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

trixi2011

mahoney_j wrote: »

Talking to guy milking some pure jerseys last night ,thought I'd great solids till I seen his 6.48% fat 4.54 p milking 13 ltrs on 3 kg meal !!!

Theres a milk company in the uk paying 36p base for jersey milk make you really think about a herd of them.

Greengrass1

frazzledhome wrote: »

Was on farm over weekend all cows get 30-35 day dry. Spring calving 550kgs Ms 6 per ha xbred

Wow. What meal is fed?? Dry cow therapy?

frazzledhome

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Wow. What meal is fed?? Dry cow therapy?

1.3 tonne meal with silage filling gap. He mentioned DC but can't remember

freedominacup

frazzledhome wrote: »

1.3 tonne meal with silage filling gap. He mentioned DC but can't remember

Minimum of fifty percent of herd milking on lowest milk delivery so?

Brown Podzol

frazzledhome wrote: »

Was on farm over weekend all cows get 30-35 day dry. Spring calving 550kgs Ms 6 per ha xbred

You thinking of upping stocking rate? I'm at 3.75 this year and could have handled more but this was an exceptional grass year. Don't know if I'd go to 6 but I probably go over four next year.

Dawggone

frazzledhome wrote: »

Next time you're talking to him will you ask about fertility and empty rate. I'm hearing some horror stories so bad they are hard to believe

I sell Lucerne wraps to a Dutch man that has a herd of high yielding jerseys and he may as well have holsteins. No difference.

Deepsouthwest

Brown Podzol wrote: »

You thinking of upping stocking rate? I'm at 3.75 this year and could have handled more but this was an exceptional grass year. Don't know if I'd go to 6 but I probably go over four next year.

Will 3.75 whole farm or mp?

Greengrass1

Seen robot system yesterday. 2 robots. 88 cows atm 115 next yr plans to go to 140 on 41 ha.
Imo from what I seen yesterday big tonnes cannot be grown using robots. This farmer put it down to being a dry farm as to why he had v little grass bit tbf he is not the only person in the country with a dry farm.
At best I reckon he's utilising 70% of his grass. Grew just over 12 t last yr.
Cows leaving the paddock with 250 kgs grass left on it. Regrowths definitely being eaten.

Now imo if he changed to a A and B system with 12 hr breaks and used back fences I think he would grow alot more grass and utilise more.

Tbf he has the time. Doesn't really have to show up till 12 in the day if he felt like it

pedigree 6

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Seen robot system yesterday. 2 robots. 88 cows atm 115 next yr plans to go to 140 on 41 ha.
Imo from what I seen yesterday big tonnes cannot be grown using robots. This farmer put it down to being a dry farm as to why he had v little grass bit tbf he is not the only person in the country with a dry farm.
At best I reckon he's utilising 70% of his grass. Grew just over 12 t last yr.
Cows leaving the paddock with 250 kgs grass left on it. Regrowths definitely being eaten.

Now imo if he changed to a A and B system with 12 hr breaks and used back fences I think he would grow alot more grass and utilise more.

Tbf he has the time. Doesn't really have to show up till 12 in the day if he felt like it

Was it the A B C system? Yea regrowths are going to get eaten no matter what you do. This system was developed so that cows would always have fresh grass in that a cow could skip from A to C paddock. Not easy system to manage and I wouldn't like to be paying for it and service costs.

Maybe there's someone reading this who has robots with cows grazing who could give us an idea of what their daily routine is.

Milked out

Dawggone wrote: »

I sell Lucerne wraps to a Dutch man that has a herd of high yielding jerseys and he may as well have holsteins. No difference.

Dawg out of interest in your system when milking ayr is a fertile cow that calves every 370 days much more profitable than ones that calve maybe 420 days? Would the difference in yields due to lactation length's make much of a difference. I assume most of yours would milk on well till heavy in calf anyway

visatorro

don't have robot but cant understand the ABC paddocks. don't see the benefit.

mahoney_j

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Seen robot system yesterday. 2 robots. 88 cows atm 115 next yr plans to go to 140 on 41 ha.
Imo from what I seen yesterday big tonnes cannot be grown using robots. This farmer put it down to being a dry farm as to why he had v little grass bit tbf he is not the only person in the country with a dry farm.
At best I reckon he's utilising 70% of his grass. Grew just over 12 t last yr.
Cows leaving the paddock with 250 kgs grass left on it. Regrowths definitely being eaten.

Now imo if he changed to a A and B system with 12 hr breaks and used back fences I think he would grow alot more grass and utilise more.

Tbf he has the time. Doesn't really have to show up till 12 in the day if he felt like it

Gg no verdict should be made on robots and grazing etc etc till you see Aidan powers set up .2 robots 98 at present expanding to 120 and doing over 500 kg solids on 1 tonne meal with excellent grass management .a guy at the top of his game,u say he dosnt have to show up till 12,that's a myth and says lots about guy u visited management with robots and grazing has to be s notch above a conventional system

frazzledhome

mahoney_j wrote: »

Gg no verdict should be made on robots and grazing etc etc till you see Aidan powers set up .2 robots 98 at present expanding to 120 and doing over 500 kg solids on 1 tonne meal with excellent grass management .a guy at the top of his game,u say he dosnt have to show up till 12,that's a myth and says lots about guy u visited management with robots and grazing has to be s notch above a conventional system

His residuals weren't great at open day. They were as good as could be for time of year and system. Great manager but that system with his numbers was a lifestyle choice as opposed to a profit choice. No way it it profitable

