Have you housed any stock yet?

whelan2

Put in all my spring born dairy calves today, cows will probably go in by night next week

kevthegaff

Cows in at night, heifers another 2 weeks, weanlings hopefully another 4 weeks

Muckit

Nothing yet. Sat week is the date l have in my head. It's remarkably mild for the time of year. However it all depends on the weather.

Kovu

Have two in being weaned the last couple of days, calves being sold tomorrow so they may go back out if it's not pelting rain.
Should have most stock out til mid Nov.

visatorro

half the weanlings, 1/4 of the cows that have been set dry. cows by night with access to cubicles during the day. don't be long flying thru bales!!!

Timmaay

whelan2 wrote: »

Put in all my spring born dairy calves today, cows will probably go in by night next week

Spring born heifers are the one group I'm going to try to house as little as possible, I've seen ones out wintered correctly and it's unbelievable the weight gain they do. Growth ahead of demand here still, and usually get mild winters with a steady 5/10kg/day growth, so I think I'll have no problem keeping some grass in front of them. I've a shed on each yard that they can get access to if weather too bad, and lane ways to almost every Paddock on the farm, so I shouldn't have much issue moving them around, and avoiding poaching. Hopefully out fulltime from Feb when calving gets in full swing.

Miname

I've housed around three quarters of mine. More for a management point of view with short days and away working. I've nearly all paddocks cleaned out ,il keep 30 or so out till alls grazed. These are the days part time farming becomes more difficult.

simx

Everything in now bar a handy group of cows and calves and in calf heifers, plenty of grass around but not a fan of poaching much for a short term gain, if favorable weather in spring I should have plenty of grass

Milked out

Milkers in fulltime as of yday. Dry cows incalf heifers out till next week hopefully when I get some dried off. Autumn maidens in and calves out for a week maybe, may house half of em at wkend. This week while following a dry spell has really hammered the ground here. No maize in yet hopefully monday

Deepsouthwest

Cows in at night nxt wk, and day grass for another 10 days. First bunch of drys being tubed in the morning and will be housed as soon as they soak up. Incalf heifers should get another 3 wks max where they are. And calves hopefully will stay out til as close to Christmas as possible.

Grueller

I put in the autumn calving cows that have calved so far last Saturday. As they calve now for the next 3 weeks they will go in and the spring calvers will stay out hopefully until the end of November on a run on stubbles that I have off of a neighbour. So short answer is so far twenty cows and their calves in.

CloughCasey1

Will be putting all in next week. Will have all paddocks grazed by Tuesday. Have some regrowth on first two that were closed but going to leave that until Feb/March.

welton john

Early calvers and heifers dried today and left off to roam a few acres of scrub/rough grazing.cows in at night now and eveything else in full time next week.Have 15 weanlings on out farm who will stay out for the winter on 3 acres which will be reseeded in spring, they will have access to silage in yard and old out houses for shelter

Robson99

All in here for the last 3 weeks. On 5 kg meal per day and will be up to 10 kg in the next 2 weeks. Hope to knife last week in Dec and through Jan.
I find finishing cattle get sweet f.a. out of grass once October comes and are better off housed. Store lambs carried through the winter to clean off ground.

Muckit

Water won't fatten them!

Cavanjack

Robson99 wrote: »

All in here for the last 3 weeks. On 5 kg meal per day and will be up to 10 kg in the next 2 weeks. Hope to knife last week in Dec and through Jan.
I find finishing cattle get sweet f.a. out of grass once October comes and are better off housed. Store lambs carried through the winter to clean off ground.

What age cattle those? Find here that putting in heavy cattle this time of the year that are a month away from finishing usually takes 2 months to finish inside.

Robson99

Cavanjack wrote: »

What age cattle those? Find here that putting in heavy cattle this time of the year that are a month away from finishing usually takes 2 months to finish inside.

20 -22 months. Charlaois heifers. Approx 600kgs

rathbeg

Tipperary here ; nothing in yet and if weather holds anyway half right it will be another month as I have a load of grass and not even a bale opened yet

jack o shea

How much space needed for a cow cubicle? would 4 foot by 7 foot be enough?

cozzie

three quarters in here going on a couple weeks, our 6 month winter has begun, You guys with short winters must constantly be rolling in the cash

locky76

whelan2 wrote: »

Put in all my spring born dairy calves today, cows will probably go in by night next week

How come you housed your lightest stock first Whelan2, I normally leave these out till last as they are great to graze out paddocks without poaching them.

