Dairy chit chat II

alps · 17-12-2016 12:08PM

Timmaay wrote: »

Another 15 dry here this morning. 3rows over Xmas will be nice, to go OAD is my only decision, not many cows doing much over 4litres in the evening milking, but still a few may/June calvers still doing 18l/day, I'd hate to see them dry themselves off.

Easy decision Timmaay......be brave...

Mooooo · 17-12-2016 12:41PM

Timmaay wrote: »

Another 15 dry here this morning. 3rows over Xmas will be nice, to go OAD is my only decision, not many cows doing much over 4litres in the evening milking, but still a few may/June calvers still doing 18l/day, I'd hate to see them dry themselves off.

How will you be for Jan supply? Drying off here today and 2moro. Keeping 8 April cavlers till the second week of Jan but they will only be filling up the 4th row with them there. Have to hit about 1kL a day in Jan for winter scheme.

Timmaay · 17-12-2016 01:22PM

Mooooo wrote: »

How will you be for Jan supply? Drying off here today and 2moro. Keeping 8 April cavlers till the second week of Jan but they will only be filling up the 4th row with them there. Have to hit about 1kL a day in Jan for winter scheme.

374l/day. Will be very tight. But sure ya gotta live life on the edge ha.

farisfat · 17-12-2016 01:29PM

3 the square wrote: »

Would u not be afraid that one or both cows could still be incalf happened to me once or twice always use the enfef test on or scan before drying off.

I had 2 this year that had standing heats scan incalve.

Keepgrowing · 17-12-2016 02:24PM

farisfat wrote: »

I had 2 this year that had standing heats scan incalve.

These are scanned in calf yo calve in Feb. I'll handle them tomorrow and that'll reveal all.

whelan2 · 18-12-2016 10:14AM

Timmaay wrote: »

Another 15 dry here this morning. 3rows over Xmas will be nice, to go OAD is my only decision, not many cows doing much over 4litres in the evening milking, but still a few may/June calvers still doing 18l/day, I'd hate to see them dry themselves off.

What's their scc like?

Timmaay · 18-12-2016 12:50PM

Last bulk tank 97

Mf310 · 18-12-2016 08:16PM

Would a temprary milking parlour be a complete no no for milking heifers? Planning permission for milking parlour will take 3 months so 3 months from january is march if we are lucky so thinking temporary for a couple of weeks or would it work at all

Timmaay · 18-12-2016 09:12PM

Mf310 wrote: »

Would a temprary milking parlour be a complete no no for milking heifers? Planning permission for milking parlour will take 3 months so 3 months from january is march if we are lucky so thinking temporary for a couple of weeks or would it work at all

Once its strong enough it would be grand. Are you getting the grant on the parlour, and is that why you are getting the planning? You don't actually need planning for the machine itself, just the building and concrete work. However you will need to wait till you have grant approval also, which can take up 4 to 6 months if any of my applications are to go by. So that would be another 4 months on top of the 3 for planning!

As an alternative, you could do the parlour shed and concrete work without the grand. The shed itself can be very basic, a simple leanto or A frame will do grand, I did a leanto for my parlour for about 1600 materials (no labour charge in that, built it myself). The parlour concrete work cost me something around 5k, all walls 4inch solid blocks on their flat. Most NZ style parlours don't even bother with outside walls (invest in warm rain gear instead for the 20 or so days in the year you actually are proper cold in the parlour ha).

Final thing I'll say is if your proper stuck for the parlour grand approval do get in touch with them department a week or so after the closing date, and plead with them to fastrack it! Next closing date is early jan, something like the 13th, but double check that, could be sooner.

Mf310 · 18-12-2016 09:19PM

Timmaay wrote:

Once its strong enough it would be grand. Are you getting the grant on the parlour, and is that why you are getting the planning? You don't actually need planning for the machine itself, just the building and concrete work. However you will need to wait till you have grant approval also, which can take up 4 to 6 months if any of my applications are to go by. So that would be another 4 months on top of the 3 for planning!

Timmaay wrote:

As an alternative, you could do the parlour shed and concrete work without the grand. The shed itself can be very basic, a simple leanto or A frame will do grand, I did a leanto for my parlour for about 1600 materials (no labour charge in that, built it myself). The parlour concrete work cost me something around 5k, all walls 4inch solid blocks on their flat. Most NZ style parlours don't even bother with outside walls (invest in warm rain gear instead for the 20 or so days in the year you actually are proper cold in the parlour ha).

Timmaay wrote:

Final thing I'll say is if your proper stuck for the parlour grand approval do get in touch with them department a week or so after the closing date, and plead with them to fastrack it! Next closing date is early jan, something like the 13th, but double check that, could be sooner.

