July 2024 - Now

Mixed dairy and beef production with arable.

In this job I cover all most farm duties. I came on for seasonal work and then have been kept on for a few more months. I was going to be permanent but since working having now gone further down the line I dont believe its the right farm for me long term.

During my time here I:

-Did all bailing of round bales for the silage, hay and straw

-Muck carting, grain carting, bale carting

-Power harrowing and have a day ploughing before it got too wet

-Cattle husbandry for both beef and dairy as well as, using modern handling systems.

-Raising calfs and other young stock

Mid February 2024 - April 2024

Mixed livestock/arable production

General farm duties + Lambing duties

I've been at this farm for just two and a half months to assist mostly with their lambing duties. That is all I came to do, hence why it's a short stay.

During my time here I:

- Prepared all medical packages and lambing pens as well as our whiteboard to keep record of each pen as we go

- Carried out the general day to day husbandry i.e., feed routines for ewes and any bottle fed lambs we had, fresh beds and hay + water.

- Capable of identifying lambing signs and problems in the shed as well as the bonding pens i.e., signs of twin lamb or a ewe struggling to lamb

- Aftercare of calves and lambs i.e. spraying numbers, naval dip, docking/castrating lambs

- Movement of sheep through a race and into different fields

- Movement of cattle through a crush and into trailers, then to a field.

July 2023 - Mid Feb 2024

Horse stable - livery

Yard Maintenance, Occasional Horse care

During my time here I:

- Fencing in the form of electric string ran along wooden posts and clips

- Field harrowing and rolling (using a gator)

- Arena maintenance by harrowing and rolling it as well as maintaining the grass and plants around it

- Keeping all the stables painted as well as the other painted buildings of the yard

- General maintenance of the yard landscaping

- Occasional fence post replacements using large post + postcrete

-March 2023 - June 2023

Hay/straw contracting + some of their own - Contract fencing jobs were also part of this business

Work experience - General farm work

This was where I did my second year work placement for college. I was offered the chance to stay longer than my months work placement in which I gladly took the opportunity.

During my time here I:

- Yard maintenance in terms of power washing and keeping it swept as well as keeping this tidy and organised

- Keeping all the machines clean inside and out

- Assisting with hay deliveries, big and small

- Assisting which muck heap removals at stables

- Worked alongside the fencing team on a couple of fencing jobs( my job being to staple the stock fence onto the post using a staple gun)

- Rolling grass fields (using John Deere 6195r)

-Firewood log chopping using a hand held axe as well as a log splitter on the back of a tractor

- February 2022 - December 2022

Mixed livestock/arable production

Work experience - General farm work

This was my first ever work experience and took place in my first year at agricultural college. It was also time working on a farm. In truth I made a few mistakes here being the first time working on a farm and using most farm kit, however, I definitely learnt from them and I generally learnt a lot here as a whole. As a result I made good progress at this farm. I worked with a variety of livestock here and I'd occasionally help out in the farm butchery.

During my time here I:

Machinery:

- Grain cart (International 956XL with approx 10 tonne trailer)

- Bale cart (International 956XL - 18 bales a load)

- Harrowed Grass fields (Old Valtra 3m chain harrows)

- Seeded grass fields (International 956XL with front mounted seed spreader)

- Rolled grass fields (Old Valtra - 3m rolls)

- Topping grass fields (International 956XL 3m Topper)

Livestock:

- Pigs husbandry i.e., feeding, bedding up, mucking out, moving around

- Sheep husbandry i.e. feeding, bedding up and moving through a race and around fields into trailers etc.

- Cattle husbandry i.e. feeding, bedding up, and moving through handling systems

- Fence Line checks and improvements in all of the livestock grazing fields

- Frequent water trough cleanouts etc in all of the grazing fields

Other:

- Helped set up an open day at the farm in which I also played a part in the team on the actual open day by greeting visitors and giving them insight to bits about British farming.

- Carried out a few yard projects independently such as, resurfacing parts of the farm

- Various work in the farm shop and butchery such as restocking and mincing meat

- Helped out with the turkey production - raising and plucking

- Cared for a trip of goats