Deepsouthwest

jack o shea wrote: »

How much space needed for a cow cubicle? would 4 foot by 7 foot be enough?

3'9" wide, 6'6" to 7ft long

frazzledhome

jack o shea wrote: »

How much space needed for a cow cubicle? would 4 foot by 7 foot be enough?

Yes

whelan2

locky76 wrote: »

How come you housed your lightest stock first Whelan2, I normally leave these out till last as they are great to graze out paddocks without poaching them.

They were on outfarm , we made a plan for housing and there are bigger groups there that we want to leave out longer. Also view these as very important and didnt want them slipping back outside

_Brian

We're hoping to start picking up some small weanlings which will be housed straight away.

darragh_haven

I went around the farm this morning with my dad/boss, going on what's left to graze it'll be 12 to 14 days before any animal is housed. This is weather dependant tho. All animals, bar the 20 angus that will be out wintered, will be housed by November 20th.

CloughCasey1

darragh_haven wrote: »

I went around the farm this morning with my dad/boss, going on what's left to graze it'll be 12 to 14 days before any animal is housed. This is weather dependant tho. All animals, bar the 20 angus that will be out wintered, will be housed by November 20th.

How do they preform weight wise outside? Having you a dry area for them or on kale?

mattP

Have enough grass to keep everyone going another 3 weeks, all depends on the weather though, its been getting very wet lately...

Bullocks

Nothing in here yet but I'd say next weekend most will be going in bar a few heifers and maybe a few cows with calves in another spot for an extra few weeks . But it got very soggy this week especially after a full downpour all Thursday night , another few wettings like that will have our place untrafficable for awhile to any kind of stock

rushvalley

..

darragh_haven

CloughCasey1 wrote: »

How do they preform weight wise outside? Having you a dry area for them or on kale?

They would outperform any animal of ours that'd be housed. They will get 3 or 4 bales a week and will be on 8 acres of rough grazing. No kale and no meal

Bullocks

rushvalley wrote: »

..

Do you keep nuts in the wheelie bin ? Would the rats bother to chew into it ?

rushvalley

Bullocks wrote: »

Do you keep nuts in the wheelie bin ? Would the rats bother to chew into it ?

Ye. No problems with rats so far thankfully.

Bullocks

rushvalley wrote: »

Ye. No problems with rats so far thankfully.

Handy enough

20silkcut

Miname wrote: »

I've housed around three quarters of mine. More for a management point of view with short days and away working. I've nearly all paddocks cleaned out ,il keep 30 or so out till alls grazed. These are the days part time farming becomes more difficult.

Yes when the mother is offering to go down to feed nuts during the day I know it's time to get them into the yard under the floodlight.

Sam Kade

rushvalley wrote: »

Ye. No problems with rats so far thankfully.

I often wonder what ye means at the start of a sentence, is it a Midlands, northern saying?

patsy_mccabe

1st of November. Hard to believe. I was driving by a neighbours field today and spotted a bullock flat out. Shouted in and no movement. He even had a magpie picking at his back. Convinced he was dead. Went in and he gets up and stretches. You swear it was the middle of summer.

Greengrass1

When lads say they have grass left for 3 wks how much grass are ye leaving for spring are you leaving the place bare?
I could graze for another 4 wks but no grass left for spring then

Timmaay

Greengrass1 wrote: »

When lads say they have grass left for 3 wks how much grass are ye leaving for spring are you leaving the place bare?
I could graze for another 4 wks but no grass left for spring then

In fairness big difference between dry and wet land, and much easier for a dairy farmer to on off graze in the early spring.

Count Mondego

Greengrass1 wrote: »

When lads say they have grass left for 3 wks how much grass are ye leaving for spring are you leaving the place bare?
I could graze for another 4 wks but no grass left for spring then

I've a good few acres to get through before housing in Dec. If I left these heavy covers until spring what nutritional value would the grass have? Already a % of the leaves are dying and turning yellow. I'd always aim to clear them off at the end of the year to allow fresh regrowth in spring.

Base price

rushvalley wrote: »

Ye. No problems with rats so far thankfully.

