The dry spring inhibited grass growth and we feared that the volume of hay and silage would be well below our requirements. However, thanks to early summer rain, we were able to complete 3 silage clamps. The weather conditions in September have stimulated grass growth and, most unusually, we have been able to make an additional clamp of silage, which will leave us better prepared to cope with inclement weather this coming winter.
Harvest yields have been better than we had anticipated earlier in the year, although the wet weather over the summer has made it a struggle to bring it in. Cereals were completed by early September but we are still attempting to finish the vetches. The promise of a window of fine weather should see us finish later this week. We are endeavouring to take a very late hay crop although we are relying on the ‘Indian summer’ which has been forecast.
The animals are all enjoying the autumn flush of grass and the dairy cows are milking extremely well. We have purchased a new mill for the production of animal feed and this will be installed in the next couple of weeks.
There has been a great improvement in the number of yellow wagtails this autumn; approximately 40 have been spotted around one of herds of cows. There were many grasshopper warblers in the last fields of oats. These birds stay in the middle of the crop and are very loathe to leave it; when eventually forced to do so they could be seen diving for cover which could be the nearest hedgerow or even into the lines of straw left behind the combine.
Now begins the long schedule of autumn work as we try to have all the winter cops sown before the beginning of November.
