Dairy Chit Chat- Please read Mod note in post #1

kowtow

blackdog1 wrote:

Find heatime great but after your 5 yr warranty is up I'd budget for 20% replacement rate just to be safe. All systems pretty much the same no matter what salesman tells you. Just pick the one you like with best warranty but if your having no trouble spotting them I wouldn't bother with them.

How do the economics work out? Usually the base station is difficult to justify at least in a small herd...

Once you are above 50 I'd say the collar price is more important..

whelan2

kowtow wrote: »

How do the economics work out? Usually the base station is difficult to justify at least in a small herd...

Once you are above 50 I'd say the collar price is more important..

I'm sure you could pick up a second hand unit cheap enough

blackdog1

kowtow wrote:

How do the economics work out? Usually the base station is difficult to justify at least in a small herd...

kowtow wrote:

Once you are above 50 I'd say the collar price is more important..

whelan2 wrote:

I'm sure you could pick up a second hand unit cheap enough

Wouldn't buy 2nd hand collars for love or money. Base unit I would. Think Base works out about 4000 collars can vary from 90-180 i think ...been a while. depending on if you want rumination with them.

whelan2

Think a vasectomised bull/bullock would work out cheaper in this case, you would also need the readers I assume. I sold my unit/crush and collars in 1 go a few years ago

kowtow

blackdog1 wrote: »

Wouldn't buy 2nd hand collars for love or money. Base unit I would. Think Base works out about 4000 collars can vary from 90-180 i think ...been a while. depending on if you want rumination with them.

I'm going to have a look at a few systems from the US later in the year when I get a moment... I have a penchant for these sort of algorithmic things.

Actually what I really want is just the raw data feed from the collars, although it would be more fun if there was a reliable temperature measurement as well (some of the US ones have this now..)...

Still, can go on the back burner for a while, too many other things to get on with. I suspect we'll need to give the AI man his own parking spot and put a Christmas present under the tree for him, but one way or another they'll all succumb sooner or later. Sometimes not being too worried about tight calving patterns works in our favour.

Having said that, the randy little sod that put them all in the parlour this year managed to achieve a 100% 52 day calving, and he was barely 8 months old.

I'm beginning to regret selling him.

Brown Podzol

kowtow wrote: »

Tell us the truth. They keep stopping for a gossip, don't they?

Begs the question why sexed semen is less fertile? What's to be done. How do you stop the gossip.

alps

Brown Podzol wrote: »

Begs the question why sexed semen is less fertile? What's to be done. How do you stop the gossip.

You're onto something there BP...research would suggest that after vodka or red wine...not only is the heat much stronger but fertility rates much higher

Dawggone

40mm forecasted with some localized flooding.

freedominacup

Dawggone wrote: »

40mm forecasted with some localized flooding.

You haven't too much of a defecit judging by the regrowth visible in the background.

keep going

What conception rates would assume for natural service, all going well

browned

keep going wrote: »

What conception rates would assume for natural service, all going well

70-75% on early calvers 40-50% on late calvers. So 60% on average

Dawggone

freedominacup wrote: »

You haven't too much of a defecit judging by the regrowth visible in the background.

My neighbor was ploughing next door and the soil was turning up as white dust. I should have been irrigating two or three weeks ago. The only thing keeping that going is there is over 4' of topsoil

keep going

browned wrote: »

70-75% on early calvers 40-50% on late calvers. So 60% on average

same as ai so.i have you by the way, we looked at your place before ye bought, more land than what we had but not as good, more water but about the same amount of rock

browned

keep going wrote: »

same as ai so.i have you by the way, we looked at your place before ye bought, more land than what we had but not as good, more water but about the same amount of rock

I was Ai,ing cows while there were 6 bulls were running with the herd last year. the ai man won a lot of the battles. Small world. The Rock is all broken out of it now and a handy bit of drainage been done over the years. More than welcome to visit any time.

mf240

Where the bull wins is on heat detection.

Let of the bull this year and let him work away.

Im done pricking at ai. I'll buy a few cows of someone who has an interest in breeding.

kowtow

mf240 wrote:

Im done pricking at ai. I'll buy a few cows of someone who has an interest in breeding.

Ah I'm loving it for the time being.

Not sure the AI man is though, don't suppose many of his clients make him wait while the cow picks out the fella she fancies from the catalogue.

