Dairy Chitchat 4, an udder new thread.

whelan2

Used to pay 30 euro for a grass measuring walk a few years ago about 150 acres. An hours work.

mahoney_j

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119078773#Comment_119078773

50/70 euros

Wildsurfer

I saw a company that do it charge €100 for 40ha and an extra €1.50 per ha over that to a max of €150. Personally I'd prefer to get in a milker say every Monday morning and do it myself. A break from milking, some exercise and a better handle on whats ahead of you.

yosemitesam1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119074347#Comment_119074347

Would you do it all again if starting out knowing what you know now?

Regular deep tissue massage on back+hips plus yoga and swimming might help to reverse the damage some bit. Got myself into a broadly similar position here, don't think I would do it all again.

mahoney_j

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119079319#Comment_119079319

That’s a rob ……only for dero requirements I’d quite happily stay measuring as I was with my eye and going through paddocks 2/3 times a week ….the decisions I’m making nos to pull paddocks are for most part same as what the figures say

jaymla627

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119079445#Comment_119079445

I'd of just stayed at circa 80-90 cows and not went any further, the plan here was the ole chap would of came home full-time at the current numbers but that never happened for various reasons and its stretched us to the limit, my back situation isn't bad, its totally recoverable once I ease up on it, the f**ked up thing is if I do a 13 hour day its grand but once I stay on my feet any longer I start getting jolting lower back pains and would barely be able to put my right foot on the ground, as that's what triggers it

Gillespy

Bob and Brad on youtube are a great resource for exercises and movements to help sort any niggles.

ginger22

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119079503#Comment_119079503

Thing is bad back has nothing to do with hard work. It is the way you do the work that counts. Lot of lads in offices with bad backs and the heaviest thing they lift is a paper clip. Exercise to strengthen the core is the important thing.

cosatron

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119080477#Comment_119080477

back isn't hectic either and only flares up when i stop doing some sort of activity. Heated yoga and boxercise type classes are very good. Keeping your core strong is paramount to a good back.

straight

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119080477#Comment_119080477

Thats right. I worked in high tech for years and all the lazy bones had bad backs. Can be a symptom of idleness too. I've been getting alot of repetitive strain injuries myself and a friend of mine said I need to up my protein intake and it is definitely working. Feel so much stronger with better nutrition. Eggs, meat and fish and plenty of it.

Gillespy

Got new glasses recently and the optition looked to have a bad back. Getting up off his seat was a struggle. One of those types with the daintiest hands and zero forearms. Didn't get it from carrying buckets of meal and milk around.

Farmers shouldn't be too lacking in core strength. Muscle tightness and knots cause a lot of the issues.

Agree on good eating. Easy to become run down on coffee and bars and biscuits.

Mooooo

Agree on diet, have left it slip here the last year or so, prob more if I'm honest and energy levels aren't great.

On the back agree its being conscious of how you are moving or lifting things. Long days on a tractor wouldn't help nor long hours in a shallow pit milking.

straight

I used to walk down the fields to feed the calves with 2 bags of ration on my shoulder. I've more or less cut out all that kind of stupid work now. Also I used to be about 3 stone heavier. Have to look after the hips too.

greenfield21

I can't believe lads are already talking about throwing in the towel and glanbia haven't even built the their new cheese plant. 😳

straight

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119081842#Comment_119081842

And there I was thinking you would believe anything.

Danzy

Get proper inserts fitting for your boots. Ie moulded to your feet. Lots of bigger shoe shops do it.

It can be an alignment issue as well, wearing the joints. It puts savage pressure on the muscles as well.

yosemitesam1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119081111#Comment_119081111

A roll around on a sliotar is a great thing for the knots. Can get great pressure in around the glutes, hips and along the length of the back

JustJoe7240

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119082307#Comment_119082307

Hockey ball is better again

GrasstoMilk

I broke C6 in my neck 6 years ago this autumn

was fucked for a good while after getting a back brace taken off

back usually flares up every spring from dogging myself to much, learning more and more every to do things a better way. Have found a good local guy to work on me and straighten out my back when I’m in a bad way, it sorts me for a long time again until I dog myself too much again. Calving really wrecks it

3 the square

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119082738#Comment_119082738

How did you break it ??

Gillespy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119082307#Comment_119082307

Americans always say lacrosse balls. I have a cricket ball which is close I think. It's an incredible feeling when you feel it release. Really painful though.

You know what would be good for it, saw them the other day, the float balls for slurry tanks. Hard solid balls that come in different sizes.

alps

Check this out on Agriland - Kerry Group offers 5c/L subsidy to fixed milk-price suppliers https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/kerry-group-offers-5c-l-subsidy-to-fixed-milk-price-suppliers/

Gillespy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119083285#Comment_119083285

Big catch having to commit to a contract for next year to get it.

ginger22

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119084840#Comment_119084840

wouldnt expect anything less from them.

alps

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119084840#Comment_119084840

It's a farce

Grueller

Found the bull here today hunting all the cows into a corner of the field. A sheepdog wouldn't have been as good at it and he was beating the life out of any that tried to get out. I have been rotating him and another lad week in week out so I rang the factory agent this evening. This lad will be dead on Monday.

Say my name

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119087394#Comment_119087394

I wouldn't have been too quick on the decision with him.