Grand thanks ... no actually hopeing to be a new entrant ..have been thinking about it a while and now with the fixed milk price schemes and the milk price outlooks for next year im really considering it .. will definately be going in in 2018 but was thinking i might be able to get going 2017 with maybe 50 or 60 cows to keep things ticking over and keep grass ate ... therell be no grants going for a second hand milking parlour so all i have to wait for is planning permission on milking parlour shed

alps · 18-12-2016 09:25PM

Mf310 wrote: »

Grand thanks ... no actually hopeing to be a new entrant ..have been thinking about it a while and now with the fixed milk price schemes and the milk price outlooks for next year im really considering it .. will definately be going in in 2018 but was thinking i might be able to get going 2017 with maybe 50 or 60 cows to keep things ticking over and keep grass ate ... therell be no grants going for a second hand milking parlour so all i have to wait for is planning permission on milking parlour shed

Guy on done deal recently up north, with a really good portable milking parlour. 10 unit, fully integrated unit on the back of an artic low lower trailer. It would really be worth looking at. It's for rent or sale...
If you need to buy dairy stock, I wouldn't wait till mid or late 2017 to buy. I'd really push now to.look at getting in on the way up....

Mf310 · 18-12-2016 09:26PM

alps wrote:

Guy on done deal recently up north, with a really good portable milking parlour. 10 unit, fully integrated unit on the back of an artic low lower trailer. It would really be worth looking at. It's for rent or sale... If you need to buy dairy stock, I wouldn't wait till mid or late 2017 to buy. I'd really push now to.look at getting in on the way up....

Thats exactly what i was looking at rent it for a couple of weeks ... yes was thinking that way thanks

Timmaay · 18-12-2016 09:41PM

I got 3 well bred autumn born maiden heifers, who are well fit to breed (well over 400kg). I've no interest in calving them down myself next autumn, if I'm going to end up stuck with them they will be served next may, however that means they will probably cost me 1600 by the time they hit the parlour (and more importantly take up space on the milking block for 3 cows for the year!). What are they worth right now on donedeal? Ebis 130 (new system), usual high ebi HO with a bit of br fr in them.

Icelandicseige · 18-12-2016 09:43PM

http://m.independent.ie/business/farming/dairy/facts-and-figures-the-true-costs-involved-in-setting-up-a-dairy-farm-35287741.html

Seen this article and might be useful for some people. It's about setting up from scratch.

Injuryprone · 18-12-2016 09:45PM

Mf310 wrote: »

Thats exactly what i was looking at rent it for a couple of weeks ... yes was thinking that way thanks

You're being very optimistic with your timings. What facilities have you currently? Design, planning, construction all done in 3 months??

Timmaay · 18-12-2016 10:10PM

Just looking at my agfood tams applications now (this thread reminded me I've an application to fully finish and submit before the end of the year!), anyways the 1st application I put in was on the 24th June (I'm fairly sure the closing day of that tranche was the end of June), but anyways the status on it since the 15th Dec is "ready for pre approval", whatever that means anyone? 6months and I've still no approval, could they take any longer if they tried? The fancy online system doesn't appear to have helped speed up anything if this is to go by.

Buford T. Justice XIX · 18-12-2016 10:24PM

Timmaay wrote: »

Just looking at my agfood tams applications now (this thread reminded me I've an application to fully finish and submit before the end of the year!), anyways the 1st application I put in was on the 24th June (I'm fairly sure the closing day of that tranche was the end of June), but anyways the status on it since the 15th Dec is "ready for pre approval", whatever that means anyone? 6months and I've still no approval, could they take any longer if they tried? The fancy online system doesn't appear to have helped speed up anything if this is to go by.

I put in for sheds and cubicles in the first tranche over a year ago. I got a letter 3 months ago looking for some engineers cert and sent it off. Now it appears they don't like my planning permission so I may have to put them up without grants:(

Timmaay · 18-12-2016 10:42PM

Buford T. Justice V wrote: »

I put in for sheds and cubicles in the first tranche over a year ago. I got a letter 3 months ago looking for some engineers cert and sent it off. Now it appears they don't like my planning permission so I may have to put them up without grants:(

Ugh don't give me stories like that ha. Looking at my spreadsheet costings here on a slatted tank I've jsut got planning for, full grant spec 21k, without the grant best I can do with skimping on steel etc is 17k, with a 60% grant it really really will pay to get it over the line if I can.

Buford T. Justice XIX · 18-12-2016 10:48PM

Timmaay wrote: »

Ugh don't give me stories like that ha. Looking at my spreadsheet costings here on a slatted tank I've jsut got planning for, full grant spec 21k, without the grant best I can do with skimping on steel etc is 17k, with a 60% grant it really really will pay to get it over the line if I can.

I have the engineer and the guy that drew the plans trying to liason with the council to push it across the line but even then i don't know where about I stand in the queue. I thought I would have the lean-tos up this year but I'm totally in the dark.

