ANOTHER stormy week, sometimes it feels like spring has arrived with periods of warm sunshine, but blustery cold storms seem to have replaced warm spring showers.

The ground is still rather wet and the grass does not seem to be growing as well as it should,which means that we are still not able to turn any of our cattle out. At this time of year they sense that spring is in the air, so become increasingly restless. Hopefully they will soon be able to go out to graze.

Recently I accompanied Rex, our agronomist, and agricultural students David and Natalie on a crop walk around our farm. By the time we had finished it seemed that we had walked a marathon. Maybe not, but it was a long walk to thoroughly inspect the condition of all the autumn planted crops, before any decisions could be made about what they may need in terms of sprays and fertilisers.

The winter wheat looked particularly well showing blackgrass control had been effective.Broad-leaved weeds, such as cleavers and chickweed were quite evident, but other plants including speedwell, groundsel and fumitory were also growing.

The fields of winter barley were also showing the same variety of weeds, in varying amounts, but there were still some yellow patches of BYDV ( Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus ) a disease spread by aphids. Another problem we spotted in one field was copper deficiency. This deficiency causes the leaves of the plant to look white and twisted.

On one section of Manor farm the barley was suffering from the wet ground. It had also been under attack from rabbits and a group of four deer were spotted enjoying a tasty meal.

The two fields of oilseed rape being grown on Manor Farm by a neighbour looks very well and is now coming into flower

During days when the ground has been dry enough to enable field work to be done, Richard managed to finish ploughing the last field. He then cleaned and greased the plough before storing it away until the autumn. Ian has also been busy when conditions have been favourable,managing to give the winter wheat it's second dressing of nitrogen fertiliser and the winter barley it's second and final dressing.

On Stowell Farm Kevin has put fertiliser on the wheat, barley and oilseed rape, which seems to have recovered somewhat since the pigeon attack a while ago.

He has also spayed the wheat with a herbicide to help control blackgrass and has cultivated two fields, one of which will be planted with maize and the other with stubble turnips.

All but about 80 of the Stowell Farm main flock 1,750 ewes have now given birth and are out in parkland at Bowood and Corsham with their lambs.

I am pleased to say that to date there have not been any problems with dogs and would just like to thank dog owners for keeping their dogs under control and to ask that this continues.

A small flock of 200 ewe lambs (lambs born in spring 2015 ) are due to have their first lambs from April 15. During the week they were brought in, wormed to protect them against the spring flush of parasites and vaccinated to protect them against a number of clostridial diseases, with immunity being passed on to their lambs via colostrum ( first milk) when they are born.

The ewe lambs were then put back out into a field close to the farm where they will give birth. Melissa is now hand rearing 80 lambs from the main flock, which is keeping her rather busy.

Last weekend Richard was helping to judge calves and their young handlers in the Chippenham YFC Dairy and Beef Club.

There is a competition with two sections, one for senior members and one for juniors. two judges, a steward and secretary visited a number of farms in the area where the entrants were given marks for haltering, leading and manoeuvring, also overall presentation of calf and handler.

The results of the competition are yet to be announced.