Farming update
Another two months has flown by - I cant believe it has come round again so soon.
Firstly, I think I need to tell you how the bull sale ended up, discussed in the previous Oke Links. . .
I had a pretty restless night on the eve of the sale trying to decide what I should do and more importantly how much I would be prepared to spend. I got to the market early in the morning for another look. I knew by now my first choice was Dean Martin and my second was Jacobite. The best priced bull on my previous visits was about £17,000. The market record for an Aberdeen Angus bull was £29,500. I bravely decided that I would go to £25,000 for my first choice and, failing that, £15,000 for my second.
I took my seat and waited whilst the earlier bulls were knocked down. Prices were not too high, the Champion made £10,000, I was still hopeful but had a hunch that they were going to be out of my price range. The moment of truth arrived; things escalated pretty quickly, I didn’t get a bid in and we were already past my limit. Dean Martin made just under £40,000, my second choice was soon gone too at £31,500. I did have a plan B though or rather a few plan Bs; I purchased a cheaper bull as an insurance against going home empty handed and waited until the later lots entered the ring. I got Alba the reserve champion at the show, a younger bull for the price of £12,000. I was very pleased at the time and since he has been on the farm I am even more pleased. We just have to wait now and see how he performs!
When you stop and think though, I purchased the bull in February 2022. He will first meet the cows in June 2022, his first offspring will be born in April 2023 - his first offspring will be ready for sale late 2024/early 2025. That is a long production cycle.
On the farm now we are in the middle of lambing. We have less help than usual. With Easter holidays being so late there are less vet students around now and my sister, who is a fantastic help, has damaged her wrist. I would need to cover both the late shift and the early shift, the only solution was to work through the night for the three weeks. This is actually where I am writing this from; the girls have gone quiet for a bit.
It is odd having your evening meal for breakfast and porridge for tea, I must admit.
As if working nights has not been difficult enough, I have managed to pick up COVID from somewhere. Although I’m not feeling great, at least I can continue to work by myself without putting others at risk. As ever we have had plenty of lambs. We used a new pregnancy scanner this year and the results were not as accurate as we would hope; it has not made things easy.
Things have not been easy at the shop either. We have had a COVID outbreak amongst the staff which has made things very tricky. I have been lambing, our right hand lady Pippa has also been off with the virus. Most of the butchers have also been missing at some points too, at least it’s not Christmas or Easter.
This has meant that my wife has had to hold the fort, multi task, juggle too many balls and brush the floor as she goes. I’m just worried she will ask for a pay rise!!
The good news is that it’s nearly spring, with summer not far behind...
By Stuart Luxton