Dairy chit chat II

Timmaay · 13-12-2017 08:28PM

Mooooo wrote: »

Do ye have to do that to as part of grant is it?

To claim down the grant payment yep.

Snowfire · 13-12-2017 10:31PM

Lovely weather for the cows on topless cubicles these days..ðŸ˜”

Water John · 13-12-2017 10:39PM

Personally think they should be banned on, animal welfare grounds. Now, I'm in for it.

Base price · 13-12-2017 10:59PM

Water John wrote: »

Personally think they should be banned on, animal welfare grounds. Now, I'm in for it.

Me too although I would add slatted units as well - I'm doubly in for it

Water John · 13-12-2017 11:14PM

Have slats. Should put mats on them. But you are right, wouldn't build one now.
Would really look at bedding or cubicles and slurry separation.

K.G. · 13-12-2017 11:21PM

Snowfire wrote: »

Lovely weather for the cows on topless cubicles these days..&#55357;&#56852;

do you have them

yewtree · 13-12-2017 11:44PM

K.G. wrote: »

do you have them

I think we all know the answer to that question.
we built an outdoor feeding passage a couple of years ago, cubicles are still roofed. Cows would still spend a lot of their time outside even in the last week with snow and freezing rain, cows very content.

Water John · 13-12-2017 11:50PM

The cow has an option, Yewtree and that's fine. I have outwintered cattle. She can find some shelter. would be my point. Then the SW would have much higher rainfall and windy conditions.

yewtree · 13-12-2017 11:53PM

Water John wrote: »

The cow has an option, Yewtree and that's fine. I have outwintered cattle. She can find some shelter. would be my point.

I cant see the any animal welfare issue though, once cows have plenty of feed and are lnot ying in wet muck. I have seen outdoor cubicles on a few bad days, i though it was perfectly acceptable way to winter cows.

Snowfire · 14-12-2017 12:14AM

yewtree wrote: »

I cant see the any animal welfare issue though, once cows have plenty of feed and are lnot ying in wet muck. I have seen outdoor cubicles on a few bad days, i though it was perfectly acceptable way to winter cows.

I’ve yet to see cows, that will stand out in blizzard like conditions, sleet snow and driving rain, when they had the option to get shelter.

Keepgrowing · 14-12-2017 12:58AM

We have both here.

In 5 years since first OCs were installed, I've yet to take a sick or underperforming animal off them. I cannot say the same for indoor ones.

We have one shed of cubicles, really lovely dry clean shed where cows eat outside in an open yard and self feed. I thought I'd find them all inside Tis afternoon with the sleet and rain falling. Not a bother in them with 70% outside and all grand

Base price · 14-12-2017 02:51AM

Water John wrote: »

Have slats. Should put mats on them. But you are right, wouldn't build one now.
Would really look at bedding or cubicles and slurry separation.

Have a 5 bay slatted unit with lay backs that is redundant of purpose since 2012 along with a stand off pad. We use both as a collecting area for the annual herd test.
We now use the slatted shed (bedded) as an extra shed for rearing/weaning calves.

whelan2 · 14-12-2017 07:48AM

Keepgrowing wrote: »

We have both here.

In 5 years since first OCs were installed, I've yet to take a sick or underperforming animal off them. I cannot say the same for indoor ones.

We have one shed of cubicles, really lovely dry clean shed where cows eat outside in an open yard and self feed. I thought I'd find them all inside Tis afternoon with the sleet and rain falling. Not a bother in them with 70% outside and all grand

Are they milkers on the outdoor cubicles? Is dealing with the run off a problem?

K.G. · 14-12-2017 07:57AM

Keepgrowing wrote: »

We have both here.

In 5 years since first OCs were installed, I've yet to take a sick or underperforming animal off them. I cannot say the same for indoor ones.

We have one shed of cubicles, really lovely dry clean shed where cows eat outside in an open yard and self feed. I thought I'd find them all inside Tis afternoon with the sleet and rain falling. Not a bother in them with 70% outside and all grand

I would have been in the other camp but i built on extra cubicles last year and to stage investment i didnt roof them even though ill will probaly have to for nitrates storage.but it will be put off as long as possible.the cows are happy out and usage of indoor cubicles is no higher than outdoor but i will say there is a 8 ft wall around them.on the dry days the outdoor ones fill first.

Keepgrowing · 14-12-2017 08:18AM

whelan2 wrote: »

Are they milkers on the outdoor cubicles? Is dealing with the run off a problem?

Early calving portion of spring herd milked off them till last Monday when they were dried off. About 3-4 weeks. We also use to milk off if conditions get tricky in the spring during calving.

75 March/April calves milking off them at the moment. These will be dried off Christmas week. All autumn calves are in conventional indoor cubicles and the only mastitis cases so far this year has been among these cows.

Regarding runoff, yes there's more dirty water to collect but a €1000 with an umbilical will take care of all that runoff. That's a small price as opposed to the capital cost of a roof for 3 weeks of wet weather.

Just wondering if the people saying they're an animal welfare risk have any?

mahoney_j · 14-12-2017 11:04AM

Keepgrowing wrote: »

Early calving portion of spring herd milked off them till last Monday when they were dried off. About 3-4 weeks. We also use to milk off if conditions get tricky in the spring during calving.

75 March/April calves milking off them at the moment. These will be dried off Christmas week. All autumn calves are in conventional indoor cubicles and the only mastitis cases so far this year has been among these cows.

Regarding runoff, yes there's more dirty water to collect but a €1000 with an umbilical will take care of all that runoff. That's a small price as opposed to the capital cost of a roof for 3 weeks of wet weather.

