Whiteboards for dairying

dungfly

Thinking of using a white board for tracking calves (sick, treatments, birth dates, progress). Does anyone use one or have any useful templates?

biddy2013

dungfly wrote: »

Thinking of using a white board for tracking calves (sick, treatments, birth dates, progress). Does anyone use one or have any useful templates?

Yup very handy. Only downer is condensation on a rainy day

dungfly

How do you use yours..so to speak?

Blue Holland

Have one in calf shed, parlour and dairy. Parlour, write down when cows calved or got treated with antibiotics so can see from pit if fit for tank yet, big one in dairy with a chart of all cows due dates, what in calf too and if got precalver inj and trivacton, also write in actual calving date. Bit of time writing it up but worth it.

dungfly

Blue Holland wrote: »

Have one in calf shed, parlour and dairy. Parlour, write down when cows calved or got treated with antibiotics so can see from pit if fit for tank yet, big one in dairy with a chart of all cows due dates, what in calf too and if got precalver inj and trivacton, also write in actual calving date. Bit of time writing it up but worth it.

What kind of info do you record for calves?

merryberry

Only a suggestion but there are some moblie apps out there for that sort of thing.

Reggie.

I have one in the shed for any sort of info that I would normally forget, very handy thing. Just scribble away on it and only about 20 euro

dungfly

merryberry wrote: »

Only a suggestion but there are some moblie apps out there for that sort of thing.

Do you have any app names? What and how do they track?

merryberry

dungfly wrote: »

Do you have any app names? What and how do they track?

Check out frs website. I forget the name of the app but they were promting it at the ploughing last year.

biddy2013

i saw one on a farm up the road. I think he used permanent marker. had cows number , date calved, male or female, if cleaned ok. date of heat. i only use it for reminders, cows tubed, calving, antibiotics. I have a book in dairy that all coving dates, doses etc go in. I fill this in when doing final rinse on milking machine

Timmaay

biddy2013 wrote: »

i saw one on a farm up the road. I think he used permanent marker. had cows number , date calved, male or female, if cleaned ok. date of heat. i only use it for reminders, cows tubed, calving, antibiotics. I have a book in dairy that all coving dates, doses etc go in. I fill this in when doing final rinse on milking machine

Same here, I use the little ICBF herd book and a calendar for most events, and have a small enough blackboard in the parlour which just has the bare information needed for any relief milkers, or key events that I don't want to forget, if say I spot a cow bulling in the PM I'll put her number in large on that so as I wont forget in the morning.

biddy2013

i also have a cow that rubs her arse off the white board and rubs out what i have written:cool:

Reggie.

biddy2013 wrote: »

i also have a cow that rubs her arse off the white board and rubs out what i have written:cool:

Ha

mf240

I write on a plastered wall in chalk. Up high biddy ha.

joejobrien

yea , whiteboard in the palour, calf house, and machinery shed.
Dampness can be a proplem, but a roll of blue paper generally wipes off the area you want to write on. Could not survive with out one in the palour.
Use it for witholding times after calving, withold cleanings, dirty cows, cows washed out, and then list cows showing heat:cool:

49801

Off topic but often thought of using the coloured ankle bracelets for marking cows as a collar on sick calves to help identify them within a bunch. A couple linked together should do the trick.

Timmaay

49801 wrote: »

Off topic but often thought of using the coloured ankle bracelets for marking cows as a collar on sick calves to help identify them within a bunch. A couple linked together should do the trick.

Also offtopic, but similar line of thinking, do relatively low cost coloured collars exist for cows, or likes of a temporary ear tag? I have afew drycows mixed in with the milkers at the minute, can be hard to separate them at milking (drycows get left in the shed) as only tape on their tails. I avoid using spray on their backs as its a nightmare when they are calved and still got a mark on them.

sheebadog

Timmaay wrote: »

Also offtopic, but similar line of thinking, do relatively low cost coloured collars exist for cows, or likes of a temporary ear tag? I have afew drycows mixed in with the milkers at the minute, can be hard to separate them at milking (drycows get left in the shed) as only tape on their tails. I avoid using spray on their backs as its a nightmare when they are calved and still got a mark on them.

You can get little hi-viz collars here that fit onto the leg. Velcro, secure and easy identity. Cheap also. Great job.

49801

Timmaay wrote: »

Also offtopic, but similar line of thinking, do relatively low cost coloured collars exist for cows, or likes of a temporary ear tag? I have afew drycows mixed in with the milkers at the minute, can be hard to separate them at milking (drycows get left in the shed) as only tape on their tails. I avoid using spray on their backs as its a nightmare when they are calved and still got a mark on them.

These type of things
http://www.magentadirect.ie/proddetail.php?prod=MAE0158&cat=26

MFdaveIreland

Put on in here. Was a white board rather than homemade job, just use white board markers on it, and for mastitis etc that needs to stay up incase cow licks it off or something use permanent marker, then wipe with paint thinners everynow and again to keep clean, works a treat , best tool in a parlour

Bactidiaryl

Do any of you know where I can get a fairly decent size whiteboard online.

biddy2013

Bactidiaryl wrote: »

Do any of you know where I can get a fairly decent size whiteboard online.

not online but i got a decent sized one for 65 euro in local office supplies shop. didnt think it through and was parked a fair distance away on a very windy day, was nearly blown away

Reggie.

biddy2013 wrote: »

not online but i got a decent sized one for 65 euro in local office supplies shop. didnt think it through and was parked a fair distance away on a very windy day, was nearly blown away

could picture it now, biddy sailing down the street cursing the whiteboard

delaval

sheebadog wrote: »

You can get little hi-viz collars here that fit onto the leg. Velcro, secure and easy identity. Cheap also. Great job.

Glanbia have them. I use for hi cell ladies. Red front blue back and put on appropriate leg. Yellow on side if spin has been dried.

Even though we keep these hi ladies seperate it saves messing around at milking as I'd be milking them with the colostrum group

Easy to attach and take off, haven't seen one lost yet

delaval

Bactidiaryl wrote: »

Do any of you know where I can get a fairly decent size whiteboard online.

Viking direct, all office supplies tax deductable. They will drop to the door

MFdaveIreland

biddy2013 wrote: »

not online but i got a decent sized one for 65 euro in local office supplies shop. didnt think it through and was parked a fair distance away on a very windy day, was nearly blown away

Sheet of alluminium, does the same job, , or even plastic fascia used in building, depending how big u want it ,

satstheway

Pvc sheet used for sheeting dairys or meat plants works Grand. They also use it in parts of facia 8x4 sheets. Pencil and rubber on it for more permanent job will even work wet and stay until rubbed off with rubber.