For the first time in my lifetime, there’s been a TB reactor on the farm. Two of them. It’s disappointing, but all I can do now is go through the process and hope it works out.

While testing, the vet pointed out that he didn’t see as many flies around this late in the year. I don’t recall a November as mild as this, but maybe it’s balancing out the cold first fortnight in May.

I had to keep the weather conditions in mind as weaning got underway at the start of the week. As they’re indoors, the calves are put in a pen alongside the cows, so they all have a full view of each other. Doors have been left open to improve the airflow and reduce the risk of pneumonia.

They are vaccinated, but it’s better to put the odds in my favour. I’ve used Quiet Wean nose paddles in the past and will again in future, but I’ve found them more suited to outdoor weaning. Calves tended to lose them going through creep gates and a higher percentage were lost compared to field weaning. Later weaning is a consequence of pushing the calving date closer to when grass growth properly kicks off.

It hasn’t been as noisy as I expected. The calves had developed a habit of going off and doing their own thing when they were grazing, so that helps. The first evening it was the cows making most of the racket and it took a few days for the calves to notice, but they don’t seem too bothered. All that remains unweaned at this stage are the youngest bull calves and the older heifer calf group.

TB was my prime concern last week, but I did notice there’s a glimmer of clarity appearing regarding carbon budgets. A weak point in the plan regarding emissions from agriculture is putting so much faith in technology adoption when the track record hasn’t exactly set the world on fire. Will more extreme measures be put upon farmers if there’s no reduction in emissions?

The hike in fertiliser prices could play a part in putting a dent in emissions for 2022. If they remain at unsustainably high prices for grass production, should consideration be given to the use of alternatives?

For example, is there an opportunity to use pig slurry in lieu of artificial fertiliser for silage crops on current derogation farms? It could be an insurance against a potential fodder crisis in 2023.

Two solutions to lowering emissions on the beef side are reducing the age of slaughter and that of first calving. With both options, there’s good news and bad news regarding the uptake of both.

Starting with the positives on lowering the age of calving – according to ICBF statistics, the percentage of heifers calved aged between 22 and 26 months has increased by 2% from 21% to 23%. The bad news – this rise took place over a decade from 2012 to 2021.

Lowering the average slaughter age is achievable, but not without a few challenges to overcome. An increase in beef-sired heifers from the dairy herd are well capable of being finished at grass before their second winter. Getting too fat too soon and at uneconomical carcase weight for both farmer and processor is one of their challenges.

Also worth bearing in mind is that the removal of the 30-month limit on cattle was one of the central demands at the 2019 beef protests.