Farming Chit Chat

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hugo29 wrote: »

yes but there is also costs, for all i would do in a year i dont know if i could justify a 600l sprayer, its mostly for weed control on pasture and silage ground or for re seeding

also i was thinking with auto fill i could use the river as all the land has running water

I have been told that some of the sprays especially for docks require a large amount of water for them to work effectively, I don't do any other spraying myself except for grassland so don't know much about that. Anyway just I think 300 is wee bit small as had one before and always running to refill it.

Dont be daft

reilig wrote: »

You are supposed to be making profit from your farm, nor relying solely on the SFP for profit. If you produce more on your farm, then you should be aiming to make more profit from the farm - not from SFP. This should be the encouragement and the reward for working harder.

Thats fair enough Reilig but if a ceiling of 50k comes in, the effect is that farmers will reach this 50k limit by expanding up to it and then stop expanding. It would leave little incentive to expand beyond a level of production which would normally attract a 50k+ SFP.

Maybe a compromise would be a sliding scale of payments after 50k but to introduce a financial cliff at the 50k point would discourage our expanding (and therefore probably our best) farmers.

Im not gonna defend the current system, its a shambles. I've always said that linking SFP to production (maybe partly) is what the industry needs.

By the way, I would be well below your 50k limit so I'm not roaring for me my own corner here. But I accept that there are some excellent farmers out there that farm a lot bigger and better than I do.
I'm not going to call for a system that cuts them back and gives more to me just because I'm not able to farm the acres or carry the stock that they can.

freedominacup

Dont be daft wrote: »

. I've always said that linking SFP to production (maybe partly) is what the industry needs.

We've been there it was a gangf**k which led to a total disconnect between farming and the markets for our produce. It's not a case of don't knock it 'til you've tried it we've been there it doesn't work.

just do it

freedominacup wrote: »

I think handling has a lot to do with it. I know years ago our dairy herd was a lot harder to handle because they weren't being handled correctly. My father was the first in his family to run a dairy herd beyond a couple of cows for the house and he got in to relatively large numbers fairly quickly. The were really treated as female cattle in general. I trained in the U.K. for a while and the culture over there was completely different to what I was brought up with at home. Every herd I worked in it was a case of how quite the cows were compared to other places. You would have to fight your way up through the sheds at times they simply wouldn't move out of your way.

I changed the way we handled our stock totally when I came home and within a couple of years we could A.I. heifers standing in the middle of a yard. Most animals seen by a vet are in an open house no need of using the crush. I know sucklers are different but if calves were with quieter cows and more cows were reared where they were going to work I think the payoff in terms of ease of handling would far outweigh the bit of time put into softer handling.

Good on you freedom. It's much harder to achieve with suckers though, particularly as a part-time farmer.

Do you give a beef breed to any of your cows? I'd nearly buy the heifers off you here and now! The benefits of quiet stock are not to be under-estimated

just do it

All this talk of SFP....... yawn

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference.


Even though I'm not religious, I always liked this saying.

pakalasa

Tipp Man wrote: »

...I have no problem with the SFP being done away with (and a corresponding drop in bull#### rules, regulations and inspections). But i would wager a fair amount that the majority would be in for a rude awakening if it did happen

Likewise, I hear of young Dairy Farmers looking forward to the milk quotas going and how they are gearing up for production. I guess most are not old enough to remember the milk lakes or butter mountains, when Europe was over producing and no market to take it. Be careful what you wish for.

Tipp Man

pakalasa wrote: »

Likewise, I hear of young Dairy Farmers looking forward to the milk quotas going and how they are gearing up for production. I guess most are not old enough to remember the milk lakes or butter mountains, when Europe was over producing and no market to take it. Be careful what you wish for.

