Dairy chit chat II

George Sunsnow · 08-10-2017 11:20AM

You’d maybe want to steer clear of spreading hen manure though
There’s a case of botulism down in south Wexford
Several cows/heifers dead

No cure

Similar symptoms to milk fever only they don’t get up

GrasstoMilk · 08-10-2017 11:54AM

George Sunsnow wrote: »

You’d maybe want to steer clear of spreading hen manure though
There’s a case of botulism down in south Wexford
Several cows/heifers dead
No cure

Similar symptoms to milk fever only they don’t get up

How did they get it? I'm in south wex. Big tillage neighbour been spreading hen manure for the last 5 years on his crops

PMU · 08-10-2017 12:03PM

Timmaay wrote: »

Your pushing up the autumn numbers more? With all this talk about stock, I'm looking out for 25ish Feb calving heifers, ideally xbred, if anyone knows of a group for sale like that.

contact grasstec

alps · 08-10-2017 12:32PM

Keepgrowing wrote: »

Here's a pic of where slurry was dribbled at 4k 3 days ago. Only for the tractor marks you'd not know it was done

Contractor moved in here 4.30pm yesterday, stopped at 8pm and will finish it off on Monday..

Set up and spreading within 30 mins, and output was 44000 gallons per hour. We have a 500k gallon lagoon and you could see it dropping like you pulled the plug in a bath.

Spreading at 4k per acre, some worm kill, but will have another look during the day. It looks to me that more of the kill is on sloping land, where as the liquid is laid out in lines, it ran and spread over the whole area.

Reckon this will come in at one third of the cost of tanker spreading and it has provided the land area to empty storage tanks at this time of year.

Thanks for the thumbs up keepgrowing, it's been a significant good move on this farm.

George Sunsnow · 08-10-2017 12:32PM

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

How did they get it? I'm in south wex. Big tillage neighbour been spreading hen manure for the last 5 years on his crops

Pm sent

Floki · 08-10-2017 12:53PM

alps wrote: »

Spreading at 4k per acre, some worm kill, but will have another look during the day. It looks to me that more of the kill is on sloping land, where as the liquid is laid out in lines, it ran and spread over the whole area.

Worms only come up to the surface as soon as it gets dark. So maybe they'd have a better chance if slurry was spread in the morning? That's not your decision though if you rely on a contractor. But anyway.
How they know it's not daytime is another story but is probably from respiration of the grass when photosynthesis stops.

rangler1 · 08-10-2017 01:07PM

Floki wrote: »

Worms only come up to the surface as soon as it gets dark. So maybe they'd have a better chance if slurry was spread in the morning? That's not your decision though if you rely on a contractor. But anyway.
How they know it's not daytime is another story but is probably from respiration of the grass when photosynthesis stops.

I think worms come to the surface when it's raining, they confuse the splashplate spreading noise with rain and come to the surface, however the slurry gas uses the oxygen or displaces the oxygen near the ground and worms suffocate.
We used to pat the ground with a board to get worms to come to the surface for fishing years ago.
Any one know any scientific reason for the mass murder of worms after slurry spreading, can be fairly bad sometimes

freedominacup · 08-10-2017 01:08PM

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

How did they get it? I'm in south wex. Big tillage neighbour been spreading hen manure for the last 5 years on his crops

There's no prob on land that will be ploughed. A neighbour has a large chicken house and also dairy farming. He grows a good few alternative forages as well as some grain. Poultry manure used on these areas. No problems I've heard of over the past 20 years.

George Sunsnow · 08-10-2017 01:18PM

freedominacup wrote: »

There's no prob on land that will be ploughed. A neighbour has a large chicken house and also dairy farming. He grows a good few alternative forages as well as some grain. Poultry manure used on these areas. No problems I've heard of over the past 20 years.

Yes afaik,the case of botulism I heard of happened where the spreading was one passed or just harrowed in
It’s spread locally then by birds

Floki · 08-10-2017 01:27PM

rangler1 wrote: »

I think worms come to the surface when it's raining, they confuse the splashplate spreading noise with rain and come to the surface, however the slurry gas uses the oxygen or displaces the oxygen near the ground and worms suffocate.
We used to pat the ground with a board to get worms to come to the surface for fishing years ago.
Any one know any scientific reason for the mass murder of worms after slurry spreading, can be fairly bad sometimes

Ah go way with your mass murder!:D

The rain thing is a trigger for the worms to come to the surface and get on with their sexy times and find new territory and a mate. You'll see them moving along the surface as far as they can move as possible before the ground dries up again.

Grass puts out oxygen in daylight though photosynthesisation. But as soon as their solar panel leaves stop the reverse happens and they put out carbon dioxide and take in oxygen.
Worms need oxygen the same as you or me. But worms also come to the surface to poop and grab a bit of air during the night and move to another bit of ground too (but not as much as when it's raining).
I've been spreading slurry (mostly watery stuff) and I've never seen worm kills.

blue5000 · 08-10-2017 01:37PM

It's the 4k rate that kills the worms, I think they just smother/drown.

rangler1 · 08-10-2017 01:42PM

Floki wrote: »

Ah go way with your mass murder!:D

The rain thing is a trigger for the worms to come to the surface and get on with their sexy times and find new territory and a mate. You'll see them moving along the surface as far as they can move as possible before the ground dries up again.

Grass puts out oxygen in daylight though photosynthesisation. But as soon as their solar panel leaves stop the reverse happens and they put out carbon dioxide and take in oxygen.
Worms need oxygen the same as you or me. But worms also come to the surface to poop and grab a bit of air during the night and move to another bit of ground too (but not as much as when it's raining).
I've been spreading slurry (mostly watery stuff) and I've never seen worm kills.

