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Farming
blackmorevale.net
New Blackmore Vale, October 1, 2021 105 Farming Tips for assisting calving cows: part two…
By Alice EJ Miller BVSC DBR MRCVS Friars Moor Livestock Health
The autumn calving season is well and truly underway, and I hope that for those who are busy with this, that the period is successful! With most cows there is no need to intervene as they give birth unaided. But, like humans, the time taken varies between individuals. Despite the nervewracking wait, if the cow continues to make progress, with productive contractions, it is best just to quietly observe the process from a distance. Cameras in the calving yard are recommended. A calving problem will become apparent if labour ceases, a cow is in distress, or the calf does not appear, despite strong contractions. It is therefore important that you are aware of when a cow started labour. This information should be communicated within a big team. Whiteboards in calving pens or team WhatsApp groups work well. There are many causes for calving difficulties, and they can be associated with either the dam, the calf, or both. The only way to diagnose the problem is to perform an internal examination. I would always recommend wearing clean arm length gloves (to protect both yourself and the cow from infection) and use plenty of lubrication to avoid damage. It is important that the cow is well restrained, in a calving pen, with plenty of room should she get down to push. For this reason, I would never calve a cow in a crush. Examination of the dam could reveal an obstruction of the birth canal, where the calf physically cannot pass. This could be due to a narrow pelvis, incomplete dilation, or a twisted uterus. A vet will be required in the case of a narrow pelvis or a uterine torsion. Where dilation is incomplete the cow may need more time, the calf position may need correcting, or she could have Ringwomb (which is rare in cattle and would require a vet). Alternatively, progression can fail when the uterus stops contracting. A common cause is low calcium, which is needed for muscle contraction. This is common in older cows (4 years plus), and oral calcium boluses at calving can help. (Further measures should be discussed with your vet if several cows are affected). Examination of the cow may instead reveal a calf problem. Occasionally we find that some calves are just too big and must be delivered by caesarean. Other times we find a fetal deformity. But more commonly a calf or twins are just not presented or positioned correctly. If a calf is in the wrong position, it cannot engage in the pelvis. A calf needs to be in the pelvis to activate pressure sensitive receptors which release hormones required for the next stage of labour. Without them the cow does not progress. Correction is key and either a cow will then continue herself or gentle traction may be required. Please do not hesitate to call us even if just for advice.
Independent veterinary services for livestock in Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire
Collection points for livestock medicines and supplies at Sherborne, Sturminster Newton, Blandford and Shaftesbury Please call the office on 01258 472314 www.friarsmoorvets.co.uk
2 STABLES PLUS 2 ACRE FIELD FOR RENT. (2 further stables and acreage maybe available). Hazelbury Bryan On Secure Farm £200pcm 07734 059190
SMALL BALE MEADOW HAY – Shaftesbury Quality no chemicals 2021 hay from £3.50. Limited top quality early 2021 hay £5 Special clover & herb rich hay £10. Sedgehill 07973 318593
SECOND HAND TACK SHOP with excellent quality tack available rugs saddle pads boots bridles bits come have a rummage for opening times please ring 07967 242404 PADDOCKS For all your Paddock & Field maintenance, call Mark or 07810 540725
Equestrian
Ads: 01963 400186
FINE EQUINE HAY & HAYLAGE bales near Milton Abbas. 01258 880558/ 07789 376588
GREENSLADE TAYLOR HUNT
Forthcoming Devon Cattle Sales
Telephone: 01278 410250. Email: livestock@gth.net SEDGEMOOR AUCTION CENTRE NORTH PETHERTON, SOMERSET, TA6 6DF (M5, J24) Tuesday 5th October at 10.30am Judging / 12 noon Sale
