Working and Farming

its baltic

Lads,

For any of you who combine working outside the farm with the farm day to day activities how do ye manage your day?

I am heading in to this situation in a few years where I would have to have an off farm income but at the same time keep up to a hundred animals fed morning and eveining. Is it possible do ye think over a long period?

We have all the facilities of slatted sheds and yards etc but still a serious amount of work to keep things thinking over

johngalway

Reckon you'd have to pick the job you intend pursuing carefully, so you could be somewhat flexible in your work hours. What line of work are you thinking of going into?

its baltic

only thing i know anything about is farming and construction, was hoping to set up my own business but with the way things are gone and trying to be fully dedicated to both it may be next to impossible to do.

yessam

its baltic wrote: »

Lads,

For any of you who combine working outside the farm with the farm day to day activities how do ye manage your day?

I am heading in to this situation in a few years where I would have to have an off farm income but at the same time keep up to a hundred animals fed morning and eveining. Is it possible do ye think over a long period?

We have all the facilities of slatted sheds and yards etc but still a serious amount of work to keep things thinking over

Its hard going when working and farming. I have been doing it for years now. I try and get all main jobs done on saturday and sunndays although I try and keep sunday afternoon free for shooting and family. Try and have everything well organised for midweek. I often had to work up to midnight during the week and be up for 6.30am again depending on whats on e.g. silage making or cows calving. Have good facilities, reliable machinery and keep everything simple. Cut out the complicated stuff and dont be afraid to leave things now and again. Its hard going but when get organised it is possible.
You mentioned feeding over 100 cattle every morning and evening - organise it that silage has only to be fed max twice a week and make sure one of those is at the week ends. Its not hard to make meals feeding easy and keep it to once a day. Good Luck.

Indubitable

Perhaps you could consider cutting down on the size of the herd to reduce the workload?

its baltic

Well, dont know would it worth while dropping numbers as there would be nearly as much work for 80 cattle as 100 cattle, think my biggest worry is being careless due to lack of time, like if there was a cow calving at 7 in the morning you cant exactly leave her or you cant exactly go ringing work telling them for a third or forth week in a row it''ll be ten o clock before your in!

My father has done it in the past rising at 5am every morning and getting in home around nine at night, doing three days work in one, it would make you think there has to be an easier way.

pakalasa

Say you're working a 50 hour week, then you're only off farm 30% of the time.
If you're calving cows then only keep cows that calve easy and use an easy calving bull on them. Cull any of the wild cows (not worth the hassle) and keep the calving time as compact as possible, say eight weeks.

I always keep a list and do the little things when I have some free time, like hanging gates, buying medicine, servicing machinery, things like that....

Also there are certian things that really stress me out like cattle breaking out, animals getting sick, tractor breaking down etc.. I make as much effort as possible to ensure that these things don't happen... Then things tend to go alot smoother..........................I wish .

maidhcII

pakalasa wrote: »

Say you're working a 50 hour week, then you're only off farm 30% of the time.

Seriously, if you are working 50 hours a week you don't want to be calving cows at all. Grand to say it is only 30% of the hours in the week (assuming you don't have to commute), but people need some quality of life, not to mention sleep.

Indubitable

pakalasa wrote: »

Say you're working a 50 hour week, then you're only off farm 30% of the time.
If you're calving cows then only keep cows that calve easy and use an easy calving bull on them. Cull any of the wild cows (not worth the hassle) and keep the calving time as compact as possible, say eight weeks.

I always keep a list and do the little things when I have some free time, like hanging gates, buying medicine, servicing machinery, things like that....

Also there are certian things that really stress me out like cattle breaking out, animals getting sick, tractor breaking down etc.. I make as much effort as possible to ensure that these things don't happen... Then things tend to go alot smoother..........................I wish .

What he said.....
Angus forever!

vanderbadger

i find farming and working works ok normally, like someone said use saturdays to do alot of work, occasionally I can work from home as well which is a life saver, I have a routine and under normal circumstances things work away, unfortunately every now and then something will go wrong on a farm, usually sick animals and when this happens everything gets thrown outta whack. cows calving can be tricky and its worth anything to have someone at home or a good neighbur if needed, keep on top of calf registration and dehorning also (pain in the ass of a job). farming is a good lifestyle especially if you can make a living off farm, trouble is farm will take up all your spare time when you get into it

its baltic

Say you're working a 50 hour week, then you're only off farm 30% of the time

.

Well if you break it down to a typical day where you could have to be at work by 8am and work until 5pm, on average travel 45mins each way, thats leaving the house at 7:15am and getting in the door at 5:45, take having the breakfast in the morning and doing your few jobs you would want to be up between 5 & 5:30am, by the time your back out in the evening it would be 6 o clock, do your few jobs and it would be at least 8pm before your in, this may be ok in the summer but is tough going for any man during the winter.

yessam

its baltic wrote: »

.

Well if you break it down to a typical day where you could have to be at work by 8am and work until 5pm, on average travel 45mins each way, thats leaving the house at 7:15am and getting in the door at 5:45, take having the breakfast in the morning and doing your few jobs you would want to be up between 5 & 5:30am, by the time your back out in the evening it would be 6 o clock, do your few jobs and it would be at least 8pm before your in, this may be ok in the summer but is tough going for any man during the winter.

If your cattle are housed during the winter, which they should be especially if you are working, once a day should be enough to visit the shed unless cows are calving. At least if you visit shed in morning, it should only be for a look and go. You will have to do everything you can to get compact calving and take some holidays organised or have someone around the farm for a few hours during the day. I take two weeks holidays every year when I know the bulk of my cows will calf. I always get about 75% of calves in the two weeks I am off. The long evenings in the summer time should be enjoyed on farm rather than classed as work.

wiggy123

true..it can work--just plan+budget your time..do the big jobs at the wkend..ie feeding/fertilizer spreading,etc...

I do work in dublin..and do be on the go from 5 in the morning..feed animals,then off to work, home again at 6-feed animals..home for the day!
My father checks cows midday..if any near calving

i only have a few cows--10 in total, 6 calved so far ok..grand job! sheds are rented,and are about 5 miles from where i live..but it works at times for me haha...its a hobby for me--expensive one!
I do put in bales of silage on a Saturday--does them the week..i do most of my jobs at the wkend...fencing/dosing all going well,Sunday is my relaxed day..
if any animal sick--i do,go to work late--are ok with it..if no done 2much!
the ai'ing is the worst...
I do enjoy it--if won the lotto, i go farming full-time! buy and farm, and keep sucklers+sheep!
its the fresh air/joys of new borns, and looking at your breeding+ a selling good animals..thats the buzz

blue5000

Ya it can be done, 5.30am start, angus bull, easy calving and no de-horning. Calve them at grass, less scour problems, tag them the day they calve (easier to catch them).
Winter time is the hardest, you need a really good setup in the yard, lights, tractor starting on the button. I find there is no time for maintenance or downer cows. I get a contractor to do the slurry and any major fencing jobs. You will have to take a shortcut every day.
Keep the cattle in as few groups as possible, reduces time spent herding, if possible get somone else to herd them in summer time. Don't forget to take some time off or you will get burnt out, or start wondering what's it all about.

Hope it all works out for ya:)