Fodder Crisis

kevthegaff

There was a lot of under performing cows killed in the back end, weather played ball also. If people react fast things normally work out. When was the proper fodder crisis a few years ago, now that was a fodder shortage

Mooooo

kevthegaff wrote: »

There was a lot of under performing cows killed in the back end, weather played ball also. If people react fast things normally work out. When was the proper fodder crisis a few years ago, now that was a fodder shortage

2012/2013. Yeah hit hard as summer of 12 was pure ****e didn't stop raining and spring 13 came cold. Lads that were effected worst by drought last year prob did best that year and vice versa

Dunedin

Keepgrowing wrote: »

I was accused on this thread of arrogance for posting that silage can be bought for less than cost of production. That was the case, is the case and will continue to be the case while we as farmers get paid to be gardeners ie. keep the place looking well to get our BPS.

We have 40% of next winters feedbought at 90% of the cost of production. .

What do you put the cost of production at?

older by the day

Brown Podzol wrote: »

Keepgrowing wrote: »

As I’ve said here before, there was and is no fodder crisis. Farm organisations cry out and like sheep all follow suit. Imported forage last spring fed the national herd for 10 hours. Ifa cutting the airports for silage pure photo op.

I was accused on this thread of arrogance for posting that silage can be bought for less than cost of production. That was the case, is the case and will continue to be the case while we as farmers get paid to be gardeners ie. keep the place looking well to get our BPS.

We have 40% of next winters feedbought at 90% of the cost of production. There are fields of kale and other catch crops gone to seed. Fields of Westerwoulds being mown, bales and stacked on headlands with no buyers to get in grain crops.


Hardly remotely close to a crisis. A little less hysteria and following the crowd is called for.

The one exception is straw was expensive this year but has returned to more realistic price of late. Guys out for a killing with straw and silage not in as strong a position as they thought. Those who sold throughout winter, much cuter.

Every extra acre I farm that doesn’t allow me to milk an extra cow is costing me money. I can get my heifers contract reared cheaper than I can rear them and I can buy silage cheaper than I can grow it myself.

It's nice to have a bit of room, i see the lessons of April 18, has been lost on some. A bit of a pit of silage left over or a bit of grass going strong may not be profitable but it can give peace of mind. HURRAY UP and milk loads of cows, pay loads of tax, stay running, if that is what life is about

Never wrestle with pigs

Bass Reeves wrote: »

I would not be of that opinion of heifer rearing. First off when it started Teagasc was quoting figures of about 110-120c/day. Some Dory farmers were of the opinion it should be arounf or sub an euro a day. I costed it on this forum at 140-160c/day. At present is it around the 140c/day??. Even at that I would not heifer rear for a dairy farmer for much less than 2 euro/day.

Priced it a few years ago and cost price was coming in the same as yours, around the, 1:50 a day. You would want to at a retail price to your silage also, why would you sell it for cost price or less to them. Say you have a hundred Heifers would you not be worth 50 euro a day? That's all your getting if you charge 2 a day. No doses or vaccines. It's a very silly system for anyone charging less than 2:20/2:50 a day. Other than that let it out or just sell silage and no looking after someone else's stock.

blue5000

Mod Note I've pulled out a few posts to form a new thread on contract rearing as I think the subject deserves it's own thread, here

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057968919#

Sheep breeder

There was a fodder crisis in certain parts of the country and farmers managed in time to avoid in getting out of control. In our case we left the sucklers out longer than normal and bought extra straw as a reserve to feed, introduced meal to all cattle at housing at higher rates than normal to save silage.
The biggest factor it was a very easy winter on man and beast and if the weather turns wrong now for a while now and grass stops growing what will all this slurry talk about no fodder crisis will soon be out the window.
Ireland has different types land and weather and anybody says there was no fodder crisis is only talking slurry.

valtra2

There was a fodder crisis in the east but we took action and solved it. (Unlike the farmers in the West every other year). Bye.

Never wrestle with pigs

valtra2 wrote: »

There was a fodder crisis in the east but we took action and solved it. (Unlike the farmers in the West every other year). Bye.

Lol, did the boys in the west send any free bales back the other direction? 😂😂

valtra2

Never wrestle with pigs wrote: »

Lol, did the boys in the west send any free bales back the other direction? 😂😂

Not even a bad one.

charolais0153

Haha.. Ye sow kale/ redstart. Knock a month off your already 2 months shorter winter. When we sown rape, sheep were up to their knees nevermind cattle. Buy a bale of straw,its double the price here.

farisfat

valtra2 wrote: »

There was a fodder crisis in the east but we took action and solved it. (Unlike the farmers in the West every other year). Bye.

