Farm productivity

K.G.

What work or jobs pay the best on a farm or has the best productivity Often in similar discussions it tends to focus on what it costs to get someone else to do it but I m just trying to figure out a system that relates hours work to financial gain.its difficult enough as end production pulls a lot strands into it but maybe someone on here might hit a little protocol

whelan2

A good milking parlour, no point spending hours a day milking when other jobs suffer

mr.stonewall

What ever system, be it beef, sheep, dairy grazing infrastructure and handling facilities, hands down.

Grazing infrastructure simply lessens time herding, make it easier moving stock, but most importantly, it lets you use grass better and thus your pocket is better

Handling facilities is vital. We all have to measure stock performance, divide stock, treat an individual animal or a group and hopefully most will have to go up the ramp of a trailer when their time comes. Being able to do this solo and having the beast and farmer comfortable, calm and safe really speeds up work flow

Being part time here, the focus is on taking time out of the day to day jobs, without affecting animal performance or safety. Last winter it was a homemade silage pusher that was the serious timesaver, being able to push up silage to over 170 cattle in under 5 mins. Less diesel. Reducing hours worked over all will increase profit per hour worked.

Most of us are good at the day to day, but it's often taking a step back and making the goalposts for our businesses is key. These have to be long term and short term l. I feel these have to have 3 major areas, financials, stock progression and farmer wellbeing.

Back to kgs point what job leave the best return per hour worked, for most of us it's simple, the 15-20 mins spent filling in the BISS form

Say my name

With the prices some mechanics are charging and the wait times for work done.

Being able to do your own mechanical repairs.

All machines break. But the environment has changed nowadays with the availability of agri mechanics and the above.

whelan2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122713941#Comment_122713941

Same can be said for all trades, getting an electrician or a plumber now is near impossible. I try and cover all angles before calling someone in

Say my name

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122713998#Comment_122713998

Heard of a lad sent his only tractor to a mechanic. An old Ford. Got the bill and couldn't afford it. The tractor was at the mechanics after he got the bill, for over six months before he could pay off the bill.

Don't how he was managing in the meantime. M

K.G.

This line of thought springs a discussion we had after farm theory put a video on his silage making costs .we did our sums on it and it turns out it pays quiet well but it sprung an thought process on what work pays the m9st on a farm.i ve friend who finishes cattle who says the day in the mart pays better than the rest of the week spent feeding cattle or another friend in construction who's says any fella driving a machine will make more for you than a man on the ground.its about the amount of value generated for a business per hour while not necessarily about the amount of work done

mr.stonewall

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122714193#Comment_122714193

So looking at looking this profit per hour, a lot of part-time folks here could be a lot better off than a large number of full time guys. It's cutting the wastage out of the system regarding time

on the lad with with the digger Vs the lad with the shovel. It's the cost to run the digger guy is huge. The initial investment. Or the lad in the mart. The cattle feeding cost and feeding time will be pretty static, but it goes back to the theory of the day you buy is the day you sell.

stanflt

doing your own silage

I picked up a 25 year old Kuhn 12 ft mower and a 50ft Tedder to add to the fleet we already have

Priceless

Donald Trump

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122714588#Comment_122714588

You can be lucky or unlucky when buying those types of machines second hand……..you are often buying someone else's problems.

Dickie10

how would doing your own silage help? better off with contractors get them in get it done with brand new machines. you could lose a half day rooting with old machines

weatherbyfoxer

Hard beat making your own silage for efficiency.Worked it out here it saves me €6000-€7000 in meal on the bales we make for feeding here due to having the ability to cut and preserve at the correct time and not wait till it suits a contractor who is already under pressure from the bigger customers

Siamsa Sessions

Is there any type of small-ish mower that might cut a few paddocks for bales and do a bit of topping as well?

mr.stonewall

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122726187#Comment_122726187

8ft krone is hard beat

Siamsa Sessions

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122726208#Comment_122726208

Thanks. I’ll have to keep an eye out next year

Siamsa Sessions

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122726208#Comment_122726208

Thanks. I’ll have to keep an eye out next year

lmk123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122726187#Comment_122726187

a 5’ 6” rotary mower, although I was 15 hours straight cutting my silage this year so might be a bit too much on the small side 🤦‍♂️ I think this might go against the whole point of this tread.

Sami23

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122727522#Comment_122727522

Yes and you probably burnt a nice bit of diesel in those 15 hours too compared to if you had the 8ft Krone suggested above but they don't come cheap is only problem 🤷‍♂️

lmk123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122727546#Comment_122727546

ah my tractor is light enough on diesel to be fair, problem is it’s light enough full stop and probably wouldn’t be able for an 8 foot mower anyway. I’ve a whole list of stuff I want to get but my bank account says otherwise, until I have the new shed built anyway and I’ll go to the next thing on the list.

kk.man

Krones are the best job but kuhn is probably better if on a budget.

Sami23

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122727636#Comment_122727636

Am I right in saying they have the same bed ?

kk.man

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122728025#Comment_122728025

I can't be sure but I know the kuhn bed is sound. Someone else here with more knowledge than me might verify.

davidk1394

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122728025#Comment_122728025

John Deere and Kuhn have the same bed. I don't understand how lads by new Kuhm mowers. They're cutting ability is awful. I know three fellas with Kuhns and they are useless in a lodged crop of grass.

