Dairy chit chat II

Mooooo

Never ceases to amaze me how some heifers would sooner atttempt to jump a 7foot wall than walk into a parlour

Buford T. Justice XIX

Mooooo wrote: »

Never ceases to amaze me how some heifers would sooner atttempt to jump a 7foot wall than walk into a parlour

My witch came back into the yard yesterday evening and went into the last round before I had copped she was in. Stuck the cluster on and she stood quiet as a baby.

Left her in again this morning and she kicked the living bejaysus out of me and the one in front and behind her.

Lesson learned, say hello to Ronald McDonald, lovie:(

whelan2

How are people for grass. Not alot of growth

Mooooo

Good here pregrazing holding at about 1500 cleanout good and paddocks greening well. A drop of rain and it would take off here. May take out a paddock or two on heifer ground over the weekend

mf240

whelan2 wrote: »

How are people for grass. Not alot of growth

Cows afraid to eat the rushes incase they'll want them worse next week

visatorro

There was a lad that used to post here (maybe still does) used to say no harm in giving cows a fresh paddock in the middle of the day if you need to. That's what I'm after doing. No I wasn't doing it for the craic!! They came in balling at half eleven. Paddock wouldn't be cleaned out as good as some you'd see. They're very fussy my lot!! Should be alright for grass but back to four kg for the week in parlour.

Buford T. Justice XIX

whelan2 wrote: »

How are people for grass. Not alot of growth

Same here. Going into covers of 1200 and 3 kgs of a 16% ration but very good cleanout and good enough regrowths. Like Mooooo said, a drop of rain and the place will explode but we would need a good drop with the drying that was there last week.

Yesterday and today showing good growth at last, very warm and sunny. I'm thinking of dropping the P% in the next ration down to 14% or under, will keep 1 kg in for a while yet until covers build ahead of the cows.

freedominacup

visatorro wrote: »

There was a lad that used to post here (maybe still does) used to say no harm in giving cows a fresh paddock in the middle of the day if you need to. That's what I'm after doing. No I wasn't doing it for the craic!! They came in balling at half eleven. Paddock wouldn't be cleaned out as good as some you'd see. They're very fussy my lot!! Should be alright for grass but back to four kg for the week in parlour.

Put them back on the not cleaned out paddock this evening. Their bellies will be full after the fresh bite they're getting now and they should settle better.

freedominacup

Buford T. Justice V wrote: »

Same here. Going into covers of 1200 and 3 kgs of a 16% ration but very good cleanout and good enough regrowths. Like Mooooo said, a drop of rain and the place will explode but we would need a good drop with the drying that was there last week.

Yesterday and today showing good growth at last, very warm and sunny. I'm thinking of dropping the P% in the next ration down to 14% or under, will keep 1 kg in for a while yet until covers build ahead of the cows.

Growth poor here for past couple of weeks. Dry and cold and now just dry. No kindness in the weather really and no sign of rain for the next while. Silage could be going in again within a week if something doesn't change. Will be starting third round on Sun. Covers will only be around 1200 on first paddocks and dropping steadily after that. Cows getting .5kg of soya. Overall ration pr around 13.5%. Milking 31l with 25% Autumn calvers and 30% heifers. 3.48% pr and 3.58% fat on last test.

Buford T. Justice XIX

freedominacup wrote: »

Growth poor here for past couple of weeks. Dry and cold and now just dry. No kindness in the weather really and no sign of rain for the next while. Silage could be going in again within a week if something doesn't change. Will be starting third round on Sun. Covers will only be around 1200 on first paddocks and dropping steadily after that. Cows getting .5kg of soya. Overall ration pr around 13.5%. Milking 31l with 25% Autumn calvers and 30% heifers. 3.48% pr and 3.58% fat on last test.

I was blaming a lot of the poor growth on having all old pasture for the milkers so I don't feel too bad now:P

I'm going out with a load or two of lime this coming week so hopefully that will help long term too until I get around to reseeding.

Buford T. Justice XIX

I just got a letter from Bird Bia reminding me that my next inspection is due in 14 months.

Should I book now or is it safe enough to leave it go for a week or two.......?

GrasstoMilk

freedominacup wrote: »

Growth poor here for past couple of weeks. Dry and cold and now just dry. No kindness in the weather really and no sign of rain for the next while. Silage could be going in again within a week if something doesn't change. Will be starting third round on Sun. Covers will only be around 1200 on first paddocks and dropping steadily after that. Cows getting .5kg of soya. Overall ration pr around 13.5%. Milking 31l with 25% Autumn calvers and 30% heifers. 3.48% pr and 3.58% fat on last test.

