Day 66..
Plant Science - today we worked through a question sheet with regards to water uptake in different environmental conditions. Our sheets had various activities that needed to be completed by watching various video clips or class discussions or tests!
Crop Production - during this lesson we were split into groups and asked to research topical influences affecting agricultural production. We were given various forms of information and asked to devise a flow diagram that we then presented to the rest of the class.
Grassland Management - a trip to a local farm to hear a representative from BOCM Pauls (Feed merchants) discuss the qualities and properties of silage and to give us a demonstration of taking a silage sample using a core sampler. This sample was then tested for the pH reading and the remaining results will be utilised in further class lessons.
*** EASTER BREAK (very much required!) ***
Friday, 28 March 2014
Thursday, 27 March 2014
Thursday March 27, 2014
Day 65..
This morning in workshop practical we had two brand newly punctured tractor tyres to repair! We started off by using bead breaking equipment to remove the tyre off the rim. We then had to deflate the tube so that it could be removed from inside the tyre - from the valve end first!
Once removed the tube is blown back up to discover where the loss of air is coming from and this area marked with chalk. We then deflated the tube again so that the area could be cleaned with some sandpaper - to remove any debris that is clinging to the surface, before preparing the area with a buffer lubricant. A layer of vulcanising glue was then applied ready for the patch to stick too. The tube is then reassembled inside the tyre and the tyre reassembled onto the wheel - when it comes to seating a tyre you will need to apply lubrication so the bead will slide and seat correctly on its rim and not fold under itself. The wheel is then stood up and using a compressor, air is used to pump the tyre back up - taking care to stand to the side at all times! Hey presto job done!
We sat a 'class test' in livestock husbandry with regards to sheep breeds and stratification - whereby particular breeds that have been occupying specific environments to which they have adapted too are then connected by the movement of lambs and older animals from higher, to lower ground to produce the best end product. In upland areas there are again specific breeds, these and older draft mountain ewes are crossed with the longwool breeds. The cross results in a half-bred or mule. Male lambs are generally sold as stores for fattening in the lowlands whilst the ewe lambs are transferred to the lowlands to be crossed with a lowland breed. In the lowlands, the mules and half-breds are crossed with lowland sires to produce lambs that can be fattened on summer grass. Slower growing lambs join the store lambs that have arrived from the hill and upland areas to be fattened on root crops over the autumn and winter months.
We then discussed the mammary gland - in cattle. The mammary gland is a highly modified sweat gland and the lining of the teat and ducts is essentially modified skin. Milk is produced by cells lining the alveoli - small structures deep within the udder. The alveoli are surrounded by muscle cells and when the stimulus for milk let down occurs, the muscle contracts and squeezes the milk into the ducts that lead to the gland cistern and the teat producing the milk for a calf or for a human to collect!
This morning in workshop practical we had two brand newly punctured tractor tyres to repair! We started off by using bead breaking equipment to remove the tyre off the rim. We then had to deflate the tube so that it could be removed from inside the tyre - from the valve end first!
Once removed the tube is blown back up to discover where the loss of air is coming from and this area marked with chalk. We then deflated the tube again so that the area could be cleaned with some sandpaper - to remove any debris that is clinging to the surface, before preparing the area with a buffer lubricant. A layer of vulcanising glue was then applied ready for the patch to stick too. The tube is then reassembled inside the tyre and the tyre reassembled onto the wheel - when it comes to seating a tyre you will need to apply lubrication so the bead will slide and seat correctly on its rim and not fold under itself. The wheel is then stood up and using a compressor, air is used to pump the tyre back up - taking care to stand to the side at all times! Hey presto job done!
We sat a 'class test' in livestock husbandry with regards to sheep breeds and stratification - whereby particular breeds that have been occupying specific environments to which they have adapted too are then connected by the movement of lambs and older animals from higher, to lower ground to produce the best end product. In upland areas there are again specific breeds, these and older draft mountain ewes are crossed with the longwool breeds. The cross results in a half-bred or mule. Male lambs are generally sold as stores for fattening in the lowlands whilst the ewe lambs are transferred to the lowlands to be crossed with a lowland breed. In the lowlands, the mules and half-breds are crossed with lowland sires to produce lambs that can be fattened on summer grass. Slower growing lambs join the store lambs that have arrived from the hill and upland areas to be fattened on root crops over the autumn and winter months.
We then discussed the mammary gland - in cattle. The mammary gland is a highly modified sweat gland and the lining of the teat and ducts is essentially modified skin. Milk is produced by cells lining the alveoli - small structures deep within the udder. The alveoli are surrounded by muscle cells and when the stimulus for milk let down occurs, the muscle contracts and squeezes the milk into the ducts that lead to the gland cistern and the teat producing the milk for a calf or for a human to collect!
Wednesday, 26 March 2014
Wednesday March 26, 2014
Day 64..
AM Maths test revisited!!! We arrived today and were re-directed to the computer room to re-sit the maths test that we took at the beginning of the year (but did not have enough time to finish!). Sprung upon us again but at least I got a far better result today (not as good as I could have achieved by any means - so here's to some extra maths revision). Maths is extremely important within the agricultural industry, from calculating fertiliser rates to correct weight loads of a tele-handler.
Back in lesson we played a matching pairs game with picture and written descriptions of sprayers and fertilisers and associated equipment. With a matching pair we then took it in turns to tell the rest of the class about our cards and elaborate where necessary.
PM We started off with some lamb administration - weights, tails ringed and if they were little boys then their bits were ringed too! Each lamb then marked up with the next number and the number applied to mum with a corresponding number of dots for the number of lambs! We turned the nursery pen out to the field and the day olds to the nursery pen.