I was cleaning out one of the sheds yesterday which has 2 wheelie bins in it that I use for storing milk replacer. Unbeknownst to me one of the bins had a half bag in it from earlier this year. When I opened the lid I got an awful fright, saw a juvenile rat was looking at me. Mammy rat had eaten a hole into the back of the bin.
I got OH to wheel the bin outside and we tipped it over on its side. Some sight to see a mongrel terrier and two rottweilers trying to get into a wheelie bin all at the same time and young rats trying to escape past them. They killed 7 rats in about 15 seconds

Bullocks

Greengrass1 wrote: »

When lads say they have grass left for 3 wks how much grass are ye leaving for spring are you leaving the place bare?
I could graze for another 4 wks but no grass left for spring then

If the ground can hold them I like to eat it well down because chances are it will be growing well in spring before the ground is trafficable for them to start eating it again .
Its different every year here with weather being the deciding factor more so than grass covers

Mad4simmental

Greengrass1 wrote: »

When lads say they have grass left for 3 wks how much grass are ye leaving for spring are you leaving the place bare?
I could graze for another 4 wks but no grass left for spring then

Have grass here on sum boggy ground that the dry cows are cleaning out. I know if grass is left on that piece over winter it will definitely rot away.

But on dry ground what cover max would you be happy to close and leave untill spring? I mean end of March early April spring at best around here?

Greengrass1

Mad4simmental wrote: »

Have grass here on sum boggy ground that the dry cows are cleaning out. I know if grass is left on that piece over winter it will definitely rot away.

But on dry ground what cover max would you be happy to close and leave untill spring? I mean end of March early April spring at best around here?

Even if you are getting out that late I'd be happy enough to leave a cover that's as high as your ankle

Greengrass1

Count Mondego wrote: »

I've a good few acres to get through before housing in Dec. If I left these heavy covers until spring what nutritional value would the grass have? Already a % of the leaves are dying and turning yellow. I'd always aim to clear them off at the end of the year to allow fresh regrowth in spring.

Grass in the spring will have alot more power in it than now. If there yellow and dying I'd graze but any ground that has been grazed in last 3 wks should be okay to leave over winter.

rathbeg

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Even if you are getting out that late I'd be happy enough to leave a cover that's as high as your ankle

and what if its up near my knees

Greengrass1

rathbeg wrote: »

and what if its up near my knees

I think you know the answer yourself

Timmaay

rathbeg wrote: »

and what if its up near my knees

Call the silage contractor!! And grass budget better in future

frazzledhome

Nothing's housed yet. One group of cows will be out till wend the others will have grass for about 10 days.

Incalf heifers have 1 weeks grass ahead and then it into the house with them.

Maiden heifers will remain on gras for the winter. These are in 2 groups with smaller ones getting meal and will continue to do so. If weather or grass situation dictates only the bigger girls will be housed. The smaller ones will not be housed under any bar the most extreme of circumstances as they'll grow much better out of doors.

All sheds ready, bar 1 gate needing a spot of welding. Put on heifer farm will be stripped this week in readiness for heifers being housed

Deepsouthwest

frazzledhome wrote: »

Nothing's housed yet. One group of cows will be out till wend the others will have grass for about 10 days.

Incalf heifers have 1 weeks grass ahead and then it into the house with them.

Maiden heifers will remain on gras for the winter. These are in 2 groups with smaller ones getting meal and will continue to do so. If weather or grass situation dictates only the bigger girls will be housed. The smaller ones will not be housed under any bar the most extreme of circumstances as they'll grow much better out of doors.

All sheds ready, bar 1 gate needing a spot of welding. Put on heifer farm will be stripped this week in readiness for heifers being housed

Are u regularly moving the two groups of weanlings? I split my calves as well, now I knowthey're smaller bunches than urs, 20 and 30 in my two, both are grazing outside blocks/silage ground, with near 30 acres in the two blocks, so have plenty liberty. But Since they were split and started getting meal they're making v little impact on the grass, have no power in either block, so can't subdivide it, so I'm tempted to lump them all in together again to get through the grass quicker and let it be growing again.
Just feel at the moment there's too much ground tied up with calves, and I'm affecting regrowths.
Love the way cows come in, clean a field off and it's growing again a few days later.

rathbeg

Timmaay wrote: »

Call the silage contractor!! And grass budget better in future

In my defence if it is a defence we usually cut 50 acres of 2nd cut and keep 50 1.5 year olds until they are finished out of the shed . This year however the silage pits were full after the first cut I do not like any more than 100 bales of silage and to compound the problem I sold all the 1.5 year bullocks a couple of weeks ago as with extra weanlings I had no room for them and I was tired of getting hammered finishing cattle. My only hope at this stage is fine weather