Well the beast from the east did finally strike with a vengeance. It coincided with our Spring Show at Thainstone Mart – or as someone affectionately renamed it – the Spring Snow. We quite often get non-spring-like weather at this time of year. I did a 2.5hour stint on the entry gate from 07.30am-10am and was well frozen by the end of it. I got a cup of coffee from my bank manager on going back inside – not to drink, but to warm my hands up!

There was quite a good turnout of people despite the weather. The bull sale also had a new centre record for a Simmental of 13,000gns. The Royal Northern Countryside Initiative (RNCI) normally guide groups of schoolchildren around the show and explain agriculture to them. All the schools were, unfortunately, closed by the snow this year. There are also lots of trade stands and commercial and pedigree sheep and cattle.

We usually start sowing spring barley anytime from 10 March onwards, but it will be later this year. We will have to turn out our recently calved heifers next week, as we are running out of space for them inside. Hopefully, the snow will shift soon, as it would be up to the calves’ bellies just now. We have 45 heifers calving just now and so far, they all have a live calf. Thirty two have calved with five needing assistance. One would have calved itself if left, one backwards, one too big, two with one leg not coming through the cervix. This is too high, but they are carrying a bit too much condition this year. Some of them are only 21 months old, so they would probably be better if they were all over 24 months. The 190 cows don’t start calving until April when the weather should be better. Currently half of them are in a cubicle shed and the other half are enjoying the snow.

I went to a suckler cow Farm Profit Programme Focus Group meeting last week on George and Stuart Jamiesons’ farm at Mains of Leask, Ellon. They had bought a neighbouring farm fairly recently and now have cattle in the steading there on self-feed silage.

One of the participants, Gordon Whiteford, asked Stuart how long it took him to run up and down twice in the morning with the loader and probably back to check the cattle later. He pointed out that if they counted up all of the time spent running backwards and forwards for the next 10 years, they would have enough money to build a new shed at the main steading. They also wouldn’t have to transport cattle to and from the main steading. I can’t remember the figures that were used but here are some figures as an example.

  • Two hours spent running backwards and forwards each day @ £12/hr = £24/day.
  • 210 daywinter @ £24/day = £5,040
  • £5,040 for 10 years gives you £50,400 of savings which could be spent on a building.
  • Credit to Gordon for bringing this up and giving us all something to think about. Our 1,200 acres is spread around the local area. Our main farms are six miles apart and we have arable land 10 miles away. I knew it cost us a fortune driving around the countryside, but so far, I’ve been too scared to add it up and just kept wishing I had 1,000 acres all in one block. Well, we can all wish, can’t we?