It’s looking like a good week ahead, which means one’s mind turns to slurry.

Some land could do with a bit of drying yet, but if you miss a dry opportunity in this part of the world, there’s no telling when you might see another one.

There’s a bit of organisation involved in getting slurry out at this time of year. First of all, the tanks have to be mixed. Sounds simple. It’s not, believe me.

Obviously, each shed needs to be emptied of stock before mixing can take place, so that stock aren’t exposed to dangerous slurry gases. With at least eight different batches of stock, it can be difficult finding a temporary pen for everything.

Small paddocks

I usually put the calves out to a small paddock beside the shed, but for this to be easily achieved, I like to have them trained to going in and out themselves for a while in advance, which I haven’t yet done.

Of course, before this can happen, all calves need to be in the one batch. Calves tend to be in batches of seven for most of the winter, just the way the cows are penned.

Each one of my slatted pens holds seven cows and then their calves in the creep behind, which is usually seven as well, unless I’m lucky enough to have had a set of twins or unlucky enough to have lost a calf.

With the rest of the cattle, it’s just a matter of getting them pushed in where ever I can

So, as of last week, calves are in the one batch, I now just need to get them coaxed outside.

With the rest of the cattle, it’s just a matter of getting them pushed in where ever I can - an old cubicle house will hold some, the pen at the back of the crush will hold more and so on.

It all takes a bit of time and organising. So, with the tanks mixed, the next issue is where to put the slurry.

Accessible

At this time of the year, my contractor spreads the slurry for me with the pipeline and trailing shoe. But as my farm is dissected by two roads, not all fields are easily accessible with the pipe.

I still have lambs grazing, so some of the field that are easily accessible may have stock in them, which again takes a bit of organising and forward thinking.

It’s usually just the silage ground around the yard that gets the early slurry, but I’m hoping to change that this year as I’m planning on moving the silage ground away from the yard.

As I already said, this land is across a fairly busy road, so getting to it with the pipe is just not that simple and, because of this, I’ve never bothered with it before.

But this year I’m pinning my hopes on an old stone drain across the road. I’m not sure if it’ll be wide enough to allow the pipe across, but a bit of investigation will soon let me know.

Failing that, I’ll have to use ramps over the pipe at a time when the road should be quiet, which I’m not overly keen on, or use a nurse tank and ferry tankers, which will obviously increase the cost.

One way or another, I’m sure I’ll get it managed somehow.