Dairy Chitchat 4, an udder new thread.

Buford T. Justice XIX

Mod note: New thread, folks.

Old thread link below

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057901177&page=250

Buford T. Justice

whelan2

Great name for the thread

Dakota Dan

Free Martin heifer ovulating? Does this mean she can be bred?

Buford T. Justice XIX

Dakota Dan wrote: »

Free Martin heifer ovulating? Does this mean she can be bred?

Yeah, she can be bred. The problem with heifers with a bull as a half twin is that sometimes they can share a blood supply with each other. It has little effect on a bull but the blood supply from the bull contains testosterone and that causes problems with the ovaries of the heifers, iirc, and causes them to be infertile.

Some heifer half twins don't share a common blood supply and they can be bred away as normal as there's no damage to their ovaries.

cosatron

anyone pull the bull yet. Pulling our lad on tomorrow, everything gone 3 weeks bar 3 late calvers and 1 c**t whose going to be burgers by the looks of things.

Mooooo

Was planning on pulling him the end of the week but he will stay for another 2 now as had a good few repeats. Handier as will be testing in that period and he's a pain in the arse to put up the crush when on his own so at least he may follow the cow's thru it. Have a bull with the heifers who will stay till testing as well, hoping they are ok but whenever I check em there is a lot of messing, no standing just half jumps but he takes no notice so hopefully just heifers being heifers. Will stick the two together in a small paddock and hope they don't go hell for leather then.

cosatron

Mooooo wrote: »

Was planning on pulling him the end of the week but he will stay for another 2 now as had a good few repeats. Handier as will be testing in that period and he's a pain in the arse to put up the crush when on his own so at least he may follow the cow's thru it. Have a bull with the heifers who will stay till testing as well, hoping they are ok but whenever I check em there is a lot of messing, no standing just half jumps but he takes no notice so hopefully just heifers being heifers. Will stick the two together in a small paddock and hope they don't go hell for leather then.

we stuck our 2 together last year and we hadn't a bit of bother. In all fairness the 2 bulls we have are very placid animals. 1 he and 1 aa. We pulled the AA from the heifer after 6 weeks, they seem to be all in calf.

Grueller

cosatron wrote: »

anyone pull the bull yet. Pulling our lad on tomorrow, everything gone 3 weeks bar 3 late calvers and 1 c**t whose going to be burgers by the looks of things.

Was going to pull him the weekend but have 1 cow who has been served 4 times was bulling this morning. 1 other who wasnt bulling 3 weeks ago was yesterday so I might leave it a week. The bull is easy handled anyhow, he waits in the paddock for the cows and doesn't come to the collecting yard at all. That would give an end of april finish to calving. A late calver is still worth more than an empty cow and I have plenty fodder and cubicle space.

Mooooo

These two are grand as bulls go, fella with cow's was prob petted two much in previous place as he'd stand for a rub, makes him more stubborn out of just not wanting to go up the crush as opposed to aggressiveness as such. Either way a reason to be mindful with em. Should be enough of a size difference that there should be no fighting hopefully. Have 2 fr vasectomised bulls in with a few culls and an old aa who got hurt which will be for the road, they are getting noisy now they've gone ahead of the old bull in the pecking order. But facilities are ok where they are to manage them along with the cows

cosatron

Grueller wrote: »

Was going to pull him the weekend but have 1 cow who has been served 4 times was bulling this morning. 1 other who wasnt bulling 3 weeks ago was yesterday so I might leave it a week. The bull is easy handled anyhow, he waits in the paddock for the cows and doesn't come to the collecting yard at all. That would give an end of april finish to calving. A late calver is still worth more than an empty cow and I have plenty fodder and cubicle space.

spoken like a true dairy farmer. you have turned over to the dark side grueller:D

Grueller

cosatron wrote: »

spoken like a true dairy farmer. you have turned over to the dark side grueller:D

Ha, the youngsters here now call the sucklers the peasants.

whelan2

Last calf gone today. Had 3 surprise June calvers. No more until beginning of September.....

mf240

cosatron wrote: »

anyone pull the bull yet. Pulling our lad on tomorrow, .

Would you need to put him in the crush for that.:eek::D

cosatron

mf240 wrote: »

Would you need to put him in the crush for that.:eek::D

Ha, we will see how it goes, I’ll wow him first with nuts

Buford T. Justice XIX

Just off the phone from a lad I sold calves to last year. He was fierce upset with me for selling him a calf without doing a BVD test on it and he needed me to pay for the test because the Dept told him that both himself and me would be getting inspected because of it.

