Farmer Writes: grazing has ground to a halt

Things are very frustrating at the moment. Grazing has ground to a halt.

We put the cows out for one day two weeks ago, after a short dry spell, but then the rain returned with a vengeance.

The constant rain has caused the paddocks to flood, with the tracks under eight inches of water.

We are currently drying cows off and waiting for cows to calve. A little late this year, but given the interrupted grazing, no bad thing.

An example of going with the flow, literally.

Dry cow diet

As always, there is constant discussion about the dry cows’ diet. Sometimes impassioned by five different people with five different opinions, but at least they all care. The trouble is the vets keep coming out with changing opinions.

Originally it was no hay whatsoever, now it’s standing mowing grass – what’s the difference? The one thing we all agree on is the inclusion of a small amount of magnesium and iodine in the dry cows’ water tanks every day.

We started this several years ago to counteract the problem we had of cows starting to calve and then stopping before the feet even appeared, after a whole season of assisted calvings.

My wife wrote about this in her article in Dairy Farmer and a farmer in Somerset contacted us saying he’d experienced the same problem and overcame it by using this tincture.

For several seasons now, we have continued this practice which seems to work and no-one has the courage to stop this cheap but daily chore.

Six Nations

Avidly following the Six Nations, one cannot help but admire the emotion and the passion of the national anthems of each nation, except for the English.

The Scots sing of sending “King Edward’s army homeward, tae think again”. The Irish sing with great passion “Come the day and come the hour”.

I cannot understand a word of the Welsh national anthem, but the atmosphere in the Principality Stadium is electric, but understandably intimidating for any opposing team. Similarly, I cannot understand a word of the French national anthem, but it’s obviously about fighting for liberty.

Then we come to the English ditty. All we ask for is a healthy monarch. Nevertheless, I can imagine if you stand on the podium, having just won an Olympic gold, you would be bound to feel proud.

Perhaps there should be a national competition for an alternative anthem and we could be like the Irish and have two. I hope this isn’t considered treason or I could suffer the same fate as William Collingborn, who was executed for treason in 1485.