Farming in February 2008

Chickens seem to be the subject of choice in TV’s drive to educate the public about the reality of food production. It is dangerous indulge in anthropomorphism, particularly with a chicken! Our intensively reared turkeys do not live the fairytale life one might wish for. However they do live in an environment with total climate control, ad lib food and drink and plenty of space – sounds like club class! Animals kept in unsuitable conditions will not thrive and generally commercial interest ensures certain welfare standards. Intensive systems provide huge quantities of affordable food for a price-conscious public. Should domestic producers be forced out of business supermarkets will bring in more eggs and poultry meat from countries where animal welfare is significantly worse than the UK. Does the fate of foreign poultry not matter as much as those produced here?

Despite copious amounts of doughnuts from the vets the TB situation continues to worsen. Since November was have lost 12 cattle, 10 of which are milking cows. It always seems to be the best animals that are effected. TB rarely touches the lame, the infertile or the downright miserable. We are testing again tomorrow so fingers crossed.

I have become rather preoccupied with slurry, it helps keep my mind off TB. It started in December when I went to the milk group Christmas lunch accompanied by a litre of slurry. The post lunch entertainment was slurry analysis. New rules on manure spreading and rocketing fertilizer prices have focused our minds on the most efficient use of manure. These new rules worried me rather less than the seal on my container of slurry as it sloshed around in the boot of the car. I have treated myself of a new scraper which is an attachment on the back of a tractor which clears the yards of slurry. As with most modern equipment it is much bigger than its predecessor. On the back of our yard tractor, which is as old as me and might more kindly be described as a classic, it looks a bit of a beast. So if, as you pass the open yard gate, you see a tractor doing a wheelie down the yard dragster style you’ll know why.

Amazingly a year has passed since my first article. Farming is a cyclical business and for fear of repeating myself I will now be reporting quarterly with just our highlights or lowlights as the case may be.

Robert Davies
Partner – Hopes Ash Farms