Mark Crapper

Apparently November silage is the way forward... Not ideal but we will soon find out, we’d waste too much grazing it.

Some lumps going this week. These lads and lasses have just taken there foot off the gas a bit. Or I have maybe, but when you can’t replace them correctly you don’t just have the same enthusiasm to sell.

Some fair old boys and girls coming in off the wagon. Now I just need a bit of faith in the beef trade. There’ll be some big makers when they get going on feed. Now I just need some faith in the beef trade

The last of the 26 harvest. The year that keeps on giving. Oh shit there’s the fodder beet to come.. maize yields are respectable on the year with quality all over the shop. Feed costs are rocketing so this lot should go a long way to stabilising them.

A shift about of fresh stores in for vaccination and worming. Very important particularly now the weather is changing and alot of cattle are coming in from grazing

Bank holiday breakfast and new sheets for these lads. Bank holidays are the same as any other day in all seriousness. These jobs happen 365 days a year. The job doesn’t stop

After a weekend of finishing off cutting wheat and spring barley it’s back to the day job getting these lads and a few lasses put through to be dosed and vaccinated that were purchased out of the auctions backend of last week

Obligatory harvest ‘26 video

Keeping the job ticking with these fellas landing in. Angus and continental bullocks with a lot of scope to feed.

Getting my eye in for next weeks draw of cattle. Cattle doing there level best. Supermarkets shafting us. Proper job

Second cut gathered up in may 4 weeks after first cut. Already at more silage than the last two years with quality well up. Second cut yields just ok but chasing quality and attempting to cut cost

These lads and lasses are rocking and rolling at 98 days on farm, 1.79dlwg. It’s just a shame that they’ll still be absolutely bloody useless when the supermarkets don’t want to sell them. Unfortunately farming doesn’t just switch off and they know it

Bloody livestock using up what humans waste and turning it into more nutritious food for us to consume

Supermarkets are literally not trying to sell the product we produce over pricing it creating lack of demand and selling foreign. Animal values have dropped hundreds of pounds which the farmer has to stand whilst the price has barely shifted in the supermarkets.

Grass time 2026. Let’s just hope we get more than one cut this year

Maize prep underway. Forage rye that’s been grazed all back end and done us a real turn after cover crop failure due to no moisture. Drilling directly in this. Lets see how it goes

A few ins and outs this week topped off with a few inns.

Last harvest of 2025. Nipping the end of the fodderbeet off.

Proper day for it with the weather turning a corner and making lambing a lot more pleasurable. This lot have a fair shine on now too after a long old winter. Hopefully the straw usage will ease up now !!

A draw of heifers and bullocks finish the week. Heifers full of meat but the bullocks are the last the poorer dooers from a couple of pens that have left. You don’t win them all