Farmer Writes: dangerous stunts undermine our sector

Grass is being managed carefully at the moment, with decisions being made a few times a week. The rain we got a few weeks ago, combined with sea mist and heavy dews, has kept grass growth tipping away at a steady if not spectacular manner.

I’m happy with the progress of the breeding season but until scanning is complete there will be an element of the unknown about it. The young bull has been with the heifers a month and within the next fortnight he will swap over to the cows on the out-farm.

At home, AI started a little earlier than planned. There was a pair of cows bulling and they were close to the yard so I gave in. It was too convenient not to, and a handy few were due their three weeks in the subsequent days.

The downside of that plan is they were heading for a few paddocks that are further away from the yard than I would like but heat detection has been going well.

Tail paint and a walk through the herd every morning and again after 9pm seems to be working. That evening stroll is something I enjoy. Especially the sounds. The last bit of birdsong, depending on the wind you hear the waves roll on the rocks or the hum of a diesel boat engine the odd time.

If there’s activity in the cows you can almost hear it before you see it as they exert themselves or try to knock away the oldest bull calf who is taking his role as senior male in the group very seriously. He’ll be knocked off his perch next weekend when the main stock bull joins the cows.

Normally I’d leave all the breeding cows go with the bull after a three-week run of AI but as there’s a good grass cover in front of the house I will keep AI going for another few weeks for the late calvers. With them under my eye most of the time it will offer an opportunity to bring new genetics into the herd and bringing them in shouldn’t be too difficult a task.

This season we decided to use Simmental on the pedigree cows and the rest will get Hereford or Angus.

Social media

After witnessing some of the farming videos doing the rounds over the last few weeks, I’m beginning to wonder if social media training should have been given a place in the agricultural curriculum.

It doesn’t take much to tip the scales against the sector

Maybe it’s a result of lockdown boredom that people are trying to outdo each other with risky stunts but it doesn’t help the sector with one of the worst safety records.

Brexit and COVID-19 might fill two spots on the top 10 list of threats to Irish agriculture, but I think social media is in the mix too.

It is delicately balanced between being a useful asset and a potential downfall.

It doesn’t take much to tip the scales against the sector, as witnessed when a video on the mistreatment of a live export calf showed last year.