Starting from number eleven there are five new photographs on the Photo Page.
I am only sending these as Karen Stoke has told me to !!!
They were taken about a month ago.
The pleasure of feeding Ducks( not wishing to open that debate again).
My passion which is cattle, I could stand by a field all day just watching them. Rose W’canton
Please don’t go on holiday again. Betty Canada
There are five new photographs on the Photo page starting from number one.
SWAN AT WELSH WILDLIFE CENTRE LYNNE.
MALLARD, LYNNE.
DUCKS RUSHING FOR SOME BREAD, LYNNE.
ROSE AFTER A RAINSHOWER, LYNNE.
I WANT …..THAT NUT THERE !!! LYNNE.
We took a bit of a fly-er on making our hay last month. There was only a four to five day gap in between forecasted rain. It turned out to be the correct decision for since then we have not had any four to five day rainless periods. I would now be worrying that we would not have made any hay at all this year. After being made hay takes around six weeks to show how good it is, and our is looking very good, with a nice smell. We only made just over a hundred large round bales, a good third less than we made last year in large bales. We also made over a hundred small bales last year, so this years crop has been small. With the rain and warmth that we have had over the past month the grass is still growing very well and if we have an Indian summer we may well take another cut. I could have made more hay in the first field that we cut but I promised our Contractor that he could have it for haylage. Haylage is made by baling and wrapping the hay just before it is completely dry. If made well haylage has a very sweet smell and is a favorite for livestock, including Horses, If we get the Indian summer I may just try to make a little haylage in one of our other fields. The trouble is that if it is made badly it goes mouldy and feisty and can be bad for Horses.
This year is the worse Summer that we have had for making hay since we moved to Denbury fifteen years ago. Unfortunately the weather has been like it for most of the Country. I cant imagine what it must be like for the people that have taken their Children to seaside resorts, the Children must be so disappointed. We don’t get any moaning about the weather from our Holiday Guests. Of course the weather is important but there are other things that can be done on a Farm. Mind you I make up for every one else when the Forecasters get it wrong. We never did get a call from the Met Office, as they said they would, I suppose there wasn’t a lot that they could say. Our Contractor didn’t make haylage in the field that we let him use. He used it for grazing his Cattle, but it hasn’t lasted very long as with this rain the cattle have poached the land and I have had to ask him to move his Cattle to a different part of the field that is higher. I only realised at the weekend that another field that we have allowed him to used is quite badly poached. I don’t like poached fields as they are uncomfortable to walk as well as being very muddy. This year is the first since I had Cattle, that we have had Cattle at Denbury nearly ten years ago. We wont be having them here again.
I had thought that after the Government’s Independent Scientific Groups report in June, that call for a Badger Cull had been put to bed once and for all. I expected the NFU to have their normal whinge, to try to show that they are an effective force in UK Farming. They haven’t been that for a few years now. Their membership mainly comes from a large number of people who insure with them.
Today’s announcement by Sir David King the Government’s Chief Scientist, that Badgers should be killed to stop the spread of TB in Cattle, is not based on any new scientific evidence, just the five so called well respected experts, accessing the the Independent Report that a Badger Cull would need to be extensive, that would cause it to be an over expensive option, with no guarantees that it would stop the spread of Bovine TB. The immediate areas of a Cull showed a drop in the incidents of the disease, but it moved the disease to adjoining areas. It seems very much like that our Chief Scientist is being nobbled. And what else do you reckon that he has suggested. Any Culls should be in areas ringed by Motorways, this would stop any Badgers from escaping the Culling areas. It would be a good idea if the Government advertised for a new Chief Scientist.
Professor John Bourne the Author of the Independent Scientific Groups report himself seems to agree, going by the report that I have read. Quote, Professor John Bourne, author of the ISG report, said Sir David’s recommendations were not consistent with the scientific findings of his report but were “consistent with the political need to do something about it”. Make you wonder, I would say.
Cattle based controls that need for Cattle to be tested for Bovine TB before any movement, are reducing the incidents of the disease, after the short time that it has been in force. That should continue to see if it does make significant improvement, before any Cull is considered. That is if any one has a right to decimate our wildlife for a few shillings.
