2021 - what's the plan?

roosterman71

Only a few days till the new year. What plans have ye afoot for the year?

I'll be investing in a hedge cutter and doing all my own work for the first time ever. Our usual man is retiring. May take on some of his clients if time allows. Continue then as normal with everything else.

Tileman

roosterman71 wrote: »

Only a few days till the new year. What plans have ye afoot for the year?

I'll be investing in a hedge cutter and doing all my own work for the first time ever. Our usual man is retiring. May take on some of his clients if time allows. Continue then as normal with everything else.

Building a new shed. Got the tams approval the the other day. Also a bit of fencing approved to be done.

Looking forward to getting those done.

Reggie.

Build a shed and survive the year

visatorro

Reggie. wrote:

Build a shed and survive the year

Takes alot to stop you in fairness!

memorystick

Fencing and putting in water troughs. Plenty of timber to cut. Might buy a mower/topper. Maintain the time balance is most important.

Bass Reeves

Keep climbing the ladder, keep stepping on the fingers of the lad below and keep trying to pull off the lad above.

orm0nd

Avoid Covid

Grueller

Parents here are both moving on in age and the mother in particular is in poor form. The aim is to spend as much time as possible with them and especially for my two kids to spend as much time as they can with them. There will only be one chance to make these memories.

NcdJd

New shed, scrap the vegetable production as there's no real guarantee anyone will buy my produce at a price that even covers the costs and work involved in producing it.

Explore the offer I've been given in raising calves up to six months and selling to neighbouring farmer rather than him having the hassle of trying to source cattle. Brother does some work for a dairy farmer down south so could be a good set up. Would have to start off reseeding about 20 acres. Still working through the cost end of things but so far looks good ( on paper anyway ). We'll see how it goes.

Reggie.

NcdJd wrote: »

New shed, scrap the vegetable production as there's no real guarantee anyone will buy my produce at a price that even covers the costs and work involved in producing it.

Explore the offer I've been given in raising calves up to six months and selling to neighbouring farmer rather than him having the hassle of trying to source cattle. Brother does some work for a dairy farmer down south so could be a good set up. Would have to start off reseeding about 20 acres. Still working through the cost end of things but so far looks good ( on paper anyway ). We'll see how it goes.

You'll never regret reseeding

straight

Reggie. wrote: »

You'll never regret reseeding

Apart from when you're picking the fecking stones.

Bass Reeves

Reggie. wrote: »

You'll never regret reseeding

Reseeding in its self is no panacea to improve grass land management. IMO getting land fertility righ is the first key issue. PH and adequate NPK will.inctease grass output by 40-50% even on old swards. Spraying for weeds can I crease output by 20-40% in fields and meadows where there is large infestation of docjs, nettle and thistles. Mowing rushes if possible can be another effective method of controlling them

davidk1394

Get milking in the spring and get money flowing.

Decide on whether to put in a tank and cubicles or do another year on straw.

Set up a good grazing platform and get in on grass measuring.

Go back playing sport or take up a hobby.

893bet

Invest in fencing (in progress)
Thin forest (in planning)
Replace one section of cubicles (in planning)
Put up some lights in dark places (in progress)

Earnshaw

Continue to adapt the farm in response to Climate Change (longer wetter winters, more severe storm events and drought in summers) - in order to maintain output over the next thirty years.

tanko

Am i the only one that thought this thread said, 2021 - what's the point?

Survive it, all else will be a bonus.

I says

New shed and invest in a few sheep( there I said it).
Avoid turf at all costs.

J.O. Farmer

tanko wrote: »

Am i the only one that thought this thread said, 2021 - what's the point?

It'll be a year where there's light at the end of the tunnel.
Unfortunately it'll be a never-ending tunnel and the government will have attached the light to the back of a train going down the tunnel so it stays constantly out of reach.

straight

Buy land, tractor, LESS tank, concrete more yard, build farm entrance. Get myself and my whole family out the other side in one piece.

bogman_bass

Baby on the way in April, hopefully break ground in a house. Get those out of the way and we’ll what I have time for on the farm

Jb1989

bogman_bass wrote: »

Baby on the way in April, hopefully break ground in a house. Get those out of the way and we’ll what I have time for on the farm

Are u on farm currently or renting away?

Limestone Cowboy

Got planning a few months back so hoping to get the house built next year. Think most of my other notions will have to take a back seat for 2021.

Lady Haywire

Not really a plan as such but Dad is taking a step back for the next few months & letting me give it a shot in charge (though he'd probably say I boss him around all the time anyway :pac:) with all the calving, selling stock, whether to buy in, fert etc.
I'm going to try & take a bit from farm account & do a bit of work on 15ac away from the home farm, use that bit for my own ideas & see what he thinks.

Fencing high on the agenda, I'm fed up of bushes being cut & stuck in holes. Got him to agree to using a battery fencer on that patch of ground last year 'to keep the bulls out' & that finally got him to think proper fencing was a good idea. Totally his own idea, of course.

