Farm Diary

Weather forecasters these days have become completely useless, as they cover their backsides at every opportunity, afraid of being caught out.

We are therefore bombarded with every forecast under the sun, with warnings thrown around like confetti at a wedding. Predicting the weather is very difficult in the British Isles, and we are most fortunate to have such a kind climate; generally speaking.

We are on top of our yard work, and we have muck-spread and ploughed some of the maize fields. There is some hedge-cutting to do at Tillington, and of course the fences will need attention before turn-out.

The calves are all on solid food, and thriving although we had some coughing leading up to Christmas, due to the mild wet weather.

The cows are all looking well '“ too well in fact, as they are not producing as much milk as they should. We are two to three litres a day down on where we would like to be, and I can only blame the silages.

They were well made, analysis of both grass and maize are good, but the cows seem to be partitioning energy to body condition rather than milk production.

For full diary see West Sussex Gazette January 9