Lambs start to gain weight as grass takes off
Lambs start to gain weight as grass takes off
Lamb growth is improving at
Cilgoed, but there is concern
over how markets will unfold
this season as bills flood in.
Robert Davies reports
COLD, wet weather has limited spring grass growth and ewes are still being fed concentrate every other day.
There were times during lambing when Ceiriog Jones thought mortality would be disastrously high, but he now expects to achieve a reared lambing percentage of about 150, only 10% below target.
"We have had to feed for two extra weeks, but grass growth is now kicking in and the ewes, which were very lean when we last handled them during crutching and foot trimming, are beginning to put on weight," says Mr Jones.
"When we ran some of the March-born lambs over the scales they had reached 22kg plus without creep feeding, and all the lambs should start growing quickly with sun on their backs and plenty of grass to graze. If we do not close off fields for silage we should be able to finish up to half the lambs early, easing grazing pressure."
This is feasible this year, as there are still 135 big silage and hay bales in store, even after selling 14 silage bales to a neighbour. But he is concerned about how badly the banning of exports will hit prime lamb prices in early July.
"It is impossible to forecast how marketing will settle down again, but none of the farmers I have spoken to are feeling very confident about returns from this years lamb crop."
The lambs to be sold include 23 reared on bottles by Mair Jones and the children. Because of the work involved in rearing orphans, the third lamb of triplets is normally fostered or given away, but the prolificacy of the Beulah ewes and movement restrictions prevented that happening this year.
"I suppose we have spent about £10 a lamb on feed. We hope to recover this and earn a reasonable amount for the work involved."
The 170 empty ewe lambs away-wintered in Shropshire are still trapped in an infected area. While they have enough grass and the host farmer is happy to extend the tack period, the sheep are proving hard to contain on the allocated field.
"We had to buy 13 rolls of sheep netting to create a temporary secure fence, which we will pick up and use here when restrictions are lifted. The sheep have been vaccinated, dosed and have had their feet trimmed."
At Cilgoed the first 19 calves of the season have been disbudded and tagged.
Having exceeded his overdraft limit Mr Jones hopes to sell 42 store cattle and some cull ewes. "The bank manager voluntarily improved our facility, but we are too heavily borrowed and getting £16,000 to £17,000 for the cattle would help a lot, especially as we have some large bills to pay."
These include £1500 for feed, a costly tractor clutch repair, and over £350 for two new tractor front tyres.
With auctions closed he is yet to decide how to find buyers for the store cattle. Local auctioneers are operating as stock agents and brokering private deals between farmers, and dealers are busy.
"Some of the prices being offered are not very good, and might be linked to the fact that some sellers are short of fodder. There will be extra marketing costs, including veterinary inspections, but I will be reasonably happy if I can get £1.30/kg for the steers and £1.05/kg for the heifers."
Though he is determined to be optimistic, Mr Jones is asking himself if there is any future for a hill farm of his size. In crude economic terms he would be better off selling the cattle, running a smaller flock of sheep on an easy care system, and going out to work as a contractor, or even as a labourer.
"I am not alone, and I believe pride alone is keeping many farmers on their land. Looking ahead to the rest of this year there is nothing to suggest that livestock farming will give a fair return. We can work 18 hours a day and still have to borrow more money to stand still." *
Lambing percentage is now running close to target, much to Ceiriog Jones relief. The hunt is now on for store cattle buyers to try to reduce bank borrowings.
FARMFACTS
• An 81ha (200-acre) farm in north Wales owned and run by Ceiriog Jones and his wife Mair who are also tenants on a further 18ha (44 acres). There is 10ha (25 acres) on an 11-month let.
• Most land is steep, classified as severely disadvantaged. It carries 600 Builth Wells-type Beulah ewes, 250 ewe lambs and 60 spring and summer calving suckler cows.
• Older ewes not breeding replacements are put to Bluefaced Leicester tups to produce Welsh Mules for sale as ewe lambs or yearlings. Bull calves, once finished on farm, now planned to be sold on green CIDs.
• Mr Jones was a Welsh Sheep Strategy scholarship winner in 1998. The farm is one of three in Wales selected for an MLC co-ordinated technology transfer project.