29th November 2007

The cattle have finally come into their housing for the winter months and many of the pastures have been shut up until the spring. The cows are split into their groups and their calves weaned off into their own sheds, always a noisy time with the stress of being separated from your mother. As with all the animals on the farm, every effort is made to minimise stress levels with sympathetic handling and appropriate housing.

Recently the farm has taken delivery of a new squeeze crush, the latest in cattle handling equipment from the United States as recommended by Temple Grandin. Her work on cattle handling systems is based on her understanding of animal behaviour and her own experience of treatment for autism. Like so many of the very best ideas, it is very simple.

Traditional cattle crushes work by closing around the animal's neck, not to strangle the beast, but simply restraining the animal in what wrestling fans would recognise as a 'head lock'. Temple believes that being held around the body - cradled, in effect - is calming, rather than the restriction of a neck hold, from which all animals simply try to escape.

The 'squeeze' crush has movable sides, so that once the animal has entered the crush, the sides are quickly ratcheted in, holding the animal by its flanks. The first group of FAI cattle were put through the new crush for a routine blood test, and the initial signs are promising, with the whole experience calm for both animal and operator.

Other autumn jobs continue, with preparations to bring in lambs, general tidying-up, and fencing. The last field on the farm that was in set-aside is being returning to production. 'Good View' is steep sloping ground facing east, just below Wytham Wood. In the past it was marginal land that was ploughed but, with lines of springs and rocky outcrops, the plan is to return the field to long-term grazing pasture.

Next spring a grass and clover seed mix will be stitched into the existing sward with the Unidrill, which, with its disc coulters, carves through the existing sward and dribbles seed into the 'drills'. Preparation starts now with hedge trimming and a new fence, while the forage that is still there will be eaten back by the sheep well before winter sets in. Time will tell whether this low input sward rejuvenation technique will work.

But there is a certain sobering thought: just a few years ago land was being set aside, taken out of production to reduce mountains of surplus. Now, that same land is being returned to production as demand outstrips supply. It only goes to show just what a delicate balance it is between surplus and shortage.

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