Dairy Chitchat 4, an udder new thread.

mahoney_j

straight wrote: »

Co-op report probably has about 2 or 3 stars for fat/protein percentage and the same for cents per litre. 5 stars for litres per cow and ms per cow. That's the way mine looks anyway. Cents per litre is a bit of a distraction for alot of people.

We’re paid on kgms ....get where ur comming from tho

mahoney_j

blackdog1 wrote: »

Yea the maize buffering is a great idea. Let's him carry an extra 15-20 cows id say while keeping fat and milk up as well as condition. It's nice to see.

Milk blick stocked at 4 here maize grown in house for first time this year .thinking of tagging on another row of cows (Sr 4.9)and using maize as a buffer thru spring/summer like above .keep no beef ainmals and contract rear replacement stock all outblocks will be used for multi cut silage and maize

blackdog1

mahoney_j wrote: »

Milk blick stocked at 4 here maize grown in house for first time this year .thinking of tagging on another row of cows (Sr 4.9)and using maize as a buffer thru spring/summer like above .keep no beef ainmals and contract rear replacement stock all outblocks will be used for multi cut silage and maize

I could do the same here but it would take a bit of investment and with the greens in government and Brexit around the corner I'm going to wait and see..

mahoney_j

blackdog1 wrote: »

I could do the same here but it would take a bit of investment and with the greens in government and Brexit around the corner I'm going to wait and see..

I’d be ok that way 2 years of heavy repayements left before pressure valve is eased cubicles for 138 feed space for more less same with young stock gone ok for slurry storage ,14 unit parlour ,in time I’ll add 2 more units beef ainmals great way of holding ball of money together but cows make the real money

GrasstoMilk

mahoney_j wrote: »

Milk blick stocked at 4 here maize grown in house for first time this year .thinking of tagging on another row of cows (Sr 4.9)and using maize as a buffer thru spring/summer like above .keep no beef ainmals and contract rear replacement stock all outblocks will be used for multi cut silage and maize

No maize here this year, I found I could never get cows to clean out paddocks with it in spring when they knew it was in the yard.
Key to growing lots of grass is flooring each paddock in the 2nd round and ours weren't doing that with it in, great feed but I think it just replaces grass and harder to get clean outs when feeding in yard

Mooooo

In spring I'd say easier to hit residuals with out by day in by night if sr high, have no experience of buffering in summer and don't particularly want to. Will try to aim to get young stock off farm and then sr of 2.7 to 3 maybe to allow silage grown in summer and then have extra grazing from same ground in spring and autumn with minimal feed bought in. If I had drier ground I'd be more comfortable pushing further than that but a wet weather would be too much of a risk to take here with half the farm could get too much a of a hammering.
Have to turn to yard development in the the next year or two as even if staying at current numbers a lot has to be replaced
Man above in the vid is a good operator in fairness to him, ground around that area can be mixed as well and take a bit of work. Main thing if going feeding heavy is getting the return back in output which he appears to be doing.

tanko

How much would one of his best heifers be worth to sell on the the day she’s milked for the first time?

mahoney_j

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

No maize here this year, I found I could never get cows to clean out paddocks with it in spring when they knew it was in the yard.
Key to growing lots of grass is flooring each paddock in the 2nd round and ours weren't doing that with it in, great feed but I think it just replaces grass and harder to get clean outs when feeding in yard

I kept a buffer of bale silage in right thru to early June ,cows never milked as well fats proteins up
Serious shine off cows can’t say I’d issue cleaning out paddocks and they’d of been getting an average of over 5.5 kg meal in parlour .solids weren’t as steady once I pulled it maize will replace and I’ll hope compliement better grass next spring/summer plus I’ve spent a lot less time this summer on the tractor mowing tedding ,and stacking bales

mahoney_j

tanko wrote: »

How much would one of his best heifers be worth to sell on the the day she’s milked for the first time?

Stock like that making up to and above 3 k atm market for dairy stock even heifers calving next spring is on fire .seems a lot have taken tegasc advice and used a lot more beef

GrasstoMilk

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=4956832157675602&id=172892572736275&d=null&vh=e

A few might be interested in this

GrasstoMilk

mahoney_j wrote: »

I kept a buffer of bale silage in right thru to early June ,cows never milked as well fats proteins up
Serious shine off cows can’t say I’d issue cleaning out paddocks and they’d of been getting an average of over 5.5 kg meal in parlour .solids weren’t as steady once I pulled it maize will replace and I’ll hope compliement better grass next spring/summer plus I’ve spent a lot less time this summer on the tractor mowing tedding ,and stacking bales

Just goes to show the difference the cow type I suppose.
Ours would have been getting maize, nuts and grass for the first round but the minute they get onto 2nd round grass with just meal it's like a switch and they start pushing out the milk. Find the same every single year

mahoney_j

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

Just goes to show the difference the cow type I suppose.
Ours would have been getting maize, nuts and grass for the first round but the minute they get onto 2nd round grass with just meal it's like a switch and they start pushing out the milk. Find the same every single year

The difference here this year was better butterfats and more content cows .the silage def kept there stomachs right which I think contributed to everything else .its a bit extra work but was compensated by not constantly having to hook up tonthe mower to go at bales

cosatron

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=4956832157675602&id=172892572736275&d=null&vh=e

A few might be interested in this

I presume this guy achieved his 600 kg through high solids where as the other lad achieved it through production so million dollar question who’s making the most money

mahoney_j

cosatron wrote: »

I presume this guy achieved his 600 kg through high solids where as the other lad achieved it through production so million dollar question who’s making the most money

Coop reports will tell what both actually are doing milk recording records great job for inflating figures up

straight

cosatron wrote: »

I presume this guy achieved his 600 kg through high solids where as the other lad achieved it through production so million dollar question who’s making the most money

Well I wouldn't say the new conversion will make any money for a very long time.