Diary farming in the UK is in decline, and will become more so with the UK Supermarket importing more of their milk from Europe and beyond. The biggest decline was when in the 1990’s large numbers of Dairy farmers took massive Government subsidies to stop producing milk. Nothing to do with TB, that they did very well out off, by the payments that they received for TB infected cattle, far in access for what the Cattle were worth.
Out of 47000 people who were asked if they would agree to a Badger Cull, 95% said no. The Badger is an important part of our wildlife and should never be Culled, unless it was a threat to our lives.
Janet, joining a Local Badger Group will give you the opportunity to get involved in Badgers and let you know what part you can be involved in, if a Cull does go ahead. If significant numbers of people lobby their local MP’s they will realise what the people feel about the Culling of the Badgers and make representation to Hilary Benn the Minister for The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, or you could all write to him yourself.
Elsie, There are eleven Sheep, the one that died was not one of the group that you can see on the webcams.
We have managed to get the new tower for the main Badger camera up today. I thought that it was going to be a little smaller than the telegraph pole that is currently being used. To my surprise it is the same size of 8 metres. We have got to get a bracket to attach the camera to the tower. That will add another metre to the overall height of the camera. I don’t know if it will make any difference to what we are able to see, but it may make it possible to see the Buzzards flying. I have a more powerful zoom camera, I am not sure if I should put that on the new tower, or use it in another location. The telegraph pole we are now using does cause the camera to have a blind spot, the new tower should nearly eliminate that. The new tower has a winch to raise and lower it, so that we can work on it from the ground instead of me having to find some one who will climb the telegraph pole.
I have an idea of how I can use the old telegraph pole that we are taking down. Seeing how the tower raises and lowers I may try to get a bracket made so that I can raise the telegraph pole the same way, If it works I will put a different camera down the valley, the same type that we normally use. It will give a much better picture, as most of the other cameras. It will mean using more IR lamps, but it could well be worth it.
Since we sold our Cattle about eight years ago we haven’t bothered about having gates through the farm. With Cattle you need to alternate the grazing of the fields. Once the grass from one field has been eaten off, you move the cattle to another field allowing the grass to regrow, so the fields had to have gates. We had about thirty Charolais Breeding Cattle, if we had allowed them the run of the farm we would have soon run out of grass. The problem without gates, even if you do not have a lot of stock, is that if you have any animals that get out of where they are meant to be, as we sometimes do, you are unable to reduce the size of the area that they can run back and forward in, making it difficult to catch them. With gates you can contain them from field to field. Today we decided that we should re gate through the farm. We have have had to dig the holes for the new gateposts, as the old wooden posts had partially rotted away and needed renewing. Only six new post were needed, so it was not worth getting a contractor in to knock the posts in with a machine, so the hole were dug by hand. It wouldn’t be the easiest of jobs digging small holes about three feet deep. I made sure that I had something else to do when my Lads were doing the digging. Most of the work was done today and the new gates should be fitted on Monday.
The young Buzzard has been flying above the farm for the past couple of days, squawking non stop and looking for its parents. Once I saw an adult Buzzard that seemed to be chasing the youngster away. It must have been its parent. Again it is the first time that I have noticed this happening, although it must happen every year. Seeing the Buzzards on the webcams lets you see wildlife without them being disturbed, letting you see what you would normally not be able to see.
The Badgers may be slow coming out tonight as the Farmer in the field adjacent to the Badger field is mowing the grass.
