Milking intervals

Farmhand285

Many doing 16/8 hour milking intervals pros cons

whelan2

I am. Great as I can be away out of the yard early in the evening.

davidk1394

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119647618#Comment_119647618

What time of the year do you start doing that ? I'm going to 13 milkings a week from the beginning of October

whelan2

I do it all year. Milk at half 6 am and between half 2 and 3 in the evening. Have to be away 6 evenings out of 7 for football for kids.

Farmhand285

It's a mighty job I think farm I'm on at the minute we have the batt latch cows are in the yard waiting super job farm I was on before was a pain 7 am and 7 pm adamant cows needed 12/12

dar31

do it all year as well, cups on at 6.30 am and 3 pm

gone from yard between 5-5.30pm.

older by the day

Jays what do ye be doing for the rest of the day. It's all habit. I'm afraid I got all the bad ones, about nine at night I start

whelan2

What time do you finish at? And what time do you get up in the morning?

Farmhand285

Farm I'm on is one out of four so lads I'm working for have 4 farms 2 owned 2 leased I'm milking full time on one and have relief milkers that I organise myself for weekends and what not but always plenty to do grass measuring power washing fertilizer fencing plenty To Be at between the four farms

Farmhand285

We milk at half 6 am and 3 in the afternoon

trixi2011

Milk @ 5 and 2 here need to pick children up 3 days a week so works grand not so easy to get relief for the early milking is the only downside

Grueller

5 and 5 here. Work a bit off farm too so that dictates a lot of it.

kevthegaff

6:30 and 4. Always try to be finished before 6

Pinsnbushings

24 hrs, 7 - 7..not for everybody

Green&Red

7 & 3 here, can be out the gap at 4.30 any evening it's needed. Gives great flexibility. Cows will get used to anything so long as you keep it constant

davidk1394

Clusters on here for around 7.10 and 4.30/5 in the evening. All done by 6/6.30

Wildsurfer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119647900#Comment_119647900

This wouldn't be good for ones mental wellbeing longterm I would imagine. You have to allow time to switch off from the job. Even if you do a bit of work again after milking at least you can stop when you want to. And from now on you're out rounding up cows in the pitch dark which there is no need for. Its never too late to change Older!

DBK1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119647654#Comment_119647654

One local man here has his split the other way around! He’d be milking at around 6.30 am and it could be anything from 9pm to 12 midnight before he does the “evening” milking!

Donald Trump

I reckon that lads with better set ups are more likely to have better schedules. That might be a bit of chicken-and-egg in that they build better set ups because they want their time.....but if you've a small parlour and it's taking you the guts of 3-4 hours from leaving the house to finishing up, then there might not seem to be much point with starting an hour earlier

Siamsa Sessions

I don't want to open a can of worms but does 16/8 have any impact on overall yield? Compared to say 12/12?

Donald Trump

Some lads used to milk three times a day! Does anyone do that now?

Pinsnbushings

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119649769#Comment_119649769

Those with robots would probably be averaging over 2 milkings a day anyway

Farmhand285

It's mostly a crossbred herd thing from my experience on the 16/8 I'd say there would be some impact on you're more Holstein type cow correct me if I'm wrong

whelan2

No crossbreds here just milking at a time that suits me. I'm probably losing a few litres but there's plenty of time to change milking times when kids are older. Away to a game this evening with kick off 6pm.

Siamsa Sessions

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119650358#Comment_119650358

There’s be much less trouble in the world if more of us followed your approach 👍

K.G.

One thing about longer milking intervals is the next milking is slower in the spring early summer anyway. We have milk lorry at 815 and and if we milk early the evening before it slows morning milk

Finty Lemon

Not milking myself but this question that interests me!

Based on what I see locally, the more technical farmers tend to milk earlier and be wrapped up by around 6 at the latest while the men still milking at 8pm are more likely to be more traditional. We happen to have have two dairy farmers helping out with the underage football team, one always arrives in the field before 6 ready to go with all done, the other man tends to arrive in a rush and then heads away around 7:15 to go milking. Fair play to both for the time they put in though.

I guess its down to overall organisation and maybe a tradition of having staff in the yard? A lad on his own is more likely to drift into the later milking habit. I doubt the lads milking very late are gaining a whole lot of extra milk?

Farmhand285

I suppose it's from a labour point of view too when you're competing with the building industry too with similar enough working hours bar weekends but we only just milk Saturday and Sunday middle of the day is yours obviously spring is different our shoulder if you have silage to feed out it works well everyone is happy

older by the day

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119649516#Comment_119649516

Probably, half mad already anyway. I don't know. When the kids were young I used to have supper with them and milk when they go to bed. Rather than coming in at 7 and they gone to bed. I like milking when I'm not rushed. I often went to a match then pints then milked. All my children are farming mad, so through their eyes it must not look to bad. I know farmers around here, with ridged systems and they are two tired too go for pints on a Saturday night (no wonder they are, getting up at 6am/ 365 days a year).

Siamsa Sessions

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119652314#Comment_119652314

Reminds me of being in the pub after a match years ago. Could be late 90s it’s that far back.