We then took a risk assessment of our next task.. Condition scoring some Lincoln red heifers using a cattle crush (handling system). We looked for all the potential hazards from the animals to the pen to the crush before rounding up the girls.
The body condition is assessed on a scale of 1-5 (1 being too thin and 5 being too fat). The tail head is assessed by standing directly behind the cow. The trailhead is scored by feeling for the amount of fat around the trailhead and the prominence of the pelvic bones. The loins and ribs are assessed from the side of the cow. The loin is scored by feeling the horizontal and vertical projections of the vertebrae and the amount of fat between them. The ribs are scored using the flat of the hand and fingertips to feel the amount of fat cover. Our best heifer was 368 scoring 3.5!.
***First smiley face sticker received!!!! (as part of our brand new class discipline regime)
AM Maths test revisited!!! We arrived today and were re-directed to the computer room to re-sit the maths test that we took at the beginning of the year (but did not have enough time to finish!). Sprung upon us again but at least I got a far better result today (not as good as I could have achieved by any means - so here's to some extra maths revision). Maths is extremely important within the agricultural industry, from calculating fertiliser rates to correct weight loads of a tele-handler.
Back in lesson we played a matching pairs game with picture and written descriptions of sprayers and fertilisers and associated equipment. With a matching pair we then took it in turns to tell the rest of the class about our cards and elaborate where necessary.
PM We started off with some lamb administration - weights, tails ringed and if they were little boys then their bits were ringed too! Each lamb then marked up with the next number and the number applied to mum with a corresponding number of dots for the number of lambs! We turned the nursery pen out to the field and the day olds to the nursery pen.
We then took a risk assessment of our next task.. Condition scoring some Lincoln red heifers using a cattle crush (handling system). We looked for all the potential hazards from the animals to the pen to the crush before rounding up the girls.
The body condition is assessed on a scale of 1-5 (1 being too thin and 5 being too fat). The tail head is assessed by standing directly behind the cow. The trailhead is scored by feeling for the amount of fat around the trailhead and the prominence of the pelvic bones. The loins and ribs are assessed from the side of the cow. The loin is scored by feeling the horizontal and vertical projections of the vertebrae and the amount of fat between them. The ribs are scored using the flat of the hand and fingertips to feel the amount of fat cover. Our best heifer was 368 scoring 3.5!.
***First smiley face sticker received!!!! (as part of our brand new class discipline regime)
Lambing Live
Shift 2 (2-10 21.03.14)
33 ewes still left to lamb from the early batch of lambers - and a few were looking promising!!!
We started off with a successful twin lamb birth, mum and babies healthy and moved to the bonding pens, navel's dipped in iodine and then left to enjoy each others company.
Another twin lamb birth followed shortly afterwards, this time the second lamb was much smaller than the first lamb. We monitored this little girl because she was getting quite chilly and shivering and not being licked by mum to warm her up. Later in the shift we decided to try and suckle the lamb onto mum as we had not seen it properly have a drink - it would head for the teat area but then just stand there! Unfortunately when suckling on the little lamb still didn't want to drink, so we resorted to striping some of the milk off mum and stomach tubing the lamb with this essential colostrum that the lamb would need for energy, warmth, antibodies and to make it have its first poop.
The third ewe to start lambing had passed her water early on in the shift but she was taking an absolute age to start the pushing process. After about an hour and a half someone decided to have a feel and see if there were any complications with the lamb. The lamb was really far back but seemed to be in the normal presentation (front feet forward followed by the nose) so we left for a little longer. After about another hour we brought mum in to a pen to alleviate any further stress being caused and it was then decided that we would intervene and help baby out... it took three people to pull the first lamb out - it was a big lamb and a very small hole!!! But it came out alive, followed by a sibling just a few moments later.
Six more springy spring lambs!
33 ewes still left to lamb from the early batch of lambers - and a few were looking promising!!!
We started off with a successful twin lamb birth, mum and babies healthy and moved to the bonding pens, navel's dipped in iodine and then left to enjoy each others company.
Another twin lamb birth followed shortly afterwards, this time the second lamb was much smaller than the first lamb. We monitored this little girl because she was getting quite chilly and shivering and not being licked by mum to warm her up. Later in the shift we decided to try and suckle the lamb onto mum as we had not seen it properly have a drink - it would head for the teat area but then just stand there! Unfortunately when suckling on the little lamb still didn't want to drink, so we resorted to striping some of the milk off mum and stomach tubing the lamb with this essential colostrum that the lamb would need for energy, warmth, antibodies and to make it have its first poop.
The third ewe to start lambing had passed her water early on in the shift but she was taking an absolute age to start the pushing process. After about an hour and a half someone decided to have a feel and see if there were any complications with the lamb. The lamb was really far back but seemed to be in the normal presentation (front feet forward followed by the nose) so we left for a little longer. After about another hour we brought mum in to a pen to alleviate any further stress being caused and it was then decided that we would intervene and help baby out... it took three people to pull the first lamb out - it was a big lamb and a very small hole!!! But it came out alive, followed by a sibling just a few moments later.
Six more springy spring lambs!
Friday, 21 March 2014
Friday March 21, 2014
Day 63..
Plant Science & Crop Production... We started off by discussing ESS - environmental stewardship schemes and how there are different levels according to land farmed - els (entry level stewardship), hls (high level stewardship), oels (organic entry level stewardship) and uels (upland entry level stewardship). Land owners receive a certain amount of money per hectare, along with a number of points, upon commitment to maintaining certain criteria for an agreed number of years on their land.
