WHOLE-CROP HARVESTING .sx Forage harvesters need modifying to handle large quantities of whole-crop cereal forage .sx John Burns checks out some of the latest practical developments .sx INCREASED interest in whole-crop cereals as a cattle and sheep feed has brought new challenges for machinery makers and users .sx The droughts of 1989 and 1990 , together with active promotion of the Ag-Bag system brought a bigger area of cereals than usual being made into conventional fermented silage , cut at 30% dry matter or less .sx At the same time there was a sudden upsurge in interest in whole-crop cereals cut at 50% to 60% dry matter and preserved by adding alkali rather than by letting it ferment to produce its own preservative acids .sx This method in particular has interested dairy farmers because , being alkaline , it helps the animal's rumen to function efficiently .sx It also provides more starch energy because it is made from more mature crops , almost fit to combine .sx Each method has raised its own set of problems , particularly where contractors with big self-propelled foragers need to achieve high work rates .sx For example , Chris Bishop , a contractor from Steeple Claydon , Bucks , has found a standard 4.5m ( 15ft ) wide combine header was not strong enough when making fermented whole-crop silage .sx " We were trying to feed 15ft of green cereal crop into an 18in wide gap on the forager instead of the 3ft 6in gap you have on a combine .sx It would build up in the middle of the auger and then get jammed .sx The clutch wasn't heavy enough and when we put the stronger version on we had to modify it to take account of the difference in reversing action between a combine and a forager .sx The reverse action on a combine is gentler than a forager's reverser and unless the stronger clutch is modified you will twist the shaft , " says Mr Bishop .sx He also found it was essential to be able to adjust the height and tilt of the header , particularly for laid crops .sx Claas UK helped Mr Bishop solve his problems by strengthening the flights and tube on the header auger and using the stronger clutch .sx Since then he has had no problems whatsoever he says .sx This summer Claas UK published a leaflet pointing out that fitting non-standard equipment to their models might invalidate the warranty and might contravene Health and Safety Executive regulations .sx The leaflet suggests the best way to adapt the Claas Jaguar self - propelled forager for whole-crop cereal silage work is to fit a 4.5m ( 15ft ) wide header from a Claas Dominator 109/98/88 combine .sx ( Earlier models might not prove strong enough .sx ) It also advises strengthening the auger and flights and clutch and gives details of how to do it , along with instructions for fitting the hydraulic controls .sx Claas says that by using the correct adaptor plate a header can be fitted to a forager , or removed , in less than 10 minutes , and there is no risk of either invalidating the warranty or infringing safety regulations .sx Claas can also supply a specially strengthened whole-crop header and will even supply a special rice knife which has no fingers , only two sets of blades .sx But the knife has not been shown to be necessary here so far .sx The first farmer ever to make urea-treated whole-crop wheat was Francis Rea .sx He tried mowing it with a disc mower and then picking it up with his trailed John Deere forager fitted with a standard pick - up reel .sx But the mower knocked out too much grain and the forager reel only picked up cleanly in one direction .sx John Deere helped him by importing a special adaptor plate to allow a combine header to be fitted to the forager and it has worked very well ever since .sx Other farmers have successfully adapted old combine headers for their own foragers , but contractor Chris Bishop says they would not be strong enough .sx Experience in the two hot , dry summers of 1989 and 1990 showed that crops left to be cut for urea treatment soon dried out and the grains too became hard for complete digestion of the crop unless a later caustic soda treatment was given before feeding .sx Farmers responded by starting sooner and contractors looked to increase output so they could get round the work faster .sx Claas UK's service manager Alastair Tullock says there is some evidence that using a corn cracker will help to break some of the grains which get too hard .sx Contractor Chris Bishop has a corn cracker for maize harvesting but has not tried it with whole-crop cereal .sx However , he says it can be shut down to a 1mm gap , which he thinks would catch and crack much of the grain .sx From his experience with maize he doubts whether using the corn cracker for whole-crop cereal would make any difference to work rate .sx Claas also reports that there is some evidence from the Continent that corn crackers will also bruise the nodes on the straw - making it marginally more digestible .sx With corn crackers now more widely used for maize , those claims for whole-crop cereals could usefully be tested under UK conditions .sx Another company showing interest in the harvesting machinery requirements of whole-crop is Biocomb , in conjunction with the Rotterdam-based company RDM .sx Government 'jumps gun' over animal welfare agreement .sx Marketing , animal welfare and protecting the hills were key issues in the government document called Our Farming Future , launched by agriculture minister John Gummer .sx Liz Mason reports .sx A GOVERNMENT announcement that the EC has agreed key Community rules on animal welfare has caused surprise and disbelief .sx The EC has agreed general rules for the transport of live animals , but no agreement has been reached on journey times for individual species of farm animals .sx The government's policy document Our Farming Future is behind the confusion .sx It says Community rules on the length of journeys , the conditions of transport and the provision of resting , feeding and watering points have now been agreed .sx " These meet our key welfare concerns , " says the document .sx But a spokesman for the RSPCA suggested that the statement in Our Farming Future was a misprint .sx He said the EC had not agreed rules on important animal welfare issues and the EC Council of Ministers had deferred making a