2019 Any plans

I says

More drainage and another shed if all goes to plan what is everyone else thinking or will brex****eput all on hold.

patsy_mccabe

Get drunk tomorrow and drive the tractor on a full stomach.

TooOldBoots

Cutting back on
Suckler Cow numbers
Fertilizer
Silage bales
Concentrates

Make sure I avail of every cent from Europe.

The more cutbacks I make every year the closer I get to actually turning a profit.

kk.man

Increase cattle nos slightly
Cut back on ewes
Make more hay
Concrete more of yard
Might buy a disc mower

Muckit

kk.man wrote: »

Increase cattle nos slightly
Cut back on ewes

I thought sheep are doing better?

Sheep breeder

Getting out of the sucklers and cutting down the sheep and spend more time with the family and go back showing sheep.

Young95

TooOldBoots wrote: »

Cutting back on
Suckler Cow numbers
Fertilizer
Silage bales
Concentrates

Make sure I avail of every cent from Europe.

The more cutbacks I make every year the closer I get to actually turning a profit.

Good thinking but your fix cost won’t go down but ul probly make more with lower production lower input and lower output

Pidae.m

1 Make more money
2 Get my soil fertility better
3 Improve my cattle crush/yard
4 get back swimming
5 eat less **** food

Reggie.

Keep the farm ticking over as it is.
Might reseed the main grazing ground.
Planning to increase the contracting side of things.

Grueller

Shed space tight here so new shed definitely going up. Prices might be sh*ite for cattle but I am still going to try drive on. If you stand still you are at nothing. This shed will give me scope to stay at sucklers, finish cattle, rear black and whites, contract rear or go dairy if I chose to. Whichever I choose remains to be seen over the next year or two.

whelan2

Have help orgainised for the spring which hopefully will take a lot of pressure off me. Have to get building up and going. Need to take a step back. Too much going on. Only have Sunday evening off from kids activities at the moment. Will also try and get a better market for my calves

older by the day

Try and get fit, have got into a few bad habits, eating biscuits and watching tv late at night. Number two is to join somthing, all my neighbors have a day job, the isolation is getting to me, any suggestions ?

tanko

older by the day wrote: »

Try and get fit, have got into a few bad habits, eating biscuits and watching tv late at night. Number two is to join somthing, all my neighbors have a day job, the isolation is getting to me, any suggestions ?

The gym??
Always plenty of classes on.

Dakota Dan

Getting out of dairy farming and getting a job The cows were slipping in yield since September and I managed to keep them milking off grass and ration in November, over 4% protein and delighted with myself. Got milk cheque 2 days ago €118, fcuk that for a game of marbles. Still milking once a day in December and I'd say I'll owe Dairygold money for December :mad: Board bia inspection coming up in two weeks as well. Plenty cows empty as well including one that aborted in November, I'll probably fatten them and keep them to get anc payment. Probably end up leasing out farm but I'll wait until next cap reform.

Dakota Dan

older by the day wrote: »

Try and get fit, have got into a few bad habits, eating biscuits and watching tv late at night. Number two is to join somthing, all my neighbors have a day job, the isolation is getting to me, any suggestions ?

Get a job with Whelan and Kill 2 birds with the one stone

Willfarman

Dakota Dan wrote: »

Getting out of dairy farming and getting a job The cows were slipping in yield since September and I managed to keep them milking off grass and ration in November, over 4% protein and delighted with myself. Got milk cheque 2 days ago €118, fcuk that for a game of marbles. Still milking once a day in December and I'd say I'll owe Dairygold money for December :mad: Board bia inspection coming up in two weeks as well. Plenty cows empty as well including one that aborted in November, I'll probably fatten them and keep them to get anc payment. Probably end up leasing out farm but I'll wait until next cap reform.

118 for 1 month? What the hell?

Muckit

older by the day wrote: »

Try and get fit, have got into a few bad habits, eating biscuits and watching tv late at night. Number two is to join somthing, all my neighbors have a day job, the isolation is getting to me, any suggestions ?

Get out walking the roads.
Join a gym.
Join your local men's shed. I bet there is one near you.
Stay out of the pub.
Don't buy in biscuits. If they are not in the press, you can't eat them!!

TooOldBoots

Willfarman wrote: »

118 for 1 month? What the hell?

Yeah €118, what the **** is that about? I thought there was great money in dairy

Dakota Dan

Willfarman wrote: »

118 for 1 month? What the hell?

Yep, getting up at 6am every morning to bring them in to have them milked to take daughter to work. One morning there was so much wind and rain that the cows stopped to take shelter under a fallen tree while I was drowned to the skin, pure fcuking slavery.