After telling you about the Colt Foal that was a kicker, it reminded me of a Cow that we once had. The Cow was a Charolais breed, you would know them if you saw them in a field as they are all white and originated from France. I must admit I have made very few business mistakes in my life, but top of my list was getting Cows. When I first moved into Denbury all that I had as far as livestock was concerned was two Friesian Horses. The window of the farm house kitchen looks over to what now is the main horse field. It is about an 8 acre field and looked pretty empty with only two Horses in it. I will get some Cows I decided. I knew of a man in Yorkshire, who like me was playing at farming and had cattle including Charolais. He was also a collector of Horse Drawn Carriages, again like myself. I had about ten carriages, all of a hundred year or more in age. I must admit I really did like the Carriages, all had been restored to a very high standard. One was a Horse Drawn Hearse that we did funerals for undertakers with, all around the UK. That is where the Friesian Horses came into it. They come from Friesland in Holland and are jet black, being the traditional funeral Horses. Both the Horses and Hearse are regularly on the telly, when there have been Horse Drawn Funerals shown. The Horses Jack and Sargent would be over twenty now.
Like a fool I decided to exchange the Horses and carriages for cattle. I was a very poor cattle farmer, as I am a sheep farmer, I should have stayed with what I knew best and really enjoyed being around, as I am now with the Horses. To make matters worse, just after I got the cattle the BSE scare started. The cattle that I had exchanged for my Horses and carriages, worth many tens of thousands of pounds were virtually worthless. To make matters worse I hated being a cattle farmer, or trying to be one I should say. Easy to look after in the summer, but a horrible, nasty, smelly hard job in the winter. It is hard getting up at all hours of the night with the Horses when they are foaling. When you have twenty five cattle that are due to calve, it is believe me a lot, lot worse. It didn’t matter how many times that I checked on the cows that were due to calve, all through the night, I missed the births more than I witnessed. Quite a few that I had last seen only an hour before I returned an hour later, had calved, with me finding the calves in the birth sack and had died not being able to breath.
The Cow that I originally going to tell you about, was if I remember about twelve years old. She was a moody, mean old so and so and kicked like a Horse, instead of the normal cow kick from the side. At any opportunity she would kick at any thing that moved. When she calved, she was a nightmare. The person that I got the cattle from never told me about her, until I had experienced her antics the first time that she calved at Denbury. I would pen those due to calve in a separate area from those cattle with calves or who were due to calve, This made it easy to find them in the night. On checking her one night, I had found her laying flat out on her side, with the calves head showing at the beginning of the birth. With the help of a calving aid I managed to pull the calf off. Feeling quite pleased with my achievement of a live calf, I proceeded to move the calf in front of the cow, so that the mother and calf could bond. Well no sooner than I started to move the calf, this moody ungrateful maniac got to her feet, quicker than a 100m olympic champion could get out of the starting blocks, with head down she charged at me like a Bull. The pen that the Cow was in was only a little bigger than one of our stables. Being made up of gates, I would normally have climbed over, as I would a ladder. I didn’t have time for that, I dived over the gate head first, still getting hit in my side by the Cows head, finishing up spreadeagled, face down in the cows messy straw bedding. She never got the opportunity again to attack me when I helped her calf on other occasions, I didn’t hang around moving the calf, I was out of the pen quicker than she thought about getting up.
The Lock of the Lowe’s visitors centre managed to get one of the new camera working today. I had hoped that the main PTZ camera would be working, so that we could see the last of the Osprey chicks before they migrate. They are going to try to get it going next week. We are sending another camera to them next week to get a closer view of what you can see on the new camera. It is positioned on a feeder that is visited by both Pine Martins and Red Squirrels.
We have been sorting the Sheep and Lambs out today, to take to market in the morning. The lambs being free range had to be got into the pen before we were able to catch them. There were only six to catch, but it finished up taking the best part of two hours. The time it took us, any decent sheep farmer could have done it in half an hour Taking livestock to a Market is not the way that I like to sell animals. I would much prefer to sell them privately, to save them the stress that they obviously go through when being sold in a busy market, and going from one vehicle to another. I did advertises them a number of times since I have had them penned in. We had a couple of phone calls, but no one came to look at them. We are taking all of the sheep to market except for the Portland’s, as there is a rare breeds auction on the 11th of August, that would be a better option for them.
