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I had looked at getting vermin-proof roller doors but the cost was significant, the gain marginal and the inconvenience and the exposure to possible breakage through machinery damage was real.
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The crops are a glorious verdant green, though the latest sown crop, the gluten free oats is slower to emerge than I expected given the mild conditions.
We now have about one third of our cattle in the sheds, with the rest still outside finishing off aftergrass and some paddocks with good covers.
While this autumn has been a huge improvement in being able to get crops established, it had been an expensive summer.
With all the wheat, barley and oilseed rape safely sown, there is only the oats left.
I explained the symptoms, to be told that there was a vet in the area and within half an hour, he was in the field.
Last year's difficulties with weather delaying harvesting and sowing has over-influenced our decision-making this year in rushing us to harvest.
We have ended up housing the most forward cattle and will probably aim to finish them for the pre-Christmas market.
I would expect to have the silage aftergrass growing vigorously at this stage, so that we could spread the cattle out across the place, but it’s too soon to let stock out on it yet.
Never have we sown oilseed rape so early, but the expensive lesson of late sowing, followed by a wet autumn, has left a mark.
