Down In The History Books

Harvest 2025 must go down in the history books as one of the easiest and driest ever. Starting with Spring Barley in early August and completing the beans in the 1^st week of September, it might not have been a record yield as crops stressed during the growing season were then battered by Storm Floris but, it was a dream in comparison to past years. We now await the final part of the nervous wait, while quality is checked and determines the value.

Pre breeding checks for sheep are well underway with what is described as “T*ts and Teeth”. Checking udders for any abnormalities and making sure ewes have sufficient teeth to feed themselves through the next year. Once passed the MOT, they are batched according to which flock they will be joining and tups (male breeding sheep) are under pre-season strength and conditioning as would be expected in any top level sport.

Grass growth this year has been a case of all or nothing – with early growth in June, turning to woody stems pretty quickly and a lack of rain not helping re-growth after grazing. So in a bid to re-set the fields, many have been topped after grazing to re-set the clock and see if a damp autumn will trigger a second flush.

Our quarterly vet meeting focussed on changing rules relating to the disease Bluetonuge, which affects sheep and cattle. Our Tups have already been vaccinated against the disease which can cause death, deformed offspring and poor fertility. We will be starting the vaccination programme for all stock shortly to protect next year’s crop.

Patrick Riley is leaving to head back and complete his forestry qualifications at SRUC Barony. Patrick joined us a year ago and has been an enthusiastic and valuable part of a small team, helping to bring some order to woodland and help out in the gardens when needed. We wish him all the best and look forward to seeing him progress in a career that provides excellent career prospects and is one which cant be overtaken by Artificial Intelligence.