Marchweeke Farm,

Each month we provide an update on the activities and events that have taken place at Marchweeke Farm as we develop our own beef, lamb, pork and poultry enterprises.

And the rain keeps falling! Over ten inches in the last two months! You could count on one hand the number of dry days we have had since the start of May. We did managed to snatch some more silage; cutting one day and baling the next. The grass was stemmy and wet so the feeding quality will be poor but we could be glad of the additional forage next spring. As we carried the bales from the field the heavens opened leaving the gateway muddy and rutted; the situation was not helped by a leaking tractor tyre that required pumping back up after every sixth bale!

The cattle have been poaching the wet pasture, particularly around the gateways and drinking troughs. A couple of the larger heifers became lame and on closer inspection we could see inflammation between the claws and above the hoof. These are typical symptoms of digital dermatitis caused by standing in the mud for long periods. Both heifers are now inside being treated daily with penicillin and antiseptic foot spray. They are making a good recovery.

In more typical July weather conditions the smaller heifers would be outside all the time but we are still bring them in at night so they have somewhere dry to lie. They are looking a little moth-eaten at present because a few are infected with ringworm which is a fungal infection that causes hair loss in small patches around the face. Treatments are not particularly effective but some exposure to sunshine would soon clear up the infection!

The poor weather tends to put a dampener on our spirits but this was nothing compared to my rage on receipt of this year’s wool cheque. One hundred and fifty prime fleeces weighing half a tonne realised the princely sum of £61.51. This return will not even cover half the cost of the contract shearing, rolling and transportation to the depot in South Molton. All sheep farmers are obliged by law to sell to the British Wool Marketing Board who operate a monopoly so there are no other sales options. The Managing Director of the BWMB will be receiving a less than complimentary letter tomorrow morning! Next year fleeces will be added to our produce list; buy 1 and get 149 free!

While the muddy conditions have not suited the cattle it has certainly been advantageous for a pair of house martins that had a plentiful supply of mud to use when they patched up an old nest on the front of the farmhouse. Unlike two years ago, this pair completed the repairs and has now set up home.

Another summer visitor seen on the farm for the first time since our arrival was a spotted flycatcher. This diminutive, grey-brown migrant likes to perch conspicuously and watch for passing insects, flying out to snap them up, before returning to the perch. The RSPB have the spotted flycatcher on their red list following a dramatic decline in population over recent years so it is rewarding to see one feeding in the back orchard. The flycatchers’ summer visit is brief, arriving in May and departing in July or August. It is likely that the one we saw was already making it’s way back to West Africa

The lack of sunshine has meant fewer butterflies this year but despite the rain we saw our first marbled white butterfly. This is a distinctive and attractive black and white butterfly. Our references say that in July this species flies in areas of unimproved grassland with a preference for purple flowers. It’s nice to know that the creeping thistle in the pasture does have some uses!

Wishing you a flood-free month. Julie, Simon and Rebecca