MILKING TOO MANY COWS FOR QUOTA

keep going

just wondering how are fellas looking at the coming year and what strategies are they adobting better to know what you doing now rather than spilling milk next spring. thinking of droping back the start of bulling this year,cows were later this year and notice big drop in meal usage. also thinking of putting a few cows in calf to bb(highish cells, poor performers)and selling them for suckers next year.is it a runner, reckon she worth 11or12 hundred that way.should say too that im not too bad for this year 11/12 but there is 40 heifers going to the bull so i want to reduce risk next season

jeff greene

Delaying the start of bulling is ok if you get good conception, if it goes wrong, it will lead to more problem the following year.

It depends if you are a gambler but we sold some late calvers and maiden heifers. Have a few that we skiped bulling so they are to be culled in the fall.The market is good for milkers, sell them if you're overstocked. Putting them the BB for sucklers isn't a bad idea if she isn't too pointy.

ihatetractors

We're culling out a few older/high cell counters more than usual. Saying that we're not looking to increase the numbers tbh, jus improve quality of the stock.

keep going

been knocking around the mart past few weeks and there is a big number of cows being culled.moving away from the bb route and am buying an aa bull instead will put him with half the heifers and let him do the mop up. then next spring put 2 aa calves with any cull for sucking if i want to get rid. 2 bulls might suit some fellas while 2 heifers might suit a fella looking for replacements .in the unlikely event quota available i can milk away and just sell the calves.

dar31

see how the quota situation is going come august/sept, if its heading over, put them on once a day and take it handy

stanflt

ive sold 32milkers since first week in march-

not sure if i am going to keep all the heifer calves or not-have 61so far

whelan1

stanflt wrote: »

ive sold 32milkers since first week in march-

not sure if i am going to keep all the heifer calves or not-have 61so far

i found it very hard to build up numbers , costs afortune to buy in and you are also buying in disease. I didnt fill my quota last year , but i have 50 replacement calves from last year which will hopefully sort me out in a years time... i am not buying in any more and will just wait until there is a natural increase in my numbers ... i learnt the hard way that your own stock are twice as valuable as any stock you would buy in

jeff greene

stanflt wrote: »

ive sold 32milkers since first week in march-

not sure if i am going to keep all the heifer calves or not-have 61so far

Thats the value of good fertility and management. I'm a bit sentimental when it comes to selling as I hate selling good ones but its make a big difference to the bottom line. Sold four one week heifer calves yesterday for €400.

keep going

jeff greene wrote: »

Thats the value of good fertility and management. I'm a bit sentimental when it comes to selling as I hate selling good ones but its make a big difference to the bottom line. Sold four one week heifer calves yesterday for €400.

i thought those days were gone for a while .but then most of the increase in heifers is in cork and there saying around here that there was a lot of herds had fertility probs last year so demand for milkers is holding