Dairy Chitchat 3

visatorro

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

What are ppl paying for dry cow tubes and sealer?
Got some tubes of cepravin from coop to try off a few early ones.
1.80 a tube

20 cephaguard 42e . Using it this few years. 34 days milk withdrawal I think. Have one dried off with just sealer. Thats me showing off me wild side!!

Have sealers left over from last year. So no price.

K.G.

Giving some thought to feeding calves inthe spring and possible higher numbers for longer.i really think the bucket like the silage bale should be banished when it comes to feeding calves.i used pumps before but im coming to the conclusion that its a small ibc type yoke on the loader with a hose off it that we ll use for feeding calves just raise the loader to leave it out by gravity to throughs .the way our houses are theres roughly 40 calves per house so the rough plan is the loader with 4 throughs feed from youngest to oldest.was talking to guy that used to export calves and he used to use 1000 l ibc to feed 200 calves or so at a time.he used ti have the water filling on a ball cock throw your bag of milk replacer and away.you go on the loader.i just think we have to start catering for larger numbers and maybe if trashed out a few ideas ot might helo us this spring

GrasstoMilk

visatorro wrote: »

20 cephaguard 42e . Using it this few years. 34 days milk withdrawal I think. Have one dried off with just sealer. Thats me showing off me wild side!!

Have sealers left over from last year. So no price.

I've 14 picked out with an scc no higher than 50 over 5 recordings. It's my first time doing it.

We're going with cefaman tubes here this year, 35 days active and 24 hr milk withdrawal.
Did a mill culture test and thats what the vet recommended. 7e a cow

whelan2

Had a cow down in my old cubicle shed this morning. In fairness the builder helped me to get her out. While I was muttering if the new shed was ready this mightnt have happened....

dar31

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

I've 14 picked out with an scc no higher than 50 over 5 recordings. It's my first time doing it.

We're going with cefaman tubes here this year, 35 days active and 24 hr milk withdrawal.
Did a mill culture test and thats what the vet recommended. 7e a cow

planning on doing 20% of the herd this year.
10% last year and no problems.
big clear out of scc problem cows this year as well.
dry cow audit with vet in the morning
using cephraguard at 7.40 cow

Reggie.

whelan2 wrote: »

Had a cow down in my old cubicle shed this morning. In fairness the builder helped me to get her out. While I was muttering if the new shed was ready this mightnt have happened....

Oh yeah get the dig in anyways

Mooooo

K.G. wrote: »

Giving some thought to feeding calves inthe spring and possible higher numbers for longer.i really think the bucket like the silage bale should be banished when it comes to feeding calves.i used pumps before but im coming to the conclusion that its a small ibc type yoke on the loader with a hose off it that we ll use for feeding calves just raise the loader to leave it out by gravity to throughs .the way our houses are theres roughly 40 calves per house so the rough plan is the loader with 4 throughs feed from youngest to oldest.was talking to guy that used to export calves and he used to use 1000 l ibc to feed 200 calves or so at a time.he used ti have the water filling on a ball cock throw your bag of milk replacer and away.you go on the loader.i just think we have to start catering for larger numbers and maybe if trashed out a few ideas ot might helo us this spring

Have a jfc mixer here, no pump but handy to mix an move around the shed. Neighbour has an old small milk tank that he welded brackets on to it that he can lift it with the forks and takes it from parlour to dairy when fresh milk is being used initially.

whelan2

Last if autumn calvers calved this morning. I actually thought she had calved yesterday As she was mothering a new calf in the shed. But this morning there was just one back leg out. She was forcing alot and I couldn't push the leg back in to straighten the other leg. I rang vet at 6.15am. Roads very bad. She gave her an epidural and got the calf out. Always trouble at the start and end of calving season.

K.G.

Mooooo wrote: »

Have a jfc mixer here, no pump but handy to mix an move around the shed. Neighbour has an old small milk tank that he welded brackets on to it that he can lift it with the forks and takes it from parlour to dairy when fresh milk is being used initially.

How do you fill feeders out of it

Mooooo

K.G. wrote: »

How do you fill feeders out of it

The mixer has a large valve so in to a bucket and into the feeders, again doesn't get rid of your buckets but allows you to take smaller amounts and throw in an extra bucket without extra walking. The pump added not far off a grand to the price as far as I remember. I think the neighbour used a submersible in the tank but do they effect the fat in the milk? If you had space in the shed or outside calf pens a tank on the loader could be lifted up use a hose and gravity.
An auto feeder may be another way to go not so suitable if using different old sheds tho.

Thinking more and more of contract rearing here if something suitable comes up. May be a case of getting heifers contract reared perhaps from a younger age say 3 weeks and if bulls / beef calves need to be kept longer could do that here and make the call as the season goes on when to sell em. Only in my head at the minute

straight

Mooooo wrote: »

The mixer has a large valve so in to a bucket and into the feeders, again doesn't get rid of your buckets but allows you to take smaller amounts and throw in an extra bucket without extra walking. The pump added not far off a grand to the price as far as I remember. I think the neighbour used a submersible in the tank but do they effect the fat in the milk? If you had space in the shed or outside calf pens a tank on the loader could be lifted up use a hose and gravity.
An auto feeder may be another way to go not so suitable if using different old sheds tho.