When you take animals to market, it is better to pen them so that the sheep are of the same type and size, it is then easier for the buyer to price them. So it is an early start tomorrow. When they are in the pens the potential buyers, touch, prod, and feel to see what condition they are in. The cattle part of the market is the worse place. Where the Auctioneer walks around the the sheep pens to sell the sheep, the cattle are put into a ring, where they are moved around by the market workers, by prodding them with sticks. Very often the cattle are whacked harder than they need to be. As much as I have a lot of respect for the RSPCA in what they do, at cattle markets they do not seem as diligent as they are in their other good work, and allow in my opinion unneccassry use of sticks on cattle.
As we were sorting the Sheep, I had second thought about sending the Texel’s Ewes, Dolly and her gang off. There are five of them that were orphaned when they were Lambs, and bottled fed by a young girl. They are very friendly but unfortunately I really cant keep them. We can only hope that they get a good home.
The Swallow chicks were not to keen to leave the nest. When I turned the nest camera on this morning two of the Swallow chicks had fledged. There was only one left and that was balancing on the wire next to the nest. When we returned from feeding the Horses that had also gone. I joked that with the rain that we were getting, they wouldn’t stay out to long. I turned the new Swallow nest camera on until this evening when hopefully the fledglings would return. Half an hour later on checking the nest they had returned, bit to wet outside, I should think. One has been in and out of the nest, trouble is the other two are hoping it has food for them. With the rain that we have been promised, the fledglings could be in for a very precarious time. It was good to see that they have returned to the nest tonight, after leaving the nest when it brightened up this afternoon.
Although the final report by the Government’s Independent Scientific Group on bovine TB, that was published today, advises that Badger culling would be meaningless, there is still the decision of the Government to be made. You would think as most logical people would, that the decision on the cull would be made on the report published today, and all the other evidence from both Government departments and outside bodies. Not if The National Farmers Union has anything to do with it. A recent report on a Badger cull in Ireland, clearly shows that in spite of their cull, the are increases in Bovine TB in all of the areas of the cull. Other evidence indicates, that Cattle are the cause of TB in Badgers, and it goes on and on, with no evidence that Badgers cause TB in Cattle. Cattle testing in herds before movement, has also shown a large decrease in incident of the disease. The National Farmers Union cant let it drop, they have been kicking the same ball about for years. It wont matter what evidence you put before the NFU, they will never accept it.
It hasn’t of course, but if the report published today had of found overwhelming evidence that Badgers were the cause of Bovine TB, and that a trail cull should take place. What would have been the outcome if the trial had shown a reduction in TB. Eliminate every Badger? That is what it would suggest. And would it be right. Of course not. I am confident that the Government will note all of the overwhelming evidence against a Badger cull.
I have just found this statement from the National Farmers Union, on the BBC website of today. Quite obviously they are not interested in scientific evidence, more in trying to save face.
National Farmers’ Union president Peter Kendall said he would seek urgent meetings with ministers and officials to devise a culling strategy that would make a worthwhile difference to the disease situation. “I simply do not accept that the industry cannot devise a culling strategy that will reduce the reservoir of TB in badgers,” he said. He added that better testing and tighter controls on cattle movements would be worthless unless something was done to stop the “relentless cycle” of re-infection of cattle in the TB hot spot areas by disease spreading from badgers.
I shouldn’t think that it will be to long for the Swallow chicks to have fledged. The nest looks far to small for the three of them now. I think that the parents are thinking the same, as I have just seen an adult bring in some hay or straw, surly not to make the nest larger, or do they? Touch wood, at least this nest has survived. The fledglings normally return to the nest of an evening, for up to a week. Although the fledgling from one nest last year return for a bit longer. Unfortunately the place that the nest has been built, doesn’t allow a very wide angle camera view. It would have been good to have seen them returning to the nest, and perching on the wires that the nest has been built around.
The first Swallows nest that I found that was built on a electric junction box, has got 5 warm eggs in it. I should thing two of those wont hatch as they were probably left by the previous occupants. When the fledglings stop returning to the current nest, I will be able to move that camera, to show this nest. I have also found another Swallows nest in one of the barns. I put a camera up and I showed it this afternoon. I don’t think that the eggs have hatched yet. I will be able to move the camera to show a Dove nest that is in the same barn. As much as I have tried, I have been unable to find any nests, of other types of Birds.