So I said I'd get it sorted. I changed my phone last week and luckily all my BVD results were transferred to the new one. And there was the negative result for my calf from last year. And I couldn't have gotten a movement cert or be allowed sell through a mart unless there was a negative test there?

I'm starting to get sick of this sh!t, tbh. Surely the Dept have the results in front of them and all the possible loopholes closed off? I've probably lost a good customer for my calves now, ffs:mad:

Base price

Buford T. Justice XIX wrote: »

Just off the phone from a lad I sold calves to last year. He was fierce upset with me for selling him a calf without doing a BVD test on it and he needed me to pay for the test because the Dept told him that both himself and me would be getting inspected because of it.

So I said I'd get it sorted. I changed my phone last week and luckily all my BVD results were transferred to the new one. And there was the negative result for my calf from last year. And I couldn't have gotten a movement cert or be allowed sell through a mart unless there was a negative test there?

I'm starting to get sick of this sh!t, tbh. Surely the Dept have the results in front of them and all the possible loopholes closed off? I've probably lost a good customer for my calves now, ffs:mad:

I'm not saying that he is a dope - but he is a dope. You cannot do a movement for a calf unless it has a negative BVD result. Just phone him back and tell him the calf was negative and it's obviously something wrong with DAFM. Take a screen shot of the calves tag number showing the negative (green) status and send it to him.

Gawddawggonnit

Base price wrote: »

I'm not saying that he is a dope - but he is a dope..

Lol.
Class!

Say my name

Not as advanced as some here with no artificial nitrogen applied for the year.

But I'm on my second round of grazing with no fertilizer applied.
Going out now with seaweed and molasses while the going is good. (You have to spray while the plant is active and healthy).
Difference now from when I applied it about 50 days ago is before it only showed on the second grazing after application now it's showing a few days after spraying. Must be longer days and warmer temperatures.
Who needs nitrogen.:pac:

Your secrets out Organic folks!

Mooooo

What stocking rate are you at?

Say my name

Mooooo wrote: »

What stocking rate are you at?

2.5/ha

Edit : it's 3.5/ha. 2.5 is a cow to the acre. I was thinking after I hadn't an acre for every cow and bull grazing. The calculator came out then. Again.

cosatron

Say my name wrote: »

2.5/ha

Is that the whole farm or grazing ground. Sounds very interesting considering what lies ahead

Say my name

cosatron wrote: »

Is that the whole farm or grazing ground. Sounds very interesting considering what lies ahead

That's grazing ground atm.
It'd be a bit lower when all the silage ground comes in play.

It's what more farmers are going to have to play around with.
Life = protein = nitrogen.

They say the organic guys it takes two years for conventional ground to repair itself to cope without N applied.
I've been playing around with this stuff for the past two years. This year it's gelling together nicely and hopefully I should have my lowest amount of fert applied this year.

The father keeps telling me you'll have to apply nitrogen.
I reply "Sure didn't the Bull McCabe fertilize his Field with seaweed?"
Shuts him up anyway. :pac:

Buford T. Justice XIX

We had our first on farm discussion group meeting today, social distancing and all. It was good to meet up again and meet the new lads in the group for the first time.

I'm not sure it's going to stay happening listening to what's going on in the tourist towns down here though.

Siamsa Sessions

Say my name wrote: »

That's grazing ground atm.
It'd be a bit lower when all the silage ground comes in play.

It's what more farmers are going to have to play around with.
Life = protein = nitrogen.

They say the organic guys it takes two years for conventional ground to repair itself to cope without N applied.
I've been playing around with this stuff for the past two years. This year it's gelling together nicely and hopefully I should have my lowest amount of fert applied this year.

The father keeps telling me you'll have to apply nitrogen.
I reply "Sure didn't the Bull McCabe fertilize his Field with seaweed?"
Shuts him up anyway. :pac:

Would it be a very personal question to ask how you make up the mixture?

I tried to make seaweed fertiliser on a small trial scale before but it didn’t work out too well

Say my name

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

Would it be a very personal question to ask how you make up the mixture?

I tried to make seaweed fertiliser on a small trial scale before but it didn’t work out too well

No that didn't work out too well for me either.
Let that water into the slurry tank if you have one and keep topping back up and repeat. It'll work with the slurry.

This is a commercial seaweed flake. Then mix with molasses if you want or whatever takes your fancy.

GrasstoMilk

Say my name wrote: »

Not as advanced as some here with no artificial nitrogen applied for the year.

