The Year Round: Talking in both metric and imperial measures

We had over one inch of rain last Sunday at White Smocks. After such a downpour, Monday dawned without a cloud in the sky.

As the third generation at this Northallerton area farm I am studying at Newcastle University and am sending this report from the farm while my father and grandfather are particularly busy with harvest festivals and other matters.

We younger generation tend to talk in both metric and imperial, depending on to whom we are speaking. Rainfall has been recorded here since 1948, using both inches and millimetres.

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The system is now computerised. I use hectares for estimating seed rates and have now become accustomed to centimetres and hectares.

Wet or fine, work among our 30,000 head of poultry continues unabated. Egg packing remains a major daily concern for although the birds have now passed their peak, they are above the anticipated decline.

Their eggs hatch into chickens which go on to rearing farms for broiler breeders.

As with the pigs, food prices are subject to sudden variations. We have 210 breeding sows on these 74 acres. The pig performances have been good so far this year. Numbers of piglets born alive and numbers weaned have been high.

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The one worry is that it has been difficult to get all the gilts to hold in-pig the first time they are served.

Other pig breeders report a similar situation with no particular reason we can identify so far.

The price of bacon pigs is not holding up too well, with increased numbers coming forward, and ever-rising feed costs.

Although our limited acreage grows some good winter wheat a farm is a net importer of livestock feed all except one field has been sown this autumn, and all the winter corn looks well in the area.

CW 9/10/10

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