Dakota Dan

TooOldBoots wrote: »

Yeah €118, what the **** is that about? I thought there was great money in dairy

Old boots are you still here? Aren't you fighting with the vegans pretending to be a farmer?

jaymla627

Dakota Dan wrote: »

Getting out of dairy farming and getting a job The cows were slipping in yield since September and I managed to keep them milking off grass and ration in November, over 4% protein and delighted with myself. Got milk cheque 2 days ago €118, fcuk that for a game of marbles. Still milking once a day in December and I'd say I'll owe Dairygold money for December :mad: Board bia inspection coming up in two weeks as well. Plenty cows empty as well including one that aborted in November, I'll probably fatten them and keep them to get anc payment. Probably end up leasing out farm but I'll wait until next cap reform.

Had you a agreed amount to be stopped and they took more than expected, pretty lousy if that’s the case with it been Xmas and all

Dakota Dan

jaymla627 wrote: »

Had you a agreed amount to be stopped and they took more than expected, pretty lousy if that’s the case with it been Xmas and all

All expenses paid. Last year I had the exact same costs but the same number of cows produced €1500 profit, this year they barely covered costs. Sad but true.

Pidae.m

older by the day wrote: »

Try and get fit, have got into a few bad habits, eating biscuits and watching tv late at night. Number two is to join somthing, all my neighbors have a day job, the isolation is getting to me, any suggestions ?

Down here the fit for life groups are great, or even there is a brilliant walking club here that go out Sunday all day, my mother joined them and I've never seen her happier.

jaymla627

Dakota Dan wrote: »

All expenses paid. Last year I had the exact same costs but the same number of cows produced €1500 profit, this year they barely covered costs. Sad but true.

Everyone is in the same boat on varying levels, a lot of lads myself included are carrying a nice bit of extra short term debt into the 19, a good year weather wise and milk staying above 30cent is needed at a minimum to pay down debts racked up this year, and build-up fodder reserves, could be messy if the above dosent pan

White Clover

Dakota Dan wrote: »

All expenses paid. Last year I had the exact same costs but the same number of cows produced €1500 profit, this year they barely covered costs. Sad but true.

1500 for November 2017 is it Dan?

Dakota Dan

jaymla627 wrote: »

Everyone is in the same boat on varying levels, a lot of lads myself included are carrying a nice bit of extra short term debt into the 19, a good year weather wise and milk staying above 30cent is needed at a minimum to pay down debts racked up this year, and build-up fodder reserves, could be messy if the above dosent pan

If I carry on milking I reckon I'll get the next milk cheque in June 2019, 7 months without any money :eek:

Dakota Dan

White Clover wrote: »

1500 for November 2017 is it Dan?

Yeah, at 40 c a litre.

memorystick

Buy better quality cattle. More store lambs and getting into a few sows. Cutting back on making bales.

White Clover

Dakota Dan wrote: »

Yeah, at 40 c a litre.

What kind of production did the cows give this year? Did they peak well for you?

White Clover

Less cattle
More sheep

Dakota Dan

White Clover wrote: »

What kind of production did the cows give this year? Did they peak well for you?

They barely hit 5.5 gallons as I had a few cows that failed to go incalf in 2017 and I milked them through the winter. In 2017 they peaked 6.5 gallons a day and held up well.

kk.man

Muckit wrote: »

I thought sheep are doing better?

They are but I don't have the time!

TooOldBoots

Young95 wrote: »

Good thinking but your fix cost won’t go down but ul probly make more with lower production lower input and lower output

Yes, Farming is a high fixed cost endeavor. Thats the reality all farms wiil eventually face. Currently its the second job/wife working/pension which make it look ok

TooOldBoots

Dakota Dan wrote: »

Old boots are you still here? Aren't you fighting with the vegans pretending to be a farmer?

