Dairy Chitchat 3

Timmaay · 23-10-2019 3:24pm

mahoney_j wrote: »

Naghh milking real early in am or late in evening has o appeal to me

Start milking at 12noon, then 6am next morning, and 6pm next night? Actually wouldn't be the worst in fairness, a lot more doable than 16/16/16, which would require a 10pm milking.

Mooooo · 23-10-2019 3:41pm

Cell count would want to be good I think. Altho getting lads to cover on wkends is difficult enough even thru FRS and the like so if cell count is ok may be worth a try if the times can be lined up for days the may suit

Mooooo · 23-10-2019 3:45pm

Had heavy covers here the last two weeks so drove on to get thru them. Down to a afc of 720 now and with weather breaking again wondering am I better off to drive on and close in Nov at a lower cover or would that be a bollox in spring with a risk of too many high covers in feb/ March if weather is poor? Would finish by Nov 1st if I drive on

Buford T. Justice XIX · 23-10-2019 4:36pm

Mooooo wrote: »

Had heavy covers here the last two weeks so drove on to get thru them. Down to a afc of 720 now and with weather breaking again wondering am I better off to drive on and close in Nov at a lower cover or would that be a bollox in spring with a risk of too many high covers in feb/ March if weather is poor? Would finish by Nov 1st if I drive on

I'd like to keep some grass in the diet as long as possible, tbh.

Signpost · 23-10-2019 5:04pm

I'm pushing on and going to house with good quality bales until normal housing time. ATM looking at housing on Nov 4th

Injuryprone · 23-10-2019 5:30pm

I've done the 3 milkings in 2 days in '14, '15 & '17. Didn't do it last year as with fodder restrictions and feeding max in the parlour, I wanted to keep the routine more regular.
It worked well in general. Cell count went up a bit alright but I'm prepared to live with that. My cubicle cleaning routine was much improved last winter so we'll see if it's any different this year. Didn't really affect yield. Litres came down a little but solids went up. I milked at 6am, 10pm, 2pm. I guess you could say if you're a glass half empty person, you'll focus on the early start and late finish days. But as a glass half full person, I like to focus on having a lie in every second morning and being off at half 3 every second evening as well.

GrasstoMilk · 23-10-2019 8:22pm

66% grazed here but theres not alot left on the on half of what's left to graze so I might not graze that which means I'll be in full time fairly quick. Depends on weather really, would like to stay out into november though

Castlekeeper · 23-10-2019 9:16pm

Timmaay wrote: »

Start milking at 12noon, then 6am next morning, and 6pm next night? Actually wouldn't be the worst in fairness, a lot more doable than 16/16/16, which would require a 10pm milking.

I'd wonder how stressful it would be on the cows? In my experience, animals like routine around their daily activities. You'd want dry land as I'd imagine there'd be a lot of standing at the gaps with that system.

Diarmuid B · 23-10-2019 10:09pm

Mooooo wrote: »

Cell count would want to be good I think. Altho getting lads to cover on wkends is difficult enough even thru FRS and the like so if cell count is ok may be worth a try if the times can be lined up for days the may suit

Speaking of FRS (and apologies for hijacking the thread), I’ve signed up with FRS for relief milking around Kildare. Just wondering is there much interest for lads around this area in getting help through FRS or is there another way of getting you’re name around for relief work?

Water John · 23-10-2019 10:32pm

TMK there is a second private agency based in Kildare.

alps · 24-10-2019 10:23pm

Pig farmers have been forced to go on line recording for their animal remedies. The dept now have real time access to antibiotic use.

Could be introduced to cattle in 12 months time..

freedominacup · 25-10-2019 9:24am

Buford T. Justice VI wrote: »

I'd like to keep some grass in the diet as long as possible, tbh.

No grass in the diet here today.

farisfat · 25-10-2019 12:57pm

What are people's thoughts on teat sealers.
I'm using them here for 3 years now and don't see any improvement in scc or the amount of spring mastitis.
But I'm afraid to stop using them because its the thing to do.

jaymla627 · 25-10-2019 2:34pm

farisfat wrote: »

What are people's thoughts on teat sealers.
I'm using them here for 3 years now and don't see any improvement in scc or the amount of spring mastitis.
But I'm afraid to stop using them because its the thing to do.

Boviseal is the only sealer worth using on the market, sureseal is a disaster of a sealer but pushed hard by alot of co-ops and reps as they have a bigger margin on it

Mooooo · 25-10-2019 3:28pm

farisfat wrote: »

What are people's thoughts on teat sealers.
I'm using them here for 3 years now and don't see any improvement in scc or the amount of spring mastitis.
But I'm afraid to stop using them because its the thing to do.