Agreed completly pakalasa - was going to mention that in my post but thought it might not be well accepted

mf240

Tipp Man wrote: »

you know its funny listening to farmers talking about the SFP - and how they want it changed to this or that - or done away with completly

Then you go onto the SFP or DAS or REPs payments threads and people are falling over themselves with panic because the money isn't in their account today and how much bother they are in. They are checking the account 10 times a day for 10 days to see if its in

Plenty of lads talk a good game but the simple fact of the matter is that if SFP was done away with in the morning then a huge amount of farmers in this country would go to the wall - starting with suckler farmers as it is the most inefficient form of farming

I have no problem with the SFP being done away with (and a corresponding drop in bull#### rules, regulations and inspections). But i would wager a fair amount that the majority would be in for a rude awakening if it did happen

The reason people are waiting for these payments to be in there accouts is that these very payments are keeping down the price of produce that we sell. If everbody was forced to live without payments consumers would have to pay more or it simply wouldnt be produced at a loss.

This wont happen because dont forget all those civil servants need to be kept working.

In an Ideal world food would sell at above the cost of production and public money would be used to help the worst off in society to afford this food.

just do it

Just spotted Black Smoke has closed his account. Another poster gone!

redzerologhlen

just do it wrote: »

Just spotted Black Smoke has closed his account. Another poster gone!

He'll be back I bet, I have a feeling he had an account before black smoke too

kboc

redzerologhlen wrote: »

He'll be back I bet, I have a feeling he had an account before black smoke too

why would people do this?

redzerologhlen

Who knows.

Tipp Man

mf240 wrote: »

The reason people are waiting for these payments to be in there accouts is that these very payments are keeping down the price of produce that we sell. If everbody was forced to live without payments consumers would have to pay more or it simply wouldnt be produced at a loss.

This wont happen because dont forget all those civil servants need to be kept working.

In an Ideal world food would sell at above the cost of production and public money would be used to help the worst off in society to afford this food.

The increase in prices won't happen in reality or if it did then it would be slow to happen. Too late for most.

Beef, tillage and milk are currently selling at or above world prices, which is where we are selling

People expecting this big increase in prices if SFP went would be sadly mistaken I believe

1chippy

adne wrote: »

any word back on what the cause of your losses earlier this month were?

Still waiting, rang and still no conclusive results, i'd say they are getting sick of me.

1chippy

hugo29 wrote: »

dont know if limo are that bad, some are, have a purebred limo and she will stand still in the creep while you latch the calf on, last year she lay down cleaning while i latched the calf on and she has never even looked over the ditches

Have mainly limos here too, but i wouldnt take these if they were given away, absolutaly lethal.

wesleysniper38

1chippy wrote: »

Have mainly limos here too, but i wouldnt take these if they were given away, absolutaly lethal.

Have a few purebred Limo females here myself. They are as quiet as you'll get but I've experienced the other types too.
A Lim 1.5 year old heifer (bought in) nailed me a month ago with a kick I never saw coming.. burst a vessel in my lower leg and I still have pain. Another limo bull weanling attacked me in the autumn after dosing him. I rarely hit my stock and am not excitable but.....just like humans....some are just plain nasty!:mad:

Bodacious

wesleysniper38 wrote: »

Have a few purebred Limo females here myself. They are as quiet as you'll get but I've experienced the other types too.
A Lim 1.5 year old heifer (bought in) nailed me a month ago with a kick I never saw coming.. burst a vessel in my lower leg and I still have pain. Another limo bull weanling attacked me in the autumn after dosing him. I rarely hit my stock and am not excitable but.....just like humans....some are just plain nasty!:mad:

i disbudded 4 strong white char bull calves for a fella one evening, they were like 2 months old but still possible to do with the gas under local anaesthetic, anyways like your lad after dosing and i never saw it coming after i let one lad out he tackled me like a dog.. i had to jump up onto the calf crate to get away from him... he went nuts and for a young calf i couldnt believe it... now the owner had him half excited before going into the crate trying to jamm him in with a big awkward 12ft gate in a small space which didnt help

just do it

1chippy wrote: »

Still waiting, rang and still no conclusive results, i'd say they are getting sick of me.

