What do drystock farmer do all day

Keepgrowing

Pretty cushey here at the moment. Most stock housed bar the weanlings so it's milking twice, scraping, feeding and cubicle beds to be done. All done by11 am most days. It struck me yesterday that if there was no milking that the day would be a long one. How do people with dry stock fill the day?

whelan2

Keepgrowing wrote: »

Pretty cushey here at the moment. Most stock housed bar the weanlings so it's milking twice, scraping, feeding and cubicle beds to be done. All done by11 am most days. It struck me yesterday that if there was no milking that the day would be a long one. How do people with dry stock fill the day?

Or tillage people at this time of year?

Count Mondego

They generally work fulltime or part-time outside of the farm during the day.

Grueller

Keepgrowing wrote: »

Pretty cushey here at the moment. Most stock housed bar the weanlings so it's milking twice, scraping, feeding and cubicle beds to be done. All done by11 am most days. It struck me yesterday that if there was no milking that the day would be a long one. How do people with dry stock fill the day?

As count Montego said, the vast majority of them are not in the yard from 8 until 5:30-6 around here. 2-3 hours work a day is plenty then.

davidk1394

At this time of year: hedgecutting, fencing, weighing lambs for the butchers and factory. Feeding and bedding bulls and lambs. Then cutting up timber for the house and any minor repairs that have to be carried out on machines. There's always something to be done

duffysfarm

Watch couple of episodes of judge judy

Sam Kade

They spend the rest of the day worrying about how they will pay the bill for inputs at the end of the year

Timmaay

Keepgrowing wrote: »

Pretty cushey here at the moment. Most stock housed bar the weanlings so it's milking twice, scraping, feeding and cubicle beds to be done. All done by11 am most days. It struck me yesterday that if there was no milking that the day would be a long one. How do people with dry stock fill the day?

Get up later (the joys of no kids ha). Abit like yourself, the daily chores are less and less the more we block calf and get here setup, however the list of stuff to do just never every ends. I'm converting the old milking parlour here at the minute and doing a lot of the building work myself, plenty of odd jobs around the place to get sheds ready for the winter, loads of paperwork still to do, finish off grant applications, PM etc etc.

The main battle with me is prioritising what I can efficiently do myself, and what I'm better off calling quits on ha. I've a car here that the clutch is gone in and needs afew other small things , was worth 2k fixed up, or say 1000 sold as is at the time, I stupidly decided I'll get her fixed up myself ha, never got around to it, and it's still sitting here a yr later prb worth afew 100 max...

J.O. Farmer

Spend the rest of the day drinking tae, looking at the internet and telling anyone who will listen about how there's no money in farming.

emaherx

I like to just sit here and count all the money!

J.O. Farmer

emaherx wrote: »

I like to just sit here and count all the money!

Shhhhhh don't say that too loudly. Did you not read the memo. We're supposed to say how poor we are. Even the dairy lads have to say how hard it is to pay the tax bill.

pedigree 6

On the weekend's you can spot them at the machinery auctions.
Go to the portloaise machinery auction today and it will be full of drystock and tillage farmers looking for something to do and a common phrase on meeting each other is "Tis fierce cold out today, there''ll be snow by Christmas".

:D;)

Bass Reeves

Work during the day, involved with local GAA club so always something to do.

OverRide

Lads,

Have ye not watched the nightly documentary on what most of us do? It's an exciting life

jimmy G M

Read the milk price thread / dairy chit chat on boards :rolleyes::p:D

White Clover

Should the question not be "how do spring calving dairy farmers put down the day at this time of year" ?😀

pedigree 6

jimmy G M wrote: »

Read the milk price thread / dairy chit chat on boards :rolleyes::p:D

You'll be late for that machinery auction.;)

pedigree 6

White Clover wrote: »

Should the question not be "how do spring calving dairy farmers put down the day at this time of year" ?😀

Hibernating for the spring.

mahoney_j

As for whatvdry stock farmers do all day ,couldn't tell you go to the mart I suppose !!!!!
Personally love this time of year ,all stock bar heifer weanlings in .milking clean down beds ,lime beds ,throw in silage and that's pretty much it till milking time at 4.30'.from 11 on my time is my own .
This is first back end I've no building work going on and no obstructions around yard ,bliss .full herd still milking and will be till 01 December ,start drying off and milk oad then till 20/12 and after that till late January I become an absolute lazy ****e !!!!,that'll all change quick in early Feb tho

jimmy G M

pedigree 6 wrote: »

You'll be late for that machinery auction.;)

Well feck ya. Now I definitely late as I have to reply to this thread. :rolleyes:

blue5000

Look at the guntering thread, more drystock farmers than dairy farmers on there I'd say.

