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David's going Dairying.

davidk1394

I’ve created a new thread so you can follow my journey into dairy farming. I’ve made the decision to start milking cows by February 2021. The first of the calves arrived today. I’ll post along the way

Here’s a link to my old thread: https://touch.boards.ie/thread/2057681402/1/#post101948565

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OffalyMedic

Hi David, glad to see the breeding went well. How did you decided on your type of cow? And then your AI bulls? Did you go on EBI for yields, solids, fertility or a combination?

davidk1394

Update for everyone. Planning has been granted and the herd test passed

A.I is coming to an end. I had a handful of repeats and three free martins in the herd. That issue has been sorted. I went with progressive genetics and I worked of the EBI off the heifers. Any small heifers I went with a red Angus for easy calving.

I'm going to supply Glanbia. I've applied to all the banks for a farm business loan. The last few weeks I've been putting together all the paperwork for them.

Mixed Farmer

davidk1394 wrote: »

Update for everyone. Planning has been granted and the herd test passed A.I is coming to an end. I had a handful of repeats and three free martins in the herd. That issue has been sorted. I went with progressive genetics and I worked of the EBI off the heifers. Any small heifers I went with a red Angus for easy calving.

I'm going to supply Glanbia. I've applied to all the banks for a farm business loan. The last few weeks I've been putting together all the paperwork for them.

Only found this thread v interesting. Similar situation myself(as our many on this forum). What can I expect too pay for a new (installed- excluding building work, just plumbed and wired) 14/16 a side swing over parlour. ACRs and auto wash?

Mf310

Mixed Farmer wrote: »

Only found this thread v interesting. Similar situation myself(as our many on this forum). What can I expect too pay for a new (installed- excluding building work, just plumbed and wired) 14/16 a side swing over parlour. ACRs and auto wash?

Approx 60000 id be saying although you will get your 40% grant on that and your vat back , Just a note acrs and autowash are both things that can be added on after easily I wouldnt be going straight into dairying and trying to put in the bells and whistles while taking the money away from somewhere else. Autowash is about 5000€ and ACRs at 1000€ a unit Could likely put in a simple 16 unit for 35-40K and it will do the exact same job.

We got into cows in 2018 bought a second hand 12 unit parlour with a dumpline for 8000€ took out and fitted it ourselves. We only put in feeders last spring as our main priority was to get milk in the tank on low cost and getting our paddocks roadways and water system up to scratch first. The luxuries can come after that. Just my opinion no point working for the bank and putting yourself jnder too much debt

Mixed Farmer

Mf310 wrote: »

Approx 60000 id be saying although you will get your 40% grant on that and your vat back , Just a note acrs and autowash are both things that can be added on after easily I wouldnt be going straight into dairying and trying to put in the bells and whistles while taking the money away from somewhere else. Autowash is about 5000€ and ACRs at 1000€ a unit Could likely put in a simple 16 unit for 35-40K and it will do the exact same job.

We got into cows in 2018 bought a second hand 12 unit parlour with a dumpline for 8000€ took out and fitted it ourselves. We only put in feeders last spring as our main priority was to get milk in the tank on low cost and getting our paddocks roadways and water system up to scratch first. The luxuries can come after that. Just my opinion no point working for the bank and putting yourself jnder too much debt

In NI so not the same grants on such items up here. Would rather finish parlour outright and have bit off luxury at start. Lot off dairy farmers I know stuck in a new parlour too small and reckon it’ll cost same as original 5 years later too stick 4 units on the back off a 12 point.

What sort off age you talking a 12 unit at 8000euro. Imagine if I was going second hand I wouldn’t want too go any older than 7 or 8. With ACRs and auto wash at that age compared too new price I wouldn’t want too give more than 15000. Have a friend who bought 1 and a dealer removed it and refitted for 10k. His parlour was only 2yo. He maintains he has v cheap parlour.

Bass Reeves

Mf310 wrote: »

Approx 60000 id be saying although you will get your 40% grant on that and your vat back , Just a note acrs and autowash are both things that can be added on after easily I wouldnt be going straight into dairying and trying to put in the bells and whistles while taking the money away from somewhere else. Autowash is about 5000€ and ACRs at 1000€ a unit Could likely put in a simple 16 unit for 35-40K and it will do the exact same job.

We got into cows in 2018 bought a second hand 12 unit parlour with a dumpline for 8000€ took out and fitted it ourselves. We only put in feeders last spring as our main priority was to get milk in the tank on low cost and getting our paddocks roadways and water system up to scratch first. The luxuries can come after that. Just my opinion no point working for the bank and putting yourself jnder too much debt

After vat and grant that 60K parlour would be costing 31K , however you would have your application costs on top if that. In Tams you have grant limits on overall TAMS grants so it important to priotize your spending.

