Farming

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New Blackmore Vale, October 15, 2021 101 Farming Calving tips: III. Assisting the newborn calf

quality of the colostrum should be tested before feeding and where collected from the dam, this should be done within a couple of hours, since with time the antibody level declines. If you would like help with your calf management or may be interested in joining our calf youngstock group please call 01258 472314.

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By Alice EJ Miller BVSC DBR MRCVS Friars Moor Livestock Health This week I am concluding the three-part feature on calving tips by rounding off with some neonatal calf management considerations. What happens in the first few hours of life is not only key to the calf’s imminent survival, but it will also have an impact on the calf’s future development. Studies have shown that nutrition and health of the pre-weaned calf can influence not only their growth rate and onset of puberty, but also their milk production yield when they start their lactation. If we can get it right in the first few hours and weeks of life, then the future of the beef or dairy herd is better protected. When a new-born is delivered the calf’s vital parameters must be checked. Like human first aid, think ABC, where A is for airways, B is for breathing and C is for circulation. If a calf is having difficulty, then resuscitation may be needed. For example, if a calf has a heartbeat but is not breathing, I will use my calf resuscitator pump. This saves having to give mouth to mouth and delivers CPR in a controlled manor. You place a mask over the calf’s mouth and nose and using the hand pump draw air out, which removes excess mucus to clear the airway. The pump removes far more than you could my hooking your finger inside their mouth or by hanging them upside down. It is also safer since the upsidedown method becomes counterproductive after a minute where the abdominal contents start to restrict the diaphragm. The end of the pump is then changed, and air is pumped in to inflate the lungs, this is done every 5 seconds for 5 times. This process is repeated and may continue until the calf starts breathing for itself. We also consider that unlike other species cattle will be born with no immunity. Newborns rely on their mother’s colostrum for these vital antibodies. The gut of the new-born calf is permeable and these antibodies cross from the gut into the bloodstream where they form the calf’s own immune system. The permeable gut wall closes within hours, so it is critical that the calf receives colostrum as soon as possible. A calf should receive a volume 10% of body weight, within a few hours and then repeated within 12 hours. The

A calf after resucitation with the pump

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Forthcoming Deadstock Sales

Telephone: 01278 410250. Email: livestock@gth.net ONLINE TIMED MACHINERY AUCTION - at https://gth.auctionmarts.com Tuesday0gHth0October0昀nishing0 from 6.30pm onwards

The Dispersal Sale of 3 Tractors, Pick-up Truck, Land Rover, Farm Machinery, Livestock Equipment & Effects (99) Ladini Blizzard 85 4WD TRACTOR; (82) JD 2140 4WD TRACTOR; (74) International 68 2WD TRACTOR; (10) Mitsubishi L200 4 Work Single Cab Pick-Up TRUCK; (80) Land Rover 88 SWB Series 3 Diesel Single Cab Pick-Up TRUCK; Marshall 60 Rotary SPREADER; Silawrap From Volvac (Kv UN7955B) Bale WRAPPER; (07) Reco Sulky DR Fert SPINNER; (95) Joskin TR275 DTH3 TOPPER; Deutz KH 2.52 4 Star TEDDER; Weeks Flatbed TRAILER; MF 28 Cultivation DISCS; 8’ Ballast ROLLER; Ferguson Folding DRAGS; Ritchie Yard SCRAPER; Browns Gripper Bale SQUEEZE; Dung GRAB; Front Loader SPIKE; Rear Loader SPIKE; Abbey 100 Slurry TANKER; Bateman Foot Trimming CRUSH; IAE Cattle Creep FEEDER; 2x Cattle Ring FEEDERS; Fencing STAKES; etc. Full listing on www.gth.net For Mr A Brown and Mrs A Frost (Ashill, Cullompton).

