Dairy chit chat II

Timmaay

alps wrote: »

Growth here high nineties with the past 3 weeks and more. We are on a 16/17 day round going back into topped paddocks, pgy 1600/1700, but they are stemmy. I'm reluctant to top out again as now really concerned about drought situation. It's not the time to push cows to grass out this mess as yields too precious at present.

9mm in the past week with only 44mm in the past month, coupled with such high temoeratures, and I'm getting the impression that this push to seed by the grass at such a short rotation is a symptom of stress.

Cut silage over 2 weeks ago and have a significant surplus pulled from the platform, but will be a shame if we have to give it back...

How do guys here deal with drought, and at what point do you decide and implement any drought tactics..?

It's a hard one to call 2bh. The only concrete rule is I make zero attempt to do a 2nd cut, bar it's on ground that was cut very leafy early/mid may (didn't happen this year no surprise!), keeps all ground in the rotation. I'm stretching out the rotation to 30days here at the minute, that's at the total sacrifice of quality, and I'm likely to take a hit in the protein, however grass has already shot out with drought stress. I've zero intention to push the cows too hard through this steamy grass, the only question is should I top now or not? If I do there will be no regrowth whatsoever as no cover on the ground and all moisture will go, if I don't top there will be no quality whatsoever, and if the rain does come ill end up with bucketloads of poor quality grass.

Mooooo

Skipped paddocks here as while there has been growth every where seems to have shot up with stem, even paddocks grazed tight last round. Topping after them at the minute

Dakota Dan

Mooooo wrote: »

Skipped paddocks here as while there has been growth every where seems to have shot up with stem, even paddocks grazed tight last round. Topping after them at the minute

Yeah plenty short stemmy grass.

My electric milk pump started burning Saturday evening, milking machine always seems to give trouble on long weekends. I rang the technician thinking I'd get a replacement pump for around 200, he said the smallest pump is €750 plus vat and that's fitting yourself :eek: luckily I also have a diaphragm pump that the pully came off but he wasn't interested in getting that going only wanted to sell the electric pump, it's the last one someone else might want it tomorrow :rolleyes: I wasn't long getting the diaphragm pump working after all that and saved the day.

Mooooo

Heifers next to where silage cut, testing in the morning. Tempting faith that they'll be were they're supposed to in the morn...

Buford T. Justice XIX

Mooooo wrote: »

Heifers next to where silage cut, testing in the morning. Tempting faith that they'll be were they're supposed to in the morn...

We're testing this week as well, either Wednesday or Friday and the cattle are in fierce awkward spots for bringing in without mixing so we may have to house a few the night before. Milk recording as well and reseeding a bit of ground too.

patsy_mccabe

leg wax wrote: »

11 bedrooms .........legs thinks a hore house and fook the cows

The best little banging shop in Baltinglass.

patsy_mccabe

Timmaay wrote: »

Someone grab a photo of the article please

http://www.daft.ie/wicklow/commercial-property-for-sale/agricultural-farm-land-for-sale/fortgranite-on-c-341-acres-baltinglass-wicklow-645642/

K.G.

Mooooo wrote: »

Skipped paddocks here as while there has been growth every where seems to have shot up with stem, even paddocks grazed tight last round. Topping after them at the minute

Its actually too early to top or premow.paddocks done in the last two weeks in june will do it for the year but ones done now will nearly have to be done again.grass grazing better than it looks and protein bobbing over 3.5 so happy enough.all that said the mower is doing alot here between taking out grass and premowing.

mahoney_j

K.G. wrote: »

Its actually too early to top or premow.paddocks done in the last two weeks in june will do it for the year but ones done now will nearly have to be done again.grass grazing better than it looks and protein bobbing over 3.5 so happy enough.all that said the mower is doing alot here between taking out grass and premowing.

I’ve came to conclusion that every paddock needs to be either cut for bales ,topped or pre mowed (in that order )before June 1,.cows can’t be used as toppers or tank and solids will suffer .grass naturally heads out and throws seed heads from third week may on so one of above will be needed .ive topped 20% of paddocks and baled rest and have lovely covers of grass ahead of me now due to it .coes still pumping too ,2.43 kgms daily

Mooooo

My protein has fallen to 3.44 for the last week and a half, could be late calvers dropping, they were doing around 28.5L on average dropped to 27with the last two collections.

charolais0153

mahoney_j wrote: »

I’ve came to conclusion that every paddock needs to be either cut for bales ,topped or pre mowed (in that order )before June 1,.cows can’t be used as toppers or tank and solids will suffer .grass naturally heads out and throws seed heads from third week may on so one of above will be needed .ive topped 20% of paddocks and baled rest and have lovely covers of grass ahead of me now due to it .coes still pumping too ,2.43 kgms daily

Topping after cows and sheep here but one field that we topped 3 weeks ago has far more stem in it than field beside it that wasnt topped . got same manure too

Keepgrowing

mahoney_j wrote: »

I’ve came to conclusion that every paddock needs to be either cut for bales ,topped or pre mowed (in that order )before June 1,.cows can’t be used as toppers or tank and solids will suffer .grass naturally heads out and throws seed heads from third week may on so one of above will be needed .ive topped 20% of paddocks and baled rest and have lovely covers of grass ahead of me now due to it .coes still pumping too ,2.43 kgms daily

I’d agree fully. Full round of premowing or baling done here. The issue is stocking rate and managing residuals. It’s impractical to adjust sr to growth so a blade is needed in W art paddock twice during the year imv.

We have a herd away from home and due to a lot of reseeding and other work being carried out the sr is 5, no topping and only some baking done there.

