Dairy chit chat II

Timmaay

This one that I did myself, using a windows based drawing program which isnt much more advanced than paint. I've all the paddock sizes on a list, I measured them off a google maps app with an area measure.

https://ibb.co/hNBZDv

mahoney_j

Just read mts forecast and it makes for some reading after last few days ,dry settled and temps touching 16/20 degrees ..strange 2 months weather wise from glorious to wet to cold to snow but the big plus is getting a lot of ground grazed combined with early fertiliser and slurry driving growth to high levels for so early in year .
Cows now back out full time ,silage out of diet ,will start back z grazing from tomorrow till late next week at night to stretch first round till first few days in April ,over 1100 currently on first grazed paddock ,93% calved today and all remaining cows spring bar 2 which aren't due till 10 and 12/04

pedigree 6

Following on from Mahoney's post above.
Who thought I was mad in the head to be spreading fertiliser on the 20th January.
If you did. Thank this post.

mahoney_j

pedigree 6 wrote: »

Following on from Mahoney's post above.
Who thought I was mad in the head to be spreading fertiliser on the 20th January.
If you did. Thank this post.

I'd of said u were mad but a few days later I spread a bag of urea across whole farm !!!!!,weather and ground conditions too good to let opportunity pass

whelan2

We blanket spread a bag of can in January, plenty of grass now if we could graze it. Changed liners this morning, got a lad to come in at 10am to pull the liners through the shells for me- wouldnt have the energy at the moment:mad:- we got the 60 shells done in 18 minutes

thisyear

Timmaay wrote: »

This one that I did myself, using a windows based drawing program which isnt much more advanced than paint. I've all the paddock sizes on a list, I measured them off a google maps app with an area measure.

https://ibb.co/hNBZDv

One of the teagasc lads mentioned this before. You can get the map off this and edit it yourself

https://www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?useExisting=1

pedigree 6

Right we are coming into what people call Grass Tetany weather now.
Especially in the East of Ireland with High Pressure now in charge and cloudless days but possibility of frost at night with a brisk easterly wind.
Of course the weather doesn't cause Grass Tetany but with bright sunshine (grass absorbing more potassium) and cool nights (sudden temperature changes on stock) it is a factor in showing it up in cows.

So maybe people should be on the look out. Myself included.

Anyway here's a few articles.
http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/110888/Grass-tetany-in-cattle-treatment-and-prevention.pdf

https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/livestock-biosecurity/grass-tetany-beef-cattle-prevention-and-treatment

And an unusual one.
http://www.beefmagazine.com/health/salt-can-prevent-and-treat-grass-tetany

GrasstoMilk

pedigree 6 wrote: »

Right we are coming into what people call Grass Tetany weather now.
Especially in the East of Ireland with High Pressure now in charge and cloudless days but possibility of frost at night with a brisk easterly wind.
Of course the weather doesn't cause Grass Tetany but with bright sunshine (grass absorbing more potassium) and cool nights (sudden temperature changes on stock) it is a factor in showing it up in cows.

So maybe people should be on the look out. Myself included.

Anyway here's a few articles.
http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/110888/Grass-tetany-in-cattle-treatment-and-prevention.pdf

https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/livestock-biosecurity/grass-tetany-beef-cattle-prevention-and-treatment

And an unusual one.
http://www.beefmagazine.com/health/salt-can-prevent-and-treat-grass-tetany

Would you get tertnay over your way? Can't say we've ever had a case here. Clonroche soil sky high in magnesium

Buford T. Justice XIX

We were milk recording this evening and things went badly wrong. Ration lorry came just as the cows were coming in and they followed the nice smell of fresh ration.

Finally got them into the yard and milking when the lad that does the dehorning came to do a few calves so I left him off on his own.

Then two of the meters wouldn't work for the second round so had to change them and the lad dehorning came in to tell me he had finished and off he went while I was calling out numbers of the cows to the eldest lad. Most of the cows were in but a few of the heifers need a bit of direction so I went outside to herd them in.

Next thing I spot the first cows heading out the roadway! And the rest following them!

The lad doing the dehorning never closed the gate at the front of the pit:mad:

Now I have to face into recording again tomorrow:mad::mad::mad:

Be nice tonight folks, my ban hammer is getting warmed up:o

pedigree 6

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

Would you get tertnay over your way? Can't say we've ever had a case here. Clonroche soil sky high in magnesium

It's something to watch for here alright.
There can be an odd case.

About three years ago the neighbours got lime spread and then put out 2 bags of 18.6.12 and also spread slurry on rented ground (they thought they were doing the right thing) before grazing in the spring and they lost 5 cows.
Actually all the neighbours here we've all lost stock to it down through the years.
But it wouldn't really effect me too much (touch wood) as I usually go with straight N in the first few rounds.
But this year I went with a bag of 27.2.5.5 on the first round and am going out now with a bag and a quarter of Richland now on the second round so I better be careful this year.

Edit: Actually from here to Ross all along the butt of the mountains is a good area for the knacker man.

Mooooo

Buford T. Justice V wrote: »

We were milk recording this evening and things went badly wrong. Ration lorry came just as the cows were coming in and they followed the nice smell of fresh ration.

Finally got them into the yard and milking when the lad that does the dehorning came to do a few calves so I left him off on his own.

Then two of the meters wouldn't work for the second round so had to change them and the lad dehorning came in to tell me he had finished and off he went while I was calling out numbers of the cows to the eldest lad. Most of the cows were in but a few of the heifers need a bit of direction so I went outside to herd them in.

