Click here to search commentonline

From The Wellies

by Sandy Thomson

of Westpark Farm, by Aberfeldy

Remember all that rain that fell in the first 3 months of the year?  Yes, you’ve guessed it; we could do with some of it now, having just had one of the direst May’s on record. 

Later sown crops such as turnips and kale, which are used for sheep feeding, having been sown into very dry seedbeds could do with a good soaking to get the seeds to germinate.  Some groups of cattle and sheep have already started to rely on water troughs, as small ditches and streams have all but dried up.

* * * * *

The end of May and the beginning of June is a quieter time on most livestock farms with calving and lambing all but finished and livestock turned out to grass.  This gives farmers and stockmen the chance to attend some of the many technical events and open days which are held around the country, before the silage and hay making season gets into full swing. 

Beef Expo held at Perth Market on the 22 May highlighted all the latest developments in the world of beef production.  An outdoor demonstration area featured new feed wagons, while indoor displays included 22 different breed societies and seed merchants selling new grass seeds mixed with extra clover to fix atmospheric nitrogen and save on expensive fertiliser.  Feed merchants also had on offer all the latest mineral and vitamin supplements to give maximum growth rates and healthy animals.

* * * * *

The latest feed wagons on show can best be described as huge food blenders on wheels.  All the ration ingredients are loaded by forklift and a large diesel guzzling tractor powers the wagon while it mixes and chops the ration into a consistent blend which is claimed (by the manufacturer of the feed wagon) to increase daily liveweight gain and save on expensive feed ingredients by mixing straw into the ration. 

While watching this demonstration, one old farmer was heard to remark that he couldn’t understand why all this expensive machinery was needed to feed cattle when all the cattle he had ever produced all had a good set of teeth, four stomachs and all bloody day with nothing else to do but digest their food!

* * * * *

One of the most interesting people to listen to was Professor Temple Grandin who is a world renowned expert on cattle handling.  She pointed out a number of simple steps which every livestock farmer can take to make handling cattle quieter and safer for both the animals and man. 

First suggestion was to walk through your own handling system at home, any slippery floors, areas of shadows or ropes etc which can frighten cattle should be removed.  She also observed that cattle will run through a system much better if they are going from dark to light and going uphill rather than downhill.  Both give the impression to the cattle that they are escaping. 

Perhaps the most important thing of all was for farmers and stockmen to keep calm themselves when handling stock, shouting and yelling and using sticks and cattle prods is a sure-fire way of turning placid animals into potential candidates for the local rodeo.

The event also played host to around 200 local primary school pupils who were escorted round by farmers who had been trained by the Royal Highland Educational Trust.  Initiatives like this highlight the importance of not only educating farmers on all the latest technical advances in the industry but also of educating our customers of the future.