The focus of the week has been milk. I have attended a South West dairy meeting, held at the National Farmers’ Union regional office in Taunton, and a visit to Westbury Dairies.

At the regional meeting, milk price was at the top of the agenda, with the current very low milk prices causing many dairy farmers huge problems. We were assured that everything possible was being done to help find a solution to the extreme price volatility.

We were also given an update on what “Dairy Co” (our levy body) does with our money, including amounts put into research and promotion.

It produces a variety of information sheets, which can easily be obtained by dairy farmers.

We were also told about the Jersey Project, which is about the use of milk from Jersey cows in the production of cheese.

Jersey milk contains greater amounts of fat and protein than milk from Friesian/Holsteins and a three-year project has been undertaken at Reading University, where 12 batches of half-tonne quantities of cheddar cheese were made to the same recipe, using differing ratios of the two milks, It was found that when 100 per cent Jersey milk was used, there was a 35 per cent increase in cheese yield. There was no difference in texture or colour.

However, the protein particles are smaller and the fat globules bigger. As a result, more care had to be taken handling the milk, which coagulates quicker, while acidifying more slowly.

In the next five years, it has been predicted that Jerseys in the USA will increase by 20 per cent and the UK herd will rise to three per cent, especially due to a positive environmental impact.

The visit to Westbury Dairies was enjoyed by all who attended.

We were taken on a most interesting guided tour of the factory, where high-quality butter and skimmed milk powder are made. We had to put on disposable coats, hair and foot covers. We did look funny.

Meanwhile, on Stowell Farm, preparations continue for lambing of the main flock.

All the ewes have been run through a foot bath again, to help their hooves to remain in good condition.

These sheep have also been vaccinated, to protect them against a variety of clostridial diseases, the antibodies produced passing to their offspring via colostrum once they have given birth. Correct feeding is very important in the late stages of pregnancy, as the lambs grow rapidly and the intake capacity of the ewes reduces.

The rams have also been vaccinated against the clostridial diseases and their feet trimmed.

They are now out in a field together, as their work has finished for the time being. Next year’s ewe lamb replacements have been brought into a barn to introduce them to silage, so that, when they lamb for the first time, they will not be stressed by an unfamiliar change of diet.

They were also crutched, to help prevent fly-strike when the warmer weather arrives, as they will have almost one and a half fleeces before they are sheared.

Some of the few remaining wethers (castrated ram lambs born last year) were graded as ready for meat.

Before being taken to the abattoir, they had to be crutched and belly-clipped, to make sure they were presented for slaughter as clean as possible.

On Manor Farm, Ian and Ryan have been removing more dirty water from our slurry store, as well as doing all the routine jobs associated with the milking cows and looking after young stock.

Richard has been doing more repairs and, with Ian’s help, replaced the chain on the automatic slurry scraper in the milking cow cubicle barn; not a pleasant job.

More welding to strengthen the trailer’s tail-board was required. One of the stock trailer lights had to be repaired and the plough needed attention before it prepares ground for maize.