As Mixed Farmer says he is in NI so he has to see grant and spending limits. However in your case on the 8K there was no vat to be reclaimed I imagine. But a proper set up with a warranty for a few years along with a good chance of no added cost is an advantage as well

Green&Red

davidk1394 wrote: »

Update for everyone. Planning has been granted and the herd test passed A.I is coming to an end. I had a handful of repeats and three free martins in the herd. That issue has been sorted. I went with progressive genetics and I worked of the EBI off the heifers. Any small heifers I went with a red Angus for easy calving.

I'm going to supply Glanbia. I've applied to all the banks for a farm business loan. The last few weeks I've been putting together all the paperwork for them.

David, are you worried about timing?

I found the loan part to be very drawn out. My machine arrived last week, being fitted first week of August, meal bin arrived this morning, second hand tank arriving end of August.

Bought another batch of heifers last week, scanned with a promise to take back any repeats in the first month. Up to 53 of the 70 I’m aiming for. Starting the last batch of reseeding at the end of the month.

Have been off Work since Covid started so I’m doing my roads myself, plenty of hard work

Best of luck with everything

Green&Red

Question for those more experienced

Between reseeding, one cut of silage and selling on suckler herd I’ve had a load of grass all summer. I’ve been giving the heifers the pick of it, am I in danger of over feeding them and putting on too much conditioning?

davidk1394

Green&Red wrote: »

Question for those more experienced

Between reseeding, one cut of silage and selling on suckler herd I’ve had a load of grass all summer. I’ve been giving the heifers the pick of it, am I in danger of over feeding them and putting on too much conditioning?

No, you should be ok. When their houses for the winter maybe give them some straw aswell, so they won't get too fat.

Water John

Dairy heifers spend the summer growing not fattening. As David said, no risk, but watch and condition score as they go into the winter and feed accordingly.

staples7

What’s the situation with TAMS II after Dec 2020? Will a similar grant be put in place again?

cosatron

mineral intake for incalf hiefers is vital coming up to calving. Don't be shy with the easy calver nuts and licks, and if housed we usually put minerals on the silage and we always give every animal that's in calf 2 all trace bolus a bout 8 weeks before calving.

davidk1394

So demolition has begun. Full planning has been granted and finance has been sourced. I am just going to do the parlor and crush facilities for the moment and put cows on straw for the first year or two.

Tileman

davidk1394 wrote: »

So demolition has begun. Full planning has been granted and finance has been sourced. I am just going to do the parlor and crush facilities for the moment and put cows on straw for the first year or two.

Best of luck David. Hope it all goes to plan for you.

Lovely old house there. Pity u had to knock the wall for the expansion.

Are u going to do up the old house or is doomed?

Buford T. Justice XIX

davidk1394 wrote: »

So demolition has begun. Full planning has been granted and finance has been sourced. I am just going to do the parlor and crush facilities for the moment and put cows on straw for the first year or two.

The old order changeth yielding place to new.

Busy few months ahead, best of luck to you.

wrangler

Buford T. Justice XIX wrote: »

The old order changeth yielding place to new.

Busy few months ahead, best of luck to you.

davidk1394 wrote: »

So demolition has begun. Full planning has been granted and finance has been sourced. I am just going to do the parlor and crush facilities for the moment and put cows on straw for the first year or two.

Are the sheds not suitable for cubicles, you'd imagine that you'd have teh cubicles done for the price of the straw to bed them for two years.
Bedding cows sounds an awful job

Water John

If the old house is to go, I think you can sort of move its planning to another site. Worth checking out.
There is a farm near Kildorrery where about 300 cows are straw bedded. Wouldn't rule it out if the straw if available locally. I think its about 3/4 round bales per cow. With a blower, no problem.

Dozer1

Jesus wept flatten the old house as quick as u can. Bloody Hoover money up trying to modernize em and they are still not up to a modern house standard.

patsy_mccabe

Dozer1 wrote: »

Jesus wept flatten the old house as quick as u can. Bloody Hoover money up trying to modernize em and they are still not up to a modern house standard.

Common sense just doesn't come into planning.

Bullocks

Dozer1 wrote: »

Jesus wept flatten the old house as quick as u can. Bloody Hoover money up trying to modernize em and they are still not up to a modern house standard.

If you had to apply for planning around me you wouldn't knock a house in that condition.

wrangler

Dozer1 wrote: »

Jesus wept flatten the old house as quick as u can. Bloody Hoover money up trying to modernize em and they are still not up to a modern house standard.

My OH says old houses have character and I say they have damp and draughts

davidk1394

wrangler wrote: »

Are the sheds not suitable for cubicles, you'd imagine that you'd have teh cubicles done for the price of the straw to bed them for two years.
Bedding cows sounds an awful job

Sheds are suitable and planning was granted for an extension to the sheds. But because of covid, planning and finance was delayed by two months. Theres a big tank to go across in front of the sheds and the floors in the sheds have to be raised. If the weather turned bad I wouldn't have space for all the animals.

