Dairy Chitchat 3

wrangler

visatorro wrote: »

Older generation used to reckon you had more heifers with a young bull because cow was served earlier..

I've even heard of a scientific reason for it too, but can't remember it.......th'ould grey matter again

mahoney_j

alps wrote: »

Just in from the maternity ward...2 more bulls..

That's 22 bulls 8 heifers, absolute riot..

I was away for the first 12 days of bullying last year and we got the AI man to insimenate once a day.. Conception rates were good, but this run of bulls is some cost..

We're DIY here always, and pay particular attention to AI timings, always twice a day, and in many cases while still in standing heat, we always have more heifers than bulls...

The killer is I've agreed to undertake the same project this year and will miss 1 week from 7th to 13th May...thinking costly now..

Maby if u tried bulling the cows rather than bullying them u might get more heifers 😜😜😜!!!!!!,oad here for years and have to admit no difference in ratio of bulls/heifers always close to 50/50 bar an odd bad year

K9

male sperm supposedly takes off faster and can die off then if the egg hasn’t been released.

Water John

Correct K9. Male sperm is more energetic but falls away if it hasn't reached the target/egg. Female sperm on the other hand are slower but outlast the male sperm. Male is a sprinter, female more of a distance runner.

alps

Bingo lads....kept figures on it over 3 years. The earlier in heat you serve a cow, the greater chance of a heifer, although you reduce your conception rate marginally. Trick is go immediately with a dairy straw and later with a beef one...

AI man is exceptional and will deposit relative to time in heat, however as we were really an addition to his round, his call was mid day. I would even thin an 8am OAD would help the situation, and I know you'll all say it shouldn't matter as cows should begin to cycle at all times of the day.......but do they?

alps

mahoney_j wrote: »

Maby if u tried bulling the cows rather than bullying them u might get more heifers ������!!!!!!,oad here for years and have to admit no difference in ratio of bulls/heifers always close to 50/50 bar an odd bad year

Haha...well you know what the vegans call it..

kevthegaff

Did ai for first time last spring, very dissappear with results so far. Hope the bull will elevate the damage

simx

kevthegaff wrote: »

Did ai for first time last spring, very dissappear with results so far. Hope the bull will elevate the damage

In what way? With heifers?

Say my name

I got the next paddock where the cows will be grazing tested for the cod for sugar .

5% sugar.
One of those refractometer yokes by a chap who tests silage before cutting.

kevthegaff

simx wrote: »

In what way? With heifers?

They didnt go in calf, disgusted mustn't been doing them right

whelan2

kevthegaff wrote: »

They didnt go in calf, disgusted mustn't been doing them right

In fairness with the drought last year it was tough on cows going in calf

Mooooo

kevthegaff wrote: »

They didnt go in calf, disgusted mustn't been doing them right

Who did you do the course with? They may do a refresher with you before this season maybe. As Whelan said too the breeding season last year was difficult on the cows / heifers last year between dietary changes etc

tanko

kevthegaff wrote: »

They didnt go in calf, disgusted mustn't been doing them right

Did you get on ok with your cows?
When i did the course we were advised not to do heifers the first year until we built up confidence on the cows. I think this was good advice.
Having trouble with heifers can be disheartening at the beginning and can knock your confidence.
Keep at it, it will come right for you.
I got poor results in my first year but have been getting 85% in calf to first service now with the sucklers.

alps

kevthegaff wrote: »

They didnt go in calf, disgusted mustn't been doing them right

Heifers are really difficult Kev. The "equipment " inside is not at all as definitive as a cow, and often we serve heifers once a day, and many will have lost that in heat lubrication by the time we go to serve them, The cervix of a heifer in standing heat is far more accepting than a one gone off heat.

I5s great to have the control of being able to do your own AI, so don't loose hope on it. I'd suggest, stay with the cows and get the AI man to the heifers until you have the confidence rocking again.

The only other thing to do is lash in the vodka to the heifers....theyd stand mad after that...

cosatron

keep the faith Kev, I was the same way 6 years ago and im flying it now, that im even tidying up after the bull. the old man has full confidence in me which is hard earned. With heifer I would ai them when there are standing heat instead of 12 hours later, allot easier to do and 4 out of 5 last years heifers kept.

Mooooo

Cow's very considerate this evening, one warmed up the back as I was washing the shower I got on the front off me

straight

Some man for one man....

https://m.independent.ie/business/farming/dairy/dairy-farm-profiles/how-this-dairy-farmer-is-operating-a-220cow-herd-as-a-onemanshow-37756773.html

einn32

straight wrote: »

Some man for one man....

https://m.independent.ie/business/farming/dairy/dairy-farm-profiles/how-this-dairy-farmer-is-operating-a-220cow-herd-as-a-onemanshow-37756773.html

It's misleading. It's not a one man show. I used to like the farming independent but I rarely read it now.

Mooooo

1 man + another 3 days a week + every second weekend.....Yeah loose headline alright

charolais0153

Mooooo wrote: »

1 man + another 3 days a week + every second weekend.....Yeah loose headline alright

And another lad 2 evenings a week:rolleyes:

whelan2

charolais0153 wrote: »

And another lad 2 evenings a week:rolleyes:

And as someone else said he has kids surely they'd help out. Daughter brought in cows for me this evening

orm0nd

What's the best calf jacket and supplier ?

visatorro

orm0nd wrote: »

What's the best calf jacket and supplier ?

There's a rep calls here with stuff from mayo healthcare. That's who I bought a couple off anyhow.

Buford T. Justice XIX

The pressure is starting early this year.
https://twitter.com/Grasslandagro/status/1096185104500752384?s=19

Wildsurfer

orm0nd wrote: »

What's the best calf jacket and supplier ?

I saw a promo somewhere online today for €25 jackets, seems cheap if someone else saw they might link to it. A word of advice is to go for a smaller jacket for dairy calves. I won a box of them lately but way too big, just won't fit on snugly even with straps pulled to last.

Wildsurfer

orm0nd wrote: »

What's the best calf jacket and supplier ?

I saw a promo somewhere online today for €25 jackets, seems cheap if someone else saw they might link to it. A word of advice is to go for a smaller jacket for dairy calves. I won a box of them lately but way too big, just won't fit on snugly even with straps pulled to last.

Base price

orm0nd wrote: »

What's the best calf jacket and supplier ?

I bought two of these ones from agridirect in 2017. I think they were €25 each at the time. They were used a good bit last Spring when the beast for the east arrived. I prefer this design with the one belly strap and two leg straps.
Edit to say that they come in two sizes - medium and large. I have the medium ones and they suit FR calves.
https://www.agridirect.ie/product/calf-jacket-thermoplus

Keepgrowing

orm0nd wrote: »

What's the best calf jacket and supplier ?

Use DeLaval ones here. Not sure who makes them. We got to weaker or sick calves, wash at local SuperValu in those big washing machines. Be careful of the cheaper ones as they may over heat a calf leading to sweating and then chills as it cools down. They must be breathable

Injuryprone

whelan2 wrote: »

And as someone else said he has kids surely they'd help out. Daughter brought in cows for me this evening

And a wife! Apparently some have been known to lend a hand from time to time

Wildsurfer

Keepgrowing wrote: »

orm0nd wrote: »

What's the best calf jacket and supplier ?

Use DeLaval ones here. Not sure who makes them. We got to weaker or sick calves, wash at local SuperValu in those big washing machines. Be careful of the cheaper ones as they may over heat a calf leading to sweating and then chills as it cools down. They must be breathable

Ha great idea, the wife will divorce me if I put calf jackets in the washing machine again!