Just wondering if the people saying they're an animal welfare risk have any?

Absolute zero ainmal welfare issues as long as feed is available and passages and beds are scraped regular .i have some and been milking off them for last 3 weeks beds ,scraped twice daily limed twice and scrapers going every 2 hours .no mastitis and cows milking very well
Slurry storage for me is the big negative as u need a lot more ,forcing me to roof what I have next summer ,either that or dig another big tank and my personal preference would be the roof .a lagoon is probably a must have if u have a lot of oc

Mooooo · 14-12-2017 11:16AM

https://www.bloomberg.com/amp/news/articles/2017-12-14/china-s-war-on-smog-unleashes-collateral-damage-on-world-s-farms?__twitter_impression=true

Snowfire · 14-12-2017 12:21PM

Keepgrowing wrote: »

Early calving portion of spring herd milked off them till last Monday when they were dried off. About 3-4 weeks. We also use to milk off if conditions get tricky in the spring during calving.

75 March/April calves milking off them at the moment. These will be dried off Christmas week. All autumn calves are in conventional indoor cubicles and the only mastitis cases so far this year has been among these cows.

Regarding runoff, yes there's more dirty water to collect but a €1000 with an umbilical will take care of all that runoff. That's a small price as opposed to the capital cost of a roof for 3 weeks of wet weather.

Just wondering if the people saying they're an animal welfare risk have any?

No don’t have and don’t have any intention of going down that road either. especially when building grant spec roof only adds extra 25% to overall build of slatted shed.Just because cows are not getting pneumonia on OC doesn’t mean they are content with no shelter and sleet and snow on their back.
Sure 90% of the time they are fine, but think lads forget about the other 10%. Cows are animals not machinery, they have feelings and nerves. If cows didn’t need shelter they wouldn’t gather under hedges.

Mooooo · 14-12-2017 01:01PM

mahoney_j wrote: »

Absolute zero ainmal welfare issues as long as feed is available and passages and beds are scraped regular .i have some and been milking off them for last 3 weeks beds ,scraped twice daily limed twice and scrapers going every 2 hours .no mastitis and cows milking very well
Slurry storage for me is the big negative as u need a lot more ,forcing me to roof what I have next summer ,either that or dig another big tank and my personal preference would be the roof .a lagoon is probably a must have if u have a lot of oc

Lagoons won't be so easy to get any more, neighbour was told couldn't use lagoon any more, currently digging out for a concrete tank

mahoney_j · 14-12-2017 01:38PM

Snowfire wrote: »

No don’t have and don’t have any intention of going down that road either. especially when building grant spec roof only adds extra 25% to overall build of slatted shed.Just because cows are not getting pneumonia on OC doesn’t mean they are content with no shelter and sleet and snow on their back.
Sure 90% of the time they are fine, but think lads forget about the other 10%. Cows are animals not machinery, they have feelings and nerves. If cows didn’t need shelter they wouldn’t gather under hedges.

Clueless

jaymla627 · 14-12-2017 01:45PM

Got this letter this morning, fair dues to progressive rep asked him to get us this bull for 2018 breeding and he went to fair rounds to do it

Snowfire · 14-12-2017 01:53PM

mahoney_j wrote: »

Clueless

Which part? Cows have feelings bit..?

Mooooo · 14-12-2017 01:54PM

jaymla627 wrote: »

Got this letter this morning, fair dues to progressive rep asked him to get us this bull for 2018 breeding and he went to fair rounds to do it

Pardon my ignorance but what's "special breeding purposes"

jaymla627 · 14-12-2017 01:59PM

Mooooo wrote: »

Pardon my ignorance but what's "special breeding purposes"

I haven't a clue, they must have brought in more red-tape re importing forigen bulls, not on the system already

MF290 · 14-12-2017 05:12PM

Keepgrowing wrote: »

Regarding runoff, yes there's more dirty water to collect but a €1000 with an umbilical will take care of all that runoff. That's a small price as opposed to the capital cost of a roof for 3 weeks of wet weather.

Is the rain water diverted off or still collected in the lagoon when cows aren't on it?

Base price · 14-12-2017 06:13PM

Mooooo wrote: »

Lagoons won't be so easy to get any more, neighbour was told couldn't use lagoon any more, currently digging out for a concrete tank

Oh, did they give a reason why he couldn't use it anymore. The reason I'm asking is that we have a lagoon.

the_blue_oval · 14-12-2017 06:40PM

Snowfire wrote: »

No don’t have and don’t have any intention of going down that road either. especially when building grant spec roof only adds extra 25% to overall build of slatted shed.Just because cows are not getting pneumonia on OC doesn’t mean they are content with no shelter and sleet and snow on their back.
Sure 90% of the time they are fine, but think lads forget about the other 10%. Cows are animals not machinery, they have feelings and nerves. If cows didn’t need shelter they wouldn’t gather under hedges.

Couple of hundred cows here on OC and all are happy out lying off on the cubicles while chewing the cud in this weather, not a bother on them..

But I was miserable scraping down cubicles outside in that skinning wind and rain...

Only reasons I can see for roofing them is because of extra slurry and for my own comfort..

Keepgrowing · 14-12-2017 06:50PM

MF290 wrote: »

Is the rain water diverted off or still collected in the lagoon when cows aren't on it?

Rain diverted when no cows in it

kevthegaff · 14-12-2017 07:51PM

Getting there

kevthegaff · 14-12-2017 07:54PM

Getting there

Dairy chit chat II

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