Dairy chit chat II

Say my name · 02-01-2018 09:53PM

Reggie. wrote: »

I know they were test drilling that field for zinc at one time

Aha!

whelan2 · 02-01-2018 09:54PM

Say my name wrote: »

Aha!

Welcome to Boards

kowtow · 02-01-2018 10:04PM

All being well I have an outfarm coming on this year which is a bit big for my needs.

The plan at present would be to finish all our own calves up there, all silage etc. and only keep milkers at home. But even at my breakneck pace of expansion I'd still need to buy in some bull calves every year to make the place balance - and even at that I'll be understocked there for this year at least.

Sitting on the beach with nothing to do was wondering whether it might be a good idea to take heifers for someone to rear instead of additional bull calves? Could fit up to 20 alongside our own animals and then we'd not have to bother buying anything in.

Would many people be looking for heifer rearing at that small scale? Too late for this year? (if there was someone this year we could take bull & heifer calves together....)

Great sheds etc. - and we are up there twice a day anyway. Would be a pity to see them understocked.

jaymla627 · 02-01-2018 10:23PM

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

https://www.farmersjournal.ie/amp/drought-in-new-zealand-gives-positive-signals-for-irish-milk-price-335693?__twitter_impression=true

Milk prices are looking a lot better heading into the 2018 season compared to this time last year when we were heading into the 2017 season. Unfortunate that it's on the back of another countries mis fortune

It's grasping at straws by jk the New Zealand situation in 2016 the last gdt auction returned smp 2621 wmp 3658 butter 4290, the first auction of this year returned smp 1699 wmp 2886 butter 4500, smp is basically worthless given the stocks in intervention, butter is the only saving grace at the minute, and that's after suffering pretty step drops lately, all market signals point to a series drop in prices when the spring flush comes in, and I'm not even going to mention the 100's of thousands of tons the Americans have in storage

mahoney_j · 02-01-2018 10:42PM

jaymla627 wrote: »

It's grasping at straws by jk the New Zealand situation in 2016 the last gdt auction returned smp 2621 wmp 3658 butter 4290, the first auction of this year returned smp 1699 wmp 2886 butter 4500, smp is basically worthless given the stocks in intervention, butter is the only saving grace at the minute, and that's after suffering pretty step drops lately, all market signals point to a series drop in prices when the spring flush comes in, and I'm not even going to mention the 100's of thousands of tons the Americans have in storage

Agree with that synopsis ,massive overhang of product in intervention ,America powering on ,Dutch cull not having any effect ,britan increasing production ,nz drought and drop in production will be a help .unless something drastic happens I reckon 30/32 cent on cards for may

Mooooo · 02-01-2018 10:48PM

kowtow wrote: »

All being well I have an outfarm coming on this year which is a bit big for my needs.

The plan at present would be to finish all our own calves up there, all silage etc. and only keep milkers at home. But even at my breakneck pace of expansion I'd still need to buy in some bull calves every year to make the place balance - and even at that I'll be understocked there for this year at least.

Sitting on the beach with nothing to do was wondering whether it might be a good idea to take heifers for someone to rear instead of additional bull calves? Could fit up to 20 alongside our own animals and then we'd not have to bother buying anything in.

Would many people be looking for heifer rearing at that small scale? Too late for this year? (if there was someone this year we could take bull & heifer calves together....)

Great sheds etc. - and we are up there twice a day anyway. Would be a pity to see them understocked.

Possible issues with mixing stock if they can't be kept seperate? Possible handiest way may be sell silage off it, too light cuts done early would be better for the ground and then use it in autumn to build a block of grass to keep the youngstock out as long as possible? Depends on ground off course. Are you in west cork direction? If so there should be plenty looking for silage ground? If they are close enough to put slurry out there as well twud be better

Gawddawggonnit · 03-01-2018 08:19AM

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

https://www.farmersjournal.ie/amp/drought-in-new-zealand-gives-positive-signals-for-irish-milk-price-335693?__twitter_impression=true

Unfortunate that it's on the back of another countries mis fortune

Quotas gone in Eu and thousands of tons of product in store across the world...if it takes a drought in Nz to support price for a few months, so be it.

Suffering a once in 40 yr drought here...so what!

In ‘76 the drought was just as severe as now and train loads of straw were brought from Spain to feed animals...branches with any green leaves were cut down to feed starving cattle etc.
Same level of drought now and no problems yet. Yes milk supply was dented a little but that’s all. If the Kiwis can’t deal with it they should be looking at the sustainability of their system.
Could say the same about the second fodder crisis in Ireland in five years...

jaymla627 · 03-01-2018 10:38AM

Gawddawggonnit wrote: »

Quotas gone in Eu and thousands of tons of product in store across the world...if it takes a drought in Nz to support price for a few months, so be it.

