What are your thoughts on the fertiliser price s for 2022

Gawddawggonnit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120741269#Comment_120741269

Yes…and no.

I use humates to promote root development in the hope that crops would be more resilient in drought. Humates aren’t cheap so I’d like to see a return on investment but there’s very little in it. It’s very hard to quantify any economic benefits when drought becomes extreme. Last year, for example, it was a total waste of money. When water is the restraining factor, only water can solve the issue.

Higher biomass doesn’t necessarily mean higher yield…’tall crop, small yield’ as the old lads say. Also more biomass needs more water so a bit of a catch22.

yosemitesam1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120742027#Comment_120742027

Copper added to diet is going to be more effective than trying to balance the soil.

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120742763#Comment_120742763

As well some cattle are away slower to lose the brown on there coats even after getting copper.

Friesians shine up very fast when they go out. AA's are a lot slower and will have the brown tinge longer.

Siamsa Sessions

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120742773#Comment_120742773

Must check to see if there's much/any copper in the meal I'm giving Feb calves here. They're a mixture of FR heifers and AA bulls and lots of them have a brown-ish tinge to their coats.

Castlekeeper

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120741581#Comment_120741581

I've seen with sap analysis that you can have low levels, + remedy, low levels still, +growth weather, normal levels. This is with controls.

Good biological function covers a n awful lot, and it's takes time to overcome retarding actions.

Quick fixes usually aren't the answer.

kevthegaff

Can u give bluestone to dairy cows

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120742785#Comment_120742785

Generally copper amount in minerals is set at a lowish amount.

Bluestone heaped T-spoon per 6 yearling. Dissolve in hot water add it to molasses ( and probably more water) and use a watering can to put into the troughs.

Once a fortnight is enough you will see the results after the second round. 2-3 treatments is enough for 2-3 months. Often ment to do it fortnightly for the summer but getting troughs to them is a pain.

If any individual animal.is not taking it dose them with a bit of it. While copper will not kill fluke completely in an animal it will cause them to go into a sort of hibernation

Siamsa Sessions

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120743050#Comment_120743050

Thanks.

I'm guessing you mean add it to the water troughs?

And not sprinkle it on top of the meal in the meal troughs?

Castlekeeper

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120742785#Comment_120742785

Regardless of the meal, I'd say keep an eye on the edges of their ears and around the eyes and if necessary go in with a supplement.

Otherwise look at the forage, grass I assume, and manage it to provide a balanced healthy diet.

ie, I've a neighbour, they spread slurry after the silage with a splash plate, all fine, but left the calves in a week later. And I bumped into them and they were bemoaning the fact that their calves had scour again, but the vet told them that there was a lot of it around. I just said that 'twas quare weather alright.

Lime Tree Farm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120743079#Comment_120743079

He said taking water troughs to them was a pain, so I'm assuming he's not adding this mixture to the existing water troughs.

Siamsa Sessions

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120743309#Comment_120743309

Thanks. They're on after-grass here but no slurry (and little fertiliser) spread. I'll check their ears and eyes. Is it a dryness in the ears and/or dullness in the eyes you'd be checking for?

There's no sign of scour and all are eating meal. I'm probably just paranoid, especially when I'm away for a few days with the off-farm job.

Castlekeeper

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120743555#Comment_120743555

Apologies for going off topic,

I'm quite sure you're well on top of things tbh. No, it's the brown/fawn tinge on the hair at the ear edges and after that like sunglasses around the eyes. But by that time thrive should be effected and you might even see joint the start of joint engagement. All that said, I'm no vet, and this is just my personal experience.

ginger22

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120743309#Comment_120743309

But that was probably "summer scour" due to the lush aftergrass. Brewers yeast in the ration is the cure for that.

Castlekeeper

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120744035#Comment_120744035

A week after cutting first cut? No it wasn't, and summer scour is only a fancy name for sickened calves from a poor diet.

alps

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120744361#Comment_120744361

💣.

ginger22

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120744361#Comment_120744361

Have to disagree. "summer scour" is due to acidosis caused by not having enough fibre in the diet. Have had it here for the past few years, a bitch of a dose, would have to rehouse some calves. This year have added brewers yeast to the ration on reccomendation. Super job, calves are flying.

