You’d be forgiven for being fooled by the weather over the past week or so, and it is hard to imagine that there are people out farming in T-shirts who scarcely took off their waterproofs for much of the year.

A reprieve like this is very much needed by all, be it livestock or tillage farmers, and though a settled period of weather would likely have been more beneficial in spring as opposed to now, it is still very much welcome.

A word of caution is needed around the current mild weather, with many farmers and vets reporting issues with pneumonia in recently housed stock. Dr Jamie Robertson is an animal housing expert, and I was lucky enough to talk to him recently about issues with current housing design, particularly ventilation, which is detailed on pages 50 and 51.

Getting ready for winter

Don’t let the mild weather catch you on the hop. It’s only a few short weeks ago that we had storm Ashley where thousands of houses and farms were without power. Dairy farmers, in particular, are dependent on electricity to run milking plants and keep milk cool. It’s important to know how your milk plant is set up in the case of a blackout.

Every year I hear of farmers travelling to get a generator only to find out when they land home that it is insufficient to power their plant or that the plant isn’t properly wired to allow for a generator.

Aidan Brennan gives some key advice for dairy farmers this winter regarding keeping milk flowing and keeping livestock protected.

Darren Carty gives advice on responsible vermin control use this winter. When food becomes scarcer and weather cooler, we will likely see an increase in vermin entering yards, but responsible use of rodenticides is paramount to the long-term control of vermin.