FARMERFOCUS
FARMERFOCUS
Christian Fox
Christian Fox manages 130
spring-calving cows and
followers, on a 200ha
(500 acre) mixed farm in
West Sussex, with 150ha
(380 acres) of arable crops.
He is aiming for high profits
and low costs by maximising
use of grazed grass
I FIRED up my computer this morning to report on how nothing has happened since last month and that we are waiting for calving to start shortly.
As I sat scratching my head wondering how I was going to fill the page with excitement and interest, given that we were basically watching paint dry in the parlour, one of my Jerseys had twin heifer calves.
An excellent start, albeit that both calves were even smaller than the usual Jersey offering. I put one under each arm and led their mother to the maternity suite. Last year this suite would have been called a calving box, but I have revised my terminology since our daughter was born last autumn. Tomorrow I will set up the nursery.
Some extended grazers had slow grass growth last autumn, as we did here at Cucumber. This prompted concern about depleted phosphate levels in various parts of the country. Some farmers have soil tested which has disproved this theory, proving again that sharing information is the best way to learn.
We can only conclude that the extraordinary rainfall led to saturation and lowering of soil temperature last autumn. Either that or my ryegrass has mysteriously become nitrogen resistant.
Talking of fertiliser, soil temperature has lifted slightly and I wouldnt mind sprinkling a hint of nitrogen around the farm. Some paddocks with low clover content are looking washed out.
Next on the agenda is turnout. The theory is straightforward – I want to graze the whole farm and need to make the first rotation last until mid April when growth should exceed demand.
Starting grazing from now to mid April is 73 days, so I will allocate 1/73rd of the farm each day. I have done a grazing feed budget which allows me to plot actual growth rates against my predictions and monitor the situation as we progress.
Now all we have to do is pick a paddock and send cows out in a landing craft. The farm looks like Noahs ark at the moment, with animals popping out of each porthole to check on the flooding. This time last year we had cows outside day and night in the calving group. I wonder whether Noah had a maternity suite. *
Off to a flying start… The first cow to calve this season produced twin Jersey heifer calves for Christian Fox. He picked up one under each arm.
Miles Saunders
Miles Saunders farms with
his parents on an organic,
mixed 370ha (915 acre)
farm in Oxon. Main
enterprises are 230 milking
cows and followers, 270
Mule ewes, 50 beef cross
stores and 50 beef cross
calves. Winter wheat, barley,
oats and beans are grown
for the organic market
ONE OF the advantages of not planting all crops in autumn is that it is possible to change the cropping plan to take into account circumstances beyond your control. The main nutrient that has changed in value is protein, on the back of the move away from genetically modified crops such as soya and the fishmeal ban.
Last year I was able to buy linseed expeller as a part of the non-organic component of diets at £95/t, but the most recent load I bought cost me £165/t. I am also concerned that the wet winter may have affected clover planted last autumn.
So spring beans will be the predominant crop planted this spring with the aim of growing more protein on farm. Fortunately, we have enough of our own seed. I need to look into the possibility of whole-crop beans, which could complement wheat whole-crop.
Silage stocks are looking adequate with about 1000t required until turnout which will hopefully be in mid April. There is about 1200t in the main clamp and 100t of baled silage. I will be culling a few cows soon and there are a few beef cattle ready to go, which will free up more silage.
We have started to do some ditching and are finding a number of blocked drains. The whole farm was drained back in the 1870s and it is amazing that architects of the scheme were able to get levels correct without the aid of modern gadgets and dig drains so deep by hand. The farm must have looked like a battlefield and numbers of people involved in the project must have been enormous.
The farm is about to have a conservation audit done by the Farm and Wildlife Advisory Group. It would be nice to see a few more trees about as elms do not seem able to establish.
I was pleased to see an old photograph of the farm taken in the 1930s. Surprisingly there are more hedges and less gaps now than then. I wonder whether the farming system and problems are the same. *
Recent high protein prices mean Miles Saunders is keen to produce more home-grown protein crops, such as beans, for next winter.
