Have you the cows out

hildywildy

Well, has any one the cows out, I have my calved cows out by day, doing a bit of churning at gate ways but overall land condition is good. That my change at the weekend.

mahoney_j

hildywildy wrote: »

Well, has any one the cows out, I have my calved cows out by day, doing a bit of churning at gate ways but overall land condition is good. That my change at the weekend.

With my lad firmly wagging yes !!!!!!,day and night out after pm milking in at 9 to silage .take every chance I’ll get as next week not looking great

GrasstoMilk

Will be finished grazing the first paddock today. Out by day.

GrasstoMilk

Will be finished grazing the first paddock today. Out by day.

RD10

Have few cows & calves out past few days.
Tight for space, will prob bring back in before weekend as ground is soft here.
Would a two week old calf be safe enough to bring in and leave on slats do ye think?
Would navel still be open to infection?
Not ideal i know, could leave him in another pen but other cows getting closer to calving and would like to leave it free if i can.

Mooooo

Out by day, in at night, first paddock there was more walking than grazing but have settled a bit now

Timmaay

It's been dry last few weeks and very good grazing conditions for this time of the year here however we are in the back of an extremely wet winter so the water table still high and it won't take much to turn everywhere to slop again and end. So I'm taking as much grazing at the minute as I can now while conditions allow.

K.G.

Have them out a few days and today but i wont be a martyr over the weekend with the weather comingthey ll be inside

squinn2912

Had a few dry cows out this week but they’re back in now. I only put them out to mix them differently but they were content so the ones with a bit of time to go stayed out until now. Far too much silage so I’m not sure what to do. Not the worst problem

davidk1394

Out day and night here since monday. Put them out yesterday morning until 11am and back out this morning and still out, no rain here yet.

tanko

Have i the cows out?? Checks calendar, is it April yet? No.
Cows are sill in the shed so.

Zetor19

Seen a few hero’s with them out this week , what is the point apart from trying to be billy big bollix.

one world order

To damage the land and prolong the winter when they should be put out.

squinn2912

Zetor19 wrote: »

Seen a few hero’s with them out this week , what is the point apart from trying to be billy big bollix.

Worked great to mix two groups and keep them from fighting in the shed.

Snowfire

Zetor19 wrote: »

Seen a few hero’s with them out this week , what is the point apart from trying to be billy big bollix.

It’s funny the different attitudes lads have, I saw my neighbours with cows out during the week too, but my first thought wasn’t that farmer was a “ bollix”. My first thought was envy and how much healthier and cleaner it was for them to be out getting a few hours grazing in.
Unfortunately the covers I wanted to graze first are on paddocks that needed another few good dry days to firm them up.

Say my name

Zetor19 wrote: »

Seen a few hero’s with them out this week , what is the point apart from trying to be billy big bollix.

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Lime Tree Farm

squinn2912 wrote: »

Worked great to mix two groups and keep them from fighting in the shed.

Had heard that putting Vicks on their nose stops them fighting.

Had to move a dominant cow into a different pen last week, and sure enough she lashed into everything around her. Ran her up the crush and rubbed Olbas Oil above her nose, and unbelievably she passed them by to feed at the barrier. Too good to be true, will try it again.

Zetor19

Of course the race to be the prick on the front of the journal. Tonight’s a grand night for them to be out.

squinn2912

Lime Tree Farm wrote: »

Had heard that putting Vicks on their nose stops them fighting.

Had to move a dominant cow into a different pen last week, and sure enough she lashed into everything around her. Ran her up the crush and rubbed Olbas Oil above her nose, and unbelievably she passed them by to feed at the barrier. Too good to be true, will try it again.

That’s very interesting I wonder how that works. In our case it was as handy to throw them over the lane into two fields and let them stretch their legs. Worked out great

Lime Tree Farm

squinn2912 wrote: »

That’s very interesting I wonder how that works. In our case it was as handy to throw them over the lane into two fields and let them stretch their legs. Worked out great

Probably didn't, maybe she had already stamped her authority. By mixing late calvers with early calvers last year in the field, we ended up with a calf getting a broken leg.

farisfat

Cows be out here any chance I get, it leaves things easier on man and beast.

mahoney_j

farisfat wrote: »

Cows be out here any chance I get, it leaves things easier on man and beast.

Same here ,some ****e been threw around this thread

green daries

Lime Tree Farm wrote: »

Had heard that putting Vicks on their nose stops them fighting.

Had to move a dominant cow into a different pen last week, and sure enough she lashed into everything around her. Ran her up the crush and rubbed Olbas Oil above her nose, and unbelievably she passed them by to feed at the barrier. Too good to be true, will try it again.