He's doing that because you're rotating and doesn't want the cows going with the other bull.

Angus bull here wouldn't let the cows near the paddock entrance and road gate once last week. But then the Montbeliarde bull was a field away and the road coming in to the yard was passing by that field.

As the grazing rotation goes around the cows and bull are now in a different piece of ground not near that bull and there's not a bit of that behaviour. The Montbeliarde bull did that slightly too at first when he didn't know the place or land or cows.

mf240

We had a hereford bull here, he belly was so big he couldnt see behind him. 😄😃

Mooooo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119087510#Comment_119087510

Id disagree with you, Grueller was correct in giving him the road. Any behaviour out of the way at all with a bull and out the gap.

Say my name

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119087614#Comment_119087614

You've gotten rid of a bull every time your bull herded cows?

Grueller

Just to add a little context. I am on edge with this fcuker all the time. Just a narky animal, always pawing and goring the ground. I also have next years bull on farm already as I bred him myself and have over 75% cows served so it was an easy decision then.

Mooooo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119087674#Comment_119087674

I have, only have had the one do it really. Had another fcuker that would paw the ground and walk inside the wire with the head down and he got the road as well. 3 on farm currently, an AA I've had for a couple of years and 2 fr I bought last year.

Have seen the consequences of when things go wrong on farm so why bother chancing it

Say my name

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119087708#Comment_119087708

When you know the bull and he's no way nice with yourself that's a different story.

Out the gate.

Gillespy

Is it that common? Only seen it here a few times, last time with a vasectomised bull so not so bad. It's mad to watch them doing it, they be out of breath panting from it.

Current teaser lies down in the collection yard, it's very disconcerting at first to see something down when looking out through a sea of legs from the pit.

whelan2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119087394#Comment_119087394

What breed is he?

Grueller

Limousin

blackdog1

Had one do the exact same to me. He was a Holstein bull. Got rid of him the next week and bought a sheep dog pup. Trying to get the cows out was too dangerous. Even if you got them out of the field he'd then hunt them out of the collecting yard and stampede them back up the road. Very dangerous you made the right decision

nklc

Had a fr bull here that would stop the cows walking on the road way. Could not stop it .

older by the day

Ya bulls are a case of luck. I had one crack his rod two years ago. Brought an Angus last year, fertility tested before buying, but they all started repeating got the vet and his semen were dead. Seller took him back. Then I got a big three year old Hereford, grand and quiet to the cows and me but no wire would stop him if he heard another bull. He was in the neighbors flaking his bull a couple of times. I had 30 years of bulls and never a problem up to those guys.

jaymla627

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119074202#Comment_119074202

https://mobile.twitter.com/RhalSsanio/status/1527592509890772992

Another good news story, supply not price could be the issue next spring the way the dice are falling

straight

All good news for milk price. I think it's gas the way farmers worldwide were treated like dirt for years and now they are about to be highly valued again. They thought they could keep squeezing the burdizzo on farmers and "sure the farmers always deliver" they said. They are throwing money at farmers now and waiting for the supply to increase but it's not working. They will have to keep increasing the price to protect their own good jobs. I'm informed that it's costing 44 cents to produce milk this year if you include a bit of a wage for the farmer.

Birdnuts

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119094857#Comment_119094857

Which is why its good to see a growing number of EU countries droppinig biofuel mandates in favour of actually using this land to produce the grains that are actually in demand for food

cosatron

How's everyone breeding season going. A good few repeats here after 3 weeks which is a bit unusual for us, april wasn't great I suppose

straight

On day 24 here and going grand so far. The new Ebi figures are out today and I noticed alot of bulls have gone negative on health. Albert is gone to -8. Is this another sub index to be taken with a pinch of salt?

kevthegaff

Have a ambic teat sprayer here that stops working, the ibc is outside and line has to over dairy and down into ibc. Is it too far away is causing the issue? Sprayer unit is in dairy about 15 feet from ibc

Grueller

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119129800#Comment_119129800

The inlet is hardly floating up in the ibc? Was happening to me with mine in a barrel. Tid a nut to it as a weight and no issue since.

kevthegaff

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119130420#Comment_119130420

No had a weight on it

jaymla627

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119109626#Comment_119109626

What do you mean re pinch of salt? Health is one of the most heritable traits out their, and extremely easy to breed for, its just that the paddy's in their wisdom completely ignored it and focused solely on fertility and fat and pro %.....

I specifically breed for it here with immunity plus bulls from semex and wws has specific bulls that excel in health traits aswell, alot of the bulls used here would be plus 20 for health on the ebi index, new bull I got in on a special order this year westcoast river is plus 33 euro for health up from 31 in the last evaluation

straight

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119130710#Comment_119130710

I find it strange how alot of bulls like Albert and pivotal fell so much in health. I have them in the parlour here and they're fine. I have neg and positive cows on health and I don't find that it reflects their scc or lameness.

cjpm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119129800#Comment_119129800

The issue is more than likely the height the unit has to raise the liquid. As those units get older they lose efficiency when it comes to the suction power. Try raising the ibc closer to the height of the unit.

The horizontal run of the suction pipe shouldn’t be the main issue, although it may slightly exasperate the problem. Particularly if there are humps and hollows that may become air locked.

To make a long story short…. put the IBC up on a stack of pallets!!