All the straw is bought within a mile radius of me which is a big help. The year old heifers will be bedded on bean and pea straw and the cows with wheat straw. All the baling is done by myself and the bean and pea straw is chopped to make it easier to shake out. Most of the bedding is done using the digger and I'll work the same system as last year with the cows.

I also want to get milk flowing and money coming in before I get too much in debit. If I could get 2 years on straw I would be in a much strongee position to convert the sheds and I wouldn't be as dependent on finance.

Regarding the house I priced doing it up and the cost factor far outweighed the sentimental value of the house. Theres other buildings on the farm that are ear marked to be restored.

Mooooo

Others may disagree but anytime we went bedding stock we'd use twice as much wheaten straw compared to Barley straw. A lot more soakage in the barley. Wheaten slightly better for feeding

davidk1394

Mooooo wrote: »

Others may disagree but anytime we went bedding stock we'd use twice as much wheaten straw compared to Barley straw. A lot more soakage in the barley. Wheaten slightly better for feeding

Yes I agree. Wheaten straw is very plentiful here and barley straw is usually already sold. I only made my mind up last week about putting everything on straw. Up until then I was going to do the full build in Autumn.

Base price

davidk1394 wrote: »

Sheds are suitable and planning was granted for an extension to the sheds. But because of covid, planning and finance was delayed by two months. Theres a big tank to go across in front of the sheds and the floors in the sheds have to be raised. If the weather turned bad I wouldn't have space for all the animals.

All the straw is bought with a mile radius of me which is a big help. The year old heifers will be bedded on bean and pea straw and the cows with wheat straw. All the baling is done by myself and the bean and pea straw is chopped to make it easier. Most of the bedding is done using the digger and I'll work the same system as last year with the cows.

I also want to get milk flowing and money coming in before I get too much in debit. If I could get 2 years on straw I would be in a much strong position to convert the sheds and I wouldn't be as dependent on finance.

Regarding the house I priced doing it up and the cost factor far outweighed the sentimental value of the house. Theres other buildings on the farm that are ear marked to be restored.

David, I've enjoyed reading this thread since you started it.

I hope you kept that wrought iron gate.

davidk1394

Base price wrote: »

David, I've enjoyed reading this thread since you started it.

I hope you kept that wrought iron gate.

Yes, all the gates have been put to the side to be restored. All the limestone and slate flag stones were lifted and window sills taken out and pulled up. The red brick from the chimneys were also removed and stacked on pallets.

Base price

Mooooo wrote: »

Others may disagree but anytime we went bedding stock we'd use twice as much wheaten straw compared to Barley straw. A lot more soakage in the barley. Wheaten slightly better for feeding

IMO wheaten has more soakage than barley but goes mushy faster as it doesn't have a waxy covering - therefore you use more. Oaten straw is even more waxy and is crap for cattle bedding but good enough for calving pens. It's only really suitable if you are skipping it out daily i.e. horses.

GrasstoMilk

We bedded cows on straw for 14 years
Its definitely alot of work but it got us where we are
Burst on david, cows love it, it's very comfortable

On the old house, weve done up a 2 storey stone built house, cost us 40k
Going refurbing stables adjoining it next year
We'll have a 2800 square ft house for 120k

Base price

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

We bedded cows on straw for 14 years
Its definitely alot of work but it got us where we are
Burst on david, cows love it, it's very comfortable

On the old house, weve done up a 2 storey stone built house, cost us 40k
Going refurbing stables adjoining it next year
We'll have a 2800 square ft house for 120k

I remember seeing pics a while back on F&F of a lovely old stone cut farm house that was refurbished. Was that yours?

On straw bedding - there is nothing more comfortable for cattle and imo they thrive. All our cattle are bedded on straw. We use our defunct slatted unit to rear calves and we covered the slats with straw.
I read somewhere that you shouldn't put milk cows on straw bedding as it causes mastitis - I presume that regular applications of lime and cleaning would prevent it?

Bass Reeves

Dozer1 wrote: »

Jesus wept flatten the old house as quick as u can. Bloody Hoover money up trying to modernize em and they are still not up to a modern house standard.

Very bad advice. Planning and certification costs money. To build a new house most local Authorities charge a development levy in the order of 15-20k. If there is a septic tank there already it worth 5K. All new builds must be done to new BER ratings. BER is a game it more about reducing carbon footprints than about saving money for the occupants.

That a large enough house for to turn into a decent size family home. I done a job on a old two up two down farmhouse, I had to put on a completely new roof and do everything inside. I turned it into a two bed house. Cost about 45k over 4 years. I have it rented and it as good as another BPS