Fodder Crisis

Willfarman

At present there is no crisis thank God. A 90 year old woman said to me one time you should never deny Gods good grace!

Mad_maxx

Buford T. Justice V wrote: »

Winter hasn't even started yet.


I'll wait till mid March before I'll even think about saying that.

Yes but I'm a betting man

Bass Reeves

Walked the farm yesterday good growth and good covers on all the farm Recovery even on last grazed paddocks (early November very good). Should be able to start turning out from the last week in February depending on weather

Say my name

As long as the talk of "the poor man's fertilizer" doesn't materialize in the next few months.

20silkcut

Buford T. Justice V wrote: »

Winter hasn't even started yet.


I'll wait till mid March before I'll even think about saying that.

In 2012 the winter started in April.

Mooooo

Have grass to turn out in Feb, weather conditions will determine the rest, only opened the pit with a week and a bit so have plenty to deal with whatever happens hopefully anyway.

Timmaay

Plenty of dry farms along the east coast tight still. It all depends on the spring tho, we can get away with using the bare 3months fodder some yrs, however the drought hung on late here forcing many lads to feed earler. The growth over the winter is a huge help, that's the best part of another month's feed just sitting out there in the paddocks waiting to be grazed, but the big question is how well it will be utilized. Personally I try to have 5months feed here, with the aim to roll roughly a month's worth into the following winter. Soya hulls, roller barley and beet pulp are my April backup feeds if we end up with a hoor of a late spring this year, once the milk price stays over 30c I can stomach the extra costs. Moving forward the plan would be to keep closer to 2months feed rolled over every year, I'm due to build a new silage slab here over the next year or so anyways, making it 20% bigger will only cost like 2k more and will allow me the flexibility. Fodder was tight as fook all 2018, however I equally so expect more years like 2017 where the east coast was absolutely awash with it, them are the years that I need to be ready to take a good value standing crop of silage and having the room in the pits for it.

Waffletraktor

Timmaay wrote: »

Plenty of dry farms along the east coast tight still. It all depends on the spring tho, we can get away with using the bare 3months fodder some yrs, however the drought hung on late here forcing many lads to feed earler. The growth over the winter is a huge help, that's the best part of another month's feed just sitting out there in the paddocks waiting to be grazed, but the big question is how well it will be utilized. Personally I try to have 5months feed here, with the aim to roll roughly a month's worth into the following winter. Soya hulls, roller barley and beet pulp are my April backup feeds if we end up with a hoor of a late spring this year, once the milk price stays over 30c I can stomach the extra costs. Moving forward the plan would be to keep closer to 2months feed rolled over every year, I'm due to build a new silage slab here over the next year or so anyways, making it 20% bigger will only cost like 2k more and will allow me the flexibility. Fodder was tight as fook all 2018, however I equally so expect more years like 2017 where the east coast was absolutely awash with it, them are the years that I need to be ready to take a good value standing crop of silage and having the room in the pits for it.

If you can set the pit up so you can feed out from either end, stock farmer here has his set up like so.

Timmaay

Waffletraktor wrote: »

If you can set the pit up so you can feed out from either end, stock farmer here has his set up like so.

Learning that the hard way at the min ha, 35 ft of maize still in front of 30ft of grass silage that I absolutely will need access to in about 3wks. My only hope is to make a 10ft wide passage whole way back the maize which I'm doing at the min.

Buford T. Justice XIX

I have enough here till the start of April and will be fine as long as the calved cows can get out full time from mid February.


As Timmay said above, there's plenty of feed growing outside and multiples of what I had outside last year. We had to keep a lot of cattle out last winter waiting for a shed to be built and there was virtually nothing outside come April 1st so in a far better position than last year.


Once it comes reasonably dry or close to normal, we'll be grand.

uck51js9zml2yt

Buford T. Justice V wrote: »

I have enough here till the start of April and will be fine as long as the calved cows can get out full time from mid February.


As Timmay said above, there's plenty of feed growing outside and multiples of what I had outside last year. We had to keep a lot of cattle out last winter waiting for a shed to be built and there was virtually nothing outside come April 1st so in a far better position than last year.


Once it comes reasonably dry or close to normal, we'll be grand.

I'm loosing my lawnmowers this coming week.
My guy will have space in his shed with some of the occupants going to the factory.

He's been giving the 11 animals 2 buckets of nuts a day to supplement the grass I had.

Dunedin

Bass Reeves wrote: »

Walked the farm yesterday good growth and good covers on all the farm Recovery even on last grazed paddocks (early November very good). Should be able to start turning out from the last week in February depending on weather

Fair play if you can predict the weather at the end of February

A bit of last years snow or a few weeks of wet weather will change a lot. The last few years have thought us all ( or should have) to budget for an extra months fodder in spring- better looking at it than for it.

Bass Reeves

Dunedin wrote: »

Fair play if you can predict the weather at the end of February

A bit of last years snow or a few weeks of wet weather will change a lot. The last few years have thought us all ( or should have) to budget for an extra months fodder in spring- better looking at it than for it.

