Lapwings that make a meal for the red kites

From: Kate Smith, Birchwood Farm, Ripley.

With reference to the letter from RL Lofthouse (Country Week, August 20), I have got to say this is the most accurate and unfortunately truthful account of the devastation the red kites are doing to our much loved ground nesting birds.

In the last three years we have seen what was a very healthy lapwing population on our Spring corn crops go down to just one bird, not even a pair this year.

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The curlews which thrived in our fields where we make hay have vanished totally this year and likewise the skylarks.

Whilst making silage and turning hay last month there were six red kites hovering over all afternoon looking for a feed on anything that moves. The barn owls’ pickings are non-existent. I visualise within five years people will be getting paid to cull these birds, never mind going crackers over someone who may kill one at the moment.

The general public do not realise how much farmers encourage and enjoy these traditional ground nesting birds and the reintroduction of the previously extinct birds of prey is a great error of judgement on the RSPB.

After a lifetime of farming and caring for these birds I hope something is done about it.

From: Mrs Heather Procter, Upton, Lincolnshire.

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Regarding the recent debate about ragwort, many people do not seem to be aware that when ragwort becomes frozen it becomes more palatable. I am aware of one instance where a pony ate a piece of frozen ragwort and suffered its one and only bout of laminitis a few weeks later.

Frozen grass has higher levels of fructans but as horses have evolved to cope with frosty conditions I wonder if it is the ragwort toxins that push the equine beyond normal coping levels of the fructans.

I have read about cattle suffering from hoof issues after eating ragwort. My farrier thinks I have made a very valid connection. This could make an interesting project for a veterinary or equine college student.

It is very sad that we have lost so much of our floral diversity that we need to rely on ragwort for a nectar source for our declining insect populations.

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Other European countries have little or no ragwort but have much greater densities of wild flowers as nectar sources.

From: Tom Earle, Hill Close, Brecks, Rotherham.

I HAVE just returned from a visit to Brecks Lane Farm that suffered an atrocious arson attack on Saturday August 6, as reported by you. .

The reason for my visit was to witness how their friends and neighbouring farmers were rallying round in order to help the Smith family to get the harvest in.

It is beyond belief that the culprits could cause such devastation and destruction. Do they get a kick out of their utter thoughtlessness?

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What sort of home and background have they? Discipline has for too long been taken out of the home. Parents who should be guiding their offspring towards a decent future are hamstrung by stupid red tape.

The result of discipline having been taken out of our schools has also resulted in our youth in too many instances doing stupid things whether individually or collectively.

Perhaps our MPs will at last wake up to the fact that basic ways of conducting and living our lives should be re-ordered – to our far better former standards.

From: AM Grimshaw, Church Avenue, Dacre Banks, Harrogate.

THE first article I read every week in Country Week is Sarah Todd’s little “rant” about everyday life.

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She mentioned haymaking and its trials and tribulations, ie finding someone who has a conventional baler.

I used to contract bale 35 years ago but ceased in the late 1970s. On July 23, I went to a farm sale at Dalton, near Thirsk as there was an INTB47 baler and buck rake for sale. To see a lifetime’s collection of farm tractors was amazing.

I bought the buck rake and baler and then found out all items had to be off site by 4pm on the same day.

I brought the buck rake back home on the trailer then had to return for the baler. I took my Nuffield 10/60, not my Supermajor as the Nuff is quite a bit faster.

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I steam cleaned the baler, greased round and fitted it with twine and it was up and running for a good 20 minutes.

There were no problems, bearing in mind the baler had not been used for between 15-18 years, stood with a bale and a half in the chamber.

I received a request on July 27 to bale two acres not far away. The first bale was about six feet and the long adjusted trip and tension on twine works well.

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