The weather solved it.....no drought here in the west

valtra2

charolais0153 wrote: »

Haha.. Ye sow kale/ redstart. Knock a month off your already 2 months shorter winter. When we sown rape, sheep were up to their knees nevermind cattle. Buy a bale of straw,its double the price here.

Ah no we are just better farmers

J.O. Farmer

valtra2 wrote: »

Not even a bad one.

Count your blessings. Some of the muck I saw come west last year instead of easing pressure it would have just created more work disposing of the silage when the cattle didn't eat it.

Danzy

valtra2 wrote: »

There was a fodder crisis in the east but we took action and solved it. (Unlike the farmers in the West every other year). Bye.

Dildo alert.

lab man

There is a reason why no farmer from the east came west to farm, they'd starve.

cute geoge

The old crowd used to say if a big farmer had a small farm he would starve and if a small farmer had a big farm he would kill himself with work

jaymla627

Growth has stalled here, the past week, with a very hash April been given they’re will be a nice bit of silage feed yet, it’s the ground frosts at night that’s doing the real damage

Say my name

jaymla627 wrote: »

Growth has stalled here, the past week, with a very hash April been given they’re will be a nice bit of silage feed yet, it’s the ground frosts at night that’s doing the real damage

It's nearly the same every spring.
Any ground with a bit of good cover will power away.
Any ground skint with regrowths ate stalls and turns purple.

older by the day

valtra2 wrote: »

There was a fodder crisis in the east but we took action and solved it. (Unlike the farmers in the West every other year). Bye.

There are people who are holocaust deniers, but there are some on here denying that spring 18 never happened. The west have long winters every year, but the lads in the dry ground can't cope with any bit of stress, drought my aass. Crying to minister creed, importing nuts made of grass lol

Keepgrowing

Just did cover.
890 afc
Growth 42
Second round started 5 days.
100 units of N out
12 units of S out
Moving away from compounds/blends to straights seems to be paying off

visatorro

Keepgrowing wrote: »

Just did cover.
890 afc
Growth 42
Second round started 5 days.
100 units of N out
12 units of S out
Moving away from compounds/blends to straights seems to be paying off

Neighbours discussion group are doing the same. All happy enough apparently,

whelan2

Is there a fodder crisis looming?

Timmaay

whelan2 wrote: »

Is there a fodder crisis looming?

Yes, officially every time the growth drops under 30 a state of emergency is declared in the country and supplies of alfalfa are airlifted straight in from the USA to help us deal with this traumatic time . But nay who knows, running short on grass in early April is far from unusual, we could be all growing 80 in 2wks time.

mahoney_j

Timmaay wrote: »

Yes, officially every time the growth drops under 30 a state of emergency is declared in the country and supplies of alfalfa are airlifted straight in from the USA to help us deal with this traumatic time . But nay who knows, running short on grass in early April is far from unusual, we could be all growing 80 in 2wks time.

If the weather comes as forecast ,rain then heat then your right ,afc 605 st 4.1 farm perfectly primed

Danzy

Growth is posed to explode. 17 degree days and damp ground.

Till be rotting in fields I tell ya.

Timmaay

mahoney_j wrote: »

If the weather comes as forecast ,rain then heat then your right ,afc 605 st 4.1 farm perfectly primed

The rain part is what's lacking on my forecast though. East Wicklow hasn't got a patch on the rain of down the country over the last 2months. I'm absolutely not moaning at the minute but could well be in a month ha.

BENDYBINN

whelan2 wrote: »

Is there a fodder crisis looming?

In any other business a company would always have an adequate reserve of a scarce raw material.................farmers on the other hand........as sure it’ll be grand.

Odelay

BENDYBINN wrote: »

In any other business a company would always have an adequate reserve of a scarce raw material.................farmers on the other hand........as sure it’ll be grand.

Few business would have a 6 month supply stored. Very few are at the whim of nature.

charolais0153

Odelay wrote: »

Few business would have a 6 month supply stored. Very few are at the whim of nature.

A 6 month supply of what. A six month supply for a six month wintwr isnt going to cut it. 6 month supply for a 3 month winter will