Then Another assignment was given out! So we were given some input with regards to some of the tasks relating to field walks / observations required around brack! I was a little lost with all the information here, from record taking, fertiliser recommendations and some sources as i couldn't relate all of it to the assignment brief, but let's see how it goes...
Grassland Management... Analysing silage, why it is important, when to do it and how to do it!
Plant Science & Crop Production... We started off by discussing ESS - environmental stewardship schemes and how there are different levels according to land farmed - els (entry level stewardship), hls (high level stewardship), oels (organic entry level stewardship) and uels (upland entry level stewardship). Land owners receive a certain amount of money per hectare, along with a number of points, upon commitment to maintaining certain criteria for an agreed number of years on their land.
Then Another assignment was given out! So we were given some input with regards to some of the tasks relating to field walks / observations required around brack! I was a little lost with all the information here, from record taking, fertiliser recommendations and some sources as i couldn't relate all of it to the assignment brief, but let's see how it goes...
Grassland Management... Analysing silage, why it is important, when to do it and how to do it!
It is important to analyse your grass silage in order to assess the actual feed value of the roughage during the winter months when you have to calculate winter feeding programs.It will also enable you to see if there are any nutritional deficiencies that could have an impact on animal health and production during winter months when they are housed and / or being fed silage.
Sampling should take place at least six weeks after harvesting, as this will have allowed the fermentation process to take place.
To ensure that the sample is a true representation of what is going to be fed to the livestock, it is essential to take the sample directly from the farm. From a silage clamp it is recommended that three ‘core’ samples are taken from the top of the clamp in a diagonal direction. Additional samples are then taken from 15-20cm behind the face of the silage – to avoid damaged and mouldy areas, in a ‘W’ pattern, taking a variety of horizontal and vertical samples. All of the sample are then mixed thoroughly providing a true sample. Where possible send the sample off at the beginning of a week!
Thursday, 20 March 2014
Thursday March 20, 2014
Day 62..
Machinery / Workshop Practical
Today we worked on the cultipress in the workshop yard. This machine carries out three actions in one pass - cultivating, levelling and consolidating the seedbed ready for drilling. Cultivation at speed is provided by leading tines, either Pro-Active sprung tines (fitted as standard) or shearbolt protected rigid units. Some of these tines can be broken when working the land and there was a section in the middle of this machine that had been snapped off. Our job was to detach all of the tines on the front section and remove the casing that these attached too!
We then continued to service the baler in the yard as this job is not yet finished and we added a few more bits to the list of requirements including a new casing for the electrical power cables running the lighting.
Livestock Theory
1. Marketing Prime Lamb
Customers of prime lamb (finished lamb) include the buyer for the abattoir or processor who buys it from the farmer; the retailer who sells it to the public and those who eat the meat! Each customer has different requirements and you must be target specific when finishing your lamb:- Supermarkets 16-21KG carcase, EUR confirmation & 2, 3L fat classification; Local butchers 16-25KG carcase, EURO confirmation & 2, 3L fat class; Exports 9-21KG Carcase, EUR confirmation & 2, 3L fat classification.
2. Heifer Rearing
The management of a dairy heifer up to first lactation has a significant effect on potential milk yield, fertility, potential calving difficulties and longevity. Calving at 2 years old has the following benefits; fewer replacements are required, less land needed, feeding, housing & labour costs are reduced, faster genetic improvement within the herd, longer lasting heifers producing more milk and earlier return on capitol!
3. Animal Diseases - Recognition & Recording
It is a legal requirement that all livestock farmers record all veterinary medication administrations. Single farm payments can be affecting if these records are not up to date. We were split into groups and given a list of symptoms and then had to identify the animal from a picture wall with that symptom, as well as the medication it would need and then write up the treatment on a vet med recording sheet.
Machinery / Workshop Practical
Today we worked on the cultipress in the workshop yard. This machine carries out three actions in one pass - cultivating, levelling and consolidating the seedbed ready for drilling. Cultivation at speed is provided by leading tines, either Pro-Active sprung tines (fitted as standard) or shearbolt protected rigid units. Some of these tines can be broken when working the land and there was a section in the middle of this machine that had been snapped off. Our job was to detach all of the tines on the front section and remove the casing that these attached too!
We then continued to service the baler in the yard as this job is not yet finished and we added a few more bits to the list of requirements including a new casing for the electrical power cables running the lighting.
Livestock Theory
1. Marketing Prime Lamb
Customers of prime lamb (finished lamb) include the buyer for the abattoir or processor who buys it from the farmer; the retailer who sells it to the public and those who eat the meat! Each customer has different requirements and you must be target specific when finishing your lamb:- Supermarkets 16-21KG carcase, EUR confirmation & 2, 3L fat classification; Local butchers 16-25KG carcase, EURO confirmation & 2, 3L fat class; Exports 9-21KG Carcase, EUR confirmation & 2, 3L fat classification.
2. Heifer Rearing
The management of a dairy heifer up to first lactation has a significant effect on potential milk yield, fertility, potential calving difficulties and longevity. Calving at 2 years old has the following benefits; fewer replacements are required, less land needed, feeding, housing & labour costs are reduced, faster genetic improvement within the herd, longer lasting heifers producing more milk and earlier return on capitol!
3. Animal Diseases - Recognition & Recording
It is a legal requirement that all livestock farmers record all veterinary medication administrations. Single farm payments can be affecting if these records are not up to date. We were split into groups and given a list of symptoms and then had to identify the animal from a picture wall with that symptom, as well as the medication it would need and then write up the treatment on a vet med recording sheet.
