jakescot

i like your conversion ideas of the brushwood buildings.they do look a bit artificial,mandy and the description of how to use plastruct on your website is really useful to anyone starting out using it for the first time.......handy to know what profile shapes and sizes to order

very very nice,you assume correctly ,i think we all like very much.

Well Adie, you asked so are you ready.. ........I`m afraid I copied this text as it explains it better than I could.Much of this text is from articles by J W Crowley in 1985........get your reading glasses on ........... Nitrate poisoning is a condition which may affect ruminants consuming certain forages or water that contain an excessive amount of nitrate Under normal conditions, nitrate ingested by ruminant livestock, like cattle, sheep and goats, is converted to ammonia and then bacterial protein in the rumen by bacteria. Nitrate is converted to nitrite faster than nitrite is converted to ammonia. Consequently, when higher than normal amounts of nitrate are consumed, an accumulation of nitrite may occur in the rumen. Nitrite then will be absorbed into the bloodstream and will convert hemoglobin to methemoglobin, which is unable to transport oxygen. Thus, when an animal dies from nitrate poisoning, it is due to a lack of oxygen. The occurrence of nitrate poisoning is difficult to predict because nitrate levels can change rapidly in plants and the toxicity of nitrate varies greatly among livestock due to age, health status, and diets. However, concern should certainly be raised when plant growth has been less than half of normal or nitrogen application more than twice recommended. Plants normally take up nitrogen from the soil in the form of nitrate, regardless of the form of nitrogen fertilizer (including manure) applied. However little nitrate accumulates in plants, when growth is normal, because the plant stem and leaves rapidly convert nitrate to plant amino acids and protein. Under certain conditions, however, this balance can be disrupted so that the roots will take up nitrate faster than the plant can convert the nitrate to protein. The nitrate-to-protein cycle in a plant is dependent on three factors: - Adequate water - Energy from sunlight - A temperature conducive to rapid chemical reactions. If any one of these factors is inadequate, the root continues to absorb nitrate at the same rate while storing it unchanged in the stalk and lower parts of the leaves. When this situation develops, nitrate accumulates. Nitrates may also accumulate in plants from excessive nitrogen fertilization, for example on fields where a large amount of manure have been applied. Some plants are more likely to accumulate nitrate that others. Crops capable of high levels of nitrate accumulation under adverse conditions include forage rape,corn, small grains, sudangrass, and sorghum. Weeds capable of nitrate accumulation include pigweed, lambsquarter, sunflower, bindweed and many others. Vegetables capable of accumulating large amounts of nitrate that are most frequently grazed include brassicas,sugar beets, lettuce, cabbage, potatoes and carrots. Ruminant livestock can tolerate a wide range of nitrate, depending on several factors. Factors making nitrate less toxic include: Ø The animal can become conditioned to eat larger amounts of feed with high nitrate content if the increase is gradual. Ø Healthy animals are less likely to be adversely affected than animals in poor health. Ø Adequate amounts of available carbohydrates (grain) allow the animal to consume more nitrate because carbohydrates enhance the conversion process from nitrate to microbial protein. Factors making nitrate more toxic include: § Rapid diet changes can trigger nitrate poisoning. § Parasitism or other conditions causing anemia will increase susceptibility. § Nitrate in more than one diet component (e.g. water and forage). The most dramatic nitrate toxicity problems have occurred when hungry cattle were put on corn stalks, oat straw or weedy pasture. Under these conditions the highest nitrate feeds are fed as the total ration, and the feeding of well-balanced rations and adaptation by the animal are ignored. Sudden change to high nitrate maize silage as the main feed can cause problems. Milking cows and other animals receiving large amounts of grains are not as likely to have nitrate toxicity problems as dry cows, heifers and other animals because the milking cows are on a higher energy ration and because the high nitrate feedstuff is likely to be a smaller proportion of the total diet.. Grains and other concentrates are low in nitrate. Forages (leaves and stems) will accumulate more nitrate than grains. Because forage comprises a larger percentage of ruminants dies, high nitrate in feed is more likely to be of concern in feeding ruminants