Suffering a once in 40 yr drought here...so what!

In ‘76 the drought was just as severe as now and train loads of straw were brought from Spain to feed animals...branches with any green leaves were cut down to feed starving cattle etc.
Same level of drought now and no problems yet. Yes milk supply was dented a little but that’s all. If the Kiwis can’t deal with it they should be looking at the sustainability of their system.
Could say the same about the second fodder crisis in Ireland in five years...

Your a failed farmer out in New Zealand if your making to much silage, and having buffers of feed when the s##t does hit the fan like this year, would love to see what crap professor Roache is preaching now, really needs to come down of that high horse of his

Say my name · 03-01-2018 11:12AM

Grand mild day out.

Cut the grass on the back lawn Stephens day and it's shot back up today.
Nice to see a bit of growth out.

George Sunsnow · 03-01-2018 11:26AM

Glanbia shares down almost €5 in 12 months and 4 euros down since last years vote
Are the markets not happy with its performance?
What’s going on?

In normal corporations,heads would be rolling at this stage not bonuses given

whelan2 · 03-01-2018 12:01PM

I wonder did many hand in their notice to leave glanbia. Speaking to someone who was handing in his notice he said strathroy was the only processor interested in taking him on

Reggie. · 03-01-2018 12:15PM

George Sunsnow wrote: »

Glanbia shares down almost €5 in 12 months and 4 euros down since last years vote
Are the markets not happy with its performance?
What’s going on?

In normal corporations,heads would be rolling at this stage not bonuses given

Dont mention them lads to Mahoney J

jaymla627 · 03-01-2018 04:47PM

George Sunsnow wrote: »

Glanbia shares down almost €5 in 12 months and 4 euros down since last years vote
Are the markets not happy with its performance?
What’s going on?

In normal corporations,heads would be rolling at this stage not bonuses given

They got greddy storing product in 2016 that they could of washed their hands of intervention at no loss, quiet heavily borrowed, and when you look at the share exchange debacle, their going to have to pony up 100 million their fairly soon given the share price collapse....
They are having trouble in America too, with a massive cheese plant that was meant to be built but has hit a stumbling block aswell

kowtow · 03-01-2018 04:54PM

Mooooo wrote: »

Possible issues with mixing stock if they can't be kept seperate? Possible handiest way may be sell silage off it, too light cuts done early would be better for the ground and then use it in autumn to build a block of grass to keep the youngstock out as long as possible? Depends on ground off course. Are you in west cork direction? If so there should be plenty looking for silage ground? If they are close enough to put slurry out there as well twud be better

We're paying well enough for it so I don't think it would wash it's face as silage ground.

It's an odd setup (aren't my setups always odd?) .. bigger than milking platform and a bit far from home so if I had any sense at all I'd milk up there, but I don't, and I don't particularly want to go any higher than 30 or 36 at home at least until the boy has finished his College years and got around a bit.

It wouldn't work well at all except that we have a manufacturing business over there anyway so I am there every day in any case.

So I'm planning on making all the silage there and maybe zero grazing it for a buffer at the shoulders, rotating the young stock & beef on/off with the baler or zero grazer so they have a fresh bite.

Are contract reared heifers typically separate from all other herds? Surely you'd want a fair sized bunch for that to work out with labour, fixed costs, etc.?

atlantic mist · 03-01-2018 05:14PM

heifer calf here born 5 days, not drinking yet, dam had to big a dug to get at her to drink

have to stomach tube her every feed

thought she might have started using his tongue properly at this stage...any one have ideas

kowtow · 03-01-2018 05:18PM

atlantic mist wrote: »

heifer calf here born 5 days, not drinking yet, dam had to big a dug to get at her to drink

have to stomach tube her every feed

thought she might have started using his tongue properly at this stage...any one have ideas

When all else fails (inc. honey on the teat) I find a selection of different bottles and teats sometimes works. I've had a few that for some reason won't drink from the easy feeder but will drink from the red teat on the bottle that comes with the stomach tubes.