**ALL BIDDERS MUST BE PRE-REGISTERED ONCE THE BIDDING SITE HAS OPENED. NEW BIDDERS ARE REGISTERED WITH A STANDARD BIDDING LIMIT OF £500. PLEASE CONTACT US TO INCREASE IT. A BUYERS PREMIUM OF 5% + VAT WILL BE PAYABLE ON ALL LOTS**

WILLMENTS FARM

STOKE ST GREGORY, TAUNTON, TA3 6EJ Friday 22nd October at 12 noon

The Dispersal Sale of 11 Tractors, Farm Machinery and Effects (16) Case 115U Pro 4WD TRACTOR; Renault CERES 456 c/w Mailleux MX100 Loader; JD 855D WTV GATOR; Collins Teleshift TS240 Materials HANDLER; 2x Ford Force 4000 TRACTORS; 2x Ford Preforce 4000 TRACTORS; Ford 3000 Selectomatic TRACTOR; Ford 3000 TRACTOR; Fordson Major TRACTOR; Case 580F EXCAVATOR; 200cc QUAD; Bomford 1500 Dumper TRUCK; Mitsubishi Shogun Pickup TRUCK; County 944 4WD TRACTOR; Allbutt 5’ GRAB; McHale Round Bale HANDLER; Adapter PLATE; (14) Claas Liner 2600 Twin Rotor RAKE; (16) Claas Volto 800 TEDDER; (15) Claas 3200 Disco Contour MOWER; (17) Lucas Castor 20R Trailed Straw CHOPPER; (17) Major Cyclone TOPPER; Herbst 10T Dump TRAILER c/w ramps; Weeks 23’ Bale TRAILER; NH 370 Hayliner Conv BALER; Kidd Clipper 240 MOWER; Teagle Titan TRAILER; Marshall 1300 Slurry TANKER; Dowdeswell 3m Power HARROW; Dowdeswell ROTAVATOR; Bomford Turbo TILLER; SKH CRUMBLER; Vari SPREADER; Twose Link BOX; Various range of Vintage & Misc Items to inc: Ferguson PLOUGH; Ferguson CRANE; Lampent TRAILER; Horse Drawn RAKE & ACROBAT; Milk CHURNS; Cider PRESS; Apple Mill BYGONES; 10T Uttley Ingham Cake BIN; PTO Driven 5KVA GENERATOR; COMPRESSOR; Ring FEEDERS; GATES; Portequip Creep FEEDER; etc. Full listing on www.gth.net For HM Patten & Son

A 10% plus VAT Buyers Premium is charged on all lots, subject to a cap of £250 plus VAT per lot. Buyers not known to the Auctioneers are required to provide photographic ID to obtain a buyers number. Payment by cash and debit card only. **Live bidding on MartEye, please register in advance at gth.marteye.ie** Forthcoming Dairy Sales

Sedgemoor Auction Centre

NOV Thurs 11th SEDGEMOOR AUCTION CENTRE. The November Collective Dairy Sale of Freshly Calved Cows, Heifers, Youngstock & Bulls. ** Further Entries Invited ** North Petherton, Somerset, TA6 6DF (M5, J24) Telephone: 01278 410278 www.gth.net TOTAL STOCK FOR THE WEEK 6677 Stock from across the West Country, sold to buyers from throughout the Nation Returns for Saturday 9th October 2021

DAIRY CATTLE (94) Heifers to £2120. Others £2020. Cows to £1580. Others £1520. (1428) STORE CATTLE & STIRKS - FORWARD STORES (933) Steers to £1450 (CHX). Others £1445 (LIMX) £1440 (BRBX) & £1435 (LIMX). Heifers to £1275 (BRBX). Others £1265 (SIMX) £1185 (S/HORN) & £1170 (AA). GRAZING COWS (10) to £1135 (S/DEV). Others £1035 (LIM). SUCKLERS (21) to £1460 for an incalf heifer. STIRKS (474) Steers to £1155 (LIMX). Others £1020 (LIMX) £1005 (LIMX) & £1000(3x) (CHX, BRBX & LIMX). Heifers to £1095 (BRBX). Others £1030 (BRBX) £955 (LIMX) & £925 (LIMX). CALVES (522) - Beef Bulls to £438 (BRBX). Others £435 (BRBX) £420 (BRBX) & £390 (BRBX). Heifers to £340 (BRBX). Others £315 (BRBX) £295 (BRBX) & £290 (BRBX). Black & Whites to £190. (3275) SHEEP - STORE LAMBS (2297) to £116. Others £112 & £108. Overall Ave £84.81. CULL EWES & RAMS (839) Ewes to £155. Others £139 & £135. Rams to £136. Overall Ave £73.34. GOATS (14) to £149. Overall ave £104.21. BREEDING EWES (92) to £172. Overall Ave £115.30. STOCK RAMS (33) to £400. Overall averge £228. (149) PIGS – WEANERS (63) to £35. BREEDERS (24) to £102. STORES (62) to £130. The West Country’s Gateway to National Abattoirs