than non-ruminants. However, nitrate from feed or water can cause problems for all animals and to humans. SUGGESTIONS FOR MINIMIZING NITRATE PROBLEMS Toxicity or safety of a feed containing more than normal amounts of nitrate involves many factors. These include total daily intake of nitrate, previous adaptation of the animal to high nitrate, feeding practices, nutritional quality of the ration and general health of the animal. In addition, the nitrate level of the water may be a contributing factor. The following are the major factors that influence possible nitrate problems. Preventing or changing a condition that increases the problem will help decrease or prevent the problem. Total nitrate intake is the critical problem rather than the amount in any one feed in the ration. For example, a dangerous level in a feed that makes up the total ration could be perfectly safe if it comprised only half the ration. Likewise, a safe level in the feed may be a problem if the water also contains high levels of nitrate. Suggestion - Determine nitrate in all suspicious feeds and in the water. Limit the amount of any questionable feed. Forages, especially corn and oat silages, green chop or pasture and weeds, are the most common sources of the problem. Limits may need to be greater if the water also contains significant nitrate levels. Nitrate in one dose may be very toxic while the same amount divided into several smaller doses is perfectly safe. For example, in one study, giving a 1000 pound cow 150 grams (about 5 ounces) of nitrate (NO3) in one dose produced acute toxicity. Spraying three times as much, or 450 grams (about one pound) of nitrate on the hay consumed in a day, did not produce acute toxicity. Suggestion - If a feed contains questionable amounts of nitrate, divide the daily feeding into smaller feedings. For example, feed ten pounds of silage 3 or 4 times per day rather than feeding 30 or 40 pounds at one feeding. Nitrate is not normally accumulated in the animal because it is continually converted to other nitrogen compounds that are utilized or excreted in the urine and feces. The ability to utilize and effectively excrete the nitrogen compounds requires adaptation by the animal. A toxic level given to a cow that had been on a very low nitrate intake could be a safe level if the same amount had been gradually added to the ration. If a toxic level is fed repeatedly, liver and kidney damage can occur. Suggestion - If a feed is questionable, feed a small amount for a week; if no problem is noted the amount can be increased. When changing to a new feed or different source of feed, it is always better to make the change gradually. Safe utilization of nitrate requires general good nutrition and proper rumen function in cattle, sheep and goats. Rumen micro-organisms require readily available carbohydrate, protein and minerals. Additional vitamin A reduces the toxic effects of nitrates in poultry. Suggestion - Feed a balanced ration. Liberal feeding of a good grain mix insures adequate levels of energy and protein. Minerals should be provided in the grain mixture, as well as by free choice feeding of trace mineral salt and a calcium-phosphorus supplement. Nitrates might destroy or interfere with the conversion of carotene to vitamin A; therefore, the use of a protein source that contains vitamin A or adding a vitamin A supplement in some way is generally advised when high nitrate feeds are used. Avoid feeding high nitrate feeds to animals that are unthrifty or sick for any reason. Do not feed questionable forages to cows that have impaired rumen function. Elimination of high nitrate feeds from rations for dry and recently early lactation cows is also a good practice. Nitrates can accumulate in plants when adverse growing conditions such as drought, hot weather, cool weather or frost slows the growth of the plants. Cool season crops such as small grains and permanent forage grasses may accumulate nitrates in hot, dry weather while warm season crops such as corn and sorghums can accumulate nitrates when the temperatures are low or when growth has been arrested due to frost. Suggestions - Nitrates primarily accumulate in the lower stems and leaves of corn, sorghums, small grains, grasses and weeds. They seldom accumulate at sufficiently high concentrations to be a problem in legumes. If the nitrates are suspected to be a problem, avoid harvesting the basal portions of the plant. Avoid pasturing hungry animals or green feeding on drought stunted crops or weedy pastures. Place suspect crops in the silo and allow to ferment for one to three months before feeding and then follow suggestions given previously. Ensiling will allow conversion of nitrate to ammonia and may reduce nitrate levels by 30 to 50%. Haymaking does not reduce the nitrate level of the forage.

