ditchman Posted May 31, 2016 Report Share Posted May 31, 2016 Had a quick run round today and after last nights horrific rain and wind....a lot of barley has gone down...FLAT....so it might not go up again.....also i have seen a few pigeons gritting...not unusual ...but it points to a early change of food .............. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted May 31, 2016 Report Share Posted May 31, 2016 I was only thinking earlier we could have done with this weather in a few weeks time , I dont think the barley is far enough on for them yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted May 31, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 31, 2016 some of the barley is heavy in ear here.....and some is only 10" up............. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted May 31, 2016 Report Share Posted May 31, 2016 I will be in sunnier climes from Thursday so will miss out either way ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomo-1 Posted May 31, 2016 Report Share Posted May 31, 2016 (edited) Is it my imagination or is the barley shorter than usual? Different stock/strain? or maybe I am getting taller! Edited May 31, 2016 by Tomo-1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marsh man Posted June 1, 2016 Report Share Posted June 1, 2016 some of the barley is heavy in ear here.....and some is only 10" up............. Some of the smaller stuff might be Spring Barley , but I am sure an old country boy like you would know the difference . I will be in sunnier climes from Thursday so will miss out either way ! All right for some , yesterday morning it was like being grit blasted with the wind and rain and at 11 degrees we have had better days in January. As you say , I don't think there is any grain in the ears on the Barley yet , or if there is some grain it wouldn't be in a milky stage yet , looking in some old diaries the earliest I could find shooting pigeons on laid Barley was the 23rd of June. if this weather keep up to how it is now this year might be around that time . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zapp Posted June 1, 2016 Report Share Posted June 1, 2016 Is it my imagination or is the barley shorter than usual? Different stock/strain? or maybe I am getting taller! A lot of newer malting varieties are bred to have a shorter, stiffer straw specifically to avoid lodging. These strains are becoming more and more prevalent around my area, so we dont see a lot of lodged crops anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted June 1, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2016 A lot of newer malting varieties are bred to have a shorter, stiffer straw specifically to avoid lodging. These strains are becoming more and more prevalent around my area, so we dont see a lot of lodged crops anymore. trouble is the ears get heavier...so it still goes down............i remember in the '70's when straw was soooo long...they used a product called "Cycocel" (straw shortener)....and a farmer near us used to grow rye....and i swear to god that was over 6ft tall !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted June 1, 2016 Report Share Posted June 1, 2016 And Wagon Wheels were two feet across! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted June 1, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2016 And Wagon Wheels were two feet across! i poo you not.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zapp Posted June 1, 2016 Report Share Posted June 1, 2016 trouble is the ears get heavier...so it still goes down............ Not as much as it used to though, at least not with the variety my main farms have switched to. I used to get some great shooting on lodged barley but that seems to be a thing of the past now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted June 1, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 1, 2016 Not as much as it used to though, at least not with the variety my main farms have switched to. I used to get some great shooting on lodged barley but that seems to be a thing of the past now. quite right...a lot less now........which works to our advantage...it concentrates the shooting into smaller areas...........its the only time of year that i get good frequent shooting..and it is easy to spot feeding birds on your rounds.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrycatcat1 Posted June 1, 2016 Report Share Posted June 1, 2016 I used to shoot a farm years ago where the farmer would ask for the badgers to be shot because the family used to roll in his crop and flatten a fair bit. Funny, we never used to see them when we went shooting pigeons Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted June 7, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 7, 2016 Hhhahahh..........went on my rounds yesterday.............all the barley that had gone down...has all gone back up ............its still young and growing...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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