Sillycave · 03-01-2018 05:29PM

Looking to try and set things up here with the new year and all and just wondering what programs or methods do people here use to track all the little things from cost control, measuring output (whether per ha, ms, etc.), registering calves, etc etc?
I know there's software packages there like agrinet, kingswood, herd watch, etc that I have looked st but don't think they give u some of the info people on here seem to give very easy ie ms/ha, %serviced in 6weeks, etc
Just wondering is it excel sheets that ye have done up yourselves or some software package, thanks

Henwin · 03-01-2018 06:26PM

anyone on here have friesian/jersey crossbred cows, we had a 60 cow holtstein herd for the last number of years, they are good milkers but their solids are poor, protein is 3.23 and fat is 3.77. so we decided 2 years ago to introduce a pedigree jersey bull with the 20 heifers, we have 7 yearling heifers now with more to be born this spring,
Our plan is to let him with the cows this year and then sell him so there wud be roughly half the herd crossbred.
Our worry is that the milk volume will be much less than the friesians and the increase in solids wont compensate for the loss of volume.
Has anyone had crossbred cows and how did they perform for ye, roughly how many cows wud we need to increase our solids, our milk price wud be very poor compared to others and we wud like to improve it.

Mooooo · 03-01-2018 06:29PM

atlantic mist wrote: »

heifer calf here born 5 days, not drinking yet, dam had to big a dug to get at her to drink

have to stomach tube her every feed

thought she might have started using his tongue properly at this stage...any one have ideas

Have you tubed her every feed without skipping one? What we do is tube 3 or 4 times and then leave them hungry at the next time if they don't drink 99% of the time they drink that evening then

Mooooo · 03-01-2018 06:31PM

kowtow wrote: »

We're paying well enough for it so I don't think it would wash it's face as silage ground.

It's an odd setup (aren't my setups always odd?) .. bigger than milking platform and a bit far from home so if I had any sense at all I'd milk up there, but I don't, and I don't particularly want to go any higher than 30 or 36 at home at least until the boy has finished his College years and got around a bit.

It wouldn't work well at all except that we have a manufacturing business over there anyway so I am there every day in any case.

So I'm planning on making all the silage there and maybe zero grazing it for a buffer at the shoulders, rotating the young stock & beef on/off with the baler or zero grazer so they have a fresh bite.

Are contract reared heifers typically separate from all other herds? Surely you'd want a fair sized bunch for that to work out with labour, fixed costs, etc.?

Don't have exp of contract rearing myself, but what would happen if more than one herd present in case of tb etc? Personally wouldn't do it unless it was just our stock there

Injuryprone · 03-01-2018 06:58PM

Sillycave wrote: »

but don't think they give u some of the info people on here seem to give very easy ie ms/ha, %serviced in 6weeks, etc
Just wondering is it excel sheets that ye have done up yourselves or some software package, thanks

Icbf gives you those

Timmaay · 03-01-2018 07:25PM

Henwin wrote: »

anyone on here have friesian/jersey crossbred cows, we had a 60 cow holtstein herd for the last number of years, they are good milkers but their solids are poor, protein is 3.23 and fat is 3.77. so we decided 2 years ago to introduce a pedigree jersey bull with the 20 heifers, we have 7 yearling heifers now with more to be born this spring,
Our plan is to let him with the cows this year and then sell him so there wud be roughly half the herd crossbred.
Our worry is that the milk volume will be much less than the friesians and the increase in solids wont compensate for the loss of volume.
Has anyone had crossbred cows and how did they perform for ye, roughly how many cows wud we need to increase our solids, our milk price wud be very poor compared to others and we wud like to improve it.

You will be taking a hit on the milk without a doubt. I would be cautious to suggest that introducing je will solve all of your problems overnight 2bh, you do need to be careful to pick a je bull with as high as possible kgs of fat and protein. Also expect the 1st crosses to milk a good bit less in their 1st lactation. However the jex can help solve many other problems, such as fertility, lameness, survivability etc.

I think if you are happy enough with the HOs now aside from the solids, then simply a high ebi, high solids half HO half br fr AI straws will fix your problems within a few yrs. This is for a well setup 60cow herd, completely different story with the likes of bigger herds where labour is a challenge.

K.G. · 03-01-2018 07:43PM

Henwin wrote: »

anyone on here have friesian/jersey crossbred cows, we had a 60 cow holtstein herd for the last number of years, they are good milkers but their solids are poor, protein is 3.23 and fat is 3.77. so we decided 2 years ago to introduce a pedigree jersey bull with the 20 heifers, we have 7 yearling heifers now with more to be born this spring,
Our plan is to let him with the cows this year and then sell him so there wud be roughly half the herd crossbred.
Our worry is that the milk volume will be much less than the friesians and the increase in solids wont compensate for the loss of volume.
Has anyone had crossbred cows and how did they perform for ye, roughly how many cows wud we need to increase our solids, our milk price wud be very poor compared to others and we wud like to improve it.