Even last year I got out In early March, April is the month I usually fear if growth fails to come from late March I have to leave the stragglers inside and maybe rehouse some. Fodder costs money as well if I get stuck the ones inside go on minimum silage and 3-4kgs of ration. However covers are very good at present if we get a normal growth year I be comfortable

Mooooo

One positive I think 're the risk of wetter weather is that the ground can take it better after the dry year, in that it should dry out faster in between. Have even noticed some springs drying up after a week of dry weather when normally they would be flowing away till March regardless of rainfall. Perhaps not a good sign for anyone with a poor supply on wells tho

whelan2

Mooooo wrote: »

One positive I think 're the risk of wetter weather is that the ground can take it better after the dry year, in that it should dry out faster in between. Have even noticed some springs drying up after a week of dry weather when normally they would be flowing away till March regardless of rainfall. Perhaps not a good sign for anyone with a poor supply on wells tho

The ground here is like an aerator went over it after the "drought" great soakage in it. The rain water just ran down through all the cracks

Good loser

Saw a large herd of cows grazing last Thursday near Lemybrien, Waterford.


Seemed to have been out 3/4 days at least.

kk.man

Good loser wrote: »

Saw a large herd of cows grazing last Thursday near Lemybrien, Waterford.


Seemed to have been out 3/4 days at least.

Different world down there.

Keepgrowing

Must be overstocked

https://twitter.com/severeweathereu/status/1081598738106327040?s=21

Timmaay

Keepgrowing wrote: »

Must be overstocked

https://twitter.com/severeweathereu/status/1081598738106327040?s=21

Anyone wanna go on a ski trip straight to Austria before calving season??

jimini0

Mini round bales v normal rounds. What's the difference in amount. Would a mini be half a normal one

Keepgrowing

Timmaay wrote: »

Anyone wanna go on a ski trip straight to Austria before calving season??

Not travelling this year, educational bills mounting:)

dzer2

Timmaay wrote: »

Keepgrowing wrote: »

Must be overstocked

https://twitter.com/severeweathereu/status/1081598738106327040?s=21

Anyone wanna go on a ski trip straight to Austria before calving season??

Heading next Saturday

Keepgrowing

dzer2 wrote: »

Heading next Saturday

Enjoy. Took kids this week last year. 1 guy medial ligament on day 2 and his sister broken arm day 3 but she was back skiing next morning. Really enjoyable trip. Chap that did knee got a full leg cast but went tobogganing each day regardless

Mortelaro

Timmaay wrote: »

Anyone wanna go on a ski trip straight to Austria before calving season??

We used go every year for about a decade
Its amazing how kids have no fear
About the 2nd or 3rd trip I was up at the top of the mountain just off the chair lift when a group of them used me big lad as I am for support ...
Well gravity took over and me with my limited skills took off like a rocket
Crossed several other runs shouting to avoid collision
Eventually at least a few km"s later I managed to stop in a large level area
It took about 15 mins for the class and instructor to arrive and she said 'Mr Mortelaro, what you did was very very dangerous'

It wasn't my fault

Keepgrowing

Mortelaro wrote: »

We used go every year for about a decade
Its amazing how kids have no fear
About the 2nd or 3rd trip I was up at the top of the mountain just off the chair lift when a group of them used me big lad as I am for support ...
Well gravity took over and me with my limited skills took off like a rocket
Crossed several other runs shouting to avoid collision
Eventually at least a few km"s later I managed to stop in a large level area
It took about 15 mins for the class and instructor to arrive and she said 'Mr Mortelaro, what you did was very very dangerous'

It wasn't my fault

:):)

Mooooo

Keepgrowing wrote: »

Not travelling this year, educational bills mounting:)

For yourself or the kids?😀

dzer2

Keepgrowing wrote: »

dzer2 wrote: »

Heading next Saturday

Enjoy. Took kids this week last year. 1 guy medial ligament on day 2 and his sister broken arm day 3 but she was back skiing next morning. Really enjoyable trip. Chap that did knee got a full leg cast but went tobogganing each day regardless

Oh we can't wait all 5 kids are well able to ski only the baby of the family in classes this year. On the first year we went a German youth swept the missus of a piste damaging her knee ligaments. Haven't had any problems since thank God.

It's a great break

Keepgrowing

dzer2 wrote: »

Oh we can't wait all 5 kids are well able to ski only the baby of the family in classes this year. On the first year we went a German youth swept the missus of a piste damaging her knee ligaments. Haven't had any problems since thank God.

It's a great break

What I love about it is the family element, all can go together for parts of the day. You can get pissed too as there’s no driving

dzer2

Yes love the skiing together have brilliant videos of us all doing moguls and yumps.

As for getting pissed I try not to, but would always have a beer with my lunch.
Found a great apri ski bar lady yr where we could dance on the tables

Timmaay

dzer2 wrote: »

Yes love the skiing together have brilliant videos of us all doing moguls and yumps.

As for getting pissed I try not to, but would always have a beer with my lunch.
Found a great apri ski bar lady yr where we could dance on the tables

Well worth hanging around any of the La folie douce bars just after closing time (around 5pm), several 100 absolutely plastered 20yr olds making their way down the slope, absolutely brilliant entertainment watching them!