Does anyone else feel like they are on the ropes?

[domsmith]

I am normally a glass half full type, cheery and have a joke. but i dont half feel worn down just now. I cant see when we will stop feeding silage. although i have plenty it was now supposed to be for next year.
lambing has been very good, calving has been a trial, but is not too bad. but god when i see weather forcasts it makes me cringe.
Ordered another batch of sheep feed, which the cows get as well, cant see yet how i will pay for it in the short term.
all i can see is spiraling costs, jobs that need doing and grass that isnt growing. is summer coming. i usually get my first fishing trip at this time, but as i am still on winter graft, no chance yet.

is this the year to quit it all?

mmmmmmmmm

dominic

[Duncan MacIntyre]

I don't think Dom is alone in feeling this way, our spring in the west of Scotland has just not happened, and by the sounds of things will not be this week either. However it usually does come sooner or later and when it does it is surprising how things catch up.

I usually take pride in not using any fertiliser or concentrate feed, but have to confess to buying 10 x 25kg bags of feed for the leanest cows in the last few weeks. Most however are doing ok outside. Six calves on the ground now, all so far by Burnside Kinsman.

I now have 11 small bales of silage left, so the young ones which have been inside since March will go out this week whether it is summer or not!

Duncan

[Rob R]

You're definitely not alone dom (I swing from being completely down about it to wildly optimistic), I've been juggling the finances all winter & thought we'd got through it pretty well, then Spring didn't turn up but the lack of any goodness in the remaining forage forced us to turn out. It also forced us to blow the budget & buy a pallet full of minerals, but really wishing I'd done that six months ago now; on the other hand that would have meant spending less on molasses, which would have brought the problems forward.

This winter has been a financial black hole & those without a second source of income have got it from both sides - cutting back means you're spending less now, but you'll also be making less in the future when it does come good. It will come good, because many, many people are making the same decisions, which means for shortages and higher prices in the long term, if you can hang in there you're one step ahead of everyone else but I think it's worth spending more now to keep your stock well, even if it seems futile in the short term.

We're all due some much needed rain, sandwiched between some good temperatures over the next ten days Dom, so keep looking forward!

[domsmith]

Hey Guys thanks.

i know we are all in the same boat..... so lets try not to sink with her!!!

dom

[Rob R]

i know we are all in the same boat..... so lets try not to sink with her!!!

*bails faster*

[Rob R]

Actually being on the ropes is a good analogy - I seem to keep bouncing off the ropes back into the middle of the ring to be whacked in the face once again...

[Louisa Gidney]

Errrm, Rob, since I removed 3 buckets of frogspawn from what should have been dry pasture, PLEASE no more rain for us!

[Rob R]

We last saw 'proper' rain around mid-March, I don't want much but the cows are fast running out of grass to calve on.

I've just had a look at the forecast u your way though Louisa and I can see what you mean! What a year of extremes...

[Boofarm]

Well I certainly do at the minute - we had ten cows "in calf", two abortions, two dead calves, two missed and we just put down the two BVD positives - not a good day

better times coming

mac

[domsmith]

Nothing will make it better only time and some live healthy calves next year.

You cant turn the clock back and you have to just get on with it in farming.

when i said in my OP "is this the year i quit" the answer is "what else would i do".

All the best and i hope you have some people who can support you

dominic

[Louisa Gidney]

When things get really bad, like the weekend I found 11 dead sheep, I try and remind myself how grim the early 14th century was. Starting in 1316 there was a run of wet summers with cereal and hay harvest failure and, like last year, fluke in the sheep. Just recovering from that in 1320 and cattle plague decimated the herds, so shortage of oxen to plough the fields to grow the corn to make the bread. On top of that, in the North, the Scots came raiding down to the gates of York, cleaning out anything that might have been left in the way of food and livestock.
Since no social security, about 20% of the population died of starvation.
Just getting over all that nicely by 1346, when the Black Death arrives.
It helps me keep a sense of perspective when "manure happens".

[Broomcroft]

Tough luck mac, that's a terrible story. Can't say we've had anything quite as bad but did have a run of 4 dead calves, then nothing died for the next 200 or so. I assume it's BVD from what you are saying. Need to get shot of them and either vaccinate or go the bvd-free status route (no experince there). Round here our vet says there are two types of herd. Those that have bvd and know it, and those that think they haven't, but have, just hasn't reared it's head yet. It's the only thing we vaccinate for.

[ann]

Since no social security, about 20% of the population died of starvation.
Just getting over all that nicely by 1346, when the Black Death arrives.
It helps me keep a sense of perspective when "manure happens".

After reading your post Louise, I did have a good chuckle, life with animals is never easy, there always seems to be something to worry about, but boy am I glad i was born in the 1900's and I'm not sure about everyone else but after the most awful winter and spring everything around here looks wonderful. Its tough when you do have a bad round of luck, but as the song goes its always best to look on the bright side of life.

[Rob R]

I am grateful every day that I'm alive that I live in the modern world, it may be hard at times but at least it's possible.

We've come through the troubles of last winter, not finished paying for them yet but as Ann says, the grass is certainly looking greener. Of course, having cut back some of the hangers on before winter, we've now got more grazing than we have mouths to eat it! The trouble is I spent the proceeds on the increased fixed costs & am now short of working capital to restock - typical.

However, looking at the positives, we did kill the steers earlier this year to supply an increased demand for Dexter beef, and, when comparing it with the year before, the increase in demand looks good. We should have more stocks of forage this winter, providing the machinery stops breaking down!

I definitely still feel on the ropes but it is a world away from how I was feeling in May when the grass just wasn't growing. And as Dom says, what else would I do?