Edit: a must see if considering robots, correct top operator

Greengrass1

mahoney_j wrote: »

Gg no verdict should be made on robots and grazing etc etc till you see Aidan powers set up .2 robots 98 at present expanding to 120 and doing over 500 kg solids on 1 tonne meal with excellent grass management .a guy at the top of his game,u say he dosnt have to show up till 12,that's a myth and says lots about guy u visited management with robots and grazing has to be s notch above a conventional system

Well I did say in my post from the farm I seen yesterday.
Still love the idea of the robot system. I wasnt too enamoured by the man we visited yesterday tbh. He wouldn't inspire you too much. Laid back I suppose us what you would call it

pedigree 6

Robot with rotary if they perfect it will be the best system.
Then you can manage the grazing any way you want.
With the lely,delaval, etc there is a lot of work still managing strip wires and still herding some cows.
I admire anyone for putting them in, it's not easy being the first to try any new technology.

mahoney_j

frazzledhome wrote: »

His residuals weren't great at open day. They were as good as could be for time of year and system. Great manager but that system with his numbers was a lifestyle choice as opposed to a profit choice. No way it it profitable

Edit: a must see if considering robots, correct top operator

Agree residuals weren't what ud want on day but I'd say a lot of that was due to open day ,I was at a lely open day there before and residuals were as good as you'd want .it was alifestyle choice alright but to say what he's at is unprofitable is a tad unfair

Greengrass1

Can suction hose for slurry tank be repaired?
Ours split in the middle today

mahoney_j

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Can suction hose for slurry tank be repaired?
Ours split in the middle today

Silage tape had to repair similar split in mine a few months back ,still working away fine

Timmaay

GG I picked up a steel insert, which joins two pipes together from farm services in Coolgreany, I think it cost 30 or 40e with the 2 clips also. Tape works if the cracks arent too bad, mine had gone well past that point ha. I was going to buy a full new pipe, but the insert has done the trick nicely and saved a 100quid or so. I think I cut 6 or 8inches out of the middle of it also.

Also I assume you were only spreading soiled water today :P

Greengrass1

mahoney_j wrote: »

Silage tape had to repair similar split in mine a few months back ,still working away fine

Ah mine has split in half like. Seperated in the middle.
Following the ciws with soiled water

Brown Podzol

Deepsouthwest wrote: »

Will 3.75 whole farm or mp?

Mp. Made 400kg dm silage per cow off mp.

Dawggone

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Seen robot system yesterday. 2 robots. 88 cows atm 115 next yr plans to go to 140 on 41 ha.
Imo from what I seen yesterday big tonnes cannot be grown using robots. This farmer put it down to being a dry farm as to why he had v little grass bit tbf he is not the only person in the country with a dry farm.
At best I reckon he's utilising 70% of his grass. Grew just over 12 t last yr.
Cows leaving the paddock with 250 kgs grass left on it. Regrowths definitely being eaten.

Now imo if he changed to a A and B system with 12 hr breaks and used back fences I think he would grow alot more grass and utilise more.

Tbf he has the time. Doesn't really have to show up till 12 in the day if he felt like it

Hmmm.
There is a French version of discussion groups that are run by an accountancy firm that does 95% of the farm accounts.
When robots are introduced it hasn't changed labour requirements one jot, and driven CoP up to 31-33cpl.
Being able to take weekends away (as I saw on a Lely ad in FJ!) is pure poppycock.
I've written on here before that in this neck of the woods if you want to get out of robots the only way is to sell the farm...

frazzledhome

mahoney_j wrote: »

Agree residuals weren't what ud want on day but I'd say a lot of that was due to open day ,I was at a lely open day there before and residuals were as good as you'd want .it was alifestyle choice alright but to say what he's at is unprofitable is a tad unfair

You are correct but the profitability is marginal with the number of cows going through. One thing I will say is robots work but the farmer needs to be as switched on as that guy

Milked out

frazzledhome wrote: »

You are correct but the profitability is marginal with the number of cows going through. One thing I will say is robots work but the farmer needs to be as switched on as that guy

Each robot would want to be going somewhere close to max capacity I assume to get most of each unit given cost. Biggest issue is if you wish to go up in numbers a new robot is needed. You can run as many as u want thru a herringbone. Again if one is sure on where they want to be not an issue but who knows what future holds

frazzledhome

pedigree 6 wrote: »

Robot with rotary if they perfect it will be the best system.
Then you can manage the grazing any way you want.
With the lely,delaval, etc there is a lot of work still managing strip wires and still herding some cows.
I admire anyone for putting them in, it's not easy being the first to try any new technology.

Dead on about robot rotary. I know DeLaval have one but not sure how far along it is. Great thing is it can milk multiple herds through it

Greengrass1

Road a little bit rough but 100 times better than what we had

mahoney_j

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Road a little bit rough but 100 times better than what we had

Finest ,,cows look a bit mal nourished by the way!!!!!

Greengrass1

mahoney_j wrote: »

Finest ,,cows look a bit mal nourished by the way!!!!!

Honestly or pulling my leg?
Hard to judge your own cows until there in a crush I find

mahoney_j

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Honestly or pulling my leg?
Hard to judge your own cows until there in a crush I find

Pulling ur leg ,some shine of them in serious knick !!

Greengrass1

mahoney_j wrote: »

Pulling ur leg ,some shine of them in serious knick !!

That's dad and his trace elements.
At a walk last wk with moorepark. Mineral samples done across 33 farms on grass right the way through the season. Every farm deficient in major elements aswell as trace