Siamsa Sessions

I’ll have to make a final decision re milking or not in 2021.

If yes, then it’s drive on with building the parlour.

If no, then it’ll be a case of getting set up for next winter so I can manage sheep and weanlings inside. Not enough room inside for everything this winter and the weanlings are outside on rape.

Other than that, there’s a few water troughs to be set up, a roadway to be marked out, and reseeding.

Oh, and animals to be looked after.

Isn’t it amazing that we almost take the production side of things for granted and are always investing and trying to improve their farm?

Reggie.

Bass Reeves wrote: »

Reseeding in its self is no panacea to improve grass land management. IMO getting land fertility righ is the first key issue. PH and adequate NPK will.inctease grass output by 40-50% even on old swards. Spraying for weeds can I crease output by 20-40% in fields and meadows where there is large infestation of docjs, nettle and thistles. Mowing rushes if possible can be another effective method of controlling them

No but if lads go to the effort of reseeding then in my experience mostly fsrmers will do it right before and afterwards.

dohc turbo2

Have a slab of concrete to put down to extend the yard in front of main shed , that’s al this year

bogman_bass

Jb1989 wrote: »

Are u on farm currently or renting away?

Renting 500m further up the lane from where we’re building. Was blessed to get it because there is nothing to rent in the area

Siamsa Sessions

Reggie. wrote: »

No but if lads go to the effort of reseeding then in my experience mostly fsrmers will do it right before and afterwards.

Is it a case that getting the pH and soil right plays as much a role as the new grass seed?


As you said, the 2 usually go hand in hand when people go at it at all

Reggie.

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

Is it a case that getting the pH and soil right plays as much a role as the new grass seed?


As you said, the 2 usually go hand in hand when people go at it at all

Of course. No point going the rounds of new grass and not feeding it. Biggest issue I see is lads reseed, let it balloon up and cut it for silage after a few months. Great yields but it has a tendency to kill out the ryegrass from the swarths. Either that or they wont spray the new ground or feed it. Usually it's an all or nothing with most farmers

minerleague

shed going up spring (machinery/hay) , upgrading crush and penning to be able to move cows/calves on my own,( putting up small second crush for calves upto 6 months parallel to main crush) ,buy more modern tractor, restore one of older tractors top to bottom. Make little or no silage on farm this year (looks like loads left - no demand). Plant a couple wet acres, dig out pond. Happy new year to everyone on here

dh1985

Reggie. wrote: »

Of course. No point going the rounds of new grass and not feeding it. Biggest issue I see is lads reseed, let it balloon up and cut it for silage after a few months. Great yields but it has a tendency to kill out the ryegrass from the swarths. Either that or they wont spray the new ground or feed it. Usually it's an all or nothing with most farmers

I would have been a fanboy for reseeding in previous years. Reseeded a nice bit of ground 4-5 years ago. Now it needed doing also. But it takes alot of nourishment to keep it right and productive. Have a good block of old grass that would be well looked after and find if anything it's more productive than the new grass with less nourishment needed. Far more robust also. Cows prefer it and thrive is better on it also. I think as bass is saying if you get the basics right and see then do you need to reseed instead of possibly jumping the gun and attributing all the extra grass to the reseed and not the copious amounts of fertiliser it gets guys might be better off. Big cost to reseeding and feeding it after that with the beef game the way it is the numbers may not always stack up.

DukeCaboom

Obviously have everybody inside the back door healthy, but try to loose a stone & I'm signed up for the 70.3 in Youghal in Aug so hopefully it will go ahead.

funkey_monkey

Clean yard and get rid of rubbish that "might come in handy someday".
Calving camera setup.
Get drains flowing on some land.
Start turning over some of the stock as the years are creeping up on them. In saying that two eldest cows in herd both had twins this year, bull & heifer, and a pair of bulls.
Simplifying the system, reducing workload and hopefully getting rid of the gutters in the yard.

We are not big enough to do anything beyond a bit of tipping about. All got off farm jobs and the jump to full time farming is too big/expensive so no point killing ourselves for essentially a hobby.

Dunedin

Lady Haywire wrote: »

Not really a plan as such but Dad is taking a step back for the next few months & letting me give it a shot in charge (though he'd probably say I boss him around all the time anyway :pac:) with all the calving, selling stock, whether to buy in, fert etc.
I'm going to try & take a bit from farm account & do a bit of work on 15ac away from the home farm, use that bit for my own ideas & see what he thinks.

Fencing high on the agenda, I'm fed up of bushes being cut & stuck in holes. Got him to agree to using a battery fencer on that patch of ground last year 'to keep the bulls out' & that finally got him to think proper fencing was a good idea. Totally his own idea, of course.

Best of luck with it and hope all goes well for you.

tismesoitis

Starting digging tank for new cubicle shed in the 1st week of january. Bought 15 acres of stubble land hust before christmas so need to get that into grass asap. Also would love to reseed another 13 acres that really needs it. Main thing is to get the famiky and myself to the other end without any hicups. Saw too much of hospitals this year with both parents!!