I am not one who get to excited about global warming. Although I do believe there is a need for us all to be environmentally friendly. Recycling is necessary, as much to protect the world resources and to stop the lose of the rain forests of South America and Asia, for the sake of the creature that inhabit them. Although having rotting food in plastic tubs for two weeks, seems to me a bit of a contradiction. Surly it would be better to be rotting underground, that letting off harmful gases into the ozone layer, every time you open the tubs, to put more rotting food into them. Anyway a long way round to ask, if like here are your Blackberry bushes flowering. I have never seen so many flowers and never at this time of the year. I have never know Blackberries to be any earlier that the middle of August. I cannot imagine that they will fruit twice. A very important part of Birds diet will be missing, as they go into the Autumn.
Last night I saw fourteen Badgers on camera two. I maybe wrong, but I thought that there are a couple more smaller cubs, that were not out with the fourteen last night.
By the end of this month the Government are expected to give a decision on if there is to be two experimental areas for a Badger Cull. And it is an experiment to see if the areas show a decline in Bovine TB after a Cull. There is no evidence that Badgers are the cause of TB in Cattle. Recent evidence and the testing of TB in Cattle before they are allowed to leave a farm, only if free of TB, shows that the movement of Cattle to be the cause of Bovine TB, and that the cattle droppings spread the disease to Badgers. If the Government allows a Cull, it is understood that licences will be given to individuals who apply for the licences to shoot the Badgers. Under the Freedom of Information Act, we will be entitled to know who is licenced. The National Farmers Union, are the main instigators of pushing the Government for a Cull. They have recently had a national advertising campaign to publicise their insurance. Those wildlife enthusiasts who love wildlife and the Badgers, who are insured with the NFU, may consider alternative insurers.
Last night we were sitting in the lounge. For over half an hour there was a constant buzzing Bee noise, some where in the room was a Bee, the noise wasn’t moving, so it should have been easy to find, we spent most of the half hour looking for it, it was just no where to be found. We would just have to suffer the buzzing, but it was aggravating. Ky was on the other side of the table, that was in front of the sofa we were sitting on, she was pawing at something on the floor in front of her, I realised that was where the buzzing was coming from. On looking at what she was pawing, I soon realised that it was not a Bee, but a Hornet.
Personally I don’t get to excited about Wasp, Bees or Hornets. I reckon that if you leave them alone they are not liable to hurt you. On saying that, I have been stung quite a number of times. I can understand those who do dislike them, with my fear of Rats. Although partly what frightens me of Rats, is the disease they carry and spread. Ky was fortunate not to have been stung by the Hornet, although when I got it into a glass, to put it outside, it was a bit dopey. It is the first one that I have seen this year, others have seen them over the past week or so. At night the lights attract them to the windows and they tend to bang quite hard into them. Normally when this happens they are nesting in a recess or in the roof of the farm house. I would prefer to leave them alone and try to get their comings and goings from the nest on camera. Sadly for them I am not the only one who lives in the house.
I don’t remember Hornets being about this early in the year, more like July time, I seem to remember. I could be wrong, but I have seen Bumble Bees around. I was meant to try to find where they are nesting. The best places I find to start looking is at corners and roof areas of the house, that are in front of a clear sky. Black dots are all you see of them against a clear sky, but you can then follow them to their nesting site. I didn’t look to hard today, but if it is a clear day tomorrow I may try. When I do find it, I will try to convince others to let me try to watch the nesting with a camera. It may not be that easy.
When we kept Cattle, a nest of Bees swarmed in the field that we show the Horses in. The Cattle were in the field at the time. At the farthest end of the field from the farm house, I saw a small black area that looked like a cloud, about six to eight foot above the ground, moving towards the Cattle, who were in the field. When they got close to the Cattle, the Cattle stampeded towards the gate. I reckon that the Cattle must have turned away from the gate. I don’t know for sure, as I thought it wise to get in doors away from the swarm.
