Farmer's - a question

Dry Rot said:
Red meat is an essential ingredient for the formation of brain tissue.

Anyone who doubts that need only read this thread.:eek:
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I gave up reading after about 10 pages and instead began banging my head against the wall :o

PS. In response to the original question - why don't we just keep the sheep inside? Because if the farmer put his entire flock inside at once, he'd probably be breaking DEFRA's welfare guidance about minimum space per sheep ;) As well as increasing the risk of crushing newborn lambs, disease, over heating etc.

The vast majority of farms I've been to have one barn for lambing, that is just big enough for a certain proportion of the flock. As so many go out with lambs, so many more who are due to lamb come in. It works most of the time, but unfortunately not this year :(
 
FfionWinnie said:
Yes he has plenty of power but unfortunately he is also as thick as mince :D. He is not in the same league as the other two.

He couldn't have got this gimmer in because he would have been at it like a bull in a china shop and she would have broken back to the flock. Power is importent but they need more than just power. These girls have power and everything I want in a dog. I have one daughter of the merle and two of her grand daughters out of the red one, to take over from them. If they are half as good I will be lucky (and happy!).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poPniomG5wY

And this was a dog that could move an elephant. Unfortunately he got his leg broken moving cattle (which he finished moving before he would give up). He never recovered from the break which was in a bad place. Not sure I will ever get over the loss of him and I won't work a dog on cattle now hence I bought a cattle horse.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2XKbkLo3fo
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Your cattle horse, as you call her, has no experience at at all with cattle going by your video. I wonder if when you start lambing you might not have as much time to be on this forum, as you seem to reply to every post going.
 
justabob said:
Your cattle horse, as you call her, has no experience at at all with cattle going by your video. I wonder if when you start lambing you might not have as much time to be on this forum, as you seem to reply to every post going.
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And neither did my dogs with sheep when I bought them but they were bred for the job and I trained them. That's what I do. She is only 4, she will have plenty of experience this time next year.

I expect I won't be here as much but I will still have my iPhone and I will still get email alerts and I will still have nothing to do while waiting for a bucket to fill or the dogs to bring sheep down to the pens and I might still reply to something to fill the time.

No doubt you'll still be here being nasty for the sake of it.
 
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honeymum said:
Ahahahahahahaha, yeah for about 10 minutes til they realise what hard work it is for so little money.
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I must admit that we have a fantastic lifestyle, we live in a beautiful but freezing cold and the roof has gone house, we walk on our own land and have no going to work in traffic issues.
On the other hand we never go away, except for overnight breaks, we never have a lie in and we have no bloody money!
 
I think what some people are forgetting is that farming is about so much more than meat, or food. If you took everything out of your home & life that some part of came from a farmed animal, you wouldn't have a lot left, trust me. For a start, look at tallow from the rendered bones etc. That goes into most of your washing liquid and other such cleaning products.

Instead of complaining, why don't you just TRY living like a vegan for a little while. And not a fake half-assed vegan who only EATS veg, I mean a vegan who has to source vegan shoes, vegan deodorant, washing liquid and so on. Just have a little attempt and see how you like it ;)
 
Clodagh said:
Very true.

There is such a lot of bad feeling towards farmers on this forum generally, not just they neglect their animals but also they charge too much for hay/straw/grazing/whatever. Why is that? Is it because as horse owners we are reliant on them to an extent and reliance causes negativity?

Farmers tend not to be overly sentimental about their animals but that shouldn't be confused with lack of care or feeling towards them. Not all, I know, like not all gypsies neglect their horses. The overweight labrador living in a flat and ambling round the park once a day might be 'more loved' by its owner than a working collie, but who do you think has the better lifestyle? The collie may sleep in a barn or a kennel and probably doesn't get luxury food but which is more fulfilled?
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great post, completely agree.

It seems by this thread that farmers fall into two categories, those who are too small and unviable, and those large factory farms. By definition we fall into the latter, but instead of recognising that a lot us expand and can widley give our livestock the conditions they need we are criticised. This forums view on farming often angers me because a lot of people on here are completely clueless about farming. I think the OPs question has been answered by a few very well, and this thread has just turned into a very sour debate.
 
I, shamefully, know nothing about farming, but it seems like a very hard and thankless task, especially with consumers demanding cheaper food, and the terrible winter we've had. I always try and buy local, from our very well stocked farm shop, but the big supermarkets seem to be screwing you all to the wall!

I. for one, would like to say thank you to all the farmers who work, tirelessly, to provide our food.
 
Some points on this post beggars belief !

Perhaps some should try living on a working farm, especially in these extreme weathers, working long days, no holiday,no Christmas break, no lie in, no income if weathers poor and crops fail, no guaranteed salary at the end of the month., no sick pay and not much money earnt, no time to sit on forums debating how others are doing it wrong...

I certainly could not do it and respect those who do!

Farmers livestock is their livelihood, they don't want to see it killed off by the snow just as much as the people sitting watching it on the tv!

It's very easy to sit on the fence pointing out others wrongs, but I feel unless you are in the situation yourself and know all the variables, you are hard placed to make a valid point. I find it quite an ugly human trait, that whilsts others are facing some of the most challenging times in their lives, others seem to feel (mostly with no justification) that they could do better when in reality most could not.
 
Vicki1986 said:
Some points on this post beggars belief !

Perhaps some should try living on a working farm, especially in these extreme weathers, working long days, no holiday,no Christmas break, no lie in, no income if weathers poor and crops fail, no guaranteed salary at the end of the month., no sick pay and not much money earnt, no time to sit on forums debating how others are doing it wrong...