The growth has been extraordinary this summer. I’ve never recorded so many consecutive high growths so decisions on managing grass needs to be quick and decisive. We baked 3 days last week thinking we’d things under control each time. Looks like we’ll be baling some paddocks that we’re premowed this week.

Topping, I’m not a fan as at this stage your correcting (reacting) to decisions made or not made a week earlier. We do need to top a few every year but feel we’ve slipped up if we’re doing too much of it. I hate seeing waste left behind but it’s way better than no action. The big plus ie you’re not removing nutrients as they’re left in situ to decay. I also hate the cow shyte destroying the mower and tractor

Mooooo

Agree part of the reason I'm topping is I should have skipped more a week ago. Have a few fields I can't send the mower as we turned them upside down when draining them and the surface now goes like a rock and ruts will damage mower, contractor lost a skid there last year and its lot worse this year. Down to 18 day rotation will prob bale another bit to drop to 16.

Brown Podzol

Keepgrowing wrote: »

I’d agree fully. Full round of premowing or baling done here. The issue is stocking rate and managing residuals. It’s impractical to adjust sr to growth so a blade is needed in W art paddock twice during the year imv.

We have a herd away from home and due to a lot of reseeding and other work being carried out the sr is 5, no topping and only some baking done there.

The growth has been extraordinary this summer. I’ve never recorded so many consecutive high growths so decisions on managing grass needs to be quick and decisive. We baked 3 days last week thinking we’d things under control each time. Looks like we’ll be baling some paddocks that we’re premowed this week.

Topping, I’m not a fan as at this stage your correcting (reacting) to decisions made or not made a week earlier. We do need to top a few every year but feel we’ve slipped up if we’re doing too much of it. I hate seeing waste left behind but it’s way better than no action. The big plus ie you’re not removing nutrients as they’re left in situ to decay. I also hate the cow shyte destroying the mower and tractor

I would always prefer to pre mow than top but this year we are doing more topping simply because of the high temps and grass drying out too much before the cows get to it even though we would only mow enough for 24 hours. Puts too much pressure on our water supply.

K.G.

Alot of the reason i v the mower out now is corrrect poor weather grazing.did paddocksto throw in with the wsgon and the mower was covered in earth

straight

Is a bit of stem really the end of the world. Cows are more content and butterfat has shot up here. No more sara.

RightTurnClyde

What are people paying for pasture sward + S at the moment?

Timmaay

Gr 27, demand 38, Sr 2.37, cover/LU 198. Time to open the pit I guess.

Mooooo

One down in the test. Bull**** continues...

K.G.

Mooooo wrote: »

One down in the test. Bull**** continues...

F##k it anyway

Buford T. Justice XIX

Mooooo wrote: »

One down in the test. Bull**** continues...

Sorry to hear that, it's an absolute stones.

Tested here today but not hopeful tbh. A few new setts around this year and a few gone down around again in the last while.

Mooooo

Buford T. Justice V wrote: »

Sorry to hear that, it's an absolute stones.

Tested here today but not hopeful tbh. A few new setts around this year and a few gone down around again in the last while.

Best of luck, hopefully you'll be clear. Only 20 extra calves and a few culls extra here so manageable but getting cow numbers back up is the thing. A lot less milk going out the gate

Buford T. Justice XIX

Mooooo wrote: »

Best of luck, hopefully you'll be clear. Only 20 extra calves and a few culls extra here so manageable but getting cow numbers back up is the thing. A lot less milk going out the gate

I had 3 lads in this evening looking for calves, culls and weanlings and another lad looking to buy 2 poly bulls. About 15 could be gone this evening if not for the test.


I couldn't get even one lad to come last week when they could be sold:rolleyes:

kevthegaff

Dep want to blood everything, I don't want to. It takes clear animals also

jaymla627

kevthegaff wrote: »

Dep want to blood everything, I don't want to. It takes clear animals also

You'll get roasted if they blood, if you have a good few inconclusives/nice little lumps coming up but still passing nearly half of these will fail on blood that would pass on a skin test....
Had a close call here, had 5 inconclusives and they passed in retest but they where borderline

straight

Paper never refuses ink.

https://m.independent.ie/business/farming/rural-life/farmers-need-to-stop-allowing-their-work-to-cause-longlasting-health-problems-36928915.html

alps

straight wrote: »

Paper never refuses ink.

https://m.independent.ie/business/farming/rural-life/farmers-need-to-stop-allowing-their-work-to-cause-longlasting-health-problems-36928915.html

Sit at the back of the room at a farmer meeting some night and watch the crowd exit....

It will shock you as a terrible advertisement for the health status of an industry..

And before you get upset, I wouldn't do anything for the image either..

wrangler

alps wrote: »

Sit at the back of the room at a farmer meeting some night and watch the crowd exit....

It will shock you as a terrible advertisement for the health status of an industry..

And before you get upset, I wouldn't do anything for the image either..

Farmers are slow to use safety equipment too, steel toe caps and ear protectors would've helped old age here..... bit late now.
Don't know how you'd stop sheep wrecking your knees though.....they hit like rugby players now, especially ewes

whelan2

Problem with compressor on milk tank today. Milk at 8 degrees at 12 noon. Glad of service contract

Base price

wrangler wrote: »

Farmers are slow to use safety equipment too, steel toe caps and ear protectors would've helped old age here..... bit late now.
Don't know how you'd stop sheep wrecking your knees though.....they hit like rugby players now, especially ewes

Calves have the same effect on the knees although not as bad as the white vermin.