Returns for Monday 11th October 2021

PRIME CATTLE (124) Steers UTM av 200.1ppk to 228.0ppk & £1,570.13. Others 222.5ppk, 221.0ppk & 220.5ppk. Others £1,537.58, £1,528.32 & £1,513.00. Heifers UTM av 206.0ppk to 253.5ppk and £1,723.80. Others 239.0ppk, 236.0ppk & 235.0ppk. Others £1,578.46, £1,477.02 & £1,459.92. BARREN COWS (40) Continental av 128.5ppk to 168.5ppk and £1,372.41. Native Beef av 118.4ppk to 145.5ppk and £1,144.01. Dairy av 118.8ppk to 130.5ppk and £983.92. FINISHED SHEEP (1043) Lamb ave 229.76ppk to 252.0ppk and £136.50. Others 248.0ppk, 246.0ppk & 243.0ppk. Others £135.00, £130.00 (2x) & £129.00.

Forthcoming Special Sales

For full COVID-19 rules on market attendance and up to date sales list please refer to our website https://www.gth.net/sedgemoor-auction-centre OCT Sat 23rd Wed 27th Fri 29th Fri 29th Sat 30th NOV Sat 6th Sat 13th Sat 13th Sat 20th Fortnightly Sale of Pigs 10am Orange Market Dedicated Sale for bTB Restricted Cattle. Store Cattle – 15 Months & Over, Prime Cattle & Barren Cows. Stock to be booked in with the market of昀ce0by0uIth0OctoberB Licences to be obtained from Truro Trading Standards on 03000 200301 or CSC.TBlicensing@apha.gsi.gov. uk Sale commences 4.30pm Monthly Seasonal Catalogued Sale of Breeding Ewes & Ewe Lambs 4pm Monthly Catalogued Sale of MV Accredited Rams & Ewes & Non MV Rams 4.30pm Monthly Sale of Native Store Cattle 10am Ring 2 Monthly Catalogued Sale of Organic Store Stock 10am Ring 2 Collective Catalogued Sale of Purebred Poultry 12pm Monthly Catalogued Sale of Suckler Cows, Calves, Heifers & Bulls 12.30pm Collective Sale of Fodder 1pm

blackmorevale.net

New Blackmore Vale, October 15, 2021 103 Farming Government to blame for food shortages

Farmer’s Diary by Ruth Kimber

The majority of our maize is now safely in the barn. The contractors came in on Wednesday, September 28,and the weather was quite kind after a very wet day before. We brought a bit of mud onto the road but cleaned it up best we could and put out warning signs, however some drivers are always in too much of a hurry to take it a bit slower! We had a good crop with lots of the allimportant cobs full of lovely kernels of corn. The forager comes along and cuts the whole plant off at ground level then chops it up into little pieces, making sure the corn kernels are also cut, which when the cattle eat the resulting silage, they can utilise all the food the plant has to offer. If the corn isn’t cracked it will go straight through the animal and land in the cow pat! with no benefit to the animal at all. The silage clamp is really full and the tractors had a job to get it all in. The drivers are very skilled and managed to get it all in and press it down, which is essential to expel the air to allow the fermentation process to make the ‘silage’. We are busy preparing the winter quarters for the cattle to come in when the weather demands, just now we have plenty of autumn grass and the conditions underfoot are still firm. The plight of the pig and poultry farmers is dreadful and underlines the golf between the country and urban dwellers, a total lack of understanding of how the countryside and farming works. It astounds me that the government fondly imagines that there is a pool of willing and able people to make up the short fall of skilled workers to do the killing and processing of poultry and pigs. It is becoming a real welfare issue not only for the animals, but also the people involved. If these pigs in particular are humanly euthanised, and that’s if they can find skilled people to do the job, the meat will be totally wasted, how is any of this right? The responsibility does lie with the government, as successive governments of all persuasions have endorsed the ‘cheap food policy’ aided by the supermarkets, who proudly talk of ‘driving down prices’. Any animal welfare concerns caused by government decisions not to allow willing skilled workers into the UK should be firmly laid at their door. Foreign workers in many industries have played a large part in filling in the labour gap, and in lots of cases have been prepared to do the jobs that our own people don’t want to do. It is not all about money. Higher prices in the food sector are inevitable with increases in so many elements of food production. Cereal prices are at an all-time high, cost of fuel and energy is on the increase. Maybe a silver lining may come out of this, and people will waste less!