Buford T. Justice XIX

White Clover wrote: »

Should the question not be "how do spring calving dairy farmers put down the day at this time of year" ?😀

I'm off to Mallow today for the Munster intermediate hurling final, everything fed and bedded, just milking in the evening.

Drying the cows off next week. The following week I'll be in my bed till 10 or 11, fire out a bit of silage and tip around with the sheep for a while. Then pick up a few books and fire through them till the end of January.

893bet

They take arty photos to try and win the glory of photo of the month on boards!

pedigree 6

893bet wrote: »

They take arty photos to try and win the glory of photo of the month on boards!

No that's the vets.;)

Panch18

Keepgrowing wrote: »

Pretty cushey here at the moment. Most stock housed bar the weanlings so it's milking twice, scraping, feeding and cubicle beds to be done. All done by11 am most days. It struck me yesterday that if there was no milking that the day would be a long one. How do people with dry stock fill the day?

Keep growing, you have no idea how cushy it is. It's hobby farming. There is nothing to do, and during the summer there is literally nothing to do at all. You're right it's hard to pass the day!!

I'd say beef farming is even more cushy than tillage, it's hard to know which is easier and has a better lifestyle. Beef id say. Particularly if you don't have a suckler cow, which we don't on the beef side

We have the old cows to keep us entertained though

But realistically beef would want to be cushy, there's no money out of it. Your talking about 200 an acre profit from most systems so 250 acres to provide a 50k living

So you need the spare time to actually generate an income

Now a lad that has a job maybe pulling in 25-30k a year and no stress along with 100 acres of beef, I'd say he has the best living out of anything.

Cavanjack

Know a couple of lads with family's working full time and keeping over 150 head of cattle. Busier than any dairy man.

Panch18

Cavanjack wrote: »

Know a couple of lads with family's working full time and keeping over 150 head of cattle. Busier than any dairy man.

What's their cattle system??

FarmerDougal

Keepgrowing wrote: »

Pretty cushey here at the moment. Most stock housed bar the weanlings so it's milking twice, scraping, feeding and cubicle beds to be done. All done by11 am most days. It struck me yesterday that if there was no milking that the day would be a long one. How do people with dry stock fill the day?

Start threads online in a condescending manner puts in the time too.

Dry stock here, so housing cattle at the moment, vaccinating, dosing castrating feeding finishing shed renovation marts welding etc list is endless. 8am to 6pm 6 days a week 4 hours on a Sunday.
2 of Us here full time. Days are short..Lot to get round on

farmerjj

Keepgrowing wrote: »

Pretty cushey here at the moment. Most stock housed bar the weanlings so it's milking twice, scraping, feeding and cubicle beds to be done. All done by11 am most days. It struck me yesterday that if there was no milking that the day would be a long one. How do people with dry stock fill the day?

What do you do after 11? Doctor Phil, judge Judy?

White Clover

What alot of lads that are on some of the best land in the country don't realize is that most beef farming is carried out on marginal land.
When farming marginal land the maintenance work never ends. Today for example, I spent a few hours clearing the ends of land drains that discharge into open drains. This is essential work that has to be done at least once a year to keep the water moving.
Now if I was a dairy farmer on good land I'd say I would have been finished around 11 bar evening milking ðŸ˜ðŸ˜

maidhc

Keepgrowing wrote: »

How do people with dry stock fill the day?

Run a law firm; employ 4 people, get cases ready for hearing in the high court, get housing estates sold and advise a number of public bodies on data protection issues. Then after that when there is free time rebuild whatever farm machine is in need of rebuilding.

It is an Insulting kind of question to be honest.

Hurling Hereford

pedigree 6 wrote: »

On the weekend's you can spot them at the machinery auctions.
Go to the portloaise machinery auction today and it will be full of drystock and tillage farmers looking for something to do and a common phrase on meeting each other is "Tis fierce cold out today, there''ll be snow by Christmas".

:D;)

I've been at this sale and there are a fair few dairy people attend also. Shur they hardly spend their whole day milking or are they just slow at the job?

Cavanjack

Panch18 wrote: »

What's their cattle system??

One lad has 40 sucklers to beef as two year olds and he buys in extra weanlings and also keeps a few sheep. Another lad rears about 80 calves to beef every year.