The Devon Cattle Breeders’ Society Autumn Show & Sale of 31 RUBY RED DEVONS
Comp: 5 Bulls; 2 Incalf Heifers; 10 Maiden Heifers; 14 Steers & 5 Lots of Semen
As part of the Sedgemoor Multibreed Beef Day **Live bidding on MartEye, please register in advance at gth.marteye.ie** Forthcoming Dairy Sales
The Dispersal of the NMR Herd being 187 HOLSTEINS FRIESIANS
Comp: 169 Dairy Cows & Heifers Inmilk &/or Incalf (Inc 11x Red & White) & 18 Incalf Heifers * NMR HERD AV: 9,866KGS. 3.94%BF; 3.52%P; SCC=168 * HERRINGBONE Parlour; CUBICLE Housed * YOUNG COWS: 138 1st – 3rd Lactation * CALVING: Jul-Oct (68); Nov-Feb (74); Mar-Jun (40) * SERVICES TO: Aberdeen Angus; British Blue; Dynamite; Mambo; R2 D2; Rapid; Raven; Santo; etc. For WJ &KL Dart (retiring due to health reasons) (Removed from Nadrid Farm, North Molton, Devon for convenience of sale) **Live bidding on MartEye, please register in advance at gth.marteye.ie** SEDGEMOOR AUCTION CENTRE Thursday 14th October at 11.00am
The Autumn Gold Collective Dairy Sale of 250 DAIRY CATTLE
Comp: 160 Dairy Cows & Heifers Inmilk &/or Incalf (Inc 11x Red & White) & 18 Incalf Heifers * 40 Freshly Calved Cows & Heifers from Beneknowle, Broadleaze, Clenchers, Moorshard, Peacehay, Swallowdale & Wiltor * 1 Aberdeen Angus Bull from RV Edmunds & Son Ltd (Dispersal) * 67 Incalf Heifers from Broadleaze, Cleave Farm Partnership, RV Edmunds & Son Ltd (Organic Fleckvieh X - Dispersal) & D Moore * 32 Bulling Heifers from Cleave Farm Partnership and RV Edmunds & Son Ltd (Organic Fleckvieh X - Dispersal) Dispersal), Rocket & Wiltor * * 70 Yearling Heifers from Shanael & D Thorner 10 Heifer Calves from RL & ME Trott & Wiltor **Live bidding on MartEye, please register in advance at gth.marteye.ie** Forthcoming Deadstock Sales
SEDGEMOOR AUCTION CENTRE,
WEDNESDAY 13th OCTOBER at 10.30am
(Items to be delivered Tuesday 12th October between 9:30am-4:30pm) WANTED
TRACTORS, MACHINERY, HORTICULTURAL EQUIPMENT ETC Live bidding on Marteye, please register in advance
OCT Thurs 22nd AT WILLMENTS FARM, STOKE ST GREGORY, TAUNTON, TA3 6EJ. The Dispersal Sale of 9 Tractors, Farm Machinery and Effects for SR Patten.
Sedgemoor Auction Centre
North Petherton, Somerset, TA6 6DF (M5, J24) Telephone: 01278 410278 www.gth.net TOTAL STOCK FOR THE WEEK 6595
Stock from across the West Country, sold to buyers from throughout the Nation Returns for Saturday 25th September 2021
DAIRY CATTLE (96) Heifers to £2000. Others £1950. Cows to £1680. Others £1600. (1189) STORE CATTLE & STIRKS - FORWARD STORES (832) Steers to £1550 (S/DEV). Others £1540 (SIMX) £1490 (CHX) & £1475 (BRBX). Heifers to £1370 (LIMX). Others £1365 (BRBX) £1310 (LIMX) & £1270 (2x BRBX). GRAZING COWS (8) to £1050 (BRBX). Others £985 (DEV). SUCKLERS (14) to £1200. STIRKS (343) Steers to £895 (CHX). Others £870 (2x) (LIMX & SIMX) £845 (CHX) & £835 (DEV). Heifers to £840 (SIMX). Others £830 (BRBX) £805 (BRBX) & £800 (3x) (BRBX & AA). CALVES (410) - Beef Bulls to £465 (BRBX). Others £455 (CHX) £452 (BRBX) & £438 (BRBX). Heifers to £360 (2x BRBX). Others £345 (2x CHX) £335 (CHX) & £330 (2x CHX). Black & Whites to £200. Others £180. (3622) SHEEP - STORE LAMBS (2088) to £110. Others £100 (2x) & £97 (2x). Overall Ave £82.46. CULL EWES & RAMS (1084) Ewes to £179. Others £160 & £152. Overall Ave £74.33. GOATS (39) to £123. Overall ave £72.10. BREEDING EWES (381) to £166. Others £165. Overall Ave £109.30. STOCK RAMS (30) to £400. (96) PIGS – WEANERS (65) to £41. CULL SOWS & BOARS (2) to £65. STORES (28) to £148. The West Country’s Gateway to National Abattoirs Returns for Monday 27th September 2021
PRIME CATTLE (90) Steers UTM av 207.7ppk to 241.5ppk & £1,705.65. Others 239.5ppk, 235.5ppk (2x) & 232.5ppk. Others £1,652.42, £1,632.15 & £1,516.04. Heifers UTM av 211.2ppk to 249.5ppk and £1,522.95. Others 236.5ppk, 235.5ppk & 225.5ppk. Others £1,521.95, £1,505.10 & £1,492.92. BARREN COWS (39) Continental av 144.5ppk to 144.5ppk and £1,099.65. Native Beef av 128.7ppk to 158.5ppk and £1,102.05. Dairy av 112.8ppk to 137.5ppk and £1,155.00. FINISHED SHEEP (751) Lamb ave 226.73ppk to 250.0ppk and £139.00. Others 249.0ppk, 248.0ppk (4x) & 247.0ppk (2x). Others £138.50 (2x) £137.00 & £134.00.
