The Year Round: A timely clean-up for the milking herd

To these ends we have several newly calven females resulting in 13 bucket-fed calves. These are sired by beef bulls, and the male calves sell at 30 to 50 apiece. All heifer calves will be reared, either for our own replacements or to sell when in-calf or newly calven.

There is talk of a resumption of livestock exports, which will help home trade. We like to tidy up the milking herd before winter sets in. All udders are cleaned and shaven which makes preparation for milking easier. This is usually an afternoon job with 20 or so done before the evening milking, the job taking two hours. We are about one third of the way through.

The middens are all empty, manure spreading has been helped by dry spells. Most stock are still outside, though the newly calven ones stay in at night. All young stock beyond the calf stage are still sleeping out. I don't approve of 'zero grazing' in cows housed throughout the year. Either for the stock or the staff. Once all cattle are housed there is no relief from the daily routine.

Texel and Beltex rams are running with the Mule ewes. Beltex are white-faced and throw an excellent meat quality onto their offspring.

Our livestock moving sideline is very busy helping neighbours reduce animal numbers. It seems a long time until spring on these high-lying grassland farms.

Growth here starts much later than on the lowlands and we are liable to be snowed-in if bad weather occurs.

Sheep farmers have experienced reasonable trade surpluses this autumn but on the cattle side so much more capital is needed per head and there is a continual fear that the supermarkets will lower milk prices to encourage customers in other things.

CW 23/10/10