decision on transport times for different species until July 1992 , when the UK takes over the EC presidency .sx A Ministry of Agriculture spokesman said the Council of Ministers reached an agreement in principle on the EC transport directive at its October meeting .sx But additional rules would be added to the framework .sx The directive is due to come into force on Jan 1 , 1993 , and sets out conditions for animal transport throughout the EC .sx Animals travelling less than 50km from farm to market will be exempt from the EC rules .sx Member states will be allowed to set their own conditions and the UK is not expected to amend present legislation .sx Under current UK legislation animals can be transported for up to 12 hours before being rested , fed or watered , unless the journey can be completed within 15 hours .sx The EC directive sets a basic maximum journey time of 24 hours and the UK will be asking for this to be brought into line with its own legislation .sx The EC Commission's veterinary committee will put forward its proposals for maximum journey lengths , feeding and resting intervals and transport conditions for individual species by July 1992 .sx General rules for transport conditions have been agreed , but again the details have yet to be decided .sx The directive says that animals must have enough room to stand in a natural position , but stocking densities have yet to be set .sx Other general rules include :sx Journey plans must be drawn up by transport companies .sx Vehicle design must not cause unnecessary suffering .sx All animals must be fit enough to travel .sx All animals must be identified throughout the journey .sx Transport companies must ensure staff have adequate knowledge to care for animals .sx NFU condemns HLCA scale .sx GOVERNMENT plans to scale hill livestock compensatory payments as part of its proposals to green hill farming support have been condemned by the NFU .sx The Ministry of Agriculture's consultation paper plans to introduce a differential between the HLCA rate paid on the first 1.5 ewes a hectare and that for subsequent ewes .sx " Such changes are unnecessary and will be seen by many hard - pressed less favoured area farmers as a direct threat to their livelihood , " says the NFU .sx The NFU is strongly opposed to varying rates of HLCAs according to stocking rates .sx Lower stocking rates could be encouraged where necessary by an incentive payment a hectare without modifying the present system of HLCAs .sx The government's proposals will deliver a blow to farming confidence , but a viable farming population in the LFAs is essential to maintain the environment , says the NFU .sx Plans to introduce a code of good upland management to conserve environmental features are also causing concern .sx The code sets out guidelines for upland farmers on how to maintain the character of the countryside .sx The consulation paper , says the government , will reserve the right to make compliance with some or all elements of the code a condition of payment of HLCAs " should this prove necessary to safeguard the environment .sx " .sx The code says stockproof walls and farmbuildings should be maintained using traditional materials .sx Hedges and water features must also be maintained .sx The NFU is concerned that farmers will be compelled to carry out these measures , at obvious cost .sx In Moorland areas farmers are advised not to cultivate , or apply pesticides .sx Herbicide application is restricted and new drainage or fencing schemes are not allowed .sx A battery of complaints .sx HENS suffer more in battery cages than in well-run alternative systems , says a report commissioned by the Athene Trust , the educational wing of Compassion in World Farming .sx The report by Dr Mike Appleby , of Edinburgh University , reviews recent research and concludes that hens suffer in battery cages .sx The current EC directive will be reviewed next year and Joyce D'Silva , CIWF's director , said the report gives scientific credibility to their campaign to ban battery cages .sx " This report is our first step in a major campaign to overturn the directive completely and win a phase-out of the battery cage .sx " .sx The report says there are consistently more problems in cages than in many other systems .sx Bone weakness , fearfulness and behavioural restriction affect most or all caged birds .sx Problems more common in other systems , including cannibalism , affect fewer birds and can be avoided by good management .sx Suffering is caused by particular features of battery cages .sx Sloping wire floors cause foot and claw damage .sx Restricted movement results in bone weakness and hens cannot behave normally .sx Barren cages with no bedding also frustrate " foraging and pre-laying behaviour " and cause claw damage and feather pecking .sx Prof Donald Broom of Cambridge University said the report makes it clear that legislation is needed to enforce the phasing out of battery cages .sx Prince Charles gives West Country lamb producers a boost .sx By John Burns .sx WEST Country farmers' efforts to improve their marketing were given a big boost as Prince Charles launched Taste of the West and West Country Lamb .sx Both new organisations are building on the pioneering work of smaller more local groups , which on their own were not big enough to survive independently in today's markets .sx Taste of the West is a speciality food and drink group representing members from Cornwall , Devon , Dorset , Somerset , Avon , and Wiltshire .sx It provides a range of promotional , marketing and business development services to its producer members .sx Other categories of membership include businesses selling speciality foods and drink , and gourmets .sx It has the backing of the NFU and Food from Britain , which took a party of potential buyers to the Taste of the West products exhibition staged for the royal launch .sx Among the tasks which Taste of the West has set itself is overcoming the distribution difficulties faced by scattered small producers selling to scattered small retail and catering outlets .sx West Country Lamb is a federal of four existing groups of lamb producers :sx Cornwall Quality Lamb Producers , Lifton Lamb , Wessex Quality Meat Producers , and the more recently formed West Country Graziers .sx