wHAT ARE YOU DOING TO GET READY FOR WINTER?

[LISA]

Just a quick post to pick brains and maybe gather some tips to make the winter ahead abit easier.

We moved from Newark in August where we were very well set up for winter, now we are back in Northamptonshire full time we cannot believe it is nearly November and are not "ready" yet. That is our task this week. We have fullstocks of Straw and Silage but need to get lots of other things done to make life abit easier.

So what do you do in advance to make those frozen, bleak months more bearable?

Lisa (Cold, wet, muddy, disorganised and pissed off in Northamptonshire!!!)

[Mark Bowles]

Make sure there are plenty of logs for the log burner!!!!!!!

[domsmith]

Already in it! full winter rations and chores for the last 2 weeks, the earliest ever!

only got to do it until may next year.

d

[Rob R]

If it makes you feel any better Lisa, our cattle building has half a roof, the concrete panels to install & the feed barriers to convert from 12' to 15'. Oh, and there's 16 acres of forage to cut...

[Broomcroft]

Bringing the rest of our cattle in today so they'll all be inside. It's just a mud-bath out there, horrible.

What to do for winter? just get barns ready, make sure you have straw, silage, licks, feed. High mag licks could be important this time of year or give them a bit of cake each day. The grass here is just full of water and I have my first case of staggers in cattle ever a few weeks ago. Had good licks out but two went down like a stone, one after the other. Saved one, the other I put down.

Don't mind cold, freezing, snow, hale, thunder ... but hate this constant wet.

[natmadaboutdexters]

Firstly, Welcome Back to Northants Lisa! We need a few more Dexter owners in this part of the Country. On the down side, we are due to be moved from a four year to a one year TB testing area thanks to Defra. When I looked at their TB map, was very confused as Northants/Bucks were far removed from the west side of the Country hotspots but I guess its based on outbreaks etc. Anyhow, our cattle are now inside as Broomcroft says, it is a mudbath in the field. Jenny and I looked like we had been mud wrestling by the time we had finished getting them in at the weekend! Fingers crossed that we have enough silage to last the winter.

Natasha

[domsmith]

Had our first case of staggers today! cant believe it.

it was in a housed first calver, never would have thought it. vet said they are expecting plenty of staggers with poor quality of silage out there.

so for the first time ever we have hi mag licks in the shed.

stay vigilent

d

[Broomcroft]

Had our first case of staggers today! cant believe it.

it was in a housed first calver, never would have thought it. vet said they are expecting plenty of staggers with poor quality of silage out there.

so for the first time ever we have hi mag licks in the shed.

stay vigilent

d

I had the knackerman in to collect the dead cow … he said business in cattle was exceptional at the moment and he was having to work weekends