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 Friday 1st October Catalogued Sale of 1650
Breeding Ewes & Ewe Lambs 4pm & 128
MV Accredited Rams & Ewes & Non MV Rams 4.30pm
OCT Sat 2nd
Tue 5th
Sat 9th Sat 9th Wed 27th Monthly Catalogued Sale of Organic Store Stock 10am Ring 2 Sedgemoor’s Multibreed Beef Day (Inc Devon Cattle Breed Society Sale), High Health Sale & Commercial Suckler Sale Special Sale of Busk Calves 11am Ring 3 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ce0by0uI0th0OctoberB0Licences0to0be0obtained0 from Truro Trading Standards on 03000 200301 or CSC.TBlicensing@apha.gsi.gov.uk Sale commences 4.30pm
Blue Butterfly is back!
Country Diary by AJ Selby
As I write this towards the end of September, summer is saying its last hurrah with some very pleasant days of warm sunshine and little rain. It’s a good time to look back and see how the weather year has panned out and what effect it had on wildlife and farming. Spring started slowly with a biting cold and dry April – we had more frost nights in April than in January or February. May was disappointing with rain on many days, making it one of the wettest on record: however, the old Latin saying of natura non facit saltum often comes into play. It means nature never makes a leap, or to put it another way, nature always evens itself out. June was moderate, as was August but July gave us good weather and a week of intense heat in the middle of the month. Harvest was in general completed by early September without too many delays and the winter wheat was cleared and stored without too much expensive drying. However, one creature had many reasons to be cheerful: the large blue butterfly. It was another good summer for this rare species, having been declared extinct in Britain in 1979 with the loss of the last colony on Dartmoor. It was reintroduced with stock from Sweden in 1984 and numbers have been growing steadily, mainly at two reserves, one in Gloucestershire and the other close to our own patch here, in Somerset: the estimated population is over 10,000, thought to be the biggest
concentration of Large Blues in the world. Part of the success story of this lovely butterfly, whose wing span is over two inches across, was understanding its unique and remarkable life-cycle, which in some ways is similar to that of the cuckoo. The adults can be seen from mid June to the end of July and they use this window to lay their eggs on the young flower buds of the wild thyme plant. When the larvae (caterpillars) hatch they burrow into the flowers and feed on the flower buds and developing seeds of the thyme. When the larvae are about an eighth of an inch long they drop down to the ground and wait to be found by foraging red ants, attracted with a sticky secretion from a gland. The larvae are taken by the ants to their brood chamber but once there they feed on the ant grubs and stay in the chamber for up to ten months before emerging. It’s a remarkable story of how the scientists have fully studied the life cycle and the conservationists have helped create the right habitat to ensure that the species thrives. It also proves that the decline of threatened species can in some cases be reversed and we should all say Amen to that.
TYRES AROUND LTD Mobile Service
Agricultural Specialist Over 35 year’s Experience
NIGEL MARTIN 07921 929891
RELIEF MILKER URGENTLY REQUIRED for one regular weekday and every other weekend. 160 pedigree holsteins, 18:18 parlour. Mappowder, N Dorset. Nick 07980 293417
EXLANA (EASYCARE TYPE) RAM LAMBS wool-shedding maternal genetics. 07770 794615
8 VERY WELL GROWN CHAROLAIS X EWE LAMBS: Shaftesbury area £150 each ph 07930 365324 GLOUCESTER OLD SPOT YOUNG FEMALES. 4.5 months. Growing well. £50 each 07791 214538 Ilminster
GENERAL FARM WORKER REQUIRED on a mixed farm at Queen Camel. Some experience necessary with a wiliness to undertake most jobs. Contact dan Hewlett 07976 787636
FLAIL HEDGING, Fencing, topping and haulage - please call Andrew 01747 855198
BLACK WELSH MOUNTAIN EWE LAMBS X 7: Heptavac’d & wormed Born May 2021. £80/ewe, Olivia 07825713673
MO DAY 4TH OCTOBER The 2nd “Dancing Hill” Production Sale 52 HB Pedigree Fleckvieh Heifers To include 40 In-Calf 12 Freshly Calved all Sired by Elite German Sires SALE STARTS AT 11.00am On Line Bidding Livestreaming Available on MartEye Auctioneers Geg Ridout: 07817 517467 Charlie Coleman: 07494 588013 SATURDAY 9TH OCTOBER POULTRY SALE GRADED SHOW SALE Over 1000 Lots Contact ick Hill 07741 591 575 or 01373 830 033 Sale of Traditional Rare Breeds of Poultry Sale of Pygmy Goats Catalogues now available SALE STARTS AT 9.30AM WEDNESDAY 13TH OCTOBER SPECIAL SALE OF DAIRY Comprising of: 20 Organic In-Calf Holstein Friesian Heifers Due to Pedigree Angus Nov/Dec 30 In-Calf Holstein Friesian Heifers Due to Friesian 13 In-Calf Heifers Pd+ to Pedigree Limousin Jofrey Gavin Market Office 01373 830033 Frome Livestock Market, Standerwick, Frome, Somerset, BA11 2QB Tel 01373 830033 Email: info fromelivestock.com Website: www.fromelivestock.com
