Hay Bales near Riddings

These fields haven't been grazed partly due to no water available, but the best bits - unusually - were made into quite decent hay late July. Most of the area is too risky to cut due to numerous large boulders and steep bumpy ground.

Cows in cleared hay fields

Making hay was as easy as can be this year but number of bales was down - perhaps not so bad as feared though. However regrowth was very poor until thundery showers arrived in the second half of July.~

Spring rolling

Late turn out

They usually go out at the end of April but start of May is not that unusual.
In 2012 it was about the 10th due to being very wet.
This year still not much grass but it has suddenly turned much warmer so that will soon change.

Malton Cattle sale

This is a suckler calf sale combined with normal store cattle on Friday - lots in there so outdoor pens in use.
They are still hoping to move to a new out of town site near Eden Camp.
But that has been "about to happen" since 2013 when the lease ran out for present site.
The problem is that with likely closure in a matter of months no significant repair and maintenance is being done unless essential.

More lambs to Ruswarp

Hedgecutting with Zetor

The last 2 or 3 years the hedgecutter has been put on the loader tractor - which is not ideal but the main tractor needs to be on the bedding machine every other day, and fitting the hedgecutter takes most of an hour, so need to stay on until job is done. It has been altogether too wet for some fields, and one section never did get done. It's supposed to be finished by 1st March but this rule ought to have some flexibility as n birds were nesting here on 1st March as it was a blizzard at -5 with gale force easterly.

MF135 mudguards

These have been about dropping off for a couple of years, the footplates were dangerously rusty too so finally got them done last Month.

First 2018 lamb run

These were gathered Sunday and the ones not selected were wormed.
They were a bit damp and didn't dry as well as expected inside overnight, but another 14 away so less to feed.
This winter for first time ever there is no barley so they are getting finisher pellets and sugar beet pellets about 50-50

Did consider buying 10t of barley but do wonder how important it is and they seem to be doing OK without though they are getting 2x the amount of pellets I would have been mixing in (with barley) anyway.

At home weaned calves miss it more but they are getting silage bales rather than hay and seem to be doing OK