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

Timmaay

Mooooo wrote: »

I may sound like a broken record on this Timmay, but would you not be better off serving those few cows in Jan, they will milk well and if you will be supplying winter milk next year it saves them.rolling the extra few months. Give them a beef bull so the calves will be gone. Use the fact you are still in winter milk to tighten up the spring then pull the bull out so last cow calves in April.

Yeh I'll admit straight out I'm probably letting the tail wag the dog with the June and July calvers. If I didn't serve them, that would be another 8 that would be getting carried over until Oct. Ultimately all liquid milk is doing is allowing me to be sloppy with the calving interval, doing up the figures I'm likely to be still a decent bit over my liquid quota, even without any autumn calvers. More je or pure fr is the only solution I think ha....

whelan2

Timmaay wrote: »

Yeh I'll admit straight out I'm probably letting the tail wag the dog with the June and July calvers. If I didn't serve them, that would be another 8 that would be getting carried over until Oct. Ultimately all liquid milk is doing is allowing me to be sloppy with the calving interval, doing up the figures I'm likely to be still a decent bit over my liquid quota, even without any autumn calvers. More je or pure fr is the only solution I think ha....

Its a long spread from February to July

GrasstoMilk

Anyone have a cure for heifers breaking through a temporary fence,
5000v in it
3 times they've done it now

Water John

If its the white tape, run a wire with it. It's usually one or two culprits. If you could catch them in the act. Jail for a few days.

mf240

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

Anyone have a cure for heifers breaking through a temporary fence,
5000v in it
3 times they've done it now

Roll it up and put it in a shed where they can't get at it:D

pedigree 6

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

Anyone have a cure for heifers breaking through a temporary fence,
5000v in it
3 times they've done it now

Maybe check your earths. They probably are getting a bit too dry now.

If the fencer is ok and earths ok and All of the strip wire is ok.
You'll just have to retrain the heifers to the electric fence.
Make up a small pen with mild steel wire and stand with them on the other side of the fence. Stand there long enough that everyone of them gets a right good shock off the fence. You are also there to stop the offenders from making a run at the wire. Just may retrain them that's all.

Hope that helps.

kowtow

pedigree 6 wrote: »

Maybe check your earths. They probably are getting a bit too dry now.

If the fencer is ok and earths ok and All of the strip wire is ok.
You'll just have to retrain the heifers to the electric fence.
Make up a small pen with mild steel wire and stand with them on the other side of the fence. Stand there long enough that everyone of them gets a right good shock off the fence. You are also there to stop the offenders from making a run at the wire. Just may retrain them that's all.

Hope that helps.

With sheep years ago we used to put an odd bit of hay up on the fence and let them nibble at it until they learned.

Maybe try the same, or with a bit of bale wrap?

Heifers love bale wrap, at least mine do - especially the bright coloured charity stuff. They chew that straight off the roll if they can find it, don't even wait for us to wrap it round some silage.

GrasstoMilk

pedigree 6 wrote: »

Maybe check your earths. They probably are getting a bit too dry now.

If the fencer is ok and earths ok and All of the strip wire is ok.
You'll just have to retrain the heifers to the electric fence.
Make up a small pen with mild steel wire and stand with them on the other side of the fence. Stand there long enough that everyone of them gets a right good shock off the fence. You are also there to stop the offenders from making a run at the wire. Just may retrain them that's all.

Hope that helps.

Earths are okay. 8 of them down a metre or more each There's 5k+ volts in the wire. Thinking of using some light mild steel wire on the realer
Those 'hot' posts are wicked dear

Buford T. Justice XIX

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

Earths are okay. 8 of them down a metre or more each There's 5k+ volts in the wire. Thinking of using some light mild steel wire on the realer
Those 'hot' posts are wicked dear

Would there be some fraying of the metal strips in the poly wire and the shock not travelling in full down the length of the wire?

Some actual wire would be a big help alright, other than that you may have to house the two or three witches breaking out.

Fixture

Panch18 wrote: »

This is the route I'd try to go down if it was me

If it were me I'd definitely ring Grasstech or someone like that and assemble in the minimum number of groups. Just look at what mastitis, lameness and other disease cost Greenfield in early years. And they did health tests and vaccinations! I recall that some groups they bought culled themselves in a few years.