Or pretending its worth while! Those Vegans have to eat too. :P


Dairying not fairing too good in the US either
https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/dairy-farming-is-dying-after-40-years-im-out/2018/12/21/79cd63e4-0314-11e9-b6a9-0aa5c2fcc9e4_story.html?utm_term=.4f72b9383e75

older by the day

TooOldBoots wrote: »

Young95 wrote: »

Good thinking but your fix cost won’t go down but ul probly make more with lower production lower input and lower output

Yes, Farming is a high fixed cost endeavor. Thats the reality all farms wiil eventually face. Currently its the second job/wife working/pension which make it look ok

Ireland is a high cost country to do business in, with all this talk of sustainable farming, and low cost theirs no such thing. Take car expenses, vrt, tax, insurance, fuel, servicing, testing. Take electricity, oil, education of children, everything is going up. So talking about low cost in ireland is impossible

newholland mad

Dakota Dan wrote: »

If I carry on milking I reckon I'll get the next milk cheque in June 2019, 7 months without any money :eek:

Try tillage and get paid once a year ie. 11 months without money.

whelan2

Dakota Dan wrote: »

If I carry on milking I reckon I'll get the next milk cheque in June 2019, 7 months without any money :eek:

Where you deducted for tbc, or was that you that had the problem?

queueeye

older by the day wrote: »

Try and get fit, have got into a few bad habits, eating biscuits and watching tv late at night. Number two is to join somthing, all my neighbors have a day job, the isolation is getting to me, any suggestions ?

Never saw the point in just going to the gym, lifting weights just to put them back down where you got them. Take up a martial art of some kind, get fit and achieve something.

greenfield21

TooOldBoots wrote: »

Or pretending its worth while! Those Vegans have to eat too. :P


Dairying not fairing too good in the US either
https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/dairy-farming-is-dying-after-40-years-im-out/2018/12/21/79cd63e4-0314-11e9-b6a9-0aa5c2fcc9e4_story.html?utm_term=.4f72b9383e75

He's an organic farmer too, thats frightening for any small famer

degetme

Finish off the house being built and move in.
Getting married next summer so twill be a day out.
Hopefully start a new milking parlour next autumn

patsy_mccabe

That Washington Post is a serious newspaper too. Used to love reading it when I lived in another country. It would put the socalled newspapers here to shame.

Muckit

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

That Washington Post is a serious newspaper too. Used to love reading it when I lived in another country. It would put the socalled newspapers here to shame.

I only buy the indo sometimes for the farming supplement and the crossword!!

The Nutty M

Going to try the route of getting a higher output/higher quality from the grass with lower input costs. Tried it this year but only got 3 cuts and aiming for 4 in 2019.
Half made up my mind to go and try a big bag of Bactiorsol. Looking at the prices quoted for fertiliser,the Bactiorsol is looking like it could be a better option if it works out.

Dinzee Conlee

older by the day wrote: »

Try and get fit, have got into a few bad habits, eating biscuits and watching tv late at night. Number two is to join somthing, all my neighbors have a day job, the isolation is getting to me, any suggestions ?

Friend of mine joined a drama group, they do maybe 2 plays a year I think... rehearsals for a few months before hand... He said it’s a bit of craic, meeting up and practising, and doing a play is very rewarding (and frightening)

Maybe there is an amateur drama group in your area?

_Brian

older by the day wrote: »

Try and get fit, have got into a few bad habits, eating biscuits and watching tv late at night. Number two is to join somthing, all my neighbors have a day job, the isolation is getting to me, any suggestions ?

Walking club is a good thing to join.
Get fit, meet people and get to see some stunning parts of the country.

_Brian

We will keep numbers static.
Did some drainage this year, maybe a bit more next year.
Convert old derilect shed to a stable for my daughter.
Maybe get sheds painted.


Problem straight off with the list is it’s all spend, spend, spend

orm0nd

_Brian wrote: »

We will keep numbers static.
Did some drainage this year, maybe a bit more next year.
Convert old derilect shed to a stable for my daughter.

will she not be lonely and cold out there



Sorry . couldnt resist....,,,,,Happy Xmas.

Siamsa Sessions

* Will increase ewe numbers here but not too much.

* Going against the grain (and common sense) but plan to buy a few dairy-beef calves from a neighbour in April.

* Start trying to measure grass in different fields and get a few soil tests done

* Thinking about sponging ewes in August too and lambing in January next year

* Might set a few acres of agroforestry

* Buy more low-value entitlements (if they can be got at the right money)

Now, that I look at it you could say I’m starting things other fellas are moving away from. Maybe I just need to learn the hard way!

Pidae.m

Dinzee Conlee wrote: »

Friend of mine joined a drama group, they do maybe 2 plays a year I think... rehearsals for a few months before hand... He said it’s a bit of craic, meeting up and practising, and doing a play is very rewarding (and frightening)

Maybe there is an amateur drama group in your area?

Ha, the best bit about the drama group is its on during calving season.... Ask a busy man and all that

Timmaay

My only plan this morning is to never ever drink again.

CloughCasey1

Timmaay wrote: »

My only plan this morning is to never ever drink again.

Did ya make the 12 of them?☺