Wednesday, 19 March 2014
Wednesday March 19, 2014
Day 61..
Land based machinery - in today's session we covered the topic of all-terrain vehicles (ATV's) and in depth the quad bike. Most ATV's are not fitted with a differential gearbox - which means that turning is difficult and requires the loss of traction on the inside wheel - one of the main reasons that an accident can happen. The operator must be able to shift their weight to maintain the correct centre of gravity and compensate for the forces experienced when turning and operating on slopes (hence no seatbelt). You should never carry passengers on the quad or in a trailed vehicle and you must be 16 or over to operate an adult machine. The two most important safety checks before setting out on your quad are brakes and tyre pressure - which should be between 2&7 psi and should be taken by a low pressure gauge!
Livestock husbandry practical - this afternoon we had a move around of some of the sheep with lambs - nursery pen went to the field and older bonding pens relocated to the nursery pen. We then moved all the first lambers into one straw yard as we needed to fetch in the next batch of 80 sheep due to start lambing in the next two weeks. These were still out grazing at sheepwalks east, so this meant taking the sheep race down to the field and herding them in for a health check before loading them onto the cattle trailer and being moved to home farm. Once back at the lambing pens, a recent mum of one was selected to see if she would take one of the orphan lambs, so to do this she was brought to a new pen and put inside a 'yolk' a wooden device that holds the ewe in the corner of the pen by restricting movement with her head in a 'brace'. This allows the orphan to come in and suckle the mother without it being bullied off where after 24 - 48 hours the ewe should accept the lamb as her own! If not, the lamb will go back into the 'lamb gang' (holding pen for orphans) awaiting another new mum!
Land based machinery - in today's session we covered the topic of all-terrain vehicles (ATV's) and in depth the quad bike. Most ATV's are not fitted with a differential gearbox - which means that turning is difficult and requires the loss of traction on the inside wheel - one of the main reasons that an accident can happen. The operator must be able to shift their weight to maintain the correct centre of gravity and compensate for the forces experienced when turning and operating on slopes (hence no seatbelt). You should never carry passengers on the quad or in a trailed vehicle and you must be 16 or over to operate an adult machine. The two most important safety checks before setting out on your quad are brakes and tyre pressure - which should be between 2&7 psi and should be taken by a low pressure gauge!
Livestock husbandry practical - this afternoon we had a move around of some of the sheep with lambs - nursery pen went to the field and older bonding pens relocated to the nursery pen. We then moved all the first lambers into one straw yard as we needed to fetch in the next batch of 80 sheep due to start lambing in the next two weeks. These were still out grazing at sheepwalks east, so this meant taking the sheep race down to the field and herding them in for a health check before loading them onto the cattle trailer and being moved to home farm. Once back at the lambing pens, a recent mum of one was selected to see if she would take one of the orphan lambs, so to do this she was brought to a new pen and put inside a 'yolk' a wooden device that holds the ewe in the corner of the pen by restricting movement with her head in a 'brace'. This allows the orphan to come in and suckle the mother without it being bullied off where after 24 - 48 hours the ewe should accept the lamb as her own! If not, the lamb will go back into the 'lamb gang' (holding pen for orphans) awaiting another new mum!
Friday, 14 March 2014
Friday March 14, 2014
Day 60..
We started off today looking into plant reproduction, pollination and germination. Identifying the different strategies plants use to reproduce; sexual and a sexual. asexual reproduction requires only one parent. Since there is only one parent, there is no fusion of gametes (male and female parts) and no mixing of genetic information. Therefore, they are genetically identical to the parent and to each other. Asexual reproduction in plants can take a number of forms. Many plants develop underground food storage organs that later develop into the following year's plants. Potato plants and daffodil plants do this, for example. Some plants produce side branches with plantlets on them. The spider plant, Chlorophytum, does this. Other plants, such as strawberries, produce runners with plantlets on them. Sexual reproduction occurs when two cells, each with half of the DNA needed, combine and create a living cell.
We then moved onto Single Farm Payments - An agricultural subsidy paid to farmers in the EU that have eligible land (excludes woodland/forestry land). The Single Farm Payment is linked to meeting environmental, public, animal and plant health and animal welfare standards and the need to keep land in good agricultural and environmental condition. Other schemes in farming - and can form part of receiving a SFP include GAEC - Good Agricultural & Environmental Conditions, which focuses on; overgrazing, Public rights of way, control of weeds and hedgerows, and SMR's - Statutory Mandatory Requirements, which focus on; NVZ's (Nitrate Vulnerable Zones), Habitat protection, sewage/slurry control, welfare of animals, disease control and the risk & use of PPP's. These schemes, and similar, have been designed to help with the environmental effect and sustainability of farming today and into the future!
Our grassland teacher was not in today but set us a task to do in her absence with regards to grass silage analysis.
We started off today looking into plant reproduction, pollination and germination. Identifying the different strategies plants use to reproduce; sexual and a sexual. asexual reproduction requires only one parent. Since there is only one parent, there is no fusion of gametes (male and female parts) and no mixing of genetic information. Therefore, they are genetically identical to the parent and to each other. Asexual reproduction in plants can take a number of forms. Many plants develop underground food storage organs that later develop into the following year's plants. Potato plants and daffodil plants do this, for example. Some plants produce side branches with plantlets on them. The spider plant, Chlorophytum, does this. Other plants, such as strawberries, produce runners with plantlets on them. Sexual reproduction occurs when two cells, each with half of the DNA needed, combine and create a living cell.