That is great news if it actually works have seen far two many getting hurts where a bully keeps after them

mf240

I've a couple of culls out all winter. Probably get the milkers out in March or April

ted_182

Zetor19 wrote: »

Of course the race to be the prick on the front of the journal. Tonight’s a grand night for them to be out.

You know you are allowed to bring them back in if the forecast is turning bad?

jaymla627

Snowfire wrote: »

It’s funny the different attitudes lads have, I saw my neighbours with cows out during the week too, but my first thought wasn’t that farmer was a “ bollix”. My first thought was envy and how much healthier and cleaner it was for them to be out getting a few hours grazing in.
Unfortunately the covers I wanted to graze first are on paddocks that needed another few good dry days to firm them up.

The flipside is the same lads will now have cows standing at the gates of sheds looking to get out and unsettled for the next few days, some special cases where proclaiming silage was out of the diet and cows out fulltime last week

davidk1394

Zetor19 wrote: »

Of course the race to be the prick on the front of the journal. Tonight’s a grand night for them to be out.

You ok hun ? Must of had a few difficult calvings to be this worked up over lads leaving out a few cows. You do know the cows can be brought back in before the rain

valtra2

What is lads problem with ppl letting cows out, is it jealous that they don't have the same land or the same management skills. I would love to be able but I lack the two of above. Probably the same ppl who also give out about lads cutting silage to early

Zetor19

Lads with cows out in early feb deserve a right good burning in the summer. Here’s hoping.

Mooooo

1/10 effort on the trolling

Buford T. Justice XIX

Zetor19 wrote: »

Seen a few hero’s with them out this week , what is the point apart from trying to be billy big bollix.

The point is that grazed grass is stimulated to grow after the winter senescence. And getting grass grazed early, where possible, will give a huge return in growth over the year.

The paddocks grazed this week will have 50 or so days to grow grass at an average growth rate of 20kgs/DM/day to bring those paddocks up to 1,000-1,200 covers to allow continued grazing.

Lads only letting cattle out in early March to graze will have to have grass growing in excess of 40kgs/DM/day to reach grazeable covers in early April. They'll get those rates towards the end of March but not the start of March so they will have the option of regrazing silage ground, supplementing with ration or bringing them back in to top up with silage and ration at a time when they cows need to be on a steady diet to get them producing milk and building condition score before going to the bull.

There's plenty of lads near me with cutaway bog that were out grazing the last week or 10 days. When it dries up again, they will be back out with on-off grazing to ensure they will have grass available in early April so they can close silage ground

Zetor19 wrote: »

Lads with cows out in early feb deserve a right good burning in the summer. Here’s hoping.

Charming.

Millionaire only not

Zetor19 wrote: »

Seen a few hero’s with them out this week , what is the point apart from trying to be billy big bollix.

Agree load nonsense , if weather was fine is one thing , good dose of salmonella would sort them out putting cows out after calving in cold weather !

893bet

Research Best practice would be to have them out now if you have land to support it.

https://www.teagasc.ie/media/website/crops/grassland/Grazing-Guide-Book-2011_22-26.pdf

Timmaay

Zetor19 wrote: »

Lads with cows out in early feb deserve a right good burning in the summer. Here’s hoping.

I was actually just gonna post that I'd be an idiot not to take my extra month grazing now considering there is a good chance I'll have a month less grazing in the summertime. I'll happily play the ball in front of me, that often means grazing in feb and Nov and ringfeeders in July/Aug which I'm happy with.

awaywithyou

cows natural place to be is out in the field... not standing on concrete.... having said that ours wont be out til late march which i dont mind really.... tis up to each farmer to decide whats best for his cows and land.... one thing i did notice over on twitter was guys who have them out are feeding 4kgs of meal..... surely this is nowhere near enough concentrates for a freshly calved cow????

patsy_mccabe

hildywildy wrote: »

Well, has any one the cows out, I have my calved cows out by day, doing a bit of churning at gate ways but overall land condition is good. That my change at the weekend.

....Ya, out in the yard.

Castlekeeper

awaywithyou wrote: »

cows natural place to be is out in the field... not standing on concrete.... having said that ours wont be out til late march which i dont mind really.... tis up to each farmer to decide whats best for his cows and land.... one thing i did notice over on twitter was guys who have them out are feeding 4kgs of meal..... surely this is nowhere near enough concentrates for a freshly calved cow????

Feed should be built up gradually after calving, with grass in the diet, 4 kgs is good feeding. A lot of lads milking oad for first month too.

