Search results

I have the opportunity of some fenced and watered grazing FOC by a country house hotel. They are adamant they must be photogenic breed that the guests can enjoy looking at as well as tasting good on the plate. They are especially keen on Highland cattle or Belted Galloways. Does anyone have...

I have quite a few youngsters help me at various times of year. Vet students, 15 year old work experience kids, ag college students, the odd NEET from the county council. Most are ok, some are very good, some are muppets. However the thread that runs between nearly all the youngsters that are...

We have a farm cottage where the current tenants are leaving us after 5 years. One bed bungalow with kitchen, living room, bathroom. Fully refurbished 5 years ago and will be repainted in between tenants. It’s in our fairly clean arable yard and has its own garden. Subject to an AOC. In a very...

I rear calves and have a growing family who drink vast volumes of milk…. Rather than spend huge amounts on milk powder and equally big sums on the milkman I’ve had a mad thought- how about a couple of house cows? I feed the calves twice a day so milking a couple of cows wouldn’t be too much of...

Fed up with dealing with lame ewes despite regular footbathing, remedial trimming and use of ABs when required. Also fed up with Doris and Gladys up the village texting me daily saying ‘number 87 is limping, just thought you should know…’ Interested in footvax. Does it work? Are there any...

I have a 19 year old lad who is willing to come on for me full time, after doing more and more for me self employed. He is; a competent tractor operator for basic operations, good with stock (though green), enjoys fixing stuff, turns up on time and is generally reliable. He still lives at home...

I have been approached by a local farming family regarding ‘sharefarming’ their fairly large flock. I’m not entirely sure they have a plan in mind but they are around 60 and looking to wind down a bit. What arrangements can sharefarming sheep work under? I can think of renting the ewes...

How far is too far for away grazing? 350 ewe lambs on pp. With a truck costing c.60p per mile?

The farm shoot has been cancelled due to lack of birds and we aren’t in a wildlife agreement until 1st Jan so I have c.20 acres of various game covers and wildlife strips around the farm available now to do some proper farming with. I’m thinking of putting maincrop turnips in. Any thoughts or...

I’ve been approached to rent out a field for a wedding party. I vaguely know the bride’s mother as she lives in the village but don’t know the couple at all so no great desire to offer ‘mates rates’. 140 guests. Use of three phase electric. Some camping. Will need it for 4 days in early...

My employee and I were chatting about today’s horrendous news when vaccinating ewes today and reached the same conclusion- We need to look at forming local defence associations. Formulate plans in case of nuclear strike, identify safe(r) shelters, stockpile food and clean water on a local...

Wife and I are early/mid 30s, living in the South of England and thinking about the future. Baby arriving soon all things being well. I’m a livestock farmer, she’s a farrier. Outside interests; cricket (me), horses (her), hunting (both). With the mounting lunacy in government with regards to...

I spent a week travelling through the Western Isles recently. Skye, Harris and Lewis. As a farmer you can’t help but see a place through an agricultural lense. I found the crofting set up very interesting, endless small holdings of 2-15 acres, some with common grazing on the moor or hill...

An e croitear a th’annaibh? Wife and I are heading up to Lewis and Harris next week, possibly via the Portree calf sales if she can be persuaded to ‘pop in for a cuppa…just for a look’. Is there anything we should see crofting wise? We are staying on the west side of Lewis. Peat cutting? Guga...

The successful, multi term winning U.K. Prime Ministers in the past few decades have mostly been very posh and getting posher. Do the English voters broadly love a toff? How else can we explain Rees-Mogg? Blair, PM for 3 terms, Fettes (the Eton of Scotland). Oxford. Brown. Not a toff. Defeated...

My Mrs has a poultry empire of 45 hens which she feeds mixed corn and layers pellets which she gets delivered by the pallet from the local ag merchant. This seems a bit mixed up, given that we grow corn on the farm. What would be a good ration for laying hens? I have access to wheat, barley...

I reckon my lamb skinning adoption success rate is about 20%. I spend a bit of time and effort making a nice wee jacket for a young orphan lamb only for the ewe to start battering it after a few minutes. Wet fostering is more like 90% success rate. Any tips to improve?

Value my beasts... AA first cross out of dairy. Bought as milk calves. 8 Heifers 12-16 months 8 Steers 12 months Being sold tomorrow at Salisbury. Pics not the best- are they ever!?

Did a bit of snowploughing yesterday. We are subbies for a large contractor who have the council contract for our patch. Last time we charged £38/hour flat rate. Too much? Too little? Does anyone else charge differently for nights, weekends etc? Only four hours work this time so no big deal...

The Tories say they want to ‘Level up’ the country. Given the immense sacrifices made by the young in locking down to save the lives of the elderly the first thing the government should do is raise the pension age, cut the state pension, end free TV licences, free bus passes and other...