But I'm on my second round of grazing with no fertilizer applied.
Going out now with seaweed and molasses while the going is good. (You have to spray while the plant is active and healthy).
Difference now from when I applied it about 50 days ago is before it only showed on the second grazing after application now it's showing a few days after spraying. Must be longer days and warmer temperatures.
Who needs nitrogen.:pac:

Your secrets out Organic folks!

We spread our first bit of bag in 4 weeks last week. Stocked at 3.6.
Not much room for experiments

Say my name

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

We spread our first bit of bag in 4 weeks last week. Stocked at 3.6.
Not much room for experiments

That's your own choice.

Timmaay

2.5 mp sr definitely gives alot more room for hmm experiments to go wrong tho ha. But agreed in general always time for some sort of experiments, I would however like to see alot more work from teagasc etc pushing all this, giving more of an incentive and removing some of the risk from the farmers, say your currently taking on the full risk yourself now, and I you already admitted some of the salt water completely backfired on you?

mahoney_j

Timmaay wrote: »

2.5 mp sr definitely gives alot more room for hmm experiments to go wrong tho ha. But agreed in general always time for some sort of experiments, I would however like to see alot more work from teagasc etc pushing all this, giving more of an incentive and removing some of the risk from the farmers, say your currently taking on the full risk yourself now, and I you already admitted some of the salt water completely backfired on you?

I’m a big fan and very interested in what say my name is doing and it’s something we all should be paying attention to with all the nitrates changes comming another guy I’m very interested in as regards his take on n applications soil health and n use in spring/back end is graise consulting goes against tegasc advice on lot of stuff but makes sense

cosatron

Timmaay wrote: »

2.5 mp sr definitely gives alot more room for hmm experiments to go wrong tho ha. But agreed in general always time for some sort of experiments, I would however like to see alot more work from teagasc etc pushing all this, giving more of an incentive and removing some of the risk from the farmers, say your currently taking on the full risk yourself now, and I you already admitted some of the salt water completely backfired on you?

agreed but when a professor from teagasc recommends using protected urea as way to combat emissions, you know this type of research is not going to happen. Also i think its about time teagasc got out of the fertilizer companies back pocket.

Say my name

mahoney_j wrote: »

I’m a big fan and very interested in what say my name is doing and it’s something we all should be paying attention to with all the nitrates changes comming another guy I’m very interested in as regards his take on n applications soil health and n use in spring/back end is graise consulting goes against tegasc advice on lot of stuff but makes sense

I can say too much too. :pac:

A few visitors just after leaving there.
Genuinely seemed interested in a different approach and the whole visit was about the above.
I could be famous yet!

Say my name

Timmaay wrote: »

2.5 mp sr definitely gives alot more room for hmm experiments to go wrong tho ha. But agreed in general always time for some sort of experiments, I would however like to see alot more work from teagasc etc pushing all this, giving more of an incentive and removing some of the risk from the farmers, say your currently taking on the full risk yourself now, and I you already admitted some of the salt water completely backfired on you?

3.5, 3.5.

Everything I've done though has built up the mineral status in the soil.
So even say like I got hammered in 2018 with the drought. When my neighbour was still grazing away.
That was because of the sodium levels in my soil being high from the basalt spread the year before and the diluted seawater.
But on the plus side from all these mineral applications, this winter I was able to drop the minerals being fed. And there's never been an issue with clean outs or topping these last few years.

Every action you'll learn from. And what works or doesn't on my farm probably will be different on someone else's.

mf240

Say my name wrote: »

I can say too much too. :pac:

A few visitors just after leaving there.
Genuinely seemed interested in a different approach and the whole visit was about the above.
I could be famous yet!

I've a few theories myself but while they make sense in my head. When I try to write them down sometimes they make no sense.

I do think that nothing but heavily fertilised and pure "!rocket fuel " grass is not a complete diet for cows. .

cosatron

mf240 wrote: »

I've a few theories myself but while they make sense in my head. When I try to write them down sometimes they make no sense.

I do think that nothing but heavily fertilised and pure "!rocket fuel " grass is not a complete diet for cows. .

Nothing wrong with an extended rotation and a bit stem, I think it balances up the lush stuff

whelan2

Yesterday evening was the first time in months the cows refused to go into a paddock here. Its actually the best growing paddock I have along the river. We got them in and they were happy in it then. It was the second grazing in it. I reckon they are spoilt

Buford T. Justice XIX

Just a quick note for Kerry suppliers, rumour has it that the tax claim by Revenue on patronage shares has been withdrawn.