We then moved onto Single Farm Payments - An agricultural subsidy paid to farmers in the EU that have eligible land (excludes woodland/forestry land). The Single Farm Payment is linked to meeting environmental, public, animal and plant health and animal welfare standards and the need to keep land in good agricultural and environmental condition. Other schemes in farming - and can form part of receiving a SFP include GAEC - Good Agricultural & Environmental Conditions, which focuses on; overgrazing, Public rights of way, control of weeds and hedgerows, and SMR's - Statutory Mandatory Requirements, which focus on; NVZ's (Nitrate Vulnerable Zones), Habitat protection, sewage/slurry control, welfare of animals, disease control and the risk & use of PPP's. These schemes, and similar, have been designed to help with the environmental effect and sustainability of farming today and into the future!
Our grassland teacher was not in today but set us a task to do in her absence with regards to grass silage analysis.
Thursday, 13 March 2014
Thursday March 13, 2014
Day 59..
Machinery & Workshop Practical - not many in the group today, but we started off by fixing two broken tines on the 'cultipress' cultivator - A trailed machine that combines several elements to complete three actions in one pass - cultivating, levelling and consolidating the seedbed to leave a weatherproof finish that is often ready for drilling with no further cultivation. Usually more suitable for use on heavy ground. We replaced two broken front tines with new ones before farmer Neil went off to middle meadow. We followed him down to the field and each had a go at a pass up and down the field. The idea is that the top soil is being broken down just enough to get the seedbed prepared for the drilling off spring beans in the next few days. The field had recently been sprayed with round up on account of the weed black grass, which stripes the crop of vital nutrients and spreads rapidly.
Back at the yard we hitched up the passenger trailer and went off to look at weir close, another field where the cultipress worked yesterday - to compare the difference between the fields. This field was much more cloddy - bigger particles left on the surface, and had not broken down as well as middle meadow. This means that there is less soil particles for the seed to attach to when drilled and can have an effect on yield. This can be cultivated again, but will depend on your tillage method.
Livestock Husbandry Theory - we began our lesson looking into calf rearing in a dairy herd.. Once a calf is born it is essential to check the vital signs; that it's airways are clear (a prod with a stick of straw up the calfs nose can assist with this) and that it receives the first drink of colostrum off mum - for energy, laxatives, protein and antibodies. A calf is born germ free but is born into a germ filled environment so the antibodies are essential along with dipping the navel in iodine. Raising a dairy calf means that it should be taken away from mum as soon six hours after birth! Although this sounds harsh, this is the best way to remove any bond forming between cow and calf for two reasons 1. So that the cow can return to the parlour for milking without fretting for her new born and 2. So that the calf can be taught to fed from a bucket. A cows milk cannot go in to the milk tank for 4/5 days after being milked so this will be diverted into containers and used to feed the calf for the first few days but it is important to offer roughage and solid food from 1 week to stimulate rumen development - the better the rumen works the better the calf will eat and the quicker it will grow!
This lesson finished with a visit from someone in the further education department to discuss the course, positives and negatives from the agricultural program, lecturers, facilities etc etc! Not sure this was the best use of my lesson time!!
Machinery & Workshop Practical - not many in the group today, but we started off by fixing two broken tines on the 'cultipress' cultivator - A trailed machine that combines several elements to complete three actions in one pass - cultivating, levelling and consolidating the seedbed to leave a weatherproof finish that is often ready for drilling with no further cultivation. Usually more suitable for use on heavy ground. We replaced two broken front tines with new ones before farmer Neil went off to middle meadow. We followed him down to the field and each had a go at a pass up and down the field. The idea is that the top soil is being broken down just enough to get the seedbed prepared for the drilling off spring beans in the next few days. The field had recently been sprayed with round up on account of the weed black grass, which stripes the crop of vital nutrients and spreads rapidly.
Back at the yard we hitched up the passenger trailer and went off to look at weir close, another field where the cultipress worked yesterday - to compare the difference between the fields. This field was much more cloddy - bigger particles left on the surface, and had not broken down as well as middle meadow. This means that there is less soil particles for the seed to attach to when drilled and can have an effect on yield. This can be cultivated again, but will depend on your tillage method.
Livestock Husbandry Theory - we began our lesson looking into calf rearing in a dairy herd.. Once a calf is born it is essential to check the vital signs; that it's airways are clear (a prod with a stick of straw up the calfs nose can assist with this) and that it receives the first drink of colostrum off mum - for energy, laxatives, protein and antibodies. A calf is born germ free but is born into a germ filled environment so the antibodies are essential along with dipping the navel in iodine. Raising a dairy calf means that it should be taken away from mum as soon six hours after birth! Although this sounds harsh, this is the best way to remove any bond forming between cow and calf for two reasons 1. So that the cow can return to the parlour for milking without fretting for her new born and 2. So that the calf can be taught to fed from a bucket. A cows milk cannot go in to the milk tank for 4/5 days after being milked so this will be diverted into containers and used to feed the calf for the first few days but it is important to offer roughage and solid food from 1 week to stimulate rumen development - the better the rumen works the better the calf will eat and the quicker it will grow!
This lesson finished with a visit from someone in the further education department to discuss the course, positives and negatives from the agricultural program, lecturers, facilities etc etc! Not sure this was the best use of my lesson time!!
Wednesday, 12 March 2014
Wednesday March 12, 2014
Day 58..