Kevhog1988

Keep healthy, Keep tipping at the fitness and get ourselves into our own house are the main personal aims inside the door this year. I switched jobs during the year and im delighted i did. Was a hard year but i used the lockdown to work on my fitness. I ran my first 5k a few months ago and built up to a 10k last weekend. A long way from the 18 stone lad who couldnt play football with his son 2 years ago.

Outside i want to build a shed, finish the tractor (Shes nearly there) and lose no lambs at lambing. Would love to get rid of the 3 B4stard horses but the old fella wont hear of it.

Grueller

tismesoitis wrote: »

Starting digging tank for new cubicle shed in the 1st week of january. Bought 15 acres of stubble land hust before christmas so need to get that into grass asap. Also would love to reseed another 13 acres that really needs it. Main thing is to get the famiky and myself to the other end without any hicups. Saw too much of hospitals this year with both parents!!

Have the same thing ongoing here with parents. Puts the farm in perspective really.

GrasstoMilk

Busy jan and year ahead here
Digger arrived Christmas eve to start work extending parlour to 22 units
Roof over collecting yard, slatted tank and outdoor cubicles started too and should be finished before mid jan
Have a big slatted tank and new silage pit to go in in April also
Its a nice wedge of money but will leave us in a very good place for the forseable

Outside of that try knock some extra grass and milk production out of cows and make sure my weekends are more free to spend time with kids while the OH is home

gazahayes

Finish building a house hope to get a good bit done over the next week. Baby no 4 due from the middle of January on. Have steel for a shed over an old silage pit that's not being used hopefully summer/autumn job. Floor of a workshop on the long finger for a good few years starting to annoy me now old filled in milking pit. Few bits of fencing and gate hanging to finish off and tidy up.
Other than that a stone or 2 to lose (as she says herself could nearly lose the 2of them with 4 children!)

mahoney_j

Find a contract rearer
Sell more milk and Kgms from same number cows
Plant trees and some white thorn/blackthorn hedging
Get Maize grown on contract
Explore option of loader and diet feeder
Serious consideration been give. To smaxtec health monitoring /heat detection system
Life getting back to normal sooner rather than later sick of lockdown /COVID etc etc
Been here next year to make.a list for 2022!!

GrasstoMilk

mahoney_j wrote: »

Find a contract rearer
Sell more milk and Kgms from same number cows
Plant trees and some white thorn/blackthorn hedging
Get Maize grown on contract
Explore option of loader and diet feeder
Serious consideration been give. To smaxtec health monitoring /heat detection system
Life getting back to normal sooner rather than later sick of lockdown /COVID etc etc
Been here next year to make.a list for 2022!!

Smaxtex quiet poor on heat detection but v good at health from what I've been told
Alfex system seems best on market from what I can tell

Ashill5

Do a bit of sheep fencing

Thinking of buying a few easycare ewe lambs and try them out.

Timmaay

Become even lazier than I am (serious challenge there lol), streamline the farm abit more, look at afew labour saving items like an auto feeder and straw blower. Gonna consolidate at the current cow numbers this year, however there are a fair few passagers in the system so definitely room to cull hard and bump up output and efficiently. Probably go down the company road. Look at contract rearing, fulltime labour unit or maybe even partnership options. And get up and running with 2 more small off farm businesses, one in tourism and one in engineering.

K.G.

On e home straight as far as farm development. I just have to roof the outdoor cubicle s and put a slab in front of the second silage pit.after that it will just be tweaking things and a few land reclamation jobs over the next few years.over 50 now and the young lads mid teen so alot of my thoughts are in terms of being able to manage what we have and let them do their own thing for a few years and let the next expansion wave to them or whatever.

wrangler

I would love to put a boat on the Shannon, maybe this year

mahoney_j

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

Smaxtex quiet poor on heat detection but v good at health from what I've been told
Alfex system seems best on market from what I can tell

Know 2 that have put in smaxtec system lately ,like what I’m seen so far .not in any sort of widespread use yet but the facts there is a bolus inside a cow monitoring her 24/7!to me anyway has to be more accurate than an ear tag or collar .time will tell

straight

mahoney_j wrote: »

Know 2 that have put in smaxtec system lately ,like what I’m seen so far .not in any sort of widespread use yet but the facts there is a bolus inside a cow monitoring her 24/7!to me anyway has to be more accurate than an ear tag or collar .time will tell

Rory best put them into his cows a few years ago

SuperTortoise

Handling facilities/crush on the grazing block will be top priority, help is getting scarce and running cows and calves up roads is no fun any more.
Would love to do a bit of lime spreading and reseeding but once the crush is up that will be the budget for the year spent.

Track9

Build new storage shed.Further plan for draining & hedge planting.Make liming Plan for 2021.investigate alternative ways of utilising the land.

whelan2

Get out walking more. Great for clearing the head. Increase milk and solids. Try and get new milking parlour done. Waiting on soil results and will work from them. Once kids are happy I'm happy.