Maybe the worms are already gone from your farm, can't kill them if they're not there

rangler1 · 08-10-2017 01:47PM

George Sunsnow wrote: »

Yes afaik,the case of botulism I heard of happened where the spreading was one passed or just harrowed in
It’s spread locally then by birds

It's the dead birds in the poultry manure that causes the problem......good managers make sure they're not left in it, manure on it's own isn't dangerous

Floki · 08-10-2017 02:16PM

rangler1 wrote: »

Maybe the worms are already gone from your farm, can't kill them if they're not there

There all right. You can see all the casts.
I'd be very particular about trying to get back to farming holistically and seeing how far I can push it.

GrasstoMilk · 08-10-2017 06:03PM

Busy week but she's up now. Have to rise the floor level of crush up and and put a stand on still

Keepgrowing · 08-10-2017 06:46PM

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

Busy week but she's up now. Have to rise the floor level of crush up and and put a stand on still

Nice job. Wondering would foot bath be better placed at race exit?

GrasstoMilk · 08-10-2017 08:08PM

Keepgrowing wrote: »

Nice job. Wondering would foot bath be better placed at race exit?

Wondering the same ourselves too tbh before we put it in but There's 20 ft there between end of crush and pillar of the next shed, it would only be sticking out asking to be driven into.

Head gate will be open when ever we're using it and cows should have a clear line of view out of it.

kevthegaff · 08-10-2017 09:00PM

mahoney_j wrote:

20 In-calf Heifers Cross bred Kev thereâ€™s a local bunch for ya ,donâ€™t know would a toome man deal with a Nenagh man though !!!!

I wouldn't say that! Might give him a buzz, sound j

Mooooo · 09-10-2017 09:42AM

What are lads using for minerals for dry incalf cows that are still out.? Used to use licks and worked fine but want to get away from that if possible

Keepgrowing · 09-10-2017 09:51AM

Mooooo wrote: »

What are lads using for minerals for dry incalf cows that are still out.? Used to use licks and worked fine but want to get away from that if possible

Nothing here for last 5 years.

Mooooo · 09-10-2017 09:56AM

Keepgrowing wrote: »

Nothing here for last 5 years.

No cases of Milk fever? These dries will be on old grass

Timmaay · 09-10-2017 09:57AM

Keepgrowing wrote: »

Nothing here for last 5 years.

Made a big effort here last winter, silage tested, special mineral made up, closely enough following the feeding rate etc. 2bh noticed fook all difference, still had to jack out far too many calves for my liking.

Mooooo · 09-10-2017 10:03AM

Timmaay wrote: »

Made a big effort here last winter, silage tested, special mineral made up, closely enough following the feeding rate etc. 2bh noticed fook all difference, still had to jack out far too many calves for my liking.

Minerals won't effect the size of the calf. Milk fever is the main thing I want to prevent and it's the autumn calvers still at grass I'm worried about. Are you feeding dries too well early on?

whelan2 · 09-10-2017 10:10AM

Mooooo wrote: »

Minerals won't effect the size of the calf. Milk fever is the main thing I want to prevent and it's the autumn calvers still at grass I'm worried about. Are you feeding dries too well early on?

Bare paddock. Baled silage and bucket minerals

Mooooo · 09-10-2017 10:22AM

whelan2 wrote: »

Bare paddock. Baled silage and bucket minerals

Dont want to use buckets, enough grass there for them, would put them in ifibwas feeding silage tbh as ground would be destroyed otherwise

stretch film · 09-10-2017 10:28AM

Mooooo wrote: »

Dont want to use buckets, enough grass there for them, would put them in ifibwas feeding silage tbh as ground would be destroyed otherwise

u worried about badgers?
could you put some weight in a cut barrel and lay bucket in it

Floki · 09-10-2017 10:43AM

Mooooo wrote: »

What are lads using for minerals for dry incalf cows that are still out.? Used to use licks and worked fine but want to get away from that if possible

I use Osmonds boluses.
The elite dry cow one for the dry period.
I guess you have to find what suits your soil on your own farm.
Some people will get away with none but since I started on the boluses I've noticed a big difference in calving and no cleanings held and better conception rate.
I'd never give them up now I was on mineral buckets for a while and it was better than none but there's a big difference in batches of buckets and some just full of molasses and then I had cows calving and holding cleanings who mustn't have licked the buckets.

Just find what suits your farm.

blackdog1 · 09-10-2017 10:57AM

Mooooo wrote:

What are lads using for minerals for dry incalf cows that are still out.? Used to use licks and worked fine but want to get away from that if possible

Cosecure I bolus and I'm giving 1-2 kg of barley oat mix with cal mag mixed in.

Mooooo · 09-10-2017 10:59AM

.

visatorro · 09-10-2017 11:20AM

Floki wrote: »

I use Osmonds boluses.
The elite dry cow one for the dry period.
I guess you have to find what suits your soil on your own farm.
Some people will get away with none but since I started on the boluses I've noticed a big difference in calving and no cleanings held and better conception rate.
I'd never give them up now I was on mineral buckets for a while and it was better than none but there's a big difference in batches of buckets and some just full of molasses and then I had cows calving and holding cleanings who mustn't have licked the buckets.

Just find what suits your farm.

Using all guard here. I wouldn't not use them know. I only ever gave it to them at drying off. Gave whole herd bolus in April. I think cows looked better anyway, am scanning next week. I used to give topical iodine aswell. I think it made a difference, read somewhere about too much iodine in cows so not sure what to do now

Dairy chit chat II

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