Plenty of things don't work as they should in this country but I've nothing but praise for the efficiency of the AI service.

freedominacup

Dawggone wrote: »

My neighbor was ploughing next door and the soil was turning up as white dust. I should have been irrigating two or three weeks ago. The only thing keeping that going is there is over 4' of topsoil

It's the 4" that fcuks us this time of year. I swear after three warm days gr was dropping here today.

Muckit

Please excuse my ignorance but maybe ye can educate me!?

I see a neighbouring dairy farmer bringing in rhe cows around 8.30am in morning. Yet l think there are lads/lassies here milking earlier. What's the story? Im thinking its linked to milk collection times and perhaps he last on pickup? But then l think lads hold milk for a few days so really does cillection time have any bearing on what time you milk if you have big enough tank.... confused?!?

whelan2

Muckit wrote: »

Please excuse my ignorance but maybe ye can educate me!?

I see a neighbouring dairy farmer bringing in rhe cows around 8.30am in morning. Yet l think there are lads/lassies here milking earlier. What's the story? Im thinking its linked to milk collection times and perhaps he last on pickup? But then l think lads hold milk for a few days so really does cillection time have any bearing on what time you milk if you have big enough tank.... confused?!?

He probably milks late in the evening. No set time for milking across the board . Could drop kids to school before milking...

Muckit

whelan2 wrote: »

He probably milks late in the evening. No set time for milking across the board . Could drop kids to school before milking...

This lads kids are reared. I think evening milking around 5.30

browned

Muckit wrote: »

Please excuse my ignorance but maybe ye can educate me!?

I see a neighbouring dairy farmer bringing in rhe cows around 8.30am in morning. Yet l think there are lads/lassies here milking earlier. What's the story? Im thinking its linked to milk collection times and perhaps he last on pickup? But then l think lads hold milk for a few days so really does cillection time have any bearing on what time you milk if you have big enough tank.... confused?!?

The collection here is at 8.30am so I start milking at 7. The farmer before me on the route is collected at 8.15 so he usually starts at 8.30

Muckit

I presume you mean he starts at 6.30am? Or is there a hidden joke there?!

Milked out

Each to there own, some lads might start at 5 others at 8.30 makes no difference to anyone only themselves. Working around family would have some lads go in earlier others may have no family

ted_182

They're wouldn't be any set time for milking, each to their own sort of thing, theres more then one farmer in this locality that milks anytime between 11 and 2 in the the day and again at around 11 at night

Buford T. Justice XIX

ted_182 wrote: »

They're wouldn't be any set time for milking, each to their own sort of thing, theres more then one farmer in this locality that milks anytime between 11 and 2 in the the day and again at around 11 at night

8 and 5 here but one neighbour is milking at 7 and 4 and another at 9.30 and 7.30.

9.30 and 7.30 would wreck my head though.

browned

Muckit wrote: »

I presume you mean he starts at 6.30am? Or is there a hidden joke there?!

Nope he starts at 8.30 as far as I know and No hidden jokes either. Just suits him better to milk at 8.30 instead of at 6 or 6.30.

Milked out

Heifers down in normally calves out farm, grass a bit strong and not suitable for baling so forcing them to graze it tight as calves will be in next. Anyway they end up breaking out of paddock this evening most of them into next paddock no big deal. Then Of course a few beauties think it's better to cross a river and into a back garden:(

Milked out

Heifers down in normally calves out farm, grass a bit strong and not suitable for baling so forcing them to graze it tight as calves will be in next. Anyway they end up breaking out of paddock this evening most of them into next paddock no big deal. Then Of course a few beauties think it's better to cross a river and into a back garden:(

keep going

browned wrote: »

I was Ai,ing cows while there were 6 bulls were running with the herd last year. the ai man won a lot of the battles. Small world. The Rock is all broken out of it now and a handy bit of drainage been done over the years. More than welcome to visit any time.

If i remember rightly there was a piece of that farm up the road , did ye buy that as well,I wont have time to call , too busy milking

Timmaay

Milked out wrote: »

Each to there own, some lads might start at 5 others at 8.30 makes no difference to anyone only themselves. Working around family would have some lads go in earlier others may have no family

Rarely start milking before 8am here, usually 5pm then. Not hugely a morning person 2bh ha, but also usually up till 12pm, and always got something to be done (researching the TAMS 2 planning in right at the sec). I'm happy enough with this balance (apart from too long spend on boards...)