Farming Chitchat 10/10- Now VIRUS-FREE!

Lady Haywire

_Brian wrote: »

Have only heard it called “handling” here.

Occasionally when vet was out we’d ask them to “handle” a cow to see if she was in calf.

We'd handle a cow when she's calving, but when we say 'Will you dip that heifer'? it encompasses, 'Handle her and tell me if she's incalf or not!'

whelan2

Lady Haywire wrote: »

We'd handle a cow when she's calving, but when we say 'Will you dip that heifer'? it encompasses, 'Handle her and tell me if she's incalf or not!'

Fork, sprong, grape springs to mind

_Brian

whelan2 wrote: »

Fork, sprong, grape springs to mind

Language is such an interesting versatile thing really. Small local areas will have terms that just a few parishes away seem almost foreign to us.

Buford T. Justice XIX

whelan2 wrote: »

Fork, sprong, grape springs to mind

It's a freakin' PIKE!!!:p

Mrs cockett

Buford T. Justice XIX wrote: »

It's a freakin' PIKE!!!:p

Don't be ridiculous, its a FORK

Lady Haywire

Mrs cockett wrote: »

Don't be ridiculous, its a FORK

I say fork for two tines, three prong for three tines & graipe for four tines. Bit of a mongrel in us somewhere wherever the three prong bit came out of!!

Base price

_Brian wrote: »

Language is such an interesting versatile thing really. Small local areas will have terms that just a few parishes away seem almost foreign to us.

I met an elderly farmer at the agri store yesterday, I was wearing my face mask and I said hello to him. He asked me my name and I told him. He said I didn't recognise you wearing the gubbin (not sure how to spell it). I laughed when I heard the word cause it's 40 odd years since I heard it last.
A gubbin was used to cover the muzzle of a scouring foal or calf to stop them sucking their dam. Normally made from the leg of a wellie boot and tied to their head.

I says

Typical the contractors tractor pumping the slurry for umbilical spreading decides to breakdown before it starts. Bollox anyways.

_Brian

I says wrote: »

Typical the contractors tractor pumping the slurry for umbilical spreading decides to breakdown before it starts. Bollox anyways.

That’s a balls.
Forecast looks good into Monday but doesn’t calendar say no after tomorrow

Buford T. Justice XIX

_Brian wrote: »

That’s a balls.
Forecast looks good into Monday but doesn’t calendar say no after tomorrow

Today, Brian. Tomorrow is outside the directive.

_Brian

Buford T. Justice XIX wrote: »

Today, Brian. Tomorrow is outside the directive.

Worse luck so 😔

I says

_Brian wrote: »

Worse luck so 😔

Will be a late night

whelan2

Have a few calves on a couple of cows . The calves got out today and decided walk up the silage pit, which hasnt been opened yet. Is silage tape the best to fix it or what ?

ganmo

I says wrote: »

Will be a late night

Night vision?

Dinzee Conlee

Is it too late to spray furze, or would you get away with it?

Grueller

whelan2 wrote: »

Have a few calves on a couple of cows . The calves got out today and decided walk up the silage pit, which hasnt been opened yet. Is silage tape the best to fix it or what ?

Tape I would say. Hate when that happens.

_Brian

Eco eye is painting a bleak picture of farming and environment. To the outside eye to see figures fromTeagasc quoted that 83% of beef farmers are making no profit, and then farmers saying farmers are just farming cattle for the subsidies.

It paints a bad picture of farming.

Mac Taylor

Buford T. Justice XIX wrote: »

It's a freakin' PIKE!!!:p

For forks sake it’s a fork.....:D

Scan cows and sheep.......dip sheep....:D

Birdnuts

_Brian wrote: »

Eco eye is painting a bleak picture of farming and environment. To the outside eye to see figures fromTeagasc quoted that 83% of beef farmers are making no profit, and then farmers saying farmers are just farming cattle for the subsidies.

It paints a bad picture of farming.

Usual simplistic nonsense from Stewart - rough grazing of cattle is a key feature of maintaining habitat in the Burren and Hen Harrier areas.

NcdJd

_Brian wrote: »

Eco eye is painting a bleak picture of farming and environment. To the outside eye to see figures fromTeagasc quoted that 83% of beef farmers are making no profit, and then farmers saying farmers are just farming cattle for the subsidies.

It paints a bad picture of farming.

I thought it was quite good. Don't shoot me. Didn't think it was bleak at all.

_Brian

NcdJd wrote: »

I thought it was quite good. Don't shoot me. Didn't think it was bleak at all.

It gave the impression that more cattle = more subsidies which is not the case. It also suggests using grass for AD rather than milk or beef, that’s fine but much of the grass wouldn’t be available without fertiliser so there is a bit of a problem.

For me the most accurate thing saod was that beef is being overproduced because of poor advice to farmers. Excess beef allows factories to pull prices. It’s a facet of supply and demand.