Siamsa Sessions

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=4956832157675602&id=172892572736275&d=null&vh=e

A few might be interested in this

Showing my age now but jaysus he’s very young to be running that show. When I was that age I was a barman in Lanzarote, chasing young wans and drinking too much!

GrasstoMilk

cosatron wrote: »

I presume this guy achieved his 600 kg through high solids where as the other lad achieved it through production so million dollar question who’s making the most money

We had a dg yesterday and we all worked out the monetary value each our herds and the guy with the highest litres had the same milk value as the guy at 21l with v good solids.

Now it's only a snapshot in time but both systems are probably equally as profitable I would say

cosatron

straight wrote: »

Well I wouldn't say the new conversion will make any money for a very long time.

Yea he throw himself straight into the deep end. What I find hilarious with some of these videos is that they always say they are going to increase to some outrageous number

GrasstoMilk

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

Showing my age now but jaysus he’s very young to be running that show. When I was that age I was a barman in Lanzarote, chasing young wans and drinking too much!

I came home young enough too. I'd have loved to have ****ed around more but happy out with what I'm at too

mahoney_j

Thinking of buying a weighing scales for weighing stock will be in use in 2 yards .what to look out for what not any opinions info appreciated

jaymla627

cosatron wrote: »

Yea he throw himself straight into the deep end. What I find hilarious with some of these videos is that they always say they are going to increase to some outrageous number

Milking here since 2013 on a similar grazing block and might if things go to plan have the place set-up aswell as that chap by the end of next year, alot of hard yards gone in to get to that point, the bank don't have the deeds to the place though and no sfp money goes into the farm so the long road had to be took

Timmaay

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

I came home young enough too. I'd have loved to have ****ed around more but happy out with what I'm at too

I'd say defo don't be afraid to travel that bit more still now that you are setup however, especially during the quiet times of the year like from now until Oct, or like whole cows dry in Jan (obv corona 2020 being the exception). If any dairyfarmer who works like 7days/wk for most the year cannot afford to take like 3wks worth of holidays min across the quieter times then why even bother lol? And if some of that is a lads only holiday then that's good also! I actually know quite a few lads who have come home in their early 20s though, luckily none seem to have any real regrets. Compact spring calving and having good backup/partime labour and the ability to walk away from the farm regularly is vital however.

Siamsa Sessions

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

I came home young enough too. I'd have loved to have ****ed around more but happy out with what I'm at too

Life is a funny oul thing. I sold the cows and leased the whole place in 2002 when it landed on me without asking and not being ready for it. I was 24 at the time.

Nearly 20 years later, I’m trying to become a dairy farmer. I wasn’t sure at the time if it was the right thing to do, but the odd time I look back I’m happy enough to have made the decision.

Often I think of what a former boss of mine, a Cork woman in Lanzarote, used to say, “Don’t think about the good old days, you need to think about the good days that are to come“

mahoney_j

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

I came home young enough too. I'd have loved to have ****ed around more but happy out with what I'm at too

Fair play I wanted to come home straight after gurteen at 20 thankfully dad wasn’t ready to retire and I went to work for a multinational
Whilst still maintaining an active interest in the farm and dad rewarded me by allowing me be more active in future decisions .gave 10 years in that job pissed a good few bob away travelled and met lots of people I’d never of met if I went straight home .invalueable life experience home farming milking cows 10’years and wouldn’t go back have help in spring and good relief milkers carrying a high level of debt but managing thru it

straight

30 years farming in your own name is the max I think anybody should do. If you started young, then retire early. All one needs is a few acres and a few cattle to feed the habit. I was nearly 40 when I started in my own name and I got alot of very valuable life and work experience. 20 years dairy farming will do me and I plan to retire to a small hobby farm while catching up on travel again.

Wildsurfer

straight wrote: »

30 years farming in your own name is the max I think anybody should do. If you started young, then retire early. All one needs is a few acres and a few cattle to feed the habit. I was nearly 40 when I started in my own name and I got alot of very valuable life and work experience. 20 years dairy farming will do me and I plan to retire to a small hobby farm while catching up on travel again.

And who is going to look after the farm until your children are finished arsing about, sorry I mean gaining 'life experience' till they're 40....

yosemitesam1

straight wrote: »

30 years farming in your own name is the max I think anybody should do. If you started young, then retire early. All one needs is a few acres and a few cattle to feed the habit. I was nearly 40 when I started in my own name and I got alot of very valuable life and work experience. 20 years dairy farming will do me and I plan to retire to a small hobby farm while catching up on travel again.

Started out on my own here at 21 just after college. If I'd known what was ahead of me, I doubt I would have done it. Even after having got on top of things now I do question whether or not it was worth it

mf240

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

I came home young enough too. I'd have loved to have ****ed around more but happy out with what I'm at too

Took over the farm at 23 and was relief milking and had a few stickers and beef cattle for a few years before that.
Never went to lanzarote or ibiza and if I went now I'd probably get a heart attack ;):D

straight

Wildsurfer wrote: »

And who is going to look after the farm until your children are finished arsing about, sorry I mean gaining 'life experience' till they're 40....

If they want it in they're early 20's that would be great but if they don't that's fine too. Plenty options now with long term leasing, etc. I'll make sure they travel a bit and work in other industries for a while before making their decision.

Reggie.

Typical story around here is that lads who want to farm cant get access to land and sons of farmers have no interest cos they were shown nothing but hardship.

There are plenty of exceptions of course