Machinery & Workshop Ops:- today we had a presentation on 'Agricultural Vehicles On The Road' by Gary Chance of the Lincs Police / Road Safety Partnership. As a crash investigator, Gary has dealt with numerous incidents involving farm vehicles on the road and through this talk he discussed many aspects of the law and what farm and agricultural vehicles need to do to comply (despite getting away with quite a lot). AMV stands for Agricultural Motor Vehicle and this is how the police describe such vehicles. Most accidents are caused by careless driving;
1. without due care and attention and 2. without reasonable consideration. However, accidents that are fatal usually end up being the result of dangerous driving; Falls far below what is expected of a competent and careful driver. Gary also cleared up a few misconceptions - Amber Beacons are only required by law to be activated if an AMV is travelling along a dual carriageway and it is not a requirement that an AMV driver should pull in to let traffic pass if there are 6/7 cars behind - it is the responsibility of the driver to drive with due care and attention - so should traffic be building up behind then he should at the earliest convenience pull over/in to allow the build up to move past! Really good talk with lots of useful and interesting information.
Livestock Practical:- today it was back to the lambs to do the next batch of weighing and tailing and castrating! The weights of the lambs are recorded in the lambing book which helps with the administration with regards to collating the lambing figures for this season. Tailing or docking is a routine practice that is carried out once the navel has dried up (as the lamb will be a few days old by this point) and the tail is shortened to prevent faecal matter from accumulating on the tail and hindquarters of the animal. The easiest and most common method of tail docking is to apply a rubber ring (or band) to the tail using an elastrator tool. Banding is a bloodless method of tail docking. The band cuts off the blood supply to the tail, causing the tail to fall off in 7 to 10 days.
Castration is when the testicles are removed or their function is inhibited. Using the rubber band method again, this time placed around the neck of the lamb's scrotum. Care should be taken not to place the band over the lamb's rudimentary teats. Banding will cause the scrotum to shrivel up and fall off in two to three weeks. Care is needed to ensure both testicles are below the placement of the band - the lamb is able to 'suck' them up when you are handling this area, and if one or both of the testicles is missed, it will be retained in the belly cavity, resulting in a "bucky" lamb.
We then turned out some of the older lambs and mums in to the grass paddock and because this was quite an open area we then erected some wind breaks in the centre of the field. Using some small steak posts and boards we made zig zag shapes meaning the lambs can get shelter from bad weather from any direction!
Machinery & Workshop Ops:- today we had a presentation on 'Agricultural Vehicles On The Road' by Gary Chance of the Lincs Police / Road Safety Partnership. As a crash investigator, Gary has dealt with numerous incidents involving farm vehicles on the road and through this talk he discussed many aspects of the law and what farm and agricultural vehicles need to do to comply (despite getting away with quite a lot). AMV stands for Agricultural Motor Vehicle and this is how the police describe such vehicles. Most accidents are caused by careless driving;
1. without due care and attention and 2. without reasonable consideration. However, accidents that are fatal usually end up being the result of dangerous driving; Falls far below what is expected of a competent and careful driver. Gary also cleared up a few misconceptions - Amber Beacons are only required by law to be activated if an AMV is travelling along a dual carriageway and it is not a requirement that an AMV driver should pull in to let traffic pass if there are 6/7 cars behind - it is the responsibility of the driver to drive with due care and attention - so should traffic be building up behind then he should at the earliest convenience pull over/in to allow the build up to move past! Really good talk with lots of useful and interesting information.
Livestock Practical:- today it was back to the lambs to do the next batch of weighing and tailing and castrating! The weights of the lambs are recorded in the lambing book which helps with the administration with regards to collating the lambing figures for this season. Tailing or docking is a routine practice that is carried out once the navel has dried up (as the lamb will be a few days old by this point) and the tail is shortened to prevent faecal matter from accumulating on the tail and hindquarters of the animal. The easiest and most common method of tail docking is to apply a rubber ring (or band) to the tail using an elastrator tool. Banding is a bloodless method of tail docking. The band cuts off the blood supply to the tail, causing the tail to fall off in 7 to 10 days.
Castration is when the testicles are removed or their function is inhibited. Using the rubber band method again, this time placed around the neck of the lamb's scrotum. Care should be taken not to place the band over the lamb's rudimentary teats. Banding will cause the scrotum to shrivel up and fall off in two to three weeks. Care is needed to ensure both testicles are below the placement of the band - the lamb is able to 'suck' them up when you are handling this area, and if one or both of the testicles is missed, it will be retained in the belly cavity, resulting in a "bucky" lamb.
We then turned out some of the older lambs and mums in to the grass paddock and because this was quite an open area we then erected some wind breaks in the centre of the field. Using some small steak posts and boards we made zig zag shapes meaning the lambs can get shelter from bad weather from any direction!
Monday, 10 March 2014
Lambing Live
The lambing rota is in full swing and on Friday I joined a team of three others for a two till 10pm shift, heres how it went:-
We began by replenishing the silage feeders and bedding down the straw yards where the pregnant ewes are housed during lambing, and straight away our first two lambs arrived:
The lambs and mum were moved indoors into the bonding pens (individual pens where the ewe and her lamb/s can bond without the complications of mismothering). Here is also where the lambs are recorded into the lambing records and their navels dipped in iodine (to prevent infection) and are then monitored making sure they have their first drink of colostrum (first drink of mothers milk) and no issues arise. It is important to monitor the temperature of the lambs to ensure they do not become hypothermic (one of the biggest killers) - The normal rectal temperature for a new born lamb is between 39oC and 40oC - anything lower and one must consider putting the lamb in a 'hot box' - a heated environment that will gradually elevate the body temperature.
