Plans for 2020

mr.stonewall

Plans for 2020
Hold numbers the same but play the cards right for the beam scheme
New crush in yard and cheap dungstead( old slats for wall)
Set up a few more temporary calving pens in disused palour (may double up as workshop
Drain and reseed 3.5 acres
Spllt 3 bigger fields in to flexiable paddocks and add a few extra water troughs
Ai an extra 25% of sucklers (75% to fixed time) just works easier with the job

Personal
More time to family and make the creche collections
Get 2 pigs and a few hens for the smallies
Do a welding course and more time to woodworking
Finish lawns and kerbs at house
Stay on top of paper work, both job and farm ( get accounts done in Jan)

mahoney_j

Milk few less cows ,produce more milk and more milk solids from that reduced no of cows ,explore option of contract rearing ,lay new silage Slab to get away from bales .lay more concrete around yard for better appearance ,be more efficient and work less hours look at option of new calf shed and auto calf feeder

MIKEKC

TooOldBoots wrote: »

Rent more land on the cheap
Reduce the Suckler cow numbers/ sell empty cows before mid Feb.
Reduce Silage bill if possible or else charge more for any fodder leaving the farm
Put up a new Holding pen on outside farm
Re-fence/Stock proof some boundaries
Put down more permanent Electric fence
New set of shoes for the Tractor
New Bull
Try and make more Hay that I can store and use for a long term feed buffer.

Rent more land on cheap.For sucklers surely two jokes there. Rent cheap, and for sucklers. Must have a magic way of making money from sucklers

Water John

Continue down the organic route, despite not getting into Govn't scheme.
Offload the remaining old stock, when someone will pay a decent price for them.
I intend looking at moving the cattle daily and creating an extended rotation.
For this I will get a water bowser with attached trough made up on a twin axle.
Will buy a mower. This is to crop the Red clover/grass mix with about 4 cuts.
It needs to be cut about 7cm high and no conditioner.
Finish draining about 3 acres.
Aim to start selling finished stock from Jan 2020.
Will visit any organic livestock marts in the spring. I have to decide whether to buy weanlings or year old cattle, in the longer term.

Like someone above, the teeth need to be done. Biggest bill of the year I'd say.
Need to get back walking. The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Also still looking at putting in two robot lawnmowers next year.
Looking at a couple of projects outside the gate.

Dinzee Conlee

Water John wrote: »

Need to get back walking. The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Also still looking at putting in two robot lawnmowers next year.

.

Skip the robots and get a walk-behind lawnmower... two birds, one stone
Plus, save a bit of cash... Is that three birds...

trixi2011

Just moved back to Ireland after the guts 13 years
Hope to find a lease dairy farm or large scale partnership
Spend more time with family
Hope to get fitter and lose a few kg
Get some hobbies outside of farming

Jb1989

Dinzee Conlee wrote: »

Skip the robots and get a walk-behind lawnmower... two birds, one stone
Plus, save a bit of cash... Is that three birds...

That's the Most sensible answer to previous post,

TooOldBoots

MIKEKC wrote: »

Rent more land on cheap.For sucklers surely two jokes there. Rent cheap, and for sucklers. Must have a magic way of making money from sucklers

I don't see where I said that it was for sucklers. Must have alternate vision

kollegeknight

raypallas wrote: »

@KollegeKnoght
"Work;
Get slightly more organized.
Learn a small bit on programming to make students life easier."

Did the same myself recently. Look into BBC Microbits, very easy to use, drag and drop blocks and all online with free software. Downside a little on the expensive side

Yeah it’s microbits we are using- I just need to spend a bit of time getting to know them.

jaymla627

mahoney_j wrote: »

Milk few less cows ,produce more milk and more milk solids from that reduced no of cows ,explore option of contract rearing ,lay new silage Slab to get away from bales .lay more concrete around yard for better appearance ,be more efficient and work less hours look at option of new calf shed and auto calf feeder

Getting away from the bales will free up sometime year round itself. You don't realise the f**k acting with them till you get away from them,

carrollsno1

farawaygrass wrote: »

Mind me asking how old are you starting an apprenticeship?

