National Beef Welfare Scheme (NBWS).

Anto_Meath · 22-08-2023 11:25pm

@charolais0153 that's it exactly. I live in North Meath but travel the 32 countries for work. There is some difference in farming conditions from Cork & Limerick to the likes of Donegal to Fermanagh.. there is at least a 2 month longer winter as you head North or West.

mr.stonewall · 23-08-2023 7:39am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121014464#Comment_121014464

Sheds and wet sh1t on cows are the biggest factors with scours. If you can reduce this or eliminate it you will have very little issues. I went for years calving in February and march without problems. Then over the course of 2 years it built to become a massive problem. Imagine losing 30% of annual calves in a week, dropping the vet €2k in a week for dripping and treating calves at every hour of the night and day. A combo of crypto and rota is something I wouldn't even wish on my worst enemy.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121014317#Comment_121014317

Bass commented on seeing merit in some of the later calving systems. 30 cows calved here, 1 bale of straw used in total on them, less shed space to calving pens. No meal to cows as they are on grass, no need for good quality silage for cows for most of the winter. Breeding taking place in June, when cows have heat on their backs and on a good plane of nutrition. As we all know with sucklers it's all about serious cost control and preventing any losses is the key to profit.

You can be only lucky for so long with scours, but when that tsunami hits, it's rough, and boy you won't forget it ever. What I'm doing with April may calving since that serious scour, maybe unorthodox to some, but it's working really well with less vet costs, less losses and more enjoyment and a better bottom line

Dunedin · 23-08-2023 8:05am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121014898#Comment_121014898

suppose it really depends on what you’re after or your system allows. I’m pedantic about having sheds clean. Calve in January and February. Sheds power washed when cows/calves go out. Power washed again in December before calving season begins. Lime and disinfectant used. Calving pens are power washed at every interval during calving. Limed and disinfectant used throughout again. Make sure calves get colostrum within max 2 hours of calving but usually I tupe calves after 30 minutes and walk away knowing calf is safe. Calves get ceviduril dose at 21 days. Cows and calves turned out to bird cover on 16 March (last year didn’t allow it but most years do). Scour is non-existent thanks be to God

my aspiration is to get cattle to 500kgs dw under 30 months, killing off the grass with minimal meal. An April born calf won’t achieve this and it takes a good March one to do so.

every single farm and farmer is different. Not everyone is right. Not all are wrong either.

bogman_bass · 23-08-2023 8:13am

Sign up for the AHI parasite TASAH consult and do it at the same time. Let AHI pay the call-out fee

Bass Reeves · 23-08-2023 8:24am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121014317#Comment_121014317

Dunedin if you had bother to read the post I replied to buy @mr.stonewall all I said was I did not disagree with what he was doing in dealing with crypto and roto, reducing HIS costs in a low margin enterprise and HIS workload.

Actually I gave no advice I just commented.

The latest trend in Boards on F&F is attack the poster not debate/reply/counter his post about what he is post. You must have had a bad day last night or the moon is as in the wrong phase for you.. I will link my post and Mr.Stonewalls you replied to so you can read both.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121003256#Comment_121003256

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121001863#Comment_121001863

Dunedin · 23-08-2023 8:42am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121014989#Comment_121014989

The problem (albeit a first world one) with the change in board’s layout is ya can’t hone in a particular bit. And that bit was………..

With rota and crypto, the hassle of indoor calving, the cost if straw in non tillage areas, the requirements for quality silage if cows are feeding calves indoors for 6-10+ wees and the low profitability of sucklers anyway it probably makes little difference margin wise to your system if you take roto and crypto costs and extra work into account

as I’ve said many times, every farm is different. But sucklers have been quite profitable for me over the past few years. The money in sucklers is in the weight but without a ton of meal in every finishing animal.

mr.stonewall · 23-08-2023 9:08am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121014950#Comment_121014950

It's what works on farm and taking snipits that you think can be handy and could work on your own farm. I aim to kill these April born stock at 22&24 mths at an average of 380kg DW.

