[oor wullie]

For those of you with grass and the odd hour of sunshine, spare a thought.  Below is the SCF request for emergency help for those who are still waiting for spring to arrive.

We are in the south (of the highlands) so not affected so much but still we have only had a total of about 15cm grass growth so far this year.  There were 2 days in April and 2 days in June where the temperature was above 15C and that has been it.

For the guys in the North West and Islands the cost of importing forage would make your eyes water (200 mile trip (each way) for a lorry plus a ferry - assuming there is any hay available to buy in Aberdeenshire).  If you have to spend so much feeding a cow at the end of June then you will be bankrupt by the end of the year.



http://www.crofting.org/index.php/news

CROFTERS FACE CRISIS DUE TO WEATHER
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
The Scottish Crofting Federation (SCF) has alerted the Scottish Government to the plight of crofters’ livestock due to the lack of grazing and has asked for emergency payments to be made.
Crofters in the Highlands and Islands are facing crisis due to the lack of grazing due to severe weather and low temperatures. Joyce Wilkinson, a director of the SCF and a crofter herself said, “Those of us who live on the west coast and islands are now reaching breaking point with the extreme weather conditions. I know of many crofters and farmers who cannot get their cattle out due to no growth in the grass and extreme weather. Hay and straw are running out and many cannot afford to get in another load.”
The SCF has written to the Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture, Richard Lochhead, bringing the situation to his attention and asking for emergency payments to be made before it is too late and animals are sent away.
Ms Wilkinson continued, “Bulls can’t be put out with cows and the cows, having lost so much weight if they were out this winter, are not bulling. Grass, if any, has low sugar due to lack of sunlight, compounding the crisis by low weight gains on stores at the end of the season.”
She added, “Tourism is suffering too due to weather conditions so there is no money coming in from that to buy the extra hay and feed necessary. Everywhere I go I see and hear of near crisis conditions. We brought it up with government officials and were told that the CAP ‘rebate’ was to be paid this week and that could be considered an emergency payment to help with the crisis. But the rebate is based on a percentage of the producer’s claim, excluding the first £2000 – which of course means some small producers will receive very low payments, if any.”
Ms Wilkinson concluded, “SCF are convinced that a real emergency payment needs to be made as soon as possible to avoid catastrophe for many small producers, who are the source of calves for the Scottish beef system, which in turn will face problems if something is not done now.”

[Clarebelle]

It has not been a good year up here. Although the cows are finally all out now the weather will have a knock on affect for, potentially the next few years. Farmers are struggling with the silage/hay crop ready for next winter. The bulls went in with the cows later which means a later calving next year. The local auction mart has held a June sale of cattle for the first time so that farmers can sell stock which they are now unable to afford to feed. Many many lambs succumbed to the weather cost £1000's. Roll on summer.

[SallyintNorth]

Same hereabouts until this last week.

I've observed that our northern grass grows at 10C, which is just as well, as we have many so-called summers in which the temperature is only occasionally above 15C.

However, as the article points out, grass isn't necessarily very nutritious, even if it's growing.  It needs sun to get the sugars flowing.

Our cattle are all now out, about a month or 6 weeks later than usual.  The delay in next year's calving, if this is the norm now for spring / summer, will be advisable anyway, as we prefer to do most of our calving when the mums and new calves can go outside at a few days old.  (Or are born outside.)

Thankfully last year was a great cropping year, and despite the extended period of housing, and needing to feed silage and hay to the beasts being outwintered until well into May, we still have a lot of hay and silage in store.  So the shorter window for making crop this year should not impact us too badly.  (Provided summer does now stick around.  )

We just had our first lambs away today, several weeks later than usual.  The sheep cake bill is going to be a lot higher this year, as we've had to keep caking the ewes as the good grass wasn't there to help them make milk.

I hope the crofters do get their emergency payments.

[devonlady]

And I'm having my seasonal complaint about the weather!! Too hot, too humid

[sabrina]

I had to buy more hay and still feeding twice a day due to lack of grass. Its just so dishearting. Soon be winter again.

[renee]

. Soon be winter again.

They opened the ski slopes for midsummer here. Not sure if that is an early start or a late finish. May was the coldest on record for 120 years!

[Lesley Silvester]

I do feel for those who are affected by the non-appearance of summer this year. I hadn't realised it was so bad further north. Hope the government see sense and help them financially.

[Treud na Mara]

Here in east Coast Caithness we are down to our last couple of bales of hay for our Pygmy goats. The grass has grown but it's been too wet to cut hay yet. We are forecast higher temperatures this coming week but we are likely to have haar too so drying could be tricky. BH will be scything it so if needs be we can dry small quantities in the byre before we hand bale. With so many horses roundabout here too it will really push up the cost of hay for the coming season. Just wish the weather would stunt the growth of the docks !

[fiestyredhead331]

I've just put in my last round bale but thankfully the farmer I get my hay from is keeping bales back for me as he knows I can't store too many at once so I can pick them up when I need to but the grass/forage is poor this year.
we're rotating the sheep and lambs every couple of weeks