Dairy Chitchat 3

Say my name

Buford T. Justice VI wrote: »

There's a man living close to a sister of mine who has 19 cows, 4 heifers and 5 calves. That's what his father had and he won't keep one animal more than that number.

He manages to fill his day doing stuff but mostly topping because the grass gets too strong for his herd all summer.

He's happy out though so that counts for something I suppose.

And a thousand acres under him!

Buford T. Justice XIX

Say my name wrote: »

And a thousand acres under him!

No, he has about 60 acres, some heavy, some good dry ground. He could easily hold another 10 cows and replacements but he has no interest in it.

I know I'd go mental with boredom but it seems to suit him and what he wants out of life.

cute geoge

Buford T. Justice VI wrote: »

There's a man living close to a sister of mine who has 19 cows, 4 heifers and 5 calves. That's what his father had and he won't keep one animal more than that number.

He manages to fill his day doing stuff but mostly topping because the grass gets too strong for his herd all summer.

He's happy out though so that counts for something I suppose.

We probably would be all better off if we did keep the same number of cows as our father and with less head aches

GrasstoMilk

cute geoge wrote: »

We probably would be all better off if we did keep the same number of cows as our father and with less head aches

Sure we would have less head aches if the coops paid the 3 or 4c more the milk is worth

Water John

Tommy Moyles writing in the IFJ about reading a 1975 Report 'Crisis in the cattle industry'. It shows we have the same number of animals then as now in the country. So expansion for some has simply been consolidation in the industry.

The rolling hills were very handy early this morning to see my neighbours bulled heifers, trying my after grass.

Gawddawggonnit

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

Sure we would have less head aches if the coops paid the 3 or 4c more the milk is worth

...and those final few cents are the ones that really count!

Water John

The handy 50 cow man/woman could be gaining €202/hd (IFJ) figures, between West Cork and Aurivo. That's over €10K clean profit, no cost. That would make a savage difference to a family.

100 cows, €20K difference. That would be difference between a family son/daughter being able to stay on the farm or not.
That's the reality between good and poor performing processors.

Gawddawggonnit

To settle an argument...
What cost grazed grass per kgDM?
Please include average industrial wage.
Land rental @ €300/acre.
300units/ac nitrogen.

Assume 6.5tDM/acre.

alps

Gawddawggonnit wrote: »

To settle an argument...
What cost grazed grass per kgDM?
Please include average industrial wage.
Land rental @ €300/acre.
300units/ac nitrogen.

Assume 6.5tDM/acre.

14c

And put a zero grazer to it...20c

Timmaay

alps wrote: »

14c

And put a zero grazer to it...20c

Assuming 100ac?

Grueller

alps wrote: »

14c

And put a zero grazer to it...20c

Owned land then 9-10c then?

Gawddawggonnit

alps wrote: »

14c

And put a zero grazer to it...20c

Young Irish lad here for a couple of weeks and he’s convinced that grass is almost free...are ye brainwashing them, or what?

straight

Gawddawggonnit wrote: »

Young Irish lad here for a couple of weeks and he’s convinced that grass is almost free...are ye brainwashing them, or what?

Grazing infrastructure is not cheap anyway. Think my neighbour is paying 250 euro per load for zero grazed grass

Gawddawggonnit

straight wrote: »

Grazing infrastructure is not cheap anyway. Think my neighbour is paying 250 euro per load for zero grazed grass

€250 for his own grass??

straight

Gawddawggonnit wrote: »

€250 for his own grass??

No. A load of grass delivered. Good service if you can get it I guess.

Gawddawggonnit

straight wrote: »

No. A load of grass delivered. Good service if you can get it I guess.

How many tons of DM in a load?

Water John

€50/60 for the cutting drawing. €200 for the grass can't be right. What would it be, one acre with 3/4 weeks growth?

liosnagceann75

Paying €100 a load for grass and the contractor cost as well

Keep Sluicing

I sold zero grazed grass last year. €80 for the load, the contractor was about €80 to €90 on top of that coz he wasnt able to do a load an hour. About 75 mins to 80 mins round trip. Think the contractor is 65 or 70 an hour.

mahoney_j

straight wrote: »

No. A load of grass delivered. Good service if you can get it I guess.

250 a load delivered is a rob can get it here for 150 ,50 for z grazer snd 100 for grass

jaymla627

alps wrote: »

14c

And put a zero grazer to it...20c

Local dairy hero’s here have bought 70 acres of ground the past two years upped cow numbers by 100 and spent another 200k on a new krone wagon front mower combo plus a new holland t7 200 to pull it, now that’s some expensive grass once it’s landed back in the yard....
Same lads would think bad of feeding a few kgs of meal

straight

mahoney_j wrote: »

250 a load delivered is a rob can get it here for 150 ,50 for z grazer snd 100 for grass

I heard it about third hand so I suppose there was bits added along the way. All I know is it's scarce around here and the local contractor has a zero grazer of his own and won't zero graze for anyone else.

straight

jaymla627 wrote: »

Local dairy hero’s here have bought 70 acres of ground the past two years upped cow numbers by 100 and spent another 200k on a new krone wagon front mower combo plus a new holland t7 200 to pull it, now that’s some expensive grass once it’s landed back in the yard....
Same lads would think bad of feeding a few kgs of meal

Dairy hero's. That's a good one, I'll be using that in future.

Timmaay

straight wrote: »

Grazing infrastructure is not cheap anyway. Think my neighbour is paying 250 euro per load for zero grazed grass

One of the neighbours here who is taking over from his dad, and who has land about he can walk the cows to but across a road and has no grazing infrastructure, he was telling me he was considering ZGing the grass to them. I did out a back of the envolope few calculations with him, he wasn't long scrapping the idea.

Water John

If he was going to cut his own silage he could use a silage wagon with a front mower, rather than a dedicated machine.

jaymla627

Water John wrote: »

If he was going to cut his own silage he could use a silage wagon with a front mower, rather than a dedicated machine.

If on dry ground you might get away with it but in the spring/autumn you would be ploughing the place if ground conditions where bad, z-grazer would be 5 ton lighter then the above rig and a lot more maneuverable

Water John

Just know a guy doing it, but mows separately.

Mooooo

Timmaay wrote: »

One of the neighbours here who is taking over from his dad, and who has land about he can walk the cows to but across a road and has no grazing infrastructure, he was telling me he was considering ZGing the grass to them. I did out a back of the envolope few calculations with him,

He'd have a fair cut of a roadway and tunnel in by the time machinery would be paid for

Buford T. Justice XIX

A guy started up near me when quotas went with 50 cows and is pulling out this year. He's won a good few prizes for SCC since he started but says he can't justify the time the cows take away from his contracting business.

Going buying weanlings and finishing them instead while the lease lasts on the farm he's taken.

straight

That's the thing. Dairying is too labour intensive.