Farming Diary for December

Pastures

• It's easy to panic in December, realising that important decisions are needed for next year.
• It would be wise to predict that the run of recent dry seasons starting before Christmas is not yet over - requiring extra planning.
• If your supply of good quality pasture packs up in December and will not be seen again till autumn, what are you going to do?
• You need to have Plan B mapped out right now, based on supplements of (hopefully) good quality.  But if things get really dry - quantity will be more important than quality.
• Use up all hay that is more than two seasons old.  Although it will keep longer, the feeding value is very poor and it's only 'fill belly'.
• Also use up any wrapped silage as it does not keep after a second season, even with extra wrap.  Silage in a good sealed pit will keep for over 10 years, but is only an option for large farms.
• Use old mouldy and unpalatable silage as mulch around trees as stock wisely won't eat it.
• It's getting too late to make silage as most grasses have gone to seed, but consider making some hay before the pasture is dead in the bottom.
• Balage if true to label is made from mature pasture, and if properly harvested should be of much higher feeding value than hay and have around 40% Dry Matter.
• Good silage is around 20+% DM and hay 85% DM.  Be careful if you buy so-called 'balage' as it might be hay that got wet and couldn't be saved - and the owner wrapped it.
• If paddocks have got totally away on you and it's very dry, just leave them standing as 'deferred pasture". This never looks tidy, but it keeps the soil surface moist and any seed shed from the grass will help reseed the paddock.
• Prevent thistles and ragwort from seeding.
• Check that your hay contractor is on target and has had plenty of notice, and remember they don't control the weather.
• Make sure your property is 'contractor-friendly' and there's no metal rubbish lying around, gates are wide enough and can lift off easily, and water troughs have not been leaking.  And pay your contractors before they leave.

Security checklist

Security is priority every December as school holidays are not far off, and rural crime is certainly not going down.  It's too easy to be complacent; crime is fueled by drugs and criminals are getting younger and more professional.

• Tell your neighbours when you are away, and that a "block minder" is in charge (part-time or full-time), and the car they will be driving.
• Get your minder to meet your neighbours if possible.
• Be vigilant for anything strange, like stock panicking or strange people or cars arriving at all times of day or night.
• Beware of anyone driving in saying they are looking for Joe Brown, a lost dog or they've come to pick up the pig.
• Keep your road gate shut or locked when away.  Reverse the top hinge.
• Burglars are opportunists - so don't leave "starter kits" like farm tools, ladders etc around that can be used to enter your house.
• Fuel, ATVs, ride-on mowers, chainsaws, sprays and drenches are popular for resale.  If offered these items, get the vendor's details and report them to police.
• Guard dogs are no problem to professionals - doped meat soon deals to the dog, and nasty guard dogs are a danger to kids and friendly people.

Blockwatchers guide

Get someone to check your block when you are away, and make sure they know where to locate:

• Farm map with the 'grazing rotation' clearly marked.
• Main power fence control and earth peg(s).
• Spare fencing gear (posts, standards, fencing pliers, wire joiners, spare wire, insulators, rammer, spade and a sledgehammer).
• Small hand tools and power tools, nails and screws.
• Fire extinguisher in house and farm shed.
• Spare gate, gate fittings and some netting.
• Main water control to turn supply off.
• The pump. What each part of the pump does, and which is most likely to breakdown; the contact number of the fix-it person.
• Treatment for bloat in cattle and blowfly in sheep.
• Vet's number - daytime and after hours.
• Electrician's number.
• Phone number for silage or hay contractor. When are they expected to turn up, and if so, which paddocks are to be done.
• Supply of baler twine and No 8 wire.
• First aid kit.
• Rat and possum bait.

Walk the property with the minder to cover the important issues, especially the farm hazards.

Farm Safety

• It's approaching the time of year when there are always a lot of extra people around on a small block.
• View all these extra bodies as 'hazards' both to you and themselves as a farm is a dangerous place with machinery, animals and chemicals.
• You need to decide how to deal with them when you are home, and especially when you go away.
• Farm bikes are the main killers and maimers of people, but don't blame the bikes - it's people's attitudes, and the confusing law, which is commonly flouted doesn't help.
• So you can either let the kids run riot on the farm bikes and hope nothing will happen, or make the bikes off limit.
• You'll be hated for this but it's a much easier option than visiting hospital daily for six weeks or getting your house wheel chair friendly.  You decide!

Sheep

• If you don't have any proper sheep yards, then use the holiday period to do something about this when you can get extra help.
• Trying to catch and handle sheep without half-decent facilities is a hazard for your vet, shearer, and everyone on the block. See our website for ideas.
• All North Island sheep (on annual shearing) should have been shorn.  Wool is worth money at last so it's worth putting some time into fleece preparation.
• This is easy - just keep the clean body wool separate from the other bits and pieces, dags and raddle marks. Talk to your shearer or wool merchant about this.
• Don't dip or treat sheep for lice for 60 days before shearing, and talk to your vet about the correct product to use.
• Watch for flystrike on daggy bums and old shearing cuts.  Unshorn lambs are prone to flystrike even if they are not dirty.
• Don't drench weaned lambs before talking to your vet find if it is needed, and the correct product to use. Ewes should not need drenching and again check with your vet if concerned.
• If possible get some weight back on ewes you are keeping.  If it gets very dry, you'll just have to try to stop them losing too much weight.
• The key is plenty of water and shade.  Sheep relish willow or poplar prunings which are also mineral rich, so plan to use these and maybe plant more next autumn for this reason.
• Have the rams organised for mating in March (North island). Decide on the joining date by working back from you lambing date to see how that suited your management and lamb prices achieved.
• If you want really early lamb, then ewes in good order and fit rams can mate late this month or in January. But if you don't want early lamb, keep rams well away from ewes.
• Remember in the North Island, Facial Eczema precautions start in January, so decide what you are going to do.
• The best deal for sheep is to buy rams from a breeder who has been selecting for FE resistance, and there are plenty of these rams available these days.  Contact the SIL website for details.

Cattle

• Dairy-weaner calves should be doing well but they will stop growing if it gets very dry and the green feed burns off.
• On good green pasture they should gain at least 1kg/day but if it gets dry 0.5kg/day would be more realistic.
• Purchasing extra supplementary may be justified but do a proper budget. Plenty of good water and shade is important.  Check with your vet about calf vaccinations against blackleg if they haven't been done.
• Calves suckling cows should be weaned and given any good feed on the farm. The cows can be kept on a low plane of nutrition if feed burns off, and use them to clean up any rough feed on the farm.
• Remember FE precautions need to be started for cattle in January so talk to your vet about which method to use.

Business

• Update the farm diary and keep all records up to date.
• Pay accounts regularly and if you have financial problems, get help sooner rather than later.
• Bankers hate surprises, especially at Christmas.
• Leave a wee present in your mail box for your Rural Delivery person - definitely non-alcoholic!