NcdJd

_Brian wrote: »

It gave the impression that more cattle = more subsidies which is not the case. It also suggests using grass for AD rather than milk or beef, that’s fine but much of the grass wouldn’t be available without fertiliser so there is a bit of a problem.

Maybe it's just suited to pig farming so but thought it would be another revenue generator if there was an infrastructure set up. And maybe factories would have to compete with a biogas industry thereby raising the price for beef?

As one fella said at the mart we would not be a prisoner to the beef factories. In that they would have to guarantee a good price the farmer will just look to biogas instead. That's what I took out of it.

Say my name

Dinzee Conlee wrote: »

Is it too late to spray furze, or would you get away with it?

I'd say you'd get away with it in the next few days. After that. No.

whelan2

Grueller wrote: »

Tape I would say. Hate when that happens.

Ah had a day of it today, not over yet. Kids at training

whelan2

Say my name wrote: »

I'd say you'd get away with it in the next few days. After that. No.

I say wait until tomorrow, it's a bit dark now

Water John

Mossie1975 wrote: »

Nice out this morning. Couldn't stop looking at the sky bringing in the cows ... anybody else think it was unusual this morning or do I need to go and see a doctor? Have a good day lads

I think Mossie is in love.

Say my name

_Brian wrote: »

It gave the impression that more cattle = more subsidies which is not the case. It also suggests using grass for AD rather than milk or beef, that’s fine but much of the grass wouldn’t be available without fertiliser so there is a bit of a problem.
.

It'll grow the same as the grass grows in the ditch without fertilizer.
The digestate would be going back out on that land anyway.

If biochar is added to the mix. Depending on the char it'll increase the amount of methane produced in the digester and provide a substrate to stop the nutrients from the digester leaching in the soil when spread. By that action alone and continued cutting, gassing, added char and spreading, the land will increase in fertility and build carbon.

The only negative is the power used to drive the tractor and build the digester if that'd be renewable.

Siamsa Sessions

Kasey_Don wrote: »

Is green cert good thing to do for an aspiring farmer?

I grew up on a farm but been away a long time now so don't know the real technical details and the schemes and tax etc.

I'm thinking of starting farming before I turn 35 to avail of young farmer grants. If I leave it so late, is there a point in going at it before turning 35?

I live in a different part of the country most of the time so I don't think I'd get away with being registered and having the old man do most of the work?

And I don't suppose it's possible to mix herds if you had a massive shed?

I did the Green Cert part-time over an 18-month course run by Teagasc in 2018-19. Was in a similar position to yourself, growing up on a farm and helping with all the jobs, but away from it for over 15 years then so very much out of the loop.

I enjoyed the course and learnt loads, but I was mad interested and tried to pick up as much as I could from the official course content, the tutors, and the teaching/demo farm itself.

You might be able to mix herds if there was an official B&B arrangement in place between the two herds. But this might mean an extra move on the animals’ blue cards, so you’d have to check.

Feel free to send me a PM if you want to talk more about the Green Cert.

Waffletraktor

Say my name wrote: »

It'll grow the same as the grass grows in the ditch without fertilizer.
The digestate would be going back out on that land anyway.

If biochar is added to the mix. Depending on the char it'll increase the amount of methane produced in the digester and provide a substrate to stop the nutrients from the digester leaching in the soil when spread. By that action alone and continued cutting, gassing, added char and spreading, the land will increase in fertility and build carbon.

The only negative is the power used to drive the tractor and build the digester if that'd be renewable.

They add some version of charcoal/bio char to stabilise the digesters daily. They add enzymes and acids also, with a balance of the correct dry matter and silages needed. The digestate literally is like what comes out of an animal mixed together minus the worst of the smell, they seperate out the largest material and the rest is like slurrry.
They are most profitable skipping the engine and injecting straight into gas mains. Co2 is captured and processed to 95+% purity and which makes the carbon capture requirement easy peasy for carbon use efficiency.

A former minion runs a farm with a digester in SE corner of England, they wouldn't include grass beyond 1/3 of the feed stock with maize being the bulk. They're inclined to make small clamps in corners of a block and haul it in as needed ideally with artic access. They will haul out 80% ish of what goes in mostly in 'slurry' form.

NcdJd

Waffletraktor wrote: »

They add some version of charcoal/bio char to stabilise the digesters daily. They add enzymes and acids also, with a balance of the correct dry matter and silages needed. The digestate literally is like what comes out of an animal mixed together minus the worst of the smell, they seperate out the largest material and the rest is like slurrry.
They are most profitable skipping the engine and injecting straight into gas mains. Co2 is captured and processed to 95+% purity and which makes the carbon capture requirement easy peasy for carbon use efficiency.

A former minion runs a farm with a digester in SE corner of England, they wouldn't include grass beyond 1/3 of the feed stock with maize being the bulk. They're inclined to make small clamps in corners of a block and haul it in as needed ideally with artic access. They will haul out 80% ish of what goes in mostly in 'slurry' form.

Would it be more profitable sending the maize for biogas or for animal feed ?

Sorry might be a silly question just trying to understand if there is any opertunities in it.