Then it was triplets (one breeched (came out backwards) but absolutely fine! and two normal!:
And finally it was a single!!! However, this poor ewe - a gimmer, meaning it is aged between its first and second shearing and a first time mum was having a problem getting the lamb out. She had been trying on her own for approximately 40 mins, when farmer Neil decided to step in and assist with the birth. Ordinarily you can leave a first time lamber to try for up to an hour before intervening, however on this occasion it was apparent that the ewe was struggling and starting to get weak and tired:
The lamb, as it was so big, was helped out by the use of small, disinfected ropes wrapped around each front leg and a tugging action every time the ewe pushed. Once out, the lamb was placed near mum but she appeared disinterested. Some of the birthing fluids were rubbed over the lamb to encourage the ewe to lick, but she remained disinterested. We got them both into a bonding pen where the ewe wanted nothing to do with her baby. At this point we intervened for the second time, to 'strip' the ewe of the first milk into a jug (the lamb needs this first colostrum for energy, protein, laxative and antibodies). This was then tube fed directly into the lambs tummy. Tubing is an alternative method to bottle feeding, where there is more chance of the lamb being able to suckle from a ewes teats at a later date. We then left the pens, giving the ewe and lamb a rest and some time together alone, where upon our last checks before handing over to the overnight shift - we saw the mum finally licking her lamb and the lamb was up and about searching mum for milk!
We began by replenishing the silage feeders and bedding down the straw yards where the pregnant ewes are housed during lambing, and straight away our first two lambs arrived:
The lambs and mum were moved indoors into the bonding pens (individual pens where the ewe and her lamb/s can bond without the complications of mismothering). Here is also where the lambs are recorded into the lambing records and their navels dipped in iodine (to prevent infection) and are then monitored making sure they have their first drink of colostrum (first drink of mothers milk) and no issues arise. It is important to monitor the temperature of the lambs to ensure they do not become hypothermic (one of the biggest killers) - The normal rectal temperature for a new born lamb is between 39oC and 40oC - anything lower and one must consider putting the lamb in a 'hot box' - a heated environment that will gradually elevate the body temperature.
Then it was triplets (one breeched (came out backwards) but absolutely fine! and two normal!:
And finally it was a single!!! However, this poor ewe - a gimmer, meaning it is aged between its first and second shearing and a first time mum was having a problem getting the lamb out. She had been trying on her own for approximately 40 mins, when farmer Neil decided to step in and assist with the birth. Ordinarily you can leave a first time lamber to try for up to an hour before intervening, however on this occasion it was apparent that the ewe was struggling and starting to get weak and tired:
Friday, 7 March 2014
Friday March 7, 2014
Day 57..
Wellies on and ready for a walk about the farm...
Today Charlotte had devised a field map and instructions about what she wanted us to find in a number of fields across the Brackenhurst campus gathering information such as; field name, crop type, weed identification, soil and field characteristics. We gathered samples of the crop and any weeds and used a weed identification book to establish what each weed was. The most common issue in all the fields we visited was water logging - simply due to the amount of recent rainfall. It was also visible the difference in poor quality soil and nutrient rich soil where some crop plants were yellow in colour and not as well established as better off crops that were green in colour and well rooted. This was a good introduction to field walking and getting used to looking at the plant and other plant species that could affect growing conditions and ultimately the final yield!
In grassland we looked at the different ways to feed conserved forage to livestock including ring feeders, trough fed, floor or loose feeding. The way you feed usually depends on a number of factors such as housing, efficiency, animal, location and aim. We focused on feeding cows a Total Mix Ration - TMR, which is the method of feeding the cow all it needs in one feedstuff. It is made up of a mixture of forage and concentrates to make a complete diet that will be fully utilised by the animal; by means of a constant and balanced supply of feed that has been formulated to a specific nutrient concentration with the added benefit of forage - which helps keeps the rumen in good working order making the digestion of food easy. There are disadvantages to TMR such as the expense of the machinery that mixes and distributes the feed and the fact that individual feeding is not easy unless you divide by different feeding groups and plan groups for optimum performance!
Wellies on and ready for a walk about the farm...
Today Charlotte had devised a field map and instructions about what she wanted us to find in a number of fields across the Brackenhurst campus gathering information such as; field name, crop type, weed identification, soil and field characteristics. We gathered samples of the crop and any weeds and used a weed identification book to establish what each weed was. The most common issue in all the fields we visited was water logging - simply due to the amount of recent rainfall. It was also visible the difference in poor quality soil and nutrient rich soil where some crop plants were yellow in colour and not as well established as better off crops that were green in colour and well rooted. This was a good introduction to field walking and getting used to looking at the plant and other plant species that could affect growing conditions and ultimately the final yield!
In grassland we looked at the different ways to feed conserved forage to livestock including ring feeders, trough fed, floor or loose feeding. The way you feed usually depends on a number of factors such as housing, efficiency, animal, location and aim. We focused on feeding cows a Total Mix Ration - TMR, which is the method of feeding the cow all it needs in one feedstuff. It is made up of a mixture of forage and concentrates to make a complete diet that will be fully utilised by the animal; by means of a constant and balanced supply of feed that has been formulated to a specific nutrient concentration with the added benefit of forage - which helps keeps the rumen in good working order making the digestion of food easy. There are disadvantages to TMR such as the expense of the machinery that mixes and distributes the feed and the fact that individual feeding is not easy unless you divide by different feeding groups and plan groups for optimum performance!
Thursday, 6 March 2014
Thursday March 6, 2014
Day 56..