John Yeomans
John Yeomans farms 89ha
(220 acres) of mixed hill
and upland near Newtown in
mid-Wales. The farm is split
between hill and upland,
with the hill land in two
blocks running up to 426m
(1400ft). It is stocked
with 70 suckler cows,
including some Limousins
and 540 breeding sheep,
mostly Beulahs
AS EXPECTED, ewe scanning results were down to 154% – ewes tupped to lambs expected – including 17 barrens which were sold immediately. Ewe lamb performance was also disappointing and dry ones have returned to the hill.
I think my wife, Sarah, is quietly pleased, as there is more room in the shed and with less ewe lambs to lamb, hopefully less work. The ewes were condition scored and will be fed according to this and scan results on a mix of 20% sugar beet pulp, 40% maize gluten, 10% soya, 14% wheat and 16% barley.
We are feeding ewes in poorer condition earlier than usual to get them looking better for lambing which I am told will see lovely fine weather to make up for last year.
The Sheep Annual Premium Scheme form has been sent in after we leased 100 units of quota for £1.25/head. Although I do not like to praise our Welsh Assembly Agricultural Department, I must admit these forms are getting simpler – but dont quote me on that.
Silage is disappearing fast and we have opened the second pit which was treated with Genus Powerstart. It looks good and is feeding well. We will watch ewe condition and cattle growth rates to see whether it does the job. Genus are pleased with its high sugar content of 3.6%, although when I tried a couple of lumps of it in my tea I was not impressed.
Young cattle growth rates have averaged 1.15kg/head a day in the last month so we will cut back concentrate levels to 2kg/head a day to keep them fit not fat for the Bishops Castle May sale.
We have just started calving and unfortunately lost the first two calves due to bad luck. We think one was kicked in the head by another cow when he tried to suck her – obviously a Millwall fan.
Our four-wheel drive was fixed on the tractor in time for the frost to melt, so the muck store is filling up rapidly.
We have started thinning our little wood ready for fencing out on a Woodland Grant Scheme. We are grateful to Mike Richards of Coed Cymru, not just for his advice but for helping with the work. Along with Doug our next door neighbour we were the t(h)ree fellers. *
Growth spurt… John Yeomans will cut back concentrate levels for young cattle so they dont become too fat for the May Bishops Castle sale.
Gordon Capstick
Gordon and Mary Capstick
farm 230ha (569 acres), at
Milnthorpe in south Cumbria.
Stocking is 100 suckler
cows, with calves finished
alongside 100 purchased
stores, and 1200 Mule ewes
producing prime lambs.
About 10ha (25 acres) of
barley and 6ha (14 acres) of
soft fruit are also grown.
JANUARY has been a busy month getting the last 400 lambs ready for market. This has involved dagging, tagging and a dose of footrot potion.
We have also sold many cattle, both prime and stores. I am satisfied with stores, but the prime market has been up and down. All this to try to make indoor room for sheep and – with 40 cattle due to calve shortly – more room in the cattle shed. We have got 200 sheep in already but hope to house another 500 soon.
Feed seems to be disappearing like a snowball in a heat wave so we need to lessen the number of mouths.
We finally drilled winter wheat on Jan 13 then it froze rock hard, just as we were about to plant raspberries and soft fruit that should have been planted in November.
We finally got them planted in conditions that were far from ideal. We still have about 0.8ha (two acres) to plant but will wait until it dries up.
On the lighter side of life, I have just started my term as NFU county chairman for Cumbria. Not bad for a born Yorkshireman. I am sure mine and everybody elses work will be cut out for the next 12 months.
This years shock so far has been the increase in fertiliser prices. What I have noticed is the arrogance of fertiliser manufacturers. When the price goes up there is no talking to them, but they will have to realise that somehow it has to be paid for out of diminishing returns. Im afraid the poor salesman gets treated like Peter Mandelson in our yard – nobody wants to speak to him.
I do hope as many as possible will make the effort to go to London on Mar 18 for the Liberty and Livelihood March. It is not just about foxhunting, but about everything to do with rural life and will show this urban government that we may be a minority but we mean business. *
Running out of space… Gordon Capstick has been selling stock to make room for in-lamb ewes.