What kgs of solids are ye doing per head or hectare in a year at the moment.wouldnt crossbred just for raising solids plenty fr bulls knocking out good %s.nothing against x breds but where you make the money with them is days milking on grass .not suited to indoor milking really as wouldnt convert feed into as good as hols

Midfield9 · 03-01-2018 07:56PM

Sillycave wrote: »

Looking to try and set things up here with the new year and all and just wondering what programs or methods do people here use to track all the little things from cost control, measuring output (whether per ha, ms, etc.), registering calves, etc etc?
I know there's software packages there like agrinet, kingswood, herd watch, etc that I have looked st but don't think they give u some of the info people on here seem to give very easy ie ms/ha, %serviced in 6weeks, etc
Just wondering is it excel sheets that ye have done up yourselves or some software package, thanks

https://www.icbf.com/wp/?page_id=56

mf240 · 03-01-2018 07:57PM

Henwin wrote: »

anyone on here have friesian/jersey crossbred cows, we had a 60 cow holtstein herd for the last number of years, they are good milkers but their solids are poor, protein is 3.23 and fat is 3.77. so we decided 2 years ago to introduce a pedigree jersey bull with the 20 heifers, we have 7 yearling heifers now with more to be born this spring,
Our plan is to let him with the cows this year and then sell him so there wud be roughly half the herd crossbred.
Our worry is that the milk volume will be much less than the friesians and the increase in solids wont compensate for the loss of volume.
Has anyone had crossbred cows and how did they perform for ye, roughly how many cows wud we need to increase our solids, our milk price wud be very poor compared to others and we wud like to improve it.

I would of been one of the anti Jersey brigade in here a few years back. I have since taken a chane on a few . I love the little feckers now. Always in on the first row and always eating something.

Panch18 · 03-01-2018 08:16PM

mf240 wrote: »

I would of been one of the anti Jersey brigade in here a few years back. I have since taken a chane on a few . I love the little feckers now. Always in on the first row and always eating something.

If I remember correctly you have a calf rearing system as well. Are you rearing their calves as well? to beef or mart? much of a hit there?

No doubt there are many plus points to them, and you're right, they are tough out

mf240 · 03-01-2018 09:02PM

Panch18 wrote: »

If I remember correctly you have a calf rearing system as well. Are you rearing their calves as well? to beef or mart? much of a hit there?

No doubt there are many plus points to them, and you're right, they are tough out

Ya the calf quality is the big problem. Suppose it's hard to have it all.

stretch film · 03-01-2018 11:19PM

jaymla627 wrote: »

They got greddy storing product in 2016 that they could of washed their hands of intervention at no loss, quiet heavily borrowed, and when you look at the share exchange debacle, their going to have to pony up 100 million their fairly soon given the share price collapse....
They are having trouble in America too, with a massive cheese plant that was meant to be built but has hit a stumbling block aswell

You've got yourself in a bit of a knot there Jay.
No investor is sweating over how much powder is in storage in a business with a defined margin part owned by a plc.
Likewise the funding strategies of an unlisted co-op.

The issues with the cheese venture I'm not too au fait with except talk of a scramble for suppliers..

Delayed development might be prudent if milk supply is not nailed down.

jaymla627 · 03-01-2018 11:33PM

stretch film wrote: »

You've got yourself in a bit of a knot there Jay.
No investor is sweating over how much powder is in storage in a business with a defined margin part owned by a plc.
Likewise the funding strategies of an unlisted co-op.

The issues with the cheese venture I'm not too au fait with except talk of a scramble for suppliers..

Delayed development might be prudent if milk supply is not nailed down.

You don't reckon that using co-op shares in the plc as collateral to fund storing 100 million odd euros worth of product (sorry five million was drew-down by farmers and since been payed backed) isn't just a tad bit sketchy, will be interesting to ask the question how much product they have in storage from 2016 still sitting their at the meetings in Jan...
Massive money been spent down in Belview again that we are told is being carried by G11, but that was when share-price was at 19 odd euro, just how attractive going forward to investors is the glanbia model going to be given its poor preformacnce, the party line was always how well the plc was doing and the wealth this generated for shared-up farmers , the wheel has turned now and the carrot of valuable plc shares going up in value year on year isn't their now

kevthegaff · 03-01-2018 11:40PM

Was offered loan with Boi secured at 5.75%. Waiting on Ulster Bank on acceptance at 4% secured. How come Boi rates are so bad, might be moving to Ulster if accepted

Dairy chit chat II

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