I certainly could not do it and respect those who do!

Farmers livestock is their livelihood, they don't want to see it killed off by the snow just as much as the people sitting watching it on the tv!

It's very easy to sit on the fence pointing out others wrongs, but I feel unless you are in the situation yourself and know all the variables, you are hard placed to make a valid point. I find it quite an ugly human trait, that whilsts others are facing some of the most challenging times in their lives, others seem to feel (mostly with no justification) that they could do better when in reality most could not.
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Marvelous post, very good points made.
 
misterjay said:
I, shamefully, know nothing about farming, but it seems like a very hard and thankless task, .......
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There's no need to feel shame, as you've been open. There are others, who also know nothing, but claim that they do, and lecture! ;):D

I wouldn't agree with you that it's a thankless task. Most of those who keep livestock, struggle, but there are those moments which can lift us. We pull a live but struggling lamb, or calf, from its mother, and against the odds, it's up and survives. We take a puppy, on a summer's evening, and put it round a group of shearling ewes, and we watch the puppy find out, for itself, the best way forward. We present lambs in a market, and the buyer sidles up to us and asks if we have any more, like that! ;) We have a neighbour call in, just to see how we are, and we show them, with justifiable pride, our stock. We have children (or grandchildren!) getting under our feet and asking to be able to help, our own enthusiasm being contagious.

There are rewards, but few that will please our bank managers!

Alec.
 
amymay said:
That wasn't the original question bronsonnutter.
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amymay said:
Why did farmers leave stock on the land, rather than bring them in when the heavy snow started?
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BronsonNutter said:
PS. In response to the original question - why don't we just keep the sheep inside? Because if the farmer put his entire flock inside at once, he'd probably be breaking DEFRA's welfare guidance about minimum space per sheep ;) As well as increasing the risk of crushing newborn lambs, disease, over heating etc.

The vast majority of farms I've been to have one barn for lambing, that is just big enough for a certain proportion of the flock. As so many go out with lambs, so many more who are due to lamb come in. It works most of the time, but unfortunately not this year :(
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Sorry, I am confused as to that was not a response to the original question...
 
amymay said:
You stated that the original question was 'why dont we just keep the sheep inside', bronsonnutter. Which it wasn't.
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You're asking why they were left out on the field! Where would you like us to put them, if not inside?

ETA: If you read my entire answer, you'd have an explanation as to why farmers left the stock on the land when the snow started. I thought it would pretty obvious that I was paraphrasing your question ;)
 
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BronsonNutter said:
You're asking why they were left out on the field! Where would you like us to put them, if not inside?

ETA: If you read my entire answer, you'd have an explanation as to why farmers left the stock on the land when the snow started. I thought it would pretty obvious that I was paraphrasing your question ;)
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I for one think youve answered everything, Ive kept off this thread apart from one comment, it just makes me so mad.

Next time anyone knocking the majority of farmers wants to rent a spare field or buy the odd bale of hay I hope you wont be hyprocrites and rent or buy off a farmer:rolleyes:
 
a post that should never have been started :{ as if the poor farmers havent enough to cope with without answering stupid questions.
 
wildwest said:
a post that should never have been started :{ as if the poor farmers havent enough to cope with without answering stupid questions.
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Bit harsh....I think people can ask whatever they like plus it was an academic question really as I don't suppose anyone in the middle of lambing with lots of snow would have the time or the inclination to be on a horse forum answering questions......
 
Alec Swan said:
Not harsh, Bonny, if you don the tunic, then you must face the arrows. Sorry, but that's a fact of life.

Alec.
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I explained why I thought it was harsh and it's not for you or anyone else to decide what questions people can ask.....I take it you don't believe in free speech ?
 
bonny said:
I explained why I thought it was harsh and it's not for you or anyone else to decide what questions people can ask.....I take it you don't believe in free speech ?
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Not at all, I agree with you, I believe in both freedom of speech, and thought, BUT, I'll tell you again, Don the suit......

You must face the slings and arrows, as do the rest of us. If you can't cope with criticism, then step to one side. ;)

Alec.
 
bonny said:
Bit harsh....I think people can ask whatever they like plus it was an academic question really as I don't suppose anyone in the middle of lambing with lots of snow would have the time or the inclination to be on a horse forum answering questions......
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You got it in one bonny! Was an "academic question" and you don't seem to like the 'practical' Posts. And YES some of us have answered and YES we have been working in the snow helping our neighbours and yes some of us have answered on a horse forum, God we must be sad and what does that make you?
 
Bertieb123 said:
You got it in one bonny! Was an "academic question" and you don't seem to like the 'practical' Posts. And YES some of us have answered and YES we have been working in the snow helping our neighbours and yes some of us have answered on a horse forum, God we must be sad and what does that make you?
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Did you actually read the thread or just come on to be rude ? go back to the first page and see the 2nd reply to the original question.....then let me know what you think ?
 
bonny said:
Did you actually read the thread or just come on to be rude ? go back to the first page and see the 2nd reply to the original question.....then let me know what you think ?
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No I not being rude, just read your previous post.............. yes I been lambing and yes I have time to answer, but some of your posts:confused: Yes confused. And no I don't have time to read the first page etc I am only reading what I see now (which I presume many do).
 
It was actually a good question to ask, amymay, it has answered your question and hopefully educated others who clearly have no clue about the practicalities of farming.
 
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