The Long Hot Summer

[Mark S]

Just wondering how other breeders coped with what was the hottest and driest summer for some time. Here in Cheshire in June we made some excellent Haylage for our Dexter’s and Sheep,
however volume was down and we would need to do a second cut. As the summer progressed with little or no rain in July and August and minimal grass growth there was no chance of a second cut. Luckily we had carried over 25 large round bales but we would still need to buy at least 30 round bales to give us the number of bales we used last winter. These have now been bought in. Luckily at the right price, as a result of the drought prices have risen for both fodder and straw, we buy 500 bales of straw off the field, last year we paid £1.20 this year£2.00 bale. Sample Prices last Monday at our local auction, hay small bales £225 ton, square bale and round bale hay £172 to 182 ton, straw £80 to £96 ton. Haylage £155 ton. In addition our ewe nuts have gone up by over £40 ton. It is going to be an expensive winter to feed animals this time and hope breeders can manage without having to reduce stock in what I feel is a depressed market for Dexters at present.

On the plus side the cattle and sheep came through the summer really well, the sheep scanned a good percentage and following the driest October and November for some time with good grass growth the ground is holding up well and the cattle are still out, hopefully till Mid December. Starting feeding hay in the field last week to the cattle.

Mark S

Brereton Dexter’s

[Saffy]

We strip grazed very hard from the moment of turnout, just a tiny strip daily, we have only just stopped strip grazing and are now block grazing. It has worked amazingly for us and we got a second cut...in October, never in my whole 60 years of farming have I seen that! Cattle will come in I think a few days prior to Christmas as they will be out of grass. They are in good condition and even a real oldie Merlin 6th over 20 has managed on this regime. She calved last January and is back in calf but is losing a little weight now the grass doesn't have to goodness in it.

[Louisa Gidney]

The ground was so sodden that it was mid May before a tractor could come on to spread muck. The grass held out but it was a near thing before the rain came. Got straw in small bales off the field at a good price, regret not buying more now. Price of small bale hay has escalated from £3 to £5.50 locally. Everyone had excellent quality but a very light crop. I'm down 120 bales I had ordered off the field as there just wasn't enough to go round. Cattle home & outside getting round bales delivered, gone up £10 each since spring. Tups out with ewes, so they are getting fed now. Just hoping for a mild winter now as should then just about wing it. Prolonged & heavy snow will be a total disaster. Plan B is selling the family silver to fund feed. I sold more stock than I would have liked to get numbers down. Situation not helped by losing half a field. It's been planned for years but just had to happen now, so I've lost BPS as I'm now 0.2ha below the minimum to claim.

[ann]

I've just bought the last gang in apart from a young bull and 2 rather plump cows who will winter out with him. Plenty of silage as I set an extra field aside to cut but this has resulted in me having to beg extra grazing to keep them out this long. Not sure how much my straw is costing as i have an arrangement with my brother and we have a rain check at the end of winter but I do know my bill will be a lot higher than last year. I would have liked to have cut back on my stock, but not prepared to give them away.

[Jac]

Have been reading about the dreadful situation in many parts of the country with the abnormally dry weather but have been very fortunate here with an abundance of underground springs to keep the grass growing all through the summer. The cattle have just been bought in – something unheard of in normal circumstances, as normally the fields are sodden by early September. Fodder is always expensive here due to transport costs normally £35 for big bale haylage but this year it had risen to £38 but fingers crossed, have managed to buy sufficient until turnout at the end of April. Hopefully, the winter will not be too severe.