their milk quota being given suckler cow premium quota from the national reserve, sometimes in excess of what they wanted.
With SCP quota values high, I think I will refuse to join the subsidy rat race this year and instead sell excess cows and reduce the workload.
Cows have been running with Limousin bulls since the end of July, one month later than maiden heifers. Their body condition is improving, so our bulls are working hard, hopefully resulting in a tight calving pattern.
Peter Delbridges heavier single lambs went to the local market, but the dealers were too chummy that week and so prices stayed down.