Have they given you a timeline? Nothing worse than being kept waiting, esp when your farm income for the year has been decimated. At least if you had an idea when you'd have a result you could relax til then.

wesleysniper38

Bodacious wrote: »

i disbudded 4 strong white char bull calves for a fella one evening, they were like 2 months old but still possible to do with the gas under local anaesthetic, anyways like your lad after dosing and i never saw it coming after i let one lad out he tackled me like a dog.. i had to jump up onto the calf crate to get away from him... he went nuts and for a young calf i couldnt believe it... now the owner had him half excited before going into the crate trying to jamm him in with a big awkward 12ft gate in a small space which didnt help

A local high-stool graduate reckons its a reaction to the injection that puts some stock agressive..

flat out !!

Anyone at the dairy conference in mullingar yesterday.? Any exciting news from it.? €60 for tegasc clients is steep enough for it.

hugo29

1chippy wrote: »

Have mainly limos here too, but i wouldnt take these if they were given away, absolutaly lethal.

yes some can be crazy, remember at mart one day and this smashing limo second calver arrived in the ring, you could see the natives getting ready for a bidding war, then bang she done her best to jump out of the ring, when they let her back into holding pen she cleared the gate and took off through the mart, needless to say she went home with the original owner,

if she was mine i would have left her in the trailer and bought her a one way ticket to the factory

towzer2010

I used to have a LM cow that was a bit excitable but one year the calf was coming backwards so I had a bit of trouble bringing him. She went nuts and was that way afterward. Whenever she saw me she would start coming for me.

I decided to get rid of her after the calf was reared but neighbours bull broke in and I chanced her another year. I was always very wary of her but when I had the herd test and the Vet went to give her the jab she turned her head and bit the injector out of his hand and tried her best to get out at us.

He said to me "if you dont get rid of her she will get rid of you". I sent her off to the factory three days later.

I still have some LM cows and all are quiet. I think no matter what breed you have if they are wild its time for the factory.

vanderbadger

had to go dow town there in galway now, youd think it was 6 o clock in the evening it was so dark outside and lashing rain..

bbam

vanderbadger wrote: »

had to go dow town there in galway now, youd think it was 6 o clock in the evening it was so dark outside and lashing rain..

Just checked earlier and we'd had 18mm of rain in the previous 24 hours. All this rain on top of already saturated ground. I have fields so bad that it's hard to see them dry out at all, even if next spring is dry it mightnt be enough.

whelan1

bbam wrote: »

Just checked earlier and we'd had 18mm of rain in the previous 24 hours. All this rain on top of already saturated ground. I have fields so bad that it's hard to see them dry out at all, even if next spring is dry it mightnt be enough.

just in from bringing in some heifers, ground was so wet, really hard to walk on...

hugo29

bbam wrote: »

Just checked earlier and we'd had 18mm of rain in the previous 24 hours. All this rain on top of already saturated ground. I have fields so bad that it's hard to see them dry out at all, even if next spring is dry it mightnt be enough.

i have 5 april born weanlings left on 9 acres and they are starting to poach, its that wet, will have to try to make room for them in the shed

although yesterday was a great drying day, and then last night the sky opened again

leg wax

nows the time to get the rain so dont compain

Bizzum

just do it wrote: »

Just spotted Black Smoke has closed his account. Another poster gone!

redzerologhlen wrote: »

He'll be back I bet, I have a feeling he had an account before black smoke too

More's the pity. His posts were always worth reading. (what ever name he used:))

bbam

leg wax wrote: »

nows the time to get the rain so dont compain

I know, I know.
But it's just relentless, I have quite a few fields that I could suck up with a slurry tank at this stage. Marginal land in a good year.

Bizzum

bbam wrote: »

I know, I know.
But it's just relentless

That's just it. No respite from it at all. Even good dry land is saturated.