Three years ago whilst eating a cake, I got stung on my tongue by a Wasp, that was inside the cake. My tongue quickly started to swell. I didn’t hang about, I was driven to the Hospital, that is a fair way from the farm. I don’t know what would have happened if had waited for an ambulance, as someone suggested, as my whole mouth and throat were swelling up. I made the person driving break the law so many times, that their driving licences would have been taken away for ever. I made them overtake on bends and go past a speed camera, at twice the speed, and worse.
By the time that I got to the Hospital I was really worrying about the problem that I was having to breath. I didn’t book into casualty, I went straight to a Doctor who was attending a patient. He understood why and attended to me straight away, I was given some sort of jab and the swelling quickly went down. Within twenty minutes I discharged myself. The Doctor did comment, that this unusual emergency made a nice change from his normal emergencies. I don’t reckon that he would have liked to been on my end of it.
Woody seems to have been a lot better over the past few days. She hasn’t been laying down as much and is a lot livelier.
I finally spoke to Veterinary about Woody this morning. The blood samples taken some weeks ago were looked at again, they showed very little to what is the cause of Woody’s problems. There were small signs of worm infestation, but it would not be uncommon to find that. Our Horses are regularly wormed. The most likely cause of her illness and loss of weight is that she has a cancer of some sort. Unfortunately to pinpoint it is virtually impossible and inoperable if you do find it. Further blood tests could be taken, but other than showing more accurate results on worm infestation they would be of little use. I will re worm her, if that is the problem she would soon gain weight. I wont take any drastic action unless I believe she is suffering. We will see how she goes through the summer before making any final decision.
Elsie on today’s forum brought up the subject of the Badger cull and the findings of a cull in the Republic of Ireland, that ended in 2002. I have not read the report, only what was on News 24. It seems that there may have been an increase in the amount of cattle needing to be slaughtered, in areas that Badgers has been virtually exterminated.
There is so much conflicting evidence on the cause of Bovine TB, that you really don’t know what to believe. Recent evidence suggests that cattle infect Badgers with the disease. Until recently cattle had free movement around the country. Unknown to either the seller or the purchaser, infected Cattle were transported to Bovine TB free area, subsequently incidents of TB were then found in those areas. Now Cattle have to be tested before they are allowed to be moved, since the testing Bovine TB has in most areas dramatically decreased. That must prove something.
My biggest concern is how the NFU is conducting their call for a cull. Farmers do have problems with Badgers. They cause damage to fields and the tunnels of the Badger setts do at times go a good way into a field, this has caused tractors to turn over when they have gone through into the tunnel, when they have driven over them. I believe a couple of farmers have been killed this way. Farmers are not the type of people who on mass run to a union rep. Please Mr Union man get these Badgers culled. They are not that type. It is more like the Union trying to prove that they can make things happen and their representatives positioning themselves by who can get the most done, for future promotions. They have gone so far down the route that they have, that they will never admit that they may have got it wrong.
I am sure those responsible for any decision on a UK cull, will take all the evidence into consideration. Woe betide them if they get it wrong.
I also believe that the Badger Trust has very little foresight. On many occasions I have asked them to give us a link. Surly if more people saw our Badger web cams, the more support they would get. We did get a link when they wanted us to help promote the annual Badger day, that they organise.
Also Elsie, the Badger is mightier than the fox.
Karen and Pat, A massive box, and I mean massive has been in our kitchen for two weeks, with the telescope inside. It has been away for a small repair. It needs three people to get it into the observatory. There maybe three people here tomorrow. It I do get it in, it will still take a little while longer to fit it up for broadcasting.
Sorry who ever asked about the owl cam. Be patient, there may not be an owl cam, although there was one, on one of their sight last year. But there will be other exciting possibilities. One of their Wardens, who inspects areas near the farm is coming when next in the area to see me, It wont be long. You will be surprised.
The Geese flew back onto the lake this morning. They stayed for a while. I don’t know if they ever have a second clutch of eggs. What ever we do have a couple of things in mind to try to stop the Gosling from being taken.