Next thing I spot the first cows heading out the roadway! And the rest following them!

The lad doing the dehorning never closed the gate at the front of the pit:mad:

Now I have to face into recording again tomorrow:mad::mad::mad:

Be nice tonight folks, my ban hammer is getting warmed up:o

Days automatically end up long and stressful at the mere mention of recording

whelan2

Mooooo wrote: »

Days automatically end up long and stressful at the mere mention of recording

Is there not an option for a milk recorder to do it for you. Alot less stressful

mahoney_j

whelan2 wrote: »

Is there not an option for a milk recorder to do it for you. Alot less stressful

I intentionally don't do first recording till after 10 April once majority cows are calved and spring workload has slackend off. Mistakes can be made too easily recording in March when there's cows to be held and heifers been trained in

Timmaay

whelan2 wrote: »

Is there not an option for a milk recorder to do it for you. Alot less stressful

Always used a recorder here. 2e/cow, is that the same rate as for diy? We use the yields off the basic GM milk meters (not icar approved, but I defo don't care), and then sampling jars. Biggest hassle is having to clip the cows fb number the milking beforehand, and then bought in heifers without any fb. Switched from every month to max every 2nd month, prb only end up doing it 5times this yr, 1000e is well enough to pay for it.

Timmaay

mahoney_j wrote: »

I intentionally don't do first recording till after 10 April once majority cows are calved and spring workload has slackend off. Mistakes can be made too easily recording in March when there's cows to be held and heifers been trained in

Don't lie you want to wait till cows have hit full whack litres wise haha

GrasstoMilk

pedigree 6 wrote: »

It's something to watch for here alright.
There can be an odd case.

About three years ago the neighbours got lime spread and then put out 2 bags of 18.6.12 and also spread slurry on rented ground (they thought they were doing the right thing) before grazing in the spring and they lost 5 cows.
Actually all the neighbours here we've all lost stock to it down through the years.
But it wouldn't really effect me too much (touch wood) as I usually go with straight N in the first few rounds.
But this year I went with a bag of 27.2.5.5 on the first round and am going out now with a bag and a quarter of Richland now on the second round so I better be careful this year.

Edit: Actually from here to Ross all along the butt of the mountains is a good area for the knacker man.

Two bags of 15/10/10 just gone out here like every other year and. Ever any issues

kowtow

Mooooo wrote:

Days automatically end up long and stressful at the mere mention of recording

I have a milk recorder with the patience of a saint but unfortunately I also have a very bold cow who thinks she is the dentist.

On any normal day she would come in to the parlour as many times as you'd let her, but not on recording day... at least not this week. Her final trick was to somersault the gate out of the collecting yard and skulk off to graze with the weanlings.

We marked her as 'absent'.

Water John

Are you milking Limousins, Kowtow?

leg wax

just filled out form to go at recording, hate it but its a must for the next cycle of culls to get the road and catch up with you guys on solids and price got.

whelan2

leg wax wrote: »

just filled out form to go at recording, hate it but its a must for the next cycle of culls to get the road and catch up with you guys on solids and price got.

I recorded on st Patrick's day. Had t he results on Thursday. Scc problem here at the minute. One cow with scc of 9999 million. Wouldn't have known only for the recording. She will go to factory on Monday. Recorder always does it here. We are on the 6weeks scheme.

Keepgrowing

mahoney_j wrote: »

I intentionally don't do first recording till after 10 April once majority cows are calved and spring workload has slackend off. Mistakes can be made too easily recording in March when there's cows to be held and heifers been trained in

Going back recording this year but won't do first one till just before breeding

Mooooo

Stopped last year bit the same as whelan have scc issues. Won't go back.to every month maybe 5 or 6 times I'm the year.

visatorro

Just get diy record when scc goes way up. Probably should do every three months or so but I don't. Used to do every month. I only test in the evening.

Timmaay

leg wax wrote: »

just filled out form to go at recording, hate it but its a must for the next cycle of culls to get the road and catch up with you guys on solids and price got.

Can't say I even look at the individual cows solids much anymore (it use to depress me seeing some HOs drop to 2.3% p in the spring!!), I certainly haven't had the luxury to cull based on poor milk solids alone, however we have made huge progress on bulk tank solids delivered per year, just on the back of better diet (Aka more milk off grass, and milk off good silage/maize when grass not at option), and then the bought in jex and picking bulls based on kg of fat and P, probably the main selection criteria for me.

alps

Boys n girls...summer is here

kowtow

Water John wrote: »

Are you milking Limousins, Kowtow?

Hmm.. might as well be with this one. She's very affectionate and well behaved generally but when she's bold she's very very bold. Basically everything you don't want in a cow.

She's also well aware that her horns, as long as I can't find a convenient time to skull her, give her protection - specifically from the factory and the mart.

Waffletraktor

kowtow wrote: »

Hmm.. might as well be with this one. She's very affectionate and well behaved generally but when she's bold she's very very bold. Basically everything you don't want in a cow.

She's also well aware that her horns, as long as I can't find a convenient time to skull her, give her protection - specifically from the factory and the mart.

Thought you can sell horned cattle to factory?

Water John

He's too fond of her.

kowtow

Waffletraktor wrote: »

Thought you can sell horned cattle to factory?

If you are right you've made my day - I've got two or three with horns milking away that are nothing special and could go to make room for replacements, of which I have good few coming through.

Difficult to find a time of year which is fly free when they are dry and empty to skull them.

kowtow

Water John wrote: »

He's too fond of her.

If she makes a good cull I'll cope.

Besides, I want her horns for the front of the quad.