Drystock -How often do you herd

cute geoge

Going to change farm system to drystock here .I am wondering how often do you need to check cattle.

Before I had some cattle on an outside block and it used sometimes be 5-6 days and touchwood got away with it.

Would once per day be good enough to walk trough them and make sure they were content

50HX

Twice a day here most days bar a v busy Saturday or family things on a Sunday it'd be once

Easier move them & they need human interaction as well so they are not spooked at any little disturbance.

With bought in cattle you'd want to he watching for red water etc.

A sprinkle of a nut every other day would make moving younger cattle v v easy...as I've learnt😀

RockOrBog

At least once a day, twice if I'm not too busy. If you can't spare a few minutes a day what's the point in farming at all.

visatorro

Lad beside me would have ground rented everywhere. He wouldn't be proud of it but he'd admit he doesn't see all stock everyday. Some Sheep farmers wouldn't see sheep for long periods of time aswell.

_Brian

pretty much every day, if I miss seeing them I get edgy so it’s better for me to just see them daily and not be stressing themselves

HHH

Twice a day. Stock far too dear now to chance it. Good for exercise too after sitting in a office all day, Morning and evening.

50HX

@cute geoge

What system are you changing from?

patsy_mccabe

Cattle around the house get seen twice a day. Doesn't take too long. Cattle on land a mile or so away, get seen by a neighbour every morning. I get a text from him. I see his then when I count mine there, in the evening.

cute geoge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123525737#Comment_123525737

Like I was milking so at least the cows were seen twice per day then ,

I would like to get into habit of checking the cattle in outplaces everyday ,just had no time before .It makes sense to check them twice per day around the house and walk trough them once .

Jb1989

Check twice per day if you can.

Otherwise if it goes a few days then you take the chance.

Ive done it both ways. All depends on commitments at times, easy for some to live in the field with them, not so easy for others.

GNWoodd

Twice a day everyday. Takes time but have land that is prone to red water .
Have any of ye had cattle with it this year ?

epfff

Fragmented farm here so once a week (can go more if busy) unless something wrong. I have put store lambs to out farms in October for winter and looked at them once at Xmas and again when gathering for factory.

My big fear is a water leak I see that as bad a getting one dead.

If I was to add up diesel cost of driving round country vet bill and then gamble it still won't work out I can afford occasional loss. Plus I have to live too.

Ps. My figures are out of date with he value of stock this year.

I'm happier to be a bad farmer than one of these parents who don't show up to kids activities and when they do explain to everyone how busy they are and how much they could be at if they weren't here.

Cavanjack

Working full time here off farm. Try and see everything once a day. Doesn’t alway happen. Can take up to an hour. No issues with red water.
Same as you Epfff. Have loads to do in the evening’s and weekends but try and go to all the games etc. and do laugh when I hear lads giving out that they should be at home cutting their grass and strimming.

manno

Work 12hr shifts so wouldn't see them every day. Usually every 3rd day. Might lose the odd ewe that could have been saved but touch wood I can't remember the last time I had a sick bullock. It depends what type of stock I suppose, young stock might be more prone to issues but cattle on their 2nd summer don't give much trouble.

Who2

for winter months it’s at least twice a day(mainly due to calving. When they are let out it’s usually once a day but will periodically wander around them twice. I usually run a bunch of heifers on an out farm and they might not be seen daily but I do try to check in.

Silverdream

I've dry cows on an out farm. I check them 2-3 a week max

Aly Daly

Some dreadful posts on what some fellas think is acceptable from an animal welfare point of you let alone what an actual farmer should be doing, feeling proud of neglect is one posters boast,I really hope this is not a true reflection of what is going on,there is no luck in life for that type of carry on.

Danzy

Oh Chr127 above its June, where does the time go. How much grass could 5 bullocks eat in a month?

Conversations 3

Twice a day and I'd be down there for at least 2 hours every morning Monday to Friday.