Next week looks to have a bit of moisture on the way. Hopefully a bit more than the 5 ml that's forecast though

The old saying of Oak before Ash might be true

Signpost

I've a horrible hatred for all the people looking for rain atm... First time this year I've dry ground, wouldn't mind if it didn't rain until xmas day! #BogToMilk

Mooooo

It's gas, depending on where you are lads in the southeast are only a bit away from burning up, have had f all rain in the last 2 weeks here but enough moisture in the ground to drive on and others are just drying up. Still spread some ground for the first time this year last week as it was only just turning trafficable

whelan2

Fertiliser we spread 2 weeks ago is still sitting on top of the ground. I have a good bit of grass but a small bit of rain would be nice. Was just wondering you know the way you say 2 units of nitrogen a day are utilised on silage ground would you have to take into account that it's sitting on the ground for long?

rangler1

whelan2 wrote: »

Fertiliser we spread 2 weeks ago is still sitting on top of the ground. I have a good bit of grass but a small bit of rain would be nice. Was just wondering you know the way you say 2 units of nitrogen a day are utilised on silage ground would you have to take into account that it's sitting on the ground for long?

Only in good growing weather is two units /day utilised.......after it goes into the ground of course

visatorro

82% of autumn calvers scanned incalf to Angus bull.

whelan2

visatorro wrote: »

82% of autumn calvers scanned incalf to Angus bull.

Are the rest in calf to something else or not in calf?

visatorro

whelan2 wrote: »

Are the rest in calf to something else or not in calf?

No just ran the bull. Scanned this evening. Would be as good as i would have done here. Bull removed after eight weeks.

Timmaay

Mooooo wrote: »

It's gas, depending on where you are lads in the southeast are only a bit away from burning up, have had f all rain in the last 2 weeks here but enough moisture in the ground to drive on and others are just drying up. Still spread some ground for the first time this year last week as it was only just turning trafficable

Got afew showers afew days ago here which helped hugely, regrowth in the wetter paddocks has utterly took off.

Postdriver

whelan2 wrote:

Fertiliser we spread 2 weeks ago is still sitting on top of the ground. I have a good bit of grass but a small bit of rain would be nice. Was just wondering you know the way you say 2 units of nitrogen a day are utilised on silage ground would you have to take into account that it's sitting on the ground for long?

I had nearly a foot of grass on the silage ground it was too wet to spread anything till last week so instead of going in with the fertiliser spreader I went in with the mower and put it in the pit I can spread now and cut again in 6-7 week's just wondering will this first stuff be any good it was grazed til 1st of dec with sheep

freedominacup

Postdriver wrote: »

I had nearly a foot of grass on the silage ground it was too wet to spread anything till last week so instead of going in with the fertiliser spreader I went in with the mower and put it in the pit I can spread now and cut again in 6-7 week's just wondering will this first stuff be any good it was grazed til 1st of dec with sheep

Thinly veiled I'll have some of the best silage in the country this year post. The kicker is you should have some of the best second cut also.

Postdriver

freedominacup wrote:

Thinly veiled I'll have some of the best silage in the country this year post. The kicker is you should have some of the best second cut also.

Lol the second cut should be good alright but the first I'm not too sure it was starting to go off a bit as in looking for nitrogen colour so best silage in the country it definitely won't be!! I'll post results (if results are good of course😎)
Kinda fell between 2 stools with this stuff...

whelan2

Ai man was saying today a few farmers have started ai'ing earlier this year in a bid to east the workload next spring. Alot found too compact calving this spring too hard labour wise

Water John

Those farmers are disobeying the rules in the book.

GrasstoMilk

whelan2 wrote: »

Ai man was saying today a few farmers have started ai'ing earlier this year in a bid to east the workload next spring. Alot found too compact calving this spring too hard labour wise

Complete opposite here. I loved it. Calves all the same age and and we could dedicate ourselves to just looking after cows and calves. Could never go back to spread out calving. I want 90% calved in 5 weeks now

jaymla627

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

Complete opposite here. I loved it. Calves all the same age and and we could dedicate ourselves to just looking after cows and calves. Could never go back to spread out calving. I want 90% calved in 5 weeks now

Key word in your above statement is "we" how would you go calving down say a 100 plus cows in 5 weeks on your own and no help, it might change your perspective a tiny bit....
Had a lot of mornings this feb/march where I was out in the yard for 5 and it was past 11 before I got in for the breakfast, combine this with 5 hours sleep a night and burnout becomes a serious issue

Buford T. Justice XIX

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

Complete opposite here. I loved it. Calves all the same age and and we could dedicate ourselves to just looking after cows and calves. Could never go back to spread out calving. I want 90% calved in 5 weeks now

You would want your buildings to be very efficient and be incredibly well set up to carry that calving rate, especially on your own.

yewtree

Calving 90% here in six weeks, February is hard going no point saying otherwise. But I will trade a hard feburary so that I can have 5-6 weeks off from 20th December.
Cows finished calving here a few days ago. only calves now are a bunch of strong replacement heifers who are outside on once a day. Having come from a spread out calving pattern I wouldn't go back to it. Spring work load is more intense but for a shorter time.

GrasstoMilk

jaymla627 wrote: »

Key word in your above statement is "we" how would you go calving down say a 100 plus cows in 5 weeks on your own and no help, it might change your perspective a tiny bit....
Had a lot of mornings this feb/march where I was out in the yard for 5 and it was past 11 before I got in for the breakfast, combine this with 5 hours sleep a night and burnout becomes a serious issue

No different here. I do all the calf rearing here aswell as milking.
Still wouldn't trade 90% in 6 weeks for what we had