Friars' Hagg has not seen many Augusts and Septembers like these. We don't want to see any more, for these North Pennines have suffered like other areas. Our nearest show is Bowes on Saturday, and some sections have already been cancelled.
I've no new Bluetongue vaccine news. We inoculated our ram lambs so that they would be all clear after sale. Some may go to Scotland. It is too early to predict prices, but the lambs have done well so far. Rain on expanses of heather in full bloom ha
ve led to pollen blowing about which can affect both humans and dogs.
We lost a good dog some weeks ago and the replacement is now shaping very well to work so far. Good dogs are still needed among our Swaledale flocks, but it is not quite as much work now as when the lambs were still with the ewes. Most have been weaned but a few of the most forward have remained with the ewes and will be sold to the butcher on weaning.
Fortunately a good number of hay bales were retained from last year. I have heard some farms have not made a single bale of fodder so far. Our last lot of straw weighed at 26 tonnes and included some very wet bales.
I greatly resent having to pay for wet bales; there is quite plenty of water already here.
It is a hideous price when wheat straw reaches £60 to £70 a ton. It's only use is for bedding and that price it is very expensive to make into farmyard manure.
A few cattle have already been housed. Their paddocks were so sodden that they made a tremendous mess with every step.
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