Another week of sunshine and storms has brought with it temperatures in the early morning ranging from 14.1 C to 3.7 C.

The lowest temperature saw the first frost of the season. It is not surprising that we check the thermometer to help us decide what we ought to be wearing.

On Stowell Farm, the maize grown on some of the fields by a neighbour has just been harvested to store as crimped feed. The maize is harvested about two to three weeks before full maturity, with a moisture content between 30 and 40 per cent.

It is a cost-efficient way of producing a high-quality feed without any further processing, eg: drying. The grain is harvested using a combine harvester, which has been fitted with a special header.

The crimped grain is ensiled, where a lactic acid fermentation occurs. To aid the fermentation additives are often added, such as inoculants of lactobacilli.

As with all silage-making, the process relies on anaerobic conditions for the lactobacilli to break down the sugars, so lowering the pH to four per cent. The crimped grain must be consolidated, covered and weighed down.

This feed can be used three weeks after ensiling and is good for all livestock, especially beef cattle. It fits well into mixed rations, is high in nutrients and is dust free.

On Sunday I went with Richard to check and feed the older heifers.

They are still out at pasture but are given a pelleted concentrate ration each day. We took the bags of food in the Land Rover but just as we arrived at the field the heavens opened. Richard got rather wet putting the pellets into the feeders, while I remained in the dry.

Mid-week Adele phoned, so I caught up on the goings-on at Chuggaton Farm. Adele told me they had been de-horning some of the earlier-born heifer calves. At this young age this is quite an easy process as the horn buds are just beginning to develop.

The calves are given a local anaesthetic, then the horn bud is removed, much like extracting a tooth. Another batch of ten calves, about six weeks of age, were being weaned so they were only being given milk once a day.

The first cows to give birth back in August were being put back in-calf using artificial insemination and finally a vet had been in to test all the cattle on the farm for TB. You have to wait three days for the outcome and it’s a worrying time, as just one failure would mean that the farm would be put under restriction, with only sale of animals direct to slaughter allowed.

One morning later in the week, Melissa and Kevin arrived to put sheep fencing around the first of our grass fields to be grazed by some of the lambs born last spring.

When they set off with all the fencing kit and quad-bike loaded in the trailer behind the Land Rover, it was dry. Just as they started to put up the fence it started to rain – in fact it poured and Melissa had not put on her waterproof coat!

Needless to say she arrived back at the house later that morning looking rather wet. Luckily I have managed to stay dry.

I will finish this week by thanking Poulshot Farmers Club for their warm welcome and kind hospitality when I spoke at their meeting on Monday evening.