Two brothers, both around the 50 mark, were in the company. The chat was going on anyway, and it must have been after 10 when the elder of the two said to the other, “Come on Michael, we better drink up, we have to milk them cows yet.”

There was a silence. People were kinda shocked that anyone would milk cows so late.

The younger brother didn’t bat an eyelid and just said, “We’ll have one more and we’ll go then.” And that’s exactly what they did.

In fairness, they were well-known characters around the place and I’ve heard people tell that story several times over the years.

straight

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119652314#Comment_119652314

There is no right or wrong. Whatever works for you and your family is the main thing. The fact that all you're children are interested in farming seems like a good litmus test to me.

I know what you mean about all these lads running all day to be finished early, too much panic and pressure.

older by the day

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119652433#Comment_119652433

After a county final I stayed till one, but in fairness the cows were in the field next to the parlor so twas easy peasy, I think, can't remember. I don't ever worry about time. You must have a suitable wife for my farming system

Siamsa Sessions

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119652932#Comment_119652932

I’d be relaxed enough about time but even I have to say FFS to that!

And you’re right about the wife too. She needs to be as cracked as you or you’re bet before you start

whelan2

On the 16-8 milking, yes the morning milking takes longer but you'd be on night rate electricity so evening milking being shorter suits better that way

Wildsurfer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119653538#Comment_119653538

I suppose we could do with a few more lads like him to take the pressure off the ESB grid at the peak 5 to 7 timeframe. We might all have to adjust if they bring in these peak tariffs!

straight

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119653538#Comment_119653538

Sure all the wives want to do once the children are in bed is catch up on the soaps. Best thing the man can do is get out of the house and leave them to their bullshit TV. Then everyone is happy.

whelan2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119653994#Comment_119653994

You sound like a great catch, I'd say she's glad to see you out of the house....

straight

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119654125#Comment_119654125

You better believe it. It's whatever works for each individual family isn't it.

I milk at 6:30 and 5. That would be normal enough for dairy farmers around here. Leaves plenty time during the day for other jobs, life, children, parents, friends.

JustJoe7240

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119654125#Comment_119654125

You took the bait Whelan....

Siamsa Sessions

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119654125#Comment_119654125

As herself says here: how can I miss you if you don't go out of my sight???

straight

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119654237#Comment_119654237

It's normal enough from what I hear that wives want me time in the evenings after a day's work.

My wife doesn't expect me to sit with her looking at all those soaps or Mama Mia reruns or the like. I don't expect her to watch sport with me in the other room. Maybe there is perfect families out there that all love to watch the same thing together. I actually prefer to go into the playroom and watch the Simpsons with the children every now and again. Too many rooms and too many TVs maybe. Best of all is playing pool with a tremendous glass of whiskey but I wouldn't drag the wife away from the soaps to play pool with me.

whelan2

Not all women watch soaps.....

older by the day

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119654481#Comment_119654481

Not all men use soap.

straight

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119654481#Comment_119654481

Could be worse. They could watch soccer. 😉😉 Me time is important for everyone.

K.G.

Is milking at early in the morning just fir the neighbours. Why the early starts.didnt start this morning until 8 and do you know it was as good as a day off.i have a friend that doesn't milk until after 9 and around 730 in the evening. He has kids and herself works so he gets kids up and off to school before going milking.then collects children and gives them a snack and dose the homework before heading off with them with either farming or some one their activities. Throws on the dinner and has it ready to go when she comes home and they have it together.yhen he goes off milking and she puts them to bed and the they have a cupa when he comes in.,when we were at that stage I was always running to get in from milking to get them sorted, the same in the evening to get in to see them.he did say once that the automatic calf feeder was a great job in his place as the calves used to be balling mad waiting during milking. Isn't 9 till 9 the same as 6 to 6.

Wildsurfer

Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise! Get outta the scratcher will ye, 8 hours sleep enough for any man. Surprised at you K.G.

K.G.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119663676#Comment_119663676

I don't know about that nowadays. The crowd that stay in bed all day seem to be doing away fine and maybe even abit better.fella near us that hasn't done a stroke since the bust drove past me in a beamer the other day.-family being reared and not one working in the house so who s the wise one and who s the fool

DBK1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119663676#Comment_119663676

I can’t remember the last time I got 8 hours sleep in one night, you’re living the dream if you’re getting that!!

blue5000

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119653681#Comment_119653681

Whelan when the clocks change for the winter you could squeeze in another milking at 11pm before going to bed. You would have 2 milkings then at night rate.

whelan2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119678975#Comment_119678975

No thanks

Dakota Dan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119647626#Comment_119647626

What’s the advantage of 13 weekly milkings? They say you should have no more than an 18 hour interval between the milking, that would mean milking late Saturday evening and late Sunday morning and up at the crack of dawn Monday morning which means your free time on Sunday will be limited. I know someone that did it and left a 24 hours between Sunday morning and Monday morning milkings, milk yield dropped and took 3 days to recover and cell count increased.