Farming Turkeys and cattle make good field mates
Farmer’s Diary by Ruth Kimber
The turkeys are happily outside in the pastures, enjoying the autumn sun. They are too big to become a meal for a predator, however we have to be careful to remember to shut them in at night from the fox or badger. We have grown more this year due to demand and are looking for help in December with plucking and evisceration. When the cows share the same field, its amusing to watch the interest they have in each other. Most of the cows ignore the turkeys, but if one peers over the electric fence, ALL the turkeys rush over to say ‘hello’ – they truly are flock animals. Laurie, the first heifer born this season, is doing well and has been joined by several more. The maize is nearly ripe and will be harvested shortly, so brace yourselves for tractors and trailers on the roads bringing in the harvest! We always hope the weather will be kind and help keep the roads free from too much mud. Please drive carefully around the lanes. Farmers and contractors do their best, but sometimes the conditions are stacked against them. The wild flowers have been exceptional this year, including three introduced plants, Japanese knotweed, Himalayan balsam and ragwort. All three are quite pretty but are extremely invasive and were/are notifiable plants. Japanese knotweed very quickly clogs up waterways. Himalayan balsam, a very pretty pink plant, likes to grow near water, ditches, streams and rivers but soon takes over the whole area. Ragwort likes to grow in rough ground, grassland hedgerow verges and practically anywhere it can. The trouble is it soon take over and pushes out other plants. It is extremely noxious, poisonous to cattle horses and other mammals. It looks attractive and pollinators benefit from it, however it has so many negatives, little wonder it is not welcome by farmers. Paul and I have helped pull it from SSI land to help not only protect the livestock but also the rare plants that grow there. Country Manners Following my last diary, I had quite a lot of feedback on this topic and lots of ideas to share! One is the habit some folk have of putting out their bins too long before collection day, allowing foxes, dogs and birds to investigate and spread the rubbish far and wide, then after the bins are emptied, they forget to take them in, unsightly at best but can become dangerous if they land up out in the road being blown about. I’m sure this is not just a country problem. Deepest Somerset A book on Somerset was launched at Glastonbury Town Hall, forwarded by Prince Charles, compiled by Fanny Charles and Gay Pirrie-Weir, added to previous books; Deepest Dorset and Deepest Wiltshire. They are great celebrations of all things country and county, a jolly good coffee table read, great for Christmas presents and all the profits go to local charities. We were lucky enough to be invited to the launch as was many food and farming folk. I had been asked to contribute as a dairy farmer. Needless to say, we are stocking them in our farm shop. To top that, on our way home on the top road just along from Pilton two lovely barn owls flew across the road in front of us! n Opening Hours: TuesFriday 8.30-5pm, Saturday 9.30am-4pm. We are at BA9 8HD kimbersfarmshop.co.uk The Kitchen and Somerset Trading Barn are also on the same site.
ETS Truck & Van are pleased to announce their appointment as a Mercedes-Benz Unimog Dealer at their Blandford Branch. Extensive parts stock and full tool and equipment inventory to ensure that we can provide a first class service for the No 1 all-terrain vehicle available today.
ETS TRUCK&VAN
Shaftesbury Lane, Blandford, Dorset DT11 7FB Tel: 01258 480404 Email: blandford@etstrucks.co.uk
MP defends farming against environmental lobby attack
West Dorset MP Chris Loder spoke out for farmers in a Westminster Hall debate –saying vegan, animal welfare, and environmental lobbies’ accusations of farming being bad for the environment and uncaring about animal welfare, are completely untrue. He says it ‘makes no sense to say eating local produce from just around the corner is worse for the environment than eating avocados that have been flown 5,000 miles from Mexico’. And he criticised the ‘predatory behaviour from supermarkets who continually give farmers a bad deal for the sake of their profit margins’. He says claims by opposition parties that the Government has lowered import standards are ‘nonsense’, and that hormone-injected beef and chlorinated chicken is not allowed to be imported. After the debate, Chris said: “I was very glad to be able to take part in this debate this morning and hear the support for farmers from my colleagues in Parliament.”