24/25

Water John

Trixi, contact the Land Mobility Service. they may be able to source a suitable farm partnership for you.

carrollsno1

jaymla627 wrote: »

Getting away from the bales will free up sometime year round itself. You don't realise the f**k acting with them till you get away from them,

I didnt realise the f##k acting with pit silage till a previous employer asked me whether i wanted pit or bales i chose bales and its a hell kf a lot easier out here with tube wrappping as well.

trixi2011

Water John wrote: »

Trixi, contact the Land Mobility Service. they may be able to source a suitable farm partnership for you.

Work in progress

MIKEKC

TooOldBoots wrote: »

I don't see where I said that it was for sucklers. Must have alternate vision

You don't say that you have any other stock. Hardly renting it to see forage

jaymla627

carrollsno1 wrote: »

I didnt realise the f##k acting with pit silage till a previous employer asked me whether i wanted pit or bales i chose bales and its a hell kf a lot easier out here with tube wrappping as well.

Used to think that was making 1000 plus yearly for 5 years, the drawing in was what put pay to it here, contractor “didn’t have time to do it anymore” so putting in the night drawing in bales till 3-4 in the morning started happening regularly, add up the cost of plastic, and handling the stuff something had to change....
Get a lad in with a wagon now to do all silage and he has no problem coming to do 20 acres of paddocks and throwing it into a pit for us, silage bill for 19 is half of what it was in 18 and cost savings are basically paying for new tub feeder which has been a godsend around the place labour wise

whelan2

jaymla627 wrote: »

Used to think that was making 1000 plus yearly for 5 years, the drawing in was what put pay to it here, contractor “didn’t have time to do it anymore” so putting in the night drawing in bales till 3-4 in the morning started happening regularly, add up the cost of plastic, and handling the stuff something had to change....
Get a lad in with a wagon now to do all silage and he has no problem coming to do 20 acres of paddocks and throwing it into a pit for us, silage bill for 19 is half of what it was in 18 and cost savings are basically paying for new tub feeder which has been a godsend around the place labour wise

Bought in the bales this year from a good source , newly reseeded ground, delivered. Saved me money and time

mahoney_j

jaymla627 wrote: »

Getting away from the bales will free up sometime year round itself. You don't realise the f**k acting with them till you get away from them,

I’ll still have a couple hundred of them ,it’s the cost more than anything that is putting me off them ,I’d go all pit if there wAs a local contractor With a WAgon

jaymla627

mahoney_j wrote: »

I’ll still have a couple hundred of them ,it’s the cost more than anything that is putting me off them ,I’d go all pit if there wAs a local contractor With a WAgon

Anyone within a 20 mile radius, youd be surprised how far they will travel if you can guarantee them a good shot of work, loading shovel and wagon is a two man band so distance isn't really a big thing, my lad has a 40 mile roundtrip to get to us but doesn't seem to mind

foxy farmer

1Most importantly stay alive!!
2 Get out of sucklers/beef. Jaysus I never thought I'd say those words but there it is. Won't be clear this yr but be damn near it.
I'm in the middle of serious dairy country here in west cork. Land is in short supply. I've been growing silage to sell to a few lads with last few yrs. This yr I was approached for ground for maize. Decided to let 17 acres. He's looking for another 10 for next yr. Waiting for another to get back to me who will probably want 20 if his current maize ground changes hands.
3 Need to do some reseeding.
4 Need to keep the concrete industry busy too so hope to finish around the house and do a bit around the yard.

tanko

foxy farmer wrote: »

1Most importantly stay alive!!
2 Get out of sucklers/beef. Jaysus I never thought I'd say those words but there it is. Won't be clear this yr but be damn near it.
I'm in the middle of serious dairy country here in west cork. Land is in short supply. I've been growing silage to sell to a few lads with last few yrs. This yr I was approached for ground for maize. Decided to let 17 acres. He's looking for another 10 for next yr. Waiting for another to get back to me who will probably want 20 if his current maize ground changes hands.
3 Need to do some reseeding.
4 Need to keep the concrete industry busy too so hope to finish around the house and do a bit around the yard.