WoozieWu

Whats the price of an 8ft shaft driven krone now does anyone know

Sami23

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122728585#Comment_122728585

Better off stick to the Krone in that case so if at all possible.

straight

I have an 8 foot malone now for a few years and im very happy with it. My father had a kuhn and I'd say the malone is better.

Pinsnbushings

Ive a 7ft Malone for the past 8 years. Never gave a bit of bother in fairness. It cuts about 35-40 acres for silage and does the topping. Little awkward to change blades as the cover doesn't fold.

Might look to trade for an 8 or 9 ft as I have a bigger tractor than I had at the time I bought it.

893bet

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122728602#Comment_122728602

10.5k ish

Dunedin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122728602#Comment_122728602

I bought 9’ krone 2 years ago for €12k. I think the 8 was around 10 ish at the time so probably around 11-12 now.

eire23

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122728602#Comment_122728602

8ft is 10.5k. 9ft centre pivot is 13k. That was a month ago.

kk.man

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122728585#Comment_122728585

A friend of mine has one years and he be a good operator. In saying that I never asked him about it. I will now. I always assumed it was a good mower.

emaherx

We had a 5'6 Sperry New Holland mower here with a Kuhn bed, it was on the farm as far back as I can remember, must be before 1986 as that's when they became Ford New Holland and it never gave a moments trouble and still working away on a friend's farm. The bed looks very similar to any modern mower with a Kuhn bed that I've seen, that is as good a reason as any to consider purchasing another.

White Clover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122731848#Comment_122731848

Kuhn are excellent mechanically. The problem is with the top service beds. They are just too high. The bed on your old NH and the older kuhn like GMD 44, 55 and 66 were fine as they were slimmer. A good bit more work to opening them if you needed to replace a bearing or gear was the trade off.

I would agree fully with @davidk1394 having spent a few summers baling and having an interest in machinery in general that you would know fields cut by a kuhn because they wouldn't be half cut.

emaherx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122732283#Comment_122732283

True the bed on that mower was not serviceable from the top but never needed to be either. My current mower is a Malone and the cut is not even as clean as the NH but it is 8' so still preferred over the old 5'6. I'd agree and would love a new Krone but price and dependability are the reason a Kuhn based mower will still sell well. Apart from looking better after cutting I'm not sure the difference will make or break whether there is enough grass saved as hay/silage.

White Clover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122732981#Comment_122732981

The regrowth is the bigger issue. A clean cut is essential for this.

emaherx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122733126#Comment_122733126

Haven't particularly found it to be an issue for myself, if the mower is maintained right used at an appropriate speed for the crop and the crop is of good quality and cut before it becomes a rope I doubt very much regrowth is a major issue after the Kuhn or any of the major brands.

Markcheese

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122727568#Comment_122727568

Matching the machine to the tractor is probably a big plus ,

Did you cut the silage paddock by paddock, or all first cut ,then all second cut ?

lmk123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122733265#Comment_122733265

all in the one go, I love punishment

divillybit

Being able to do your own basic servicing of machinery gives a good return I think so investing in tools for the job is well worthwhile. Certain jobs does need an experienced mechanic or main dealer but alot of servicing can be done on farm. Did a front axle service on my tractor on a wet day lately. Very glad I did. Snowball engineering did a good YouTube video on replacing seal on a leaking ford tw front axle hub. Glad I took the time to remove the shield over the drive shaft to the front axle for an inspection as found several loose bolts on the universal joint coupling. Not something that would have been spotted without taking the time to remove the shield.

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122726187#Comment_122726187

Unless you spend serious dosh you will be buyin̈g an ordinary disc mower. All contractors are using mower conditioners it equivalent to another day on the ground. Most lads end up buying a tedder to over cone this. If it not viable to use contractors for some tasks give up farming. I have an 8'disc mower I always get the contractors to cut the silage. He cuts it faster and cleaner than I will and it's conditioned as well.

Thinking about getting a single rotor rake for two reasons contractor is charging 12-16/ acre for raking and it's only just ahead of the baler a lot of the time

Bass Reeves

I agree with @mr.stonewall grazing infrastructure and handling facilities are the most important. I often find it strang most lads tens to set up a farm for the crop.of silage and worry about it cost rather than set it up for grazing so that you can keep cattle out longer daring the year and minimise silage and other costs. My biggest silage area is 4-5 acres at present contractors has to cut 5 different plots in my first cut of 19-20 acres. Making high DM silage reduces cost and saves time feeding it.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122714193#Comment_122714193

The lad about the mart is right. Although now being willing g to work the online facilities pays well. Hove most of my cattle bought. Was busy last Friday but looking at Gortalea 18 month friesian and dairy SH heifers not in calf went through the cow ring.

The FR/FRx were from 330 to 480 and made 80 cent to 1.4/ kg(200-750ish euro) the SH's 340 to 435 made 1.2-1.5/ kg ( 440-660 euro)

If you bought them and carried them to tge hook innthe next year, there was about a1k/ head gross margin on every one of them

FintanMcluskey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122739483#Comment_122739483

I don't think that the average farmer has the tools, knowledge or interest to make any significant savings when it comes to repairs. When it comes to servicing & changing oils it's only going to cost about an hour or 2 labour with your local mechanic, filters and oils will cost more.

There are exceptions of course and some farmers are incredibly mechanically experienced, but they will have been interested from a young age