Cattlepen

Well Tuesday n Thursday was spent putting up 500 metres of sheep wire two strands of barb one strand of electric fence with gate hung at either end. Friday getting 30 cattle in from out farm. Trying to gather up leaves off farm roads so drains don't get blocked. Always something to be done.
A lad could sit on his hands if he wanted but the place would fall down around yer ears eventually . Have to say, very much an insulting trolling question to start the thread

Muckit

davidk1394 wrote: »

There's always something to be done

Well that's the truth for you!

MF290

What do we do? It's a never ending battle between cutting sticks for the fire, stoking the fire, making cups of tea. Hardly have time to bed and fed the cattle inbetween.

Bullocks

Bar the couple of hours in the parlour every day I wouldnt imagine there is much difference in the work load of a drystock or dairy farmer

Ginger83

Sam Kade wrote: »

They spend the rest of the day worrying about how they will pay the bill for inputs at the end of the year

moaning they can't make a living

Genghis Cant

In the last few years the cattle here have gone so temperamental it takes the best part of a day to do just about anything.

cute geoge

Bullocks wrote: »

Bar the couple of hours in the parlour every day I wouldnt imagine there is much difference in the work load of a drystock or dairy farmer

I would imagine you never milked a cow in your whole life if this is your view!!!!:p

Bullocks

cute geoge wrote: »

I would imagine you never milked a cow in your whole life if this is your view!!!!:p

Youre wrong , spent years milking cows . Whats the extra work once the cows are milked over drystock ?

cute geoge

For starters herd cows up to parlour,
change fence
drafting cows for a.i./hoof paring/mastitis treatment
washing machine
cleaning parlour and yard
closing fence wires after cows go to pasture
feeding calves
washing milk tank
monitoring replacement stock which mostly accommodated in outfarms
yeara what else would i be doing

Icelandicseige

Bullocks wrote: »

Youre wrong , spent years milking cows . Whats the extra work once the cows are milked over drystock ?

Dairy versus dry stock

Calving cows
Registering calves
Selling calves
Drying off cows
Cutting tails
Banding
Paring hooves
AI
BreEding season
Treating mastitis
Depends what you define a job done some would say bringing calves to mart is a job while others would say it's a luxury ha
Generally more equipment to maintain I.e milking machine, scrapers, milk tank, water pump
Lots and lots of more herding with milking cows twice a day should I go on?

I said

Icelandicseige wrote: »

Dairy versus dry stock

Calving cows
Registering calves
Selling calves
Drying off cows
Cutting tails
Banding
Paring hooves
AI
BreEding season
Treating mastitis
Depends what you define a job done some would say bringing calves to mart is a job while others would say it's a luxury ha
Generally more equipment to maintain I.e milking machine, scrapers, milk tank, water pump
Lots and lots of more herding with milking cows twice a day should I go on?

Get that man a carling

Who2

Icelandicseige wrote: »

Dairy versus dry stock

Calving cows
Registering calves
Selling calves
Drying off cows
Cutting tails
Banding
Paring hooves
AI
BreEding season
Treating mastitis
Depends what you define a job done some would say bringing calves to mart is a job while others would say it's a luxury ha
Generally more equipment to maintain I.e milking machine, scrapers, milk tank, water pump
Lots and lots of more herding with milking cows twice a day should I go on?

Nothing different from most suckler farmers only we do it in the dark and on bank holidays.

charolais0153

Who2 wrote: »

Nothing different from most suckler farmers only we do it in the dark and on bank holidays.

Are sucklers classified as dry stock?

Welding Rod

Suckling here. You need a quiet time to count the cash

Bullocks

Jaysus ye dairy boys really whinge about a few small jobeens !
I'm up now to walk the dogs before I drop the wife into work , tough going

whelan2

Bullocks wrote: »

Jaysus ye dairy boys really whinge about a few small jobeens !
I'm up now to walk the dogs before I drop the wife into work , tough going

ok, you win, medal on its way to you

Bullocks

whelan2 wrote: »

ok, you win, medal on its way to you

I heard if you can piss you can milk cows
Will that medal get to me before Christmas ?

rangler1

Bullocks wrote: »

I heard if you can piss you can milk cows
Will that medal get to me before Christmas ?

The difference between dairy farms and drystock is that if a dairy farm needs one labour unit it has the money to pay one labour unit plus whereas drystock farm requiring one labour unit is lucky to have money to pay half labour unit available.
Hence they have to do the work along with a real days work