John was out with his grass harrow in very early March after some nice days and drying easterly winds allowed work to commence pulling out last years dead grass. This will allow the new growth to dominate when it does finally warm up! The grasses have been checked for compaction but suprisingly they are all […]
Every year we test all our forages for nutrients. Some early cut crops this year where worth the test but the majority of the hays where very basic in terms of nutrients. Crude Description DM % Protein % D Value % ME (MJ/kg) Haylage (May Meadow) 66.6 16.3 70.6 11.3 Haylage […]
Hay quality for 2012 was never likley to be the best! The late harvest meant that hay had lost its colour and was well through its life cycle. Nutrients are low but for the majority of the market that is fine for hay. 2012 hay is now being distributed to our customers. Normally we would […]
Straw harvest always happens in a rattle! Barley straw was wrapped up in little more than a week in late July/early August. Yields where the best weve seen for some years, 2 tonnes to the acre +. Our new big square baler turned up just in time (pictured) and did what it said on the […]
At Smithy Briggs there is only a small area of arable land growing wheat, oilseed rape and vining peas for Birds Eye. 2012 has not favoured a small arable farm. The UK is dominated by arable crops and all have been challenged and will suffer a yield penalty this year quite imply down to too […]
The picture sums up 2012 harvest! Haymaking is always a challenge in the UK climate. 2012 is proving to be more difficult than any other harvest. In June we managed 17 acres of hay when normally we would have done +/- 300 acres! Cutting and hay making Meadow hay in July and August after a […]
After now nearly 2 months since staring forage harvest and nearly a month since making our last (and only) batch of hay there is some noises being made by the forecasters about the weather becoming more settled. Machines and men are poised and ready to get stuck into the grass harvest but a big concern […]
We still have available for sale a batch of 2011 2nd cut ryegrass/clover haylage. This haylage would either suit a working/busy pony/horse or livestock with basic analysis as follows; Dry Matter 72% Crude Protein 12% D-Value 65 ME 10.44 We also have sufficient hay in stock to see existing customers (and some new!) through to […]
We finally got our Birds Eye vining peas sown today after a long drawn out planting period! The peas are sown and harvested by the world’s largest Vining Pea grower group, The Green Pea Company www.greenpea.co GPC is owned by 230 farmers in East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire for the sole purpose of supplying Birds […]
Grass harvest got off to a flying start on Monday 21st May with approximately 42 acres of grass cut for silage. This has been made for livestock given its likely nutrient quality based on the growth stage at cutting. The crop yielded well after the April rain, 387 bales where made in 6ft mini hestons […]