I too had been anal about power washing pens, even steam cleaning them twice at turnout and again before housing, cleaning out every pen before a new cow would calves down, keeping creep areas cleaned, bedded and dry. All this and stuck with the hassle of a serious scour outbreak for 2-3 years. It works here now as there is dairy calves reared here aswell,completely different shed, but the heavy lifting is done on them before a cow calves

We can all agree the safest place to avoid scours is outside

Bass Reeves · 23-08-2023 9:20am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121015028#Comment_121015028

You again quoted me out of context. You left out the first half sentence in the paragraph. Here is the complete paragraph

''On your system of late calving, I tend to agree with it. With rota and crypto, the hassle of indoor calving, the cost if straw in non tillage areas, the requirements for quality silage if cows are feeding calves indoors for 6-10+ wees and the low profitability of sucklers anyway it probably makes little difference margin wise to your system if you take roto and crypto costs and extra work into account ''

Note ''on his system '' as you say you are pedantic about cleaning sheds and clean at least once in mid winter as well as cleaning down calving pens. Some farmers calving pens are older sheds. I suspect you are full-time or virtually full-time, you have the hand to finish cattle and you have farm size to make it possible.

Totally differ to a farmer in heavier ground with a five month ( and maybe longer sometimes or cows being housed after the first shower in late September) winter. Costs in such systems are horrendous.

M

Straw required could be 2-3 times your per cow and add in the cost of it. There is approaching a 20 euro cost difference between straw in Wexford and the counties along the west coast from Donegal to Kerry and probably above it in parts of counties like Kerry, Clare, Sligo and Mayo with no tillage area

Dunedin · 23-08-2023 9:55am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121015148#Comment_121015148

60 acres, part time average 10-12 hours per week on farm.

mr.stonewall · 23-08-2023 1:01pm

Got a reply back from the Dept regarding meal feeding before Nov 1st

Straight from the horse mouth

"The 01 November date is for the IBR testing, not for the meal feeding. The meal feeding action must just comply with annex 2 of the terms and conditions which is to meal feed the calves 4 weeks pre weaning and 2 weeks post weaning"

ABitofsense · 28-08-2023 2:24pm

Joined this today. Vet out next week anyway for herd test so going to blood 20 when being read. Its roughly 170e costing for me the IBR testing as a whole will cover over a ton of meal which im feeding anyway.

Vet weren't overly sure of the requirements of the scheme so information on this must be fairly poorly communicated

Hard Knocks · 29-08-2023 8:28am

Has anyone got their IBR results back yet. Just wondering how long it’s taking

Fotish · 29-08-2023 11:33am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121041077#Comment_121041077

No results yet, waiting about 3 weeks now.

irishguy19772 · 01-09-2023 6:39am

I have 22 animals in herd in total. Rang vet to book in blood tests as need to get tb test done as well. They said I need to do any animals over 9 months which is 12. I would prefer this as only doing the larger animals and I think getting paid 250 out the 300.

I thought terms and conditions were that all 20 animals needed to be done if in herd. And it would be mandatory for me to do calves as well.

Anyone any idea?

Diarmuid B · 01-09-2023 7:59am

As far as I could make out if you have over 20 animals then you blood test 20 of them. If you have less than 20 animals in the herd then you blood test every one of them.

irishguy19772 · 01-09-2023 5:30pm

Yeah thought that as well. Vets are swearing blind that it is only animals over 9 months. So I would only be doing 12 animals in my herd over 9 months.

Rang the dept to clarify but no answer yet.

893bet · 01-09-2023 5:45pm

You vet is wrong and will **** it up for you. Sounds like they have fucked a few up already.

Of more than 20 in the herd you Need to sample 20 minimum.

“ideally” over 9 months.

Fotish · 07-09-2023 1:05am

I was charged €277 for the 20 blood samples ( including lab fees ) .

I thought that this was expensive , especially as it was carried out as part of the annual herd test.

irishguy19772 · 07-09-2023 6:23am

I wad charged 220 did it yesterday

Sugarbowl · 07-09-2023 10:28am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121078962#Comment_121078962

220 doesn’t sound too bad. The vet told me the other day we won’t have much left out of the 300 after doing it. Didn’t give a price though. Will do it as we will have the cows in for testing. Otherwise prob wouldn’t bother.