Do you milk record? If so look at the first recording assuming it's in feb/ March and it will give an indication of cell count and whether it's heifers or cow's getting it or whatever. Method at drying off and dry cow facilities etc can be indicated. Of heifers are calving down above a regular percentage it could be the calving/ pre calving area. Heifers teat canal can open from 3 weeks pre calving and so are more exposed

farisfat · 25-10-2019 5:51pm

Mooooo wrote: »

Do you milk record? If so look at the first recording assuming it's in feb/ March and it will give an indication of cell count and whether it's heifers or cow's getting it or whatever. Method at drying off and dry cow facilities etc can be indicated. Of heifers are calving down above a regular percentage it could be the calving/ pre calving area. Heifers teat canal can open from 3 weeks pre calving and so are more exposed

I don't record.
Scc is not a problem or never was,the reason for using sealers was to lower scc and reduce spring mastitis but they made no difference.
It was always sureseal.

Timmaay · 25-10-2019 6:37pm

freedominacup wrote: »

No grass in the diet here today.

Went from 1kg to 2kgs of meal lol. And 4 to 6kg of a leafy silage. Opening maize tomorrow, only got extra feed barriers in tonight to give every cow a space, lastmin.com as always.

GrasstoMilk · 25-10-2019 8:42pm

farisfat wrote: »

I don't record.
Scc is not a problem or never was,the reason for using sealers was to lower scc and reduce spring mastitis but they made no difference.
It was always sureseal.

Sure seal is dirt. Used it two years ago and a pure disaster, back to boviseal last year and the difference was night and day. No high scc starting off and no mastitis. Made a complaint to norbrook but no one ever followed it up

Timmaay · 25-10-2019 9:13pm

Was it sureseal that had the half full tubes, but you didn't know which end was empty and you'd end up injecting just air into some quarters.

liosnagceann75 · 25-10-2019 9:35pm

Timmaay wrote: »

Was it sureseal that had the half full tubes, but you didn't know which end was empty and you'd end up injecting just air into some quarters.

Vet has no boviseal left. Got Noroseal instead. Any thoughts on it?

mahoney_j · 25-10-2019 9:52pm

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

Sure seal is dirt. Used it two years ago and a pure disaster, back to boviseal last year and the difference was night and day. No high scc starting off and no mastitis. Made a complaint to norbrook but no one ever followed it up

If I was given a present of sure deal wouldn’t take it ,pure rubbish

mahoney_j · 25-10-2019 9:56pm

farisfat wrote: »

What are people's thoughts on teat sealers.
I'm using them here for 3 years now and don't see any improvement in scc or the amount of spring mastitis.
But I'm afraid to stop using them because its the thing to do.

No offense but are u sure the sealer is the problem ???,mastitis in spring most likely down to hygiene ,clean dry beds ,clean yards ,clipped tails adequate space for cows etc

farisfat · 25-10-2019 10:29pm

mahoney_j wrote: »

No offense but are u sure the sealer is the problem ???,mastitis in spring most likely down to hygiene ,clean dry beds ,clean yards ,clipped tails adequate space for cows etc

Mastitis or scc not a problem only about 5% of herd get treatment for mastitis scc has not gone over 200 in five years.
Going forward its looking like more restrictions on antibiotics so I'll probably have to start milk recording and only treat the higher scc cows.
That's the reason for the questions about the sealers I've no Faith in them.

GrasstoMilk · 25-10-2019 10:43pm

liosnagceann75 wrote: »

Vet has no boviseal left. Got Noroseal instead. Any thoughts on it?

Think boviseal may be under a new name?.' Could be completely wrong, saw it being advertised in ifj a few weeks back
We buy ours off a local guy who sells doses/ minerals etc from his house, he rings around his customers every autumn as to how much sealer they want and has it bought for who needs it

liosnagceann75 · 25-10-2019 11:53pm

liosnagceann75 wrote: »

Vet has no boviseal left. Got Noroseal instead. Any thoughts on it?

Got boviseal online. Will return the Noroseal to the vet.

cute geoge · 26-10-2019 8:06am

liosnagceann75 wrote: »

Got boviseal online. Will return the Noroseal to the vet.

where? l

alps · 26-10-2019 9:00am

Do you need a prescription for sealer?

straight · 26-10-2019 9:17am

alps wrote: »

Do you need a prescription for sealer?

No

straight · 26-10-2019 9:20am

I'm flooring a calf house here and want to put in good drains. Putting a calf feeder in the middle so I want a good drain out of it. Will aqua drains block up with straw. Would just a channel be better. Any alternatives

Wildsurfer · 26-10-2019 12:02pm

straight wrote: »

I'm flooring a calf house here and want to put in good drains. Putting a calf feeder in the middle so I want a good drain out of it. Will aqua drains block up with straw. Would just a channel be better. Any alternatives

If the aqua drains are outside the pen and you use a board to keep back straw they will be fine as you can keep them swept regularly. From my experience here with auto feeder: I have a concrete area around each feeder station and as calves get bigger its very hard to keep clean as they spend so much time loitering there especially when it starts weaning them off as they keep trying to get milk. Not sure what the solution is though!

Dairy Chitchat 3

Comments