Richard Curnock is making a fresh start running a family farm in Worcestershire and enjoys the lighter side of life.
It is said that sheep spend their entire lives trying to find as many ways to die as possible, where as we, this is the royal ‘we’ of course, endeavour to keep them alive, I am not quite sure who is winning the battle.
There is nothing more disheartening when you see sore feet, mucky backend, runny noses and ultimately four stiff legs pointing to the sky, where previously healthy stock stood the evening before. (You will note that I have spared you the long medical names for these conditions for two reasons, first I am a down to earth type of guy who does not want to be blinded with science, and second, I cant spell most of them). Let’s not overstate the problem though, but one ewe or lamb with an illness stands out like a sore thumb and to loose a life can be so disheartening.
Our real gripe at the moment is aimed towards who ever deemed it necessary to tag small lambs when we have to move them off the holding to another. A lamb ear at that age is relatively small; to then have to clip an electronic ID tag into it is not well thought out. By their nature they constantly put their heads through wire fences or while eating at a creep feeder, on stepping back they are catching their tags causing them to bleed, leading to infections and some have ripped them out totally.
One of the most used words relating to animal welfare is 'avoid stress', agreed, need I say any more.
Both Phil and I eventually got to make the purchases we almost wanted, I say almost in that Phil wanted a Hereford bull and actually bought an excellent looking Limousin, which is now doing its stuff among a field of heifers, while I bought a JD3200 telehandler, which was a surprise to me as I had been looking at JCB’s and Merlo when this one came available. An 02 reg, 4000hrs, looks to have been well maintained, fitted the bill and within budget. Time will tell on both scores.
Sometimes you just have to go with your gut feeling.
Our ELS has been looked at as it was not just a case of reapplying following the farm split, but hopefully we can acquire the necessary points, and the SPS has been sent in. Fingers crossed.
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