Wiltshire Village Meats Farm Diary - Sept 2008 -

	Wiltshire Village Meats Welfare - - Quality				In association with Walter Rose and son Family Butchers
JAN 2009 DEC 2008 NOV 2008 OCT 2008 SEP 2008 AUG 2008 JUL 2008 JUN 2008 MAY 2008 APR 2008 MAR 2008 FEB 2008 JAN 2008	FARM DIARY THE EVERYDAY STORY OF LIFE ON A WILTSHIRE FARM
	Links to other pages HOME FARM SHOP FARM SHOP - Greeting Cards WALTER ROSE ABOUT OUR FARMING FARM DIARY RECIPES QUESTIONS CONTACT US		September 2008 More Rain, rain and harvest Harvest is happening but we're combining grain much wetter than we would choose to in a normal year, the fortune we're spending on fuel to dry the crop does notmake very sound economics but needs must. The weather is gloomy, the farmers are equally gloomy! I hear tell that that the long range forecast is for a drier and warmer autumn than average - let's hope so - the first week of September doesn't seem any improvement. This website has been lacking butterflies and moths this year compared to previous years, the wet weather has obviously badly affected them although interestingly not the cabbage white caterpillers in the garden or the carpet moths which have got into our bedroom carpet! I've never experienced carpet moth before - any advice anyone - fortuntely our carpet is very old 40+ years but the moths are not prolonging it's life! I did photograph this rather beautiful Brimstone moth which came into the kitchen one night - really bright yellow. Turkey enterprise Alasdair declared a wish to rear some turkeys this year following the Devizes Food Festival where he took quite a shine to some turkey poults. As two of our hens went broody almost at the same time I agreed to try to get some eggs. I have now discovered that you can buy all manner of fertile eggs on ebay. Unfortunately it took us a few weeks to get hold of some bronze turkey eggs but finally in the middle of August we succeeded. We're half-way through the 28 day incubation period now although sadly one hen gave up so we are down to four eggs. I think the best we can hope for is one for Christmas and possibly a breeding pair to keep. I think Russell Candy's turkey business is safe for a few more years! Turkey poults are not very hardy so I'm hoping the hen will look after them until they are strong enough to cope on their own. You really can buy anything on ebay! 23rd September - Harvest officially ends - at last! Today the last straw bales were collected from the fields, the combining was finished in glorious sunshine at the weekend. A very large collective sigh of relief has gone up! It really has been the worst harvest for about 40 years. Yields are reduced where grain has been knocked out by the rain. The grains are sprouting which affects quality, straw quality is awful and we have spent a fortune on drying nearly all the cereal harvest. Oh well, the sun shone for a weekend, the butterflies came out and it felt like summer. Now all the fields must be cultivated and planted as soon as possible or next years yields will also be affected. Colin - the combine - was seen sporting an Estate Agents 'For Sale' sign at the weekend which summed up the frustrations of the season where combine breakdowns did not help the difficulties of the weather. Turkey update No eggs have hatched despite heroic efforts of the hen sitting so long. None of the eggs were fertile, it was probably too late in the season. The fact that you can buy anything on ebay may not mean you should! Maybe next year.
	For further information on anything on this site please contact Muriel Naughton Email: Naughton@Farming.co.uk