As soon as I get a link on that, I'll throw it up unless one of you gets it before me.

Interesting times.

alps

mf240 wrote: »

I've a few theories myself but while they make sense in my head. When I try to write them down sometimes they make no sense.

I do think that nothing but heavily fertilised and pure "!rocket fuel " grass is not a complete diet for cows. .

And kills calves

Grueller

Just finished getting in 21 acres of bales. Some skipped paddocks and 14 acres saved for second cut. Growing 5 weeks. 140 bales of what should be fairly good stuff. That's me sorted for winter now barring a paddock or 2 getting ahead of me but that's optimistic in late July.

GrasstoMilk

alps wrote: »

And kills calves

And the rest of the world that is predominantly indoor has better incalf rates than ireland on balanced TMR diets?.

Mooooo

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

And the rest of the world that is predominantly indoor has better incalf rates than ireland on balanced TMR diets?.

That could well be to do more with breeding than anything else, when in winter milk my autumn heifers always had a higher conception rate than spring. Numbers too small to come to a conclusion but thats the way it was here. Either way I'd say alps may be referring to the calf on the ground grazing? I may be wrong now, he can speak for himself lol.

charolais0153

Mooooo wrote: »

That could well be to do more with breeding than anything else, when in winter milk my autumn heifers always had a higher conception rate than spring. Numbers too small to come to a conclusion but thats the way it was here. Either way I'd say alps may be referring to the calf on the ground grazing? I may be wrong now, he can speak for himself lol.

High n causing embryonic death.

jaymla627

alps wrote: »

And kills calves

In our around 17% is the perfect protein level in a milking cows diet, we all have heard the teagasc lectures about the follys of feeding high protein nuts and their been no need for it, but they have yet to advise against feeding too a high protein grass that is way and above a cows dietary needs, that is actually determential to her rumen function, often had butterfats here of 3.4% for nearly all of may/june when grass and meal in the parlour was the diet, since i started giving a high fibre tmr mix daily to counteract the rocket fuel grass bf levlels arent going below 3.9% for may/june often over 4%, it tells its own story

Mooooo

charolais0153 wrote: »

High n causing embryonic death.

Yeah I also think that's an issue but I assume majority are going little and often, obviously burst of growth can cause more to come at once. Is mj getting the grass tested regularly? How's it coming back for different growth rates?

alps

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

And the rest of the world that is predominantly indoor has better incalf rates than ireland on balanced TMR diets?.

?

Think we not be on the same wavelength

minerleague

mf240 wrote: »

I've a few theories myself but while they make sense in my head. When I try to write them down sometimes they make no sense.

I do think that nothing but heavily fertilised and pure "!rocket fuel " grass is not a complete diet for cows. .

Couple of years ago local dairy farmer approached me as was short of bales going into winter. brought a couple (haylage type) and dropped into round feeders. A couple of days later brought a few more and met farmer, asked how did first 2 go? "Aw shure they"ll do to dry off the cows i suppose" :rolleyes: Anyway up the yard i went to drop off my 2 bales ( 2 other feeders had these pancake rocket fuel paddock bales in them ) As soon as i dropped in my bale there was a stampede of cows down the yard to that feeder. Dont know what that says but a little variety in the diet is no harm for man or beast:cool:

Buford T. Justice XIX

Buford T. Justice XIX wrote: »

Just a quick note for Kerry suppliers, rumour has it that the tax claim by Revenue on patronage shares has been withdrawn.

As soon as I get a link on that, I'll throw it up unless one of you gets it before me.

Interesting times.

Here it is, the ruling is expected to be published on Monday.

https://www.farmersjournal.ie/breaking-kerry-farmers-win-appeal-case-against-revenue-over-patronage-shares-559140

straight

Looks like it pays to feed cows....

https://www.kingshay.com/news/kingshays-dairy-costings-focus-report-2020-released/

Keepgrowing

Some may be interested

https://twitter.com/irishgrassland/status/1282740869473415168?s=21

Buford T. Justice XIX

Keepgrowing wrote: »

Some may be interested

https://twitter.com/irishgrassland/status/1282740869473415168?s=21

It's starting with Conor Creedon, isn't it? That's challenging ground, that farm:)

Keepgrowing

Buford T. Justice XIX wrote: »

It's starting with Conor Creedon, isn't it? That's challenging ground, that farm:)

Finishing with Conor

Live q&a for 3 hosts on Thursday

Mooooo

Is it all tweets or is it video? Will be on the road for a a few hours in the morning could listen away if it can play away. If not I'll catch up on Twitter later in the day