I have only 1 slatted tank and it's open so I want to cover it and regain the 4' of rain that apparently goes into it each winter. And cover the dry stock while they're eating and their feed too.

Timmaay · 19-12-2016 12:24AM

Timmaay wrote: »

Just looking at my agfood tams applications now (this thread reminded me I've an application to fully finish and submit before the end of the year!)

And 3hrs later of pricking about on the agfood website I still can't get it to accept my application. Disaster of a system, and no wonder I've been putting it on the long finger ha.

Signpost · 19-12-2016 12:50AM

They make it brutal to apply. I done a very small job, took 30 pages of an application and still sitting in there 'YFCIS Claim 26/10/2016 Draft Online Claim Recorded 07/11/2016' with no talks of them actually paying anything in the year. Delayed starting the job and then won't pay out the other end, would be very very slow to take on a big job as you would no guarantee of the 60% being payed within a few months of finishing and the bank will still be expecting first payments.

Waffletraktor · 19-12-2016 12:54AM

Timmaay wrote: »

And 3hrs later of pricking about on the agfood website I still can't get it to accept my application. Disaster of a system, and no wonder I've been putting it on the long finger ha.

Would end of year be this Wens/Thurs with them?

Buford T. Justice XIX · 19-12-2016 01:36AM

pedigree 6 wrote: »

We always give the calves 3 litres ( whole milk) twice a day for 3 weeks and then up it to 3.5 litres.

The first feed of colostrum is by far the most important though. Give em as much as they can drink (usually 3 litres but sometimes 4 depends on the size of the calf). Ideally within a hour, but as soon as possible really.

Edit: those figures are fairly shocking though Buford. Do some people really just give 2 litres???

Sorry, missed your post, P6. Going just on my discussion group, some lads just milk and feed at the next milking after leaving the calf with the cow since calving. Most milk and feed.

I've seen a huge change in my calves since milking and feeding as soon as they calve. With bulls/beef, I just use stored colostrum if I have enough of it but I always milk replacement heifers mothers now.

Mooooo · 19-12-2016 09:53AM

4 rows of cows is a grand job, first time I can remember being down this low. Also first year Dec and Jan will be the lowest supply months, previously it was Oct. Slowly getting sense ha

whelan2 · 19-12-2016 10:06AM

Does it really take that long for the Grant application? Have to redo cubicle sheds next year

Coolfresian · 19-12-2016 11:04AM

When inspected for the grant is other issues such as having all external agitation points needed to get it? Has anyone else heard that?

kowtow · 19-12-2016 11:08AM

By my reckoning it's almost a year to the day since we started our new cubicle shed, and - finally - the cows got to move in last night.

It took a good bit longer than I thought, but in my defence the boy & I did it with no outside labour at all, unless you count concrete lorry drivers.

I had almost forgotten that none of the cows are cubicle trained, but at least most of them are standing up on four legs in a space and half of them have already started laying down, so I have high hopes. There are a good few bits still to do but having a working shed, and most of all a feed passage, will make a big difference.

Buford T. Justice XIX · 19-12-2016 11:13AM

kowtow wrote: »

By my reckoning it's almost a year to the day since we started our new cubicle shed, and - finally - the cows got to move in last night.

It took a good bit longer than I thought, but in my defence the boy & I did it with no outside labour at all, unless you count concrete lorry drivers.

I had almost forgotten that none of the cows are cubicle trained, but at least most of them are standing up on four legs in a space and half of them have already started laying down, so I have high hopes. There are a good few bits still to do but having a working shed, and most of all a feed passage, will make a big difference.

Is that a JerseyX in the last pic:D

Signpost · 19-12-2016 11:27AM

I got approval last December, done the work in Jan / Feb, waited for the system to open in July (I think it was anyway), put application in, came back 3 times looking for other stuff - first time wanted tax clearance even thou it was under the 10k, second time they wanted a new copy of the folio with the number printed on the map, nothing now in a long time on it.
While this was going on the dept were putting out that propaganda about no one claiming etc, very easy to say they have nothing paid out when they are not paying the ones who have applied. I would dread to see a job where you would be claiming the 80K as a young farmer. One thing waiting on money for a feed system vs a whole new shed!

The list of what I had to supply:
Tax clearance for farm, father, myself
Tax clearance for contractor, concrete supplier, feed system supplier, electrician, welder who had to do a job
Wiring certificate for feed system
Folio + map with folio number
Education qualifications
Invoice marked paid & dated
Farm Safety Course
Farm Yard Plan

kowtow · 19-12-2016 11:37AM

Buford T. Justice V wrote: »

Is that a JerseyX in the last pic:D

Yup, a special long legged variety.

Dairy chit chat II

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