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Farmer’s future now in safe hands as

By Miranda Robertson

newsdesk@ blackmorevale.net A young farmer has been given a huge boost for his future in the industry after a couple offered him a rare farm share opportunity. It’s a traditional, yet unusual idea, where older farmers (the average age of farmers is 59) invite younger people to share the profits from their land. Thomas Stinton is just 21, yet he’s been keeping sheep since he was 13, when he volunteered at the community farm Shaftesbury Home Grown. He now has a flock of 130 mules crossed with Suffolk and Texel Rams. With no farming background, and buying a farm out of his reach, Thomas, who attended Bourton primary, Gillingham Secondary and then Kingston Maurward, set about creating opportunities for himself, renting land in Mere, travelling around doing fencing and the like. In spring this year Maggie and Quentin Edwards of Cools Farm in East Knoyle sent out an invitation for a share farmer. The plan was to operate their accounts and the share farmer’s accounts side by side, and share the profits – along with the different skills brought by both generations. It was a match-making exercise that aimed to secure the future of the farm – and Thomas immediately hit it off with the couple, both 69. Now, in addition to the couple’s usual grass fed beef at Shaftesbury Street Market they offer lamb too – and this is not any old meat. The beef herd take 32 months to mature, leading to a distinctive marbling of the meat (commercial beef can sometimes be reared in 18 months). The lamb are reared on a simple grass diet and take eight or nine

months, compared to around five or six on intensive farms. Thomas and his partner Emily and Quentin and Maggie’s ideas for sustainable farming chimed with each other, and a few months after meeting, the young couple are living at the farm and bringing some of their digital nous to the table. There’s a new Facebook page and Instagram account

(search for Cools Farm Organics), and the youngsters are keen to expand upon the Edwards’ already impressive environmental efforts, with wildflowers being encouraged, not only to improve the soil but to naturally combat worms in the herd. Ancient woodland is being preserved, and Saxon hedgerows nurtured and maintained. The farm also sells its pedigree red poll heifers and when calves were born last week they decided not to castrate the boys as they would normally do, but let them grow into useful breeding stock. Thomas said: “I tried all aspects of farming and had a go at lambing, which I’ve steered towards ever since. “I look forward to getting up in the morning going to sort some sheep out. “You can definitely taste the difference in our meat. “We farm in in rotation regeneratively and I’ve gone into organic conversion. “The beef cattle were already organic so it’s something I’ve had to learn. There’s a lot more paperwork but it’s worth doing. “I think that’s the way

FARMING FUTURE: Thomas and Emily at Cools Farm in East Knoyle

couple’s share opportunity bears fruit

forward, making the farm sustainable.” Maggie said: “The share farming scheme means Quentin provides land, buildings and expertise to enable a younger person to build up capital and his own farming experience while benefiting from his new ideas, energy and skills. “We realise the physical demands of keeping cattle will, in time, be beyond us. We are delighted that Tom and Emily will add new ideas, enthusiasm and different expertise to the farm business. “There is a fashionable push not to eat red meat and some bad press about cattle and global warming. Do watch the film on Netflix Kiss the Ground, which dispels the myths about cattle rearing. “At Cools Farm, carbon is constantly sequestered in the soil as the entire farm is permanent grassland and never ploughed. No pesticides or fertiliser are used. The cattle eat only grass, never corn and therefore take longer to reach maturity. The meat is much better for you than corn fed beef and Tom’s lamb will complement it. “The land is full of hedgerows many of which date from Saxon times and, together with the woodland, the farm is extracting carbon from the air and storing it in the soil. By buying meat raised in this way, you are supporting a local farm and the world.” Thomas added: “I’ve had no farming background, so I can’t inherit a 200-acre farm and wouldn’t be able to afford one – so this sort of arrangement is perfect for a young farmer. “I will be forever grateful to Quentin and Maggies for this opportunity. “That’s what the farming community is like – we all help each other out. I’ve had a lot of help from fellow farmers over the years.” n facebook.com/ CoolsFarmOrganics n cools-farm.co.uk (new website under construction)

SUPPORTIVE: Maggie and Quentin Edwards

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