Ten days later

It's been a long ten days since we mowed out first fields, but by lunch time today the first cut was in the pit. It's a very good crop and the grass in the pit is getting nearer and nearer the roof. It will settle a bit, but for the moment we have decided to big bale the last 5 acres we cut. So the contractor and carters have been fed and watered and have moved on to the neighbouring farm. The weekend weather looks not bad, so maybe they'll be lucky and get it all in one go.

For the moment the fields look a pale strawy green colour - but be prepared - next week they'll be brown!

The mower's out again . .

. . . but the forecast isn't brilliant, so we'll just be snatching a few acres before it rains.

Silage update

Well, the weather wasn't quite as bad as we feared, and by Wednesday night we had 25 acres in the pit. We're now back to weather forecast watching, and looking for the next opportunity.

It seems we got it wrong.

The sky has gone black and it is raining.

Oh dear (or similar words)

Now that's what I call a Birthday Cake!

Hasn't he got a clever Mum!

Decision made

After much deliberating - and wishing we had started at the weekend (hindsight is a wonderful thing) - the mower is whizzing round the Teapot Field. The forecast has been "mixed", and seems to change as often as we look at it (frequently), but in the end we went with our instincts (looking at the sky and how it felt). We know that there's probably rain coming soon, but if we crack on we should get a lot of grass in the pit before it does.

I'm off now to ice the dozens of cakes I made earlier for such an eventuality (workers need feeding to keep their strength up).

Happy Birthday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

FLETCHER!

 

SEVEN TODAY

 

(BUT NOT QUITE AS TALL AS BIG BROTHER)

 



Still waiting . . .

. . . . but we're glad we didn't start mowing yesterday (with a substitute/loan/demo mower).

We've been watching the grass grow and the sun shine, and debating when to start silaging. We need at least three fine days (and nights). One or two neighbours have started, and some have finished, but looking at the forecast for the week ahead, we've held off. When the sun is shining and the sky is blue, there's a tendency to think we're missing the boat timewise - but it's only the third week in May, so we're still ahead of where we usually are.

And it's just started raining - just a bit, (not even registering in the rain gauge) - and there's more forecast for tomorrow.

Are you ready?

The tractors are all cleaned and serviced.
The rowing up machine has been brought out of the shed.
The pit has been cleaned out.
The new sheet has arrived.
The grass is growing and hopefully at the optimum stage for cutting.

Yes, we are almost ready for silaging.

Only thing missing?
A mower.
We have a new one on order (ordered when first cut was just a twinkle in our eyes), and have been promised that it (or a substitute) will be in the farm yard this week.

So, it's all eyes on the weather forecast - is that promised heatwave due next week?

Heard at Strickley

Not heard for years - but yesterday Henry heard a cuckoo

St Georges Day

A photo from Belper News - do you recognise anyone, or even two people?

Click on the link, or look at it here.

Empty buildings

The farm buildings are almost empty (apart from a bit of muck etc to clean out). Today we turned out 45 animals - mostly bulling and in-calf heifers. Tomorrow another 8 will follow them. So, if I have got this right, the only stock left inside will be two breeding bulls, four heifer calves born January/February this year and two young heifer calves.
So, there will be more of checking stock outside, but a loss less feeding and mucking out. Which means it may be possible for us to have a few days away before the next big thing - silaging.