There's other people around during the day to keep an eye if I'm away.

50HX

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123525819#Comment_123525819

Best of luck

You won't know yourself

QA1

a lot depends on type and age of stock see most everyday here if I didn’t see the 2 years old bullocks and heifers everyday I won’t worry about it but as everyone knows all is okay till this not okay very fragmented farm here so that doesn’t help with the price of them know any lose would be sore

memorystick

I’m only a small farmer but have over €100k worth of cattle grazing so I think it’s an asset worth checking daily.

Bass Reeves

Bullocks and heifers here. Try to check every day. However often it's only a glance. If cattle are in a far off paddock it might be only every second day. If I buy new cattle I like to see every day for 7-10 days. Never check twice a day unless I see an issue.

Was supposed to go down to the holiday home yesterday and young lad was away as well. Cattle woukd not have been seen from midday Saturday until Monday morning neither would finishing bunches get ration. However something came up and I could not go so I did the farming. Similar would happen a few times a year.

Base price

We try to herd twice daily. I keep a few suckler cows and do early/late checks to see if the bull is following a cow - other than that it's to throw a eye on the suckler yearlings and bought in cull feeder cows.

Gillespy

Take a cut of silage off a few fields from a sheep farmer and removing the skeletons of fallen sheep is a job I have to do when spreading fertiliser. Can't get my head around that kind of attitude. Couldn't sleep without knowing all animals are fine.

older by the day

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123526529#Comment_123526529

Jayus did you read any of the posts.

I have 5 or 6 small outside places, I scatter around a few bullocks, all have plenty to eat and drink. Do you think if I spend all day every day driving and looking at them, they would thrive better.

If you spend your life farming you will know, it's 80% management and 20% luck. And accept that everything won't go your way.

Don't be so fast to judge.

Good point above, about neighbours in outside places, in two places there are retired foreigners and they are great. They are on almost daily, to let me know what the cattle are doing. The wife gives them a Xmas cake to thank them every year. One has a blog set up about her dogs and the cattle.

Only problem is, when it's time to sell, I have to say, they are going home for special treatment

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123527340#Comment_123527340

I think some think they are minding babies. If you have cattle that are yearlings or stronger and not sucklers there is no necessity to heard every day not to mind twice a day. In the US, Australia and in hill country in the Pyrenees cattle might be only checked weekly or even longer. Stock can get a bit wild but needs must in those places. Hill sheep are similar checked irregulary, as long as stock have plenty of forage and water they can fend for themselves. Yes there is exceptions where redwater is an issue or you have very young stock. You can be making work for yourself

tractorporn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123527440#Comment_123527440

To the lads that are herding twice a day are ye looking at all your cattle before you head to work or are ye at home full time? Calves are looked at twice a day only because they are getting meal in the morning and are beside the house. Yearlings and two year olds are on two sperate out blocks and they get seen every second day alternatively, if I was to heard the all twice a day it would take up 4 hours every day it would leave no time for anything else.

Kevhog1988

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123527497#Comment_123527497

Working 2 days in Dublin. have got into the habit of checking ewes and lambs at ground i rent on the way to and from Dublin. I head over in the farming clothes and then change into the office clothes at the services on the way to Dublin. Do the same on the way home.

My son lives an hour away so i sometimes struggle to get to them twice a day if he has a match or something. Am doing a good bt of fencing at the moment. will have more peace of mind when all outside boundaries have sheep netting.

_Brian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123527789#Comment_123527789

See calves in outfarm in evening if possible on way home from work, they get meal then too. The notion of a full belly carrying a beast through even the worst of nights was always a thing round here so meal always fed last thing if possible, particularly in winter.

patsy_mccabe

There is also the exercise benefit to herding cattle. Great to head off there every evening after dinner. I always find it very relaxing. As soon as I put on my wellies, my stress levels go down.

By the way, what do you call it? We always refer to it as "counting the cattle".