Practical morn - today our task was to service the John Deere 590 round baler! First we changed the pickup hitch to a drawbar on the massey ferguson tractor to enable us to re-locate the baler from the farm yard to the workshop. Using the manufactures guidebook we then began to look at what routine maintenance the baler needed starting with lubrication. With a grease gun and grease that worked! we started greasing all the major moving parts at the designated 'grease nipples' - a metal fitting used in mechanical systems to feed lubricants, usually lubricating grease, into a bearing under moderate to high pressure using a grease gun. the PTO shaft formed part of this task and was quite awkward to get to so it is advisable to have two pairs of hands for this job. We then moved on to the chains which require a liberal application of SAE 30 - we used a spray can of a similar oil and applied to the chains on either side of the baler, turning them half way through to ensure we had covered all of the chain. We then ran out of grease gun oil and couldn't carry on, but as we were working our way round the baler we kept a log of items that needed to be repaired/replaced, for example one of the back light boxes was broken and the bulb blown!
Livestock afters - this afternoon we looked further in to the tasks of lambing from the importance of the ewe/lamb bond to natural colostrum verses artificial colostrum. Ordinarily the ewe should have a straight forward birth and bond with her lamb with very little shepherd intervention. However, things can go wrong and the lamb may need support during the first few hours of its life. Colostrum is the most important requirement of a new born lamb as it provides antibodies, laxative, protein and high energy. Keep an eye on the lamb to see that it gets around 250ml in the first hour (it will drink approximately 1 litre in the first day). If a new born lamb has not been seen to drink that first colostrum from mum you should intervene and try attaching the lamb to a teat - encouraging it to suckle, alternatively you might have to milk the ewe (into a jug) and then stomach tube feed the lamb. As a last resort you would use artificial colostrum.
We quickly looked at parasites - the warble fly - a nasty fly that attacks cattle, deer and sometimes horses. It enters the animal via the hock and works its way through the muscle components, making its way to the oesophagus or spinal column. This movement leaves 'tracks' through the meat and when the fly bores a hole and leaves the animal (after a dormant winter period) it leaves nasty marks which significantly downgrades both the meat and the hide.
Practical morn - today our task was to service the John Deere 590 round baler! First we changed the pickup hitch to a drawbar on the massey ferguson tractor to enable us to re-locate the baler from the farm yard to the workshop. Using the manufactures guidebook we then began to look at what routine maintenance the baler needed starting with lubrication. With a grease gun and grease that worked! we started greasing all the major moving parts at the designated 'grease nipples' - a metal fitting used in mechanical systems to feed lubricants, usually lubricating grease, into a bearing under moderate to high pressure using a grease gun. the PTO shaft formed part of this task and was quite awkward to get to so it is advisable to have two pairs of hands for this job. We then moved on to the chains which require a liberal application of SAE 30 - we used a spray can of a similar oil and applied to the chains on either side of the baler, turning them half way through to ensure we had covered all of the chain. We then ran out of grease gun oil and couldn't carry on, but as we were working our way round the baler we kept a log of items that needed to be repaired/replaced, for example one of the back light boxes was broken and the bulb blown!
Livestock afters - this afternoon we looked further in to the tasks of lambing from the importance of the ewe/lamb bond to natural colostrum verses artificial colostrum. Ordinarily the ewe should have a straight forward birth and bond with her lamb with very little shepherd intervention. However, things can go wrong and the lamb may need support during the first few hours of its life. Colostrum is the most important requirement of a new born lamb as it provides antibodies, laxative, protein and high energy. Keep an eye on the lamb to see that it gets around 250ml in the first hour (it will drink approximately 1 litre in the first day). If a new born lamb has not been seen to drink that first colostrum from mum you should intervene and try attaching the lamb to a teat - encouraging it to suckle, alternatively you might have to milk the ewe (into a jug) and then stomach tube feed the lamb. As a last resort you would use artificial colostrum.
We quickly looked at parasites - the warble fly - a nasty fly that attacks cattle, deer and sometimes horses. It enters the animal via the hock and works its way through the muscle components, making its way to the oesophagus or spinal column. This movement leaves 'tracks' through the meat and when the fly bores a hole and leaves the animal (after a dormant winter period) it leaves nasty marks which significantly downgrades both the meat and the hide.
Wednesday, 5 March 2014
Wednesday March 5, 2014
Day fifty five..
A trip!!! Today we went on a trip to the 'precision farming - technology' event at the Peterborough show ground.
Trade stands included Cleveland crop sprayers (Arag Precision) - gps guidance systems, Garford Farm Machinery - robotic mechanical weed control, HGCA the home grown cereals association - providing information and research on improving field variation in nitrogen fertiliser requirements and cereals all round needs and tec5 uk ltd - providers of state of the art products for detector array based optical spectroscopy (?).
In addition to the trade hall various seminars took place throughout the day such as 'precision nutrient management - a practical viewpoint' whereby agronomist Ian Matts discussed the trials and product development at Yara uk ltd whereby today's farming techniques are incorporating precision farming in to everyday agronomy practice.
Perhaps a show for those with a specific interest in this sector of agriculture!
A trip!!! Today we went on a trip to the 'precision farming - technology' event at the Peterborough show ground.
Trade stands included Cleveland crop sprayers (Arag Precision) - gps guidance systems, Garford Farm Machinery - robotic mechanical weed control, HGCA the home grown cereals association - providing information and research on improving field variation in nitrogen fertiliser requirements and cereals all round needs and tec5 uk ltd - providers of state of the art products for detector array based optical spectroscopy (?).
In addition to the trade hall various seminars took place throughout the day such as 'precision nutrient management - a practical viewpoint' whereby agronomist Ian Matts discussed the trials and product development at Yara uk ltd whereby today's farming techniques are incorporating precision farming in to everyday agronomy practice.
Perhaps a show for those with a specific interest in this sector of agriculture!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)