Wednesday 4 June 2014

Silage time.

Yesterday was a lovely summer's day, hot and sunny although there was the odd thunder shower during the day.   The grass in the silage meadows is getting very long and is consequently beginning to die off down at the bottom.   It was decided that it was the day for cutting the grass and beginning the process of cutting, tossing, tossing again, rowing, baling and wrapping, although rain was forecast for today.

So the farmer and a couple of friends cut all day (until 9.30pm) and there is now a lot of grass down.   There is always a hazard because curlew nest in the fields around here so you have to be on the lookout for them.   The farmer saw a mother with four chicks - she hurriedly took them into the bottom of the hedge out of the way.   Then he spotted a curlew leaving the nest.   By the time he got back to the spot she was sitting again and he was able to cut round the nest leaving her enough cover to hatch her young safely.  Also whoever does the next stage of silaging will be able to see clearly exactly where the nest is,so hopefully she will bring them off alright.

This morning, as predicted, it is raining - but hopefully it will soon dry up.   And, as the farmer says, the grass is dying off at the bottom so it was desperately in need of cutting and it will eventually dry out enough to continue.

We are making yet another visit to hospital in Middlesbrough today
(an hour away) - this time is for the farmer and his perforated ear drum.

8 comments:

Arija said...

All the best for the Farmer and his eardrum. My mother had one in the early 20th. century and with no antibiotics, lost her hearing in that ear.
Good luck with the silage as well and I think the Farmer is an absolute dear to make sure the curlew procreate in safety.

Dartford Warbler said...

Well done to the Farmer for saving the curlews` nest!
The way farming ought to be done, with such respect for the natural world.

Hoping all goes well for him at the hospital.

Maureen @ Josephina Ballerina said...

Gosh, how did he perforate his eardrum? Must have been painful. Hope they can mend it. I am losing my hearing due to damage to the 8th cranial nerve, and I tell ya, it ain't fun. Oh well.
We don't have a meadow to cut, but the seed we threw out for the birds last winter is growing like crazy in the lawn. Told Ray we should throw bird seed on the whole thing! Josephine loves to hide in back of the clumps of grass. Will post a pic.

Cro Magnon said...

I imagine that if he's baling and wrapping in plastic, then it doesn't matter too much if it's a bit damp. They do the same here, and it always smells wonderful.

Elizabeth said...

Hope all goes well with the Farmer's ear drum. How very tiresome for him.

Your Victoria sponge cake recipe is one I have used for ever - in all the variations you suggest (Smarties to decorate chocolate one for children's b'days etc).
A tried and true winner.
My favorite filling is very whipped cram and raspberry jam.

I bet the silage smells wonderful.
Have you read Jane Gardam's God on the Rocks? Quite batty but rather well done.

Gwil W said...

Hello Pat, Is Le Tour coming by your place? The road looks very clean and tidy. ;)

Em Parkinson said...

Good luck at the hospital....no cutting here yet Pat but I think it will be soon. I'm always surprised that you do it before us. I would expect it to be the other way round given how much further north you are.

Terry and Linda said...

Gosh, I'm sorry about your husband's ear! I hope they get it fix up!

We have killdeer and pheasants here... like your husband Terry tries to save them. The pheasants are fast disappearing and we like to have them around.


Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com