Waffletraktor

Buford T. Justice V wrote: »

Would there be some fraying of the metal strips in the poly wire and the shock not travelling in full down the length of the wire?

Some actual wire would be a big help alright, other than that you may have to house the two or three witches breaking out.

The guys here had problems with sheep going walk about, the wire had frayed too far after plenty of use.

GrasstoMilk

Buford T. Justice V wrote: »

Would there be some fraying of the metal strips in the poly wire and the shock not travelling in full down the length of the wire?

Some actual wire would be a big help alright, other than that you may have to house the two or three witches breaking out.

It's going the full length of it, the mild steel wire mightn't be as easy push over.
I've an idea of one girl that could be the cause

Water John

They stock are also dry and hairy. I have one cow who'll try and the wire is at 6.4. They don't get good contact on the tape.

I know one neighbour who had two bold heifers. He brought them in and showed them that wire was not pleasant. Solved his problem.

mahoney_j

See the latest willy waving reports are up
(Coop performance )output per cow up 3.3% litres wise and sokids sold up 3.5% to 458 kg on nearly 80 kg less meal per head .84% cows. Alved in 6 weeks ,100% heifers calved down at 22/24 months this ebi fad and Holsteins working its magic for me anyway .
Few things stood out ,average supplier in my coop only 296 kg ms sold ,14.2 ltrs milk produced ,3.35% protein ,6 week calving rate 62% and only 56% heifers calved at 22/24 months .......

topgeas

Scanned 80 including heifers. 9 not in calf. Most Jan, Feb, March, 6 in April and 1 in May. Went out to bring in for milking and 1 cow with a cleaning hanging out of her😠

GrasstoMilk

topgeas wrote: »

Scanned 80 including heifers. 9 not in calf. Most Jan, Feb, March, 6 in April and 1 in May. Went out to bring in for milking and 1 cow with a cleaning hanging out of her😠

Get it to lab asap!! Prime time for salmonella is now,
Hopefully it's just a cow that got a knock during scanning

tanko

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

Get it to lab asap!! Prime time for salmonella is now,
Hopefully it's just a cow that got a knock during scanning

Is it possible that rough handling by the scanner could have caused that to happen?

charolais0153

tanko wrote: »

Is it possible that rough handling by the scanner could have caused that to happen?

This year we scanned a cow and she was 12 weeks in calf ... She came bulling a few weeks later. We won't be scanning next year I'd say, maybe before bulling them just so they are OK inside

Signpost

mahoney_j wrote: »

See the latest willy waving reports are up
(Coop performance )output per cow up 3.3% litres wise and sokids sold up 3.5% to 458 kg on nearly 80 kg less meal per head.

Some mighty impressive willy waving!
My yield has screwed me, down 21% on 15 in August & September. Know there was bad weather etc but should have pumped on more ration in hindsight to keep the volume up, a lesson learned I guess.

Signpost

tanko wrote: »

Is it possible that rough handling by the scanner could have caused that to happen?

I use a lad who scans from the outside. Can do it after 60 days in calf but I usually let mine go longer. Last year was my first time using him and was nearly telling me the colour of their eyes not to mind the date and was spot on with all his dates. Only charged 3 euro a cow too so thought it was good value. Serves most of munster area I think so drop me a message if anyone wants his number.

DKDairy

Planning on going dairy in 2019 and am looking at the type of cow im going for..dry and slighty hilly land with maybe 15 acres wet in real weather but always great to grow grass..have a milking platform of about 170 acres..300 days at grass achievable...thinking about a jersey cross? Any thoughts

alps

DKDairy wrote: »

Planning on going dairy in 2019 and am looking at the type of cow im going for..dry and slighty hilly land with maybe 15 acres wet in real weather but always great to grow grass..have a milking platform of about 170 acres..300 days at grass achievable...thinking about a jersey cross? Any thoughts

Cnat go wrong if you can source them....nice to be starting with a clean slate and your one chance of being fussy about what you buy.