do the arms lift high enough to allow the block to stay on the arms when you are towing your trailer round? other option you could always set it on the trailer and take it with you. great pics , some good kit and all looks very relevant, a sound investment I reckon,a very good source of additional income. Whats the old saying , where there`s muck ,there`s brass ...therefore recycling , waste collection has to be worthwhile

most excellent Matthias, very nice pics and you get good enough weather to make hay !!!! great stuff, love to see more when you can

oh i dunno about that.......you should have your collar felt for that tris ,

you are right Tris, half of that would be more than plenty,where is it going to end? 138p a litre for derv at our local garage

a larson trap for crows and magpies,and 20 mole traps........oh and £1400 worth of fuel!

oh yes and sorry Ol`s input too......i suspect tho his climate and soil are very different to ours........remember this tho quite a lot of ideas look great on paper but when the practicalities come into play its often a different matter. you still need sheds for the cattle once the kales finished,the wet winters we tend to get here mean the poaching is a bigger issue and you certainly need to pick your fields. not cheap to grow , mostly in our area after some sort of cultivating rather than just direct drilling which again due to our weather seems to be very hit and miss the experts tout it as full out wintering, but that I question and prefer to say defferred wintering allowing you to leave cattle outside for longer but unless you have lots of it its unlikely to last the full winter so you`d still be looking at providing some in wintering accomodation for them. it needs an expensive kale balancer mineral , well it does with us at least,and as Gav says , nitrate poisoning could be an issue. you really wouldnt want calves being born in the mess so you need to pick which stock to eat it and its probably best suited to dry cows and or yearlings or stores if you count the benefits of reseeding afterwards then this probably does make it financially more attractive the drains here take a pounding too , we have lots of 2 inch tiles ,these tend not to be very deep very much horses for courses, I may have said all this in my own topic they dont usually plough after the kales done,discing, harrowing etc,you wouldnt drill direct into the poached ground with us and yes ive seen my mates fields this winter, the kale is supposed to be winter hardy and has stood up remarkably well in the cold so far.his hybrid is good too.the stubble turnip rape mix he had for sheep feeding is done and full utilisation was not as good as youd like due to the frost .they could have eaten more now but his lambs are all away, he might put some ewes on for a bit.the ground is pretty decent too, but do remember that it has been dry with us only 55 mm in december and he wasnt using it much before the frost came in with us around the 20`s of november.

much the same from me as above from tim and gav.................they are touting this as the new best way to overwinter cattle.................hmmmmmmmmm i have a friend who has done it very successfully for a few years, he farms a nice coastal farm which despite being only 5 miles by road from me has at least 2-3 week longer growing season at both ends of the year to me.........this makes a big difference.the neighbours to me and the farms owned and run by my landlord try it........they are further up the valley to me and its hit or miss with them on more marginal land. my problems with it is my land all slopes to water courses thus making a potential problem with run off , as gav says the long growing season....much better to sow a hybrid faster maturing variety after a 2nd cut of silage then get back into grass the following spring. you need 2 fields or plenty of dry uncultivated hillocks for the cattle to lie on, electric fencing for rationing the amount they eat, need to go but will add more again.bet you are sorry you asked

mild here now but we still have no water...........ground still frozen but hopefully get to it and get things going as we are now running out of clothes!!!!!

well i havent seen this topic before Mark,.............great to see some of the kit you see on your travels some absolutely fantastic pics, the old big iron versatile fiats........were they big 6 or 12 pot just had very little to do with them.........they dont seem to plough as deep in the comps as they do round here.....have to admit i dont plough, remember I`m a cow man really, but they are great to see..................keep up the pics !!!

sorry to hear that david too, not a good time at all and never easy. tris too, some folks come into our lives, go out again and that is s that whilst other do leave a lasting impression, whether we realise it at the time as you say is another matter.

very sadly despite this being the closest event to me,it`s only an hours drive, I won`t be there due to it being lambing time unless of course I can persuade someone to do all my work that day.... this is part of my problem with the weekend events and why a spring spalding show is also out for me, but such is life and hopefully will get to see pics.

very very nice...................what do you think about the long stemmed flashing beacon? is it just me or does it need shortening ? just received mine today and besides the tyres we arent used to seeing, thats something that stuck out to me

I agree with you Jordan,but do they really care?

yes Alex I know how this goes too..........ive also seen it............its not easy watching knowing you cant help makes it even worse........such a pity old age doesnt come itself...

alll my best for a speedy recovery too rick, that sounds pretty nasty and scary!! you should have seen a box of animals that came to me a few weeks ago , legs broken off cows , horses ears and tails off pigs .........shocking handling you are right

some cheap supermarket strong lager or cider would do the same job without incurring the wrath of the olds!!!!!! sorry to hear about yr g,pa hope he gets better

you like your horses don`t you.......keep up the posting , its great to see something different

looks well with the decals on Paul. nice to see in the background where you have stopped cutting the hedge a nice flat part and a spikey part,good thinking

time for some stacking??

gps system for the tractor.......not the trimble but says its equivalent ......time will tell once it arrives

but of course you have a stack of round bales out the back to keep you going til the grass starts growing ..................very nice update

well as you know I havent been adding many at all but due to this coming , I have bought one or 2 since christmas, pics when they arrive....... Like tris however with me its not that big an issue really but yes it`s probably another reason not to buy too many more. I can see the cost of living rising significantly and money is gonna get very tight for us all what with this fuel increase ....that will affect the price of everything that`s moved about .....heating oil too is now over 70p a litre in our area .........smells of profiteering rather than paraffin now I think.