By leasing some land out are you not worried about losing some of your single farm payment under the the new CAP?

Ashill5

Farm.
Do a good bit of fencing for Sheep, undecided if to apply for Tams or not
Put in dipping tank,

Personal
Lose a bit of weight as I need to get my act together as I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes earlier this year

GrasstoMilk

Gods Gift wrote: »

Spoken like a true Irish dairy farmer.
More
More
More.

No, just a young guy who likes to work and keep improving what I have to make life easier.
It's not going to come in the door to you with out putting in the effort.

foxy farmer

tanko wrote: »

By leasing some land out are you not worried about losing some of your single farm payment under the the new CAP?

I'm not leasing it out. I stuff all the grass ground and have a few fields kept for 3 or 4 regular reliable customers. The maize ground was a late spur of the moment decision but as it turned out successful one. I was planning on reseeding the field but my contractor approached me on behalf of a client so I said I'd let him put maize in it.

Mulumpy

Hopefully get a promotion I've been gearing towards in work. Farming wise I started contract rearing for a guy recently so hopefully that will work out. Get a bit fitter so can enjoy more outdoor time with the kids.

carrollsno1

jaymla627 wrote: »

Used to think that was making 1000 plus yearly for 5 years, the drawing in was what put pay to it here, contractor “didn’t have time to do it anymore” so putting in the night drawing in bales till 3-4 in the morning started happening regularly, add up the cost of plastic, and handling the stuff something had to change....
Get a lad in with a wagon now to do all silage and he has no problem coming to do 20 acres of paddocks and throwing it into a pit for us, silage bill for 19 is half of what it was in 18 and cost savings are basically paying for new tub feeder which has been a godsend around the place labour wise

I can see where youre coming from definitly but its horses for courses ig you could get tube wrapping to take off in Irelsnd it would be ideal. Youd be surprised how much youd get through in a day with a short draw and 2 tractors going each drawing 3 at a time to the wrapper.

Grueller

carrollsno1 wrote: »

I can see where youre coming from definitly but its horses for courses ig you could get tube wrapping to take off in Irelsnd it would be ideal. Youd be surprised how much youd get through in a day with a short draw and 2 tractors going each drawing 3 at a time to the wrapper.

No body in Ireland would have space for all of those bales in a line. Looks a great job though.

carrollsno1

Grueller wrote: »

No body in Ireland would have space for all of those bales in a line. Looks a great job though.

Could be worked, do 4 or 5 runs beside each other near the yard or one run in each of the paddocks near the sheds. We got closs to 800 bales done one day and that was about 14hrs given for bringing them into different stacks.
I wonder will Tom Carrigans bale chaser/stacker catch on with contractors in a few years and eventually get more people doing wraps.

Grueller

carrollsno1 wrote: »

Could be worked, do 4 or 5 runs beside each other near the yard or one run in each of the paddocks near the sheds. We got closs to 800 bales done one day and that was about 14hrs given for bringing them into different stacks.
I wonder will Tom Carrigans bale chaser/stacker catch on with contractors in a few years and eventually get more people doing wraps.

That means rooting around in a paddock during winter, tearing it up and dragging muck and slop into the yard. No thanks
Stacking 3 high I can put 300+ in an area between two sheds here on concrete about 90' x 30'.

carrollsno1

Grueller wrote: »

That means rooting around in a paddock during winter, tearing it up and dragging muck and slop into the yard. No thanks
Stacking 3 high I can put 300+ in an area between two sheds here on concrete about 90' x 30'.

A lot more plastic used though i tbink it works out to about $2/bale for plastic here in a tube thats roughly €1-€1.20. I understand the rooting around paddocks part too this a very wet farm here (self inflicted) with black peaty soils but the paddocks seem to recover fairly well from all the rooting around out here.