Dairy chit chat II

Mooooo wrote:

The lads/ lassies may have better suggestions but may be a three way mix with a bit of silage thru the feeder could be put under the wire in the field. Haven't fed molasses myself so dunno how much could be fed. Beet pulp barley and maize mix or something.?

I'm feeding three way mix with silage already. Just seeing if molasses was any addition or just a sweetener. Like other posters I'll be on full winter diet next week.

visatorro wrote: »

Just trying to feed cows, willing to try anything. I know you'd put molasses on poor silage to make them eat it, does it reduce demand I suppose is what I want to know

Yeah have diet feeder

I haven't checked a price recently but any time I did over the past few years molasses wasn't value. When you need a bit to bind a blend you have to use it but unless it's dropped a lot in price you'd be better off with something else. Feeding 4kg hulls, 2kg soya and 1kg each of barley and maize meal here atm. They're eating that with 20kg of silage in less than 2 hours after morning milking and cleaning up the scraps after evening milking. They'd probably perform a bit better with less hulls in the mix but I'd be afraid of digestive upsets with a richer blend. If silage increases as it may well after next week I'll change the blend. Cut back the hulls and increase the starch.


Edit; Speaking of meal and sources for straights did anyone hear anything about an unusual takeover of a large grain and feed merchant in the south midlands?

freedominacup wrote: »

I haven't checked a price recently but any time I did over the past few years molasses wasn't value. When you need a bit to bind a blend you have to use it but unless it's dropped a lot in price you'd be better off with something else. Feeding 4kg hulls, 2kg soya and 1kg each of barley and maize meal here atm. They're eating that with 20kg of silage in less than 2 hours after morning milking and cleaning up the scraps after evening milking. They'd probably perform a bit better with less hulls in the mix but I'd be afraid of digestive upsets with a richer blend. If silage increases as it may well after next week I'll change the blend. Cut back the hulls and increase the starch.


Edit; Speaking of meal and sources for straights did anyone hear anything about an unusual takeover of a large grain and feed merchant in the south midlands?

Haven’t heard a dickey. What’s in the wind?

Base price wrote:

I got a price for molasses last week - 35c/kg for 200l. 1 litre of molasses is about 1.4kgs. We are using (slightly watered down) in the diet feeder to bind chopped hay, rolled barley, maize meal and beet pulp nuts.

Add on DD 235 for an ibc full.

http://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/we-have-to-get-away-from-one-size-fits-all-when-it-comes-to-stocking-rate/

Is stocking rate a bit like forward speed on a tractor.

If your a good pilot on a good tractor (good land) then you can push it on to get max output.

But if your not overly confident or if you have a bad tractor maybe best to take it a bit handier

This year were all driving on bald tyres with no brakes.

shows the pressure mills are under to keep ration moving......
got a delivery of cubes before 8 this morning they were made at 5.30..
mill going 24 hrs in prep for monday morning push.

wrangler wrote: »

Local tillage contractor/ farmer developing another dairy farm, probably 400 acres,
his first dairy farm (2014) has 550 cows I hear.....not all doom and gloom so

His co-op, feed merchants, etc. will be delighted with him.

Reggie. wrote:

He has 600. Putting in another 600 in tgat new place. Think he's quitting contracting

Opening for ya there

Reggie. wrote: »

He has 600. Putting in another 600 in tgat new place. Think he's quitting contracting

he must have a couple acres under cover in the first farm, I spent many days working on the farm he's developing now, my uncle farmed it up until 1984.

Where are ye boys from? Getting ever closer to factory farming at this stage in the emerald isle

Reggie. wrote: »

Westmeath

GW?

Waffletraktor wrote: »

GW?

Yep

kevthegaff wrote:

Alot of the big operators at the minute like it or lump it are big sfp beneficiaries or road compensation. Where did the 12 million come from? curious

Are these guys really farmers , who pump 12 millon into 1200 cows .that 10k per cow .
Is it the real world ?
The general joe soap can never aspire to that .
We ll just keep plodding along .
What do ye make of these guys who splash the cash and then become poster boys for us all to come visit .?