Thinking more and more of contract rearing here if something suitable comes up. May be a case of getting heifers contract reared perhaps from a younger age say 3 weeks and if bulls / beef calves need to be kept longer could do that here and make the call as the season goes on when to sell em. Only in my head at the minute

That all leads to a lot of washing up time. Washing buckets, feeders, mixer.

straight

whelan2 wrote: »

Last if autumn calvers calved this morning. I actually thought she had calved yesterday As she was mothering a new calf in the shed. But this morning there was just one back leg out. She was forcing alot and I couldn't push the leg back in to straighten the other leg. I rang vet at 6.15am. Roads very bad. She gave her an epidural and got the calf out. Always trouble at the start and end of calving season.

Did the calf survive. The proceeds from the calf will cover the vet anyway. Ya right.

Mooooo

Mixer is easy to wash, make up 200L of milk or hold that much fresh milk, big drain makes it easy to rinse. Whatever amount of feeders you use yourself then

whelan2

straight wrote: »

Did the calf survive. The proceeds from the calf will cover the vet anyway. Ya right.

No it was well dead.

cjpm

What is the best type of cow tail trimmer?

Would I need a separate trimmer to tidy up freeze brands?

Would appreciate any opinions.

Also any tips for improving hygiene while cows are housed. Mats on cubicles are scraped and limed twice daily. Scrapers running 6 times a day. Cows still seem dirty enough before milking.

atlantic mist

https://www.fanevalleystores.com/search/cattle%20clipper/products/27101/Heiniger-Xtra-Sheep-Clipper

got this clippers three years ago, bit more expensive now
wouldnt be without it, you use it on the dirtiest of tails
found the battery ones dont last and are not able for much hardship

straight

cjpm wrote: »

What is the best type of cow tail trimmer?

Would I need a separate trimmer to tidy up freeze brands?

Would appreciate any opinions.

Also any tips for improving hygiene while cows are housed. Mats on cubicles are scraped and limed twice daily. Scrapers running 6 times a day. Cows still seem dirty enough before milking.

I got one on clippers.ie. Grand job. Cut the tails at least twice a year is the main thing for cleanliness.

GrasstoMilk

Clippersireland do good clippers and not very expensive.
Get the sheep chearing head for it, it flys through dirty tails.
Singing the udders would help too. We do it here, leaves them alot cleaner I think

Injuryprone

Mix some sawdust 50:50 with the lime, maybe. Run the scrapers more often at the feeding rail. I run that scraper every 2 hours for a couple of runs after the silage is put in, every 3 hours thereafter. The others are every 3 hours as well

Mooooo

Double check the head rails aren't too far forward as well, as you would have more dung on the cubicle. This time of year if they are in and out or depending on silage dung may be a bit looser as well. One thing I miss about feeding maize this time of year they would be spotless when it's in the diet

GrasstoMilk

Injuryprone wrote: »

Mix some sawdust 50:50 with the lime, maybe. Run the scrapers more often at the feeding rail. I run that scraper every 2 hours for a couple of runs after the silage is put in, every 3 hours thereafter. The others are every 3 hours as well

3 hours?
Were putting scrapers in here next week, was going to run them every 6 hours

Timmaay

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

3 hours?
Were putting scrapers in here next week, was going to run them every 6 hours

For milkers inside fulltime, no 6 hrs defo not enough, 3 hrs min, often have them 2hrs.

GrasstoMilk

Timmaay wrote: »

For milkers inside fulltime, no 6 hrs defo not enough, 3 hrs min, often have them 2hrs.

Ours only getting scraped every morning and evening atm, I thought moving to 4 times would be fine tbh. Going to try it any way and see

alps

Just on the way in with the cows...they've been out since 8am and not a mark in the field.

The capacity for land to dry since last years drought is absolutely astonishing..

We'll, we're praising the drought...but whatever it is it's amazing..

Say my name

alps wrote: »

Just on the way in with the cows...they've been out since 8am and not a mark in the field.

The capacity for land to dry since last years drought is absolutely astonishing..

We'll, we're praising the drought...but whatever it is it's amazing..

Throw on some praise to the worms and mycelium, when your at it.

Mooooo

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

Ours only getting scraped every morning and evening atm, I thought moving to 4 times would be fine tbh. Going to try it any way and see

Depends on layout and length of passages really. Easy to adjust. Our cubicles are perpendicular to the feed passage. 6 times in 24 hours here with 22 cubicles in each passage scraping on to a slatted area in front of feed face.

whelan2

On every 4 hours here and then if needed done again at milking time

alps

Say my name wrote: »

Throw on some praise to the worms and mycelium, when your at it.

Is mycelium always underground or can it appear like spider webs in the grass in morning or evening light?

Asking because we can have the whole farm covered in it..

Say my name

alps wrote: »

Is mycelium always underground or can it appear like spider webs in the grass in morning or evening light?

Asking because we can have the whole farm covered in it..

I think you can see it in hoofprints and such if you've a good cover of grass. I think they don't like sunlight.
Now would be a good time of year to see it above ground alright. And maybe when you cut the silage.

If you're seeing it ON the grass then it's probably spider webs. I had it here strong a few years ago on one particular field and it definitely made a difference to growth. I think I even posted a picture of it here.. (on boards).

https://m.facebook.com/story/graphql_permalink/?graphql_id=UzpfSTE2Njc5ODgyMDE6Vks6MzAwMTg1ODk2ODA3NTY0

Buford T. Justice XIX

Has anyone been to Dairy Day in Punchestown? I have a mad fit of going to it but just wondering what's it like there.