Would be a real good time to get in at the moment. Big savings , and a wonderful opportunity to make genuine gains out of stock relief...150 heifers now costing 150k now could well be worth 225k by 2019..

whelan2

topgeas wrote: »

Scanned 80 including heifers. 9 not in calf. Most Jan, Feb, March, 6 in April and 1 in May. Went out to bring in for milking and 1 cow with a cleaning hanging out of her😠

When where they scanned. Scanner should have noticed something wrong with foetus. It's not enough just to say in calf they should tell you if the foetus is viable or if there's twins too

freedominacup

DKDairy wrote: »

Planning on going dairy in 2019 and am looking at the type of cow im going for..dry and slighty hilly land with maybe 15 acres wet in real weather but always great to grow grass..have a milking platform of about 170 acres..300 days at grass achievable...thinking about a jersey cross? Any thoughts

How much infrastructure investment do you have to do? What income stream have you for the next almost thirty months? How many cows do you plan to start with? Don't forget your replacement rate is going to be higher than a more established herd so you need to be planning for replacements for '20 at least and probably '21 if you don't but in calf heifers/cows. Would buying calves this spring and next be an option? Maybe agree a price as young calves for calves at 10 weeks weaned and eating meal. Your costs won't be much lower other than that your labour and land will be employed rearing them. There are three new entrants in my dg all going well and expanding. There bases would be similar enough to your own. All milking a good number now. Smallest is at his limit or close to it at around 110 cows.

kevthegaff

mahoney_j wrote:

See the latest willy waving reports are up (Coop performance )output per cow up 3.3% litres wise and sokids sold up 3.5% to 458 kg on nearly 80 kg less meal per head .84% cows. Alved in 6 weeks ,100% heifers calved down at 22/24 months this ebi fad and Holsteins working its magic for me anyway . Few things stood out ,average supplier in my coop only 296 kg ms sold ,14.2 ltrs milk produced ,3.35% protein ,6 week calving rate 62% and only 56% heifers calved at 22/24 months .......

Interesting looking at average supplier figures, biggest messers in the country we are from the look of it.

whelan2

Sold an angus bull to a dairy farmer and dropped him off yesterday, he put him straight in with a group of heifers. It's very early to be serving autumn calvers now isnt it?

Keepgrowing

whelan2 wrote: »

Sold an angus bull to a dairy farmer and dropped him off yesterday, he put him straight in with a group of heifers. It's very early to be serving autumn calvers now isnt it?

Calving at 30 mths, bananas.

He was probably the lad who spoke from the floor of the liquid meeting the other night. Told us how hard work liquid is calving all yr round and how it's fooked as no young lad is prepared to calve cows Christmas Day.

He's dead right, young lads have a lot more cop on than that.

whelan2

Keepgrowing wrote: »

Calving at 30 mths, bananas.

He was probably the lad who spoke from the floor of the liquid meeting the other night. Told us how hard work liquid is calving all yr round and how it's fooked as no young lad is prepared to calve cows Christmas Day.

He's dead right, young lads have a lot more cop on than that.

Some lads make things so hard on themselves. 2 strict groups of calving here . Calving interval of 380 according to icbf report last night. Few carry over cows increasing that

DKDairy

freedominacup wrote: »

How much infrastructure investment do you have to do? What income stream have you for the next almost thirty months? How many cows do you plan to start with? Don't forget your replacement rate is going to be higher than a more established herd so you need to be planning for replacements for '20 at least and probably '21 if you don't but in calf heifers/cows. Would buying calves this spring and next be an option? Maybe agree a price as young calves for calves at 10 weeks weaned and eating meal. Your costs won't be much lower other than that your labour and land will be employed rearing them. There are three new entrants in my dg all going well and expanding. There bases would be similar enough to your own. All milking a good number now. Smallest is at his limit or close to it at around 110 cows.

Yeah planning on buying 80 next spring and
Hope to start off at the 75 mark in my first year..rather buy them in as calves there immuanity would be build up and theyd almost be my own stock if ya get me.have 60 cow suckler herd and majority of infastructure there as in paddocks water and roadways would only need resurfacing.have 7 span A framed shed which will probaly hold 150 cubicles

OverRide

Keepgrowing wrote: »

Calving at 30 mths, bananas.

He was probably the lad who spoke from the floor of the liquid meeting the other night. Told us how hard work liquid is calving all yr round and how it's fooked as no young lad is prepared to calve cows Christmas Day.

He's dead right, young lads have a lot more cop on than that.

How come you attend liquid milk meetings if you're not a liquid supplier?

Btw someone should tell that person that spoke that avoiding calving cows on Xmas day or at any time in mid to late December and early January isn't rocket science,just lock up the Bull/Semen fridge in march
Works wonders