GrasstoMilk

https://www.facebook.com/1909799569338402/posts/2509592839359069/?sfnsn=mo

Lime Tree Farm

Lime Tree Farm wrote: »

Had heard that putting Vicks on their nose stops them fighting.

Had to move a dominant cow into a different pen last week, and sure enough she lashed into everything around her. Ran her up the crush and rubbed Olbas Oil above her nose, and unbelievably she passed them by to feed at the barrier. Too good to be true, will try it again.

I can confirm that Vicks works, on the cow's nose, to prevent fighting. Easy enough to achieve indoors, where you can separate them if they start, apply Vicks, and join them up again. Would be more difficult when they are being joined up outdoors, unless you can identify the aggressive ones in advance and daub above their noses with Vicks.

I looked it up online, and see where some use it on a cow's nose, to help adopt an orphan calf onto to her.

Sacrolyte

Would it help with bulls

NovemberWren

with the sincerest respect to all you farmers, However, when it is dark and thunder, that electric fence breaks the heart of young cattle.
please consider to employ young cattle-herders instead.

Lime Tree Farm

Sacrolyte wrote: »

Would it help with bulls

I wouldn't chance having the stock bulls in the same pen or field, even outside of the breeding season. But if you are joining up young beef bulls, it's worth a try, only cost €1.50 in the Pound Shop.

memorystick

Anyone with cattle out full time?

_Brian

We have a small number of light stock out all winter with access to the yard.

It’s paining to see poaching around gap just in last two weeks after no problem all winter.

Hope to oversow the paddock this spring so it’s not so much trouble and it’s only immediately round the gap.

K.G.

Yearlings out all winter .moved every week to 10 days depending on weather.this was almost all old ground which holds up well and is doing fine.on 2 to 2.5 kilos.hope to have all silage ground grazed by april 1 so that they can go to summer grazer for his entitlement s and disadvantaged payments. Also if he dosent get them his place goes over strong.they did really well this year-just went our way.
My theory with milking cows in the spring is based loosely on the third feed concept in winter milking adapted to spring calving.the theory is you need a third feed for milking inside to boost intakes.grass is my third feed so i try to get them out everyday i ve missed about 6days in 40 as i m trying to get some every day to keep diet someway consistent.also its great for the cubicle house to get them out of the cubicle house.dont do nights unless they can stay out all night.i find letting in and out for a short time during the day no big deal but after a busy and a long day its grand to just close the gate on the house and be finished rather than letting them out and in and in morning open the gate and your milking in 2 minutes.others have gone in to the benifits of spring grazing in terms of grass quality.thats works for me but the great thing about this country is you can do what ever you want but i see plenty places grazing shocking grass for the year because they are too slow getting go in the spring

Lime Tree Farm

First 7 to calve, out to grass, with their calves for the first time today. Oldest calf born 23 Feb, this year the longest time they have been held indoors.

ABitofsense

Same here, first 2 calved Friday and out today. Not a bother on them. We don't have a creep setup so once calved out they go.

charolais0153

K.G. wrote: »

Yearlings out all winter .moved every week to 10 days depending on weather.this was almost all old ground which holds up well and is doing fine.on 2 to 2.5 kilos.hope to have all silage ground grazed by april 1 so that they can go to summer grazer for his entitlement s and disadvantaged payments. Also if he dosent get them his place goes over strong.they did really well this year-just went our way.
My theory with milking cows in the spring is based loosely on the third feed concept in winter milking adapted to spring calving.the theory is you need a third feed for milking inside to boost intakes.grass is my third feed so i try to get them out everyday i ve missed about 6days in 40 as i m trying to get some every day to keep diet someway consistent.also its great for the cubicle house to get them out of the cubicle house.dont do nights unless they can stay out all night.i find letting in and out for a short time during the day no big deal but after a busy and a long day its grand to just close the gate on the house and be finished rather than letting them out and in and in morning open the gate and your milking in 2 minutes.others have gone in to the benifits of spring grazing in terms of grass quality.thats works for me but the great thing about this country is you can do what ever you want but i see plenty places grazing shocking grass for the year because they are too slow getting go in the spring[/b/

They need more sheep

emaherx

Lime Tree Farm wrote: »

First 7 to calve, out to grass, with their calves for the first time today. Oldest calf born 23 Feb, this year the longest time they have been held indoors.

First 8 to calve moved out to out farm today. The older calves were driving me mad roaming around the yard jumping in and out through the feed barrier.

memorystick

Good few with cattle out today. Letting mine out in morning. A little concerned about the cool breeze. They have loads of shelter so should be ok. Fingers and toes crossed.

whelan2

Tomorrow, tomorrow.....