Castlekeeper

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120744590#Comment_120744590

I agree, but that said I can't see what your disagreeing with.

Poor/ inadequate/ unsuitable/ unhealthy/ inappropriate diet, take your pick.

In the neighbours case, pathogens are a likely factor.

Say my name

Going to sound like I'm blaguarding altogether now.

Just had a Nuffield in doing his scholarship. I worked out what N I've spread this year so far. 27.8 units N /acre gone out total farm inc silage ground.

Not sure he was impressed by the scotch thistles though.

I was trying to impress on him it's biology, carbon and minerals.

I had three soil tests this year but that's another story. The last one I looked copper and zinc were OK overall. Copper needs maybe a small touch for maintenance.

Trying to impress that breaking and tilling would mess up the benefits that have gradually built up. Grass covers looked very low to him but cows are content.

I mentioned too about the calves getting one worm dose in September and that's it. No more dosing for stock. He was able to name off a study where stock were dosed regularly and how much grass growth that knocked back.

ginger22

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120744774#Comment_120744774

You are the one that said "summer scour is a fancy name for sick calves". I am saying it is a condition , acidosis caused by not having enough fibre in the died and the easiest cure is to feed brewers yeast. Even most vets don't know that.

Castlekeeper

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120744361#Comment_120744361

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120745076#Comment_120745076

No, I didn't, it's there above for you to read again.

Well done on finding a remedy, but in my book these problems are better avoided, prevention... etc.

ginger22

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120745200#Comment_120745200

Ah shure whats the point, cant even read your own post.

orm0nd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120745076#Comment_120745076

Thanks for the heads up on brewers yeast. We feed straw here and seems to do the trick . Not going to comment any further.

blackdog1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120744590#Comment_120744590

When you say Brewers yeast, is that the name of a specific type of yeast or will any yeast additive do? i normally put a good bale of haylage out with them in a hay bell at the start and that seems to help alot.

straight

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120745076#Comment_120745076

That's interesting. I have xp yeast in my lick bucket which I know is different but still yeast. Acidosis is something I always suffer with. Tried it all, strong grass, straw in field, hay in field, keeping calves in the shed for longer. It's one of my biggest challenges.

mahoney_j

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120744361#Comment_120744361

And poor diet is an unbalanced one ….too much lush grass and lack of fibre through forage and a nut/ration ….summer scour a real problem if u follow the Tegasc Mantra re calves ….turf them out early …..keep lush short grass into them …get them off meal etc etc

Castlekeeper

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120745223#Comment_120745223

Put on the glasses.

Jonnyc135

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120744953#Comment_120744953

Some trial results on a part of my lawn, you may have some thoughts in terms of the microbiology aspect - Spent the last 6-8 months shaking turf ashes from our house and neighbouring parents house on a poorest baren mossy part of the lawn, this last 2 weeks the lawn is literally alive withushrooms I have never seen anything like it, we would often get the odd mushroom here and there but literally it is covered in them where the ashes were being spread.

Has the peat turf ashes stimulated fungi growth in the lawn, it was a very very power part of lawn with moss so the ashes must have also acted as a liming agent aswell to bring up the pH.

Say my name

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120746137#Comment_120746137

Yea liming agent. It's bringing up the pH slightly. Breaking down the moss. Making it more digestible for the fungi. Calcium and sulphur there too

The mushroom crowds use gypsum (calcium, sulphur) in their compost making. Probably what you're seeing there. The ashes working as the gypsum. And the moss and organic matter of the soil as the carbon source (horse manure, straw).

Siamsa Sessions

Would cattle eat those mushrooms? Or are they fit for human consumption? 😀

yosemitesam1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120745528#Comment_120745528

I think low fibre grass is a myth. Much more likely excess n is one of the major factors, which could be mitigated for in multiple different ways...