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Dairy Chitchat 4, an udder new thread.

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    #812
    Castlekeeper
    Registered Users Posts: 1,720 ✭✭✭Castlekeeper


    straight wrote: »
    Remember the cold weather in april/ may and the light 1st cuts. Them cold east winds and north winds.

    Yes indeed, I don't think we've ever seen more weather from that side. Around here it was mostly elevated or exposed farms that were affected, most chugged along pretty normally as the excellent ground conditions made up for it.
    Whole not as good as '19 which was a bumper year for 1st cuts, I would think that a lot of the reason for light 1st cuts this year was people cutting early? Again due to the dry weather and also for quality as there was a surplus in most yards.


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    #813
    My miwadi
    Registered Users Posts: 3 ✭My miwadi


    Hi guys,
    We bought in a incalf cow that was presumably hadnt calved. She looks full of milk every since she arrived a week ago and i thought she would of calved now. Is there anyway I should be able to tell if she has calved before coming here. We havint been milking her and she looks perfectly fine walking around the place. I squirted out abit of milk and it didnt look like colostrum atal just normal milk. But she isnt leaking at the same time. I thought pins were half down at one stage. Might sound silly but if i put my hand in her what am i expecting to feel if calf is there or if not? Any other way i could safeley check without having to call the vet?


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    #814
    GrasstoMilk
    Registered Users Posts: 3,863 ✭✭✭GrasstoMilk


    straight wrote: »
    Remember the cold weather in april/ may and the light 1st cuts. Them cold east winds and north winds.

    Our first cut was as good as every other year

    Cut 20% of MP in the first week of may at 5 bales per acre - it was second round grass we didnt finish and 3rd round grass that went ahead of the cows

    Had 10% of the MP out at that time too

    Grand year for grass here apart from the wet feb and March
    We're stocked at 4 from early april


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    #815
    cosatron
    Registered Users Posts: 2,021 ✭✭✭cosatron


    GrasstoMilk wrote: »
    Our first cut was as good as every other year

    Cut 20% of MP in the first week of may at 5 bales per acre - it was second round grass we didnt finish and 3rd round grass that went ahead of the cows

    Had 10% of the MP out at that time too

    Grand year for grass here apart from the wet feb and March
    We're stocked at 4 from early april

    considering your horsing out 250 units of N i would be disappointed with any thing else or i'd be on to my fertilizer rep.


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    #816
    straight
    Registered Users Posts: 4,603 ✭✭✭straight


    GrasstoMilk wrote: »
    Our first cut was as good as every other year

    Cut 20% of MP in the first week of may at 5 bales per acre - it was second round grass we didnt finish and 3rd round grass that went ahead of the cows

    Had 10% of the MP out at that time too

    Grand year for grass here apart from the wet feb and March
    We're stocked at 4 from early april

    I'm expecting a stormy second half of September. A right strange year I think. Somebody said earlier in the year that it was strange weather because of el nino.


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    #817
    GrasstoMilk
    Registered Users Posts: 3,863 ✭✭✭GrasstoMilk


    cosatron wrote: »
    considering your horsing out 250 units of N i would be disappointed with any thing else or i'd be on to my fertilizer rep.

    Majority of dairy farms would be spreading the same I would say
    I dont spread early in the spring unless the weather is right for it


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    #818
    GrasstoMilk
    Registered Users Posts: 3,863 ✭✭✭GrasstoMilk


    straight wrote: »
    I'm expecting a stormy second half of September. A right strange year I think. Somebody said earlier in the year that it was strange weather because of el nino.

    Could well be, no problem feeding a few bales if needed


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    #819
    cosatron
    Registered Users Posts: 2,021 ✭✭✭cosatron


    GrasstoMilk wrote: »
    Majority of dairy farms would be spreading the same I would say
    I dont spread early in the spring unless the weather is right for it

    :eek: we're only putting out around 150 units a year on the paddocks but we have an 28 day rotation. Thats allot of N grasstomilk, that wouldn't be my cup of tea, im looking at ways of reducing N


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    #820
    whelan2
    Registered Users Posts: 29,218 ✭✭✭✭whelan2


    My miwadi wrote: »
    Hi guys,
    We bought in a incalf cow that was presumably hadnt calved. She looks full of milk every since she arrived a week ago and i thought she would of calved now. Is there anyway I should be able to tell if she has calved before coming here. We havint been milking her and she looks perfectly fine walking around the place. I squirted out abit of milk and it didnt look like colostrum atal just normal milk. But she isnt leaking at the same time. I thought pins were half down at one stage. Might sound silly but if i put my hand in her what am i expecting to feel if calf is there or if not? Any other way i could safeley check without having to call the vet?

    If she's that close to calving you should be able to feel the feet down a bit. Do you have a due date or service date for her?


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    #821
    Sacrolyte
    Registered Users Posts: 851 ✭✭✭Sacrolyte


    whelan2 wrote: »
    If she's that close to calving you should be able to feel the feet down a bit. Do you have a due date or service date for her?

    Go in the poo poo hole,not the baby hole


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    #822
    GrasstoMilk
    Registered Users Posts: 3,863 ✭✭✭GrasstoMilk


    cosatron wrote: »
    :eek: we're only putting out around 150 units a year on the paddocks but we have an 28 day rotation. Thats allot of N grasstomilk, that wouldn't be my cup of tea, im looking at ways of reducing N

    Yep lot of N but if I'm growing the grass is it an issue?
    We would be 18-20 day round up until late august
    We are looking at changing the tanker and getting one with a T shoe to make better use if slurry but I dunno if slurry behind cows all the time is the answer either

    This paddock is grazed 14 days, no N in about a month and it got 22 units that time.
    Our farm is ex tillage farm, it's a big turn around from what it was 16 years ago when we bought it.
    It was ran down and had no reserves of any nutrient in the soil


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    #823
    cosatron
    Registered Users Posts: 2,021 ✭✭✭cosatron


    GrasstoMilk wrote: »
    Yep lot of N but if I'm growing the grass is it an issue?
    We would be 18-20 day round up until late august
    We are looking at changing the tanker and getting one with a T shoe to make better use if slurry but I dunno if slurry behind cows all the time is the answer either

    This paddock is grazed 14 days, no N in about a month and it got 22 units that time.
    Our farm is ex tillage farm, it's a big turn around from what it was 16 years ago when we bought it.
    It was ran down and had no reserves of any nutrient in the soil

    fair play, surprisingly enough we have similar grass with no N in about a month time, so its as much and much. you use more N on a tighter rotation and we use less N on a longer rotation.


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    #824
    My miwadi
    Registered Users Posts: 3 ✭My miwadi


    whelan2 wrote: »
    If she's that close to calving you should be able to feel the feet down a bit. Do you have a due date or service date for her?

    I was told she was 8.5 months incalf when she came here 10 days ago but also had ones that was told 8 months incalf that have calved already so im not to sure.


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    #825
    alps
    Registered Users Posts: 4,944 ✭✭✭alps


    cosatron wrote: »
    :eek: we're only putting out around 150 units a year on the paddocks but we have an 28 day rotation. Thats allot of N grasstomilk, that wouldn't be my cup of tea, im looking at ways of reducing N


    Usage can only be considered high when the yield of grass does not correspond with what was applied.

    If a farmer grows 14 tonnes or more..I.e. it equates to about 10 grazings of 1500 cover followed by 10 applications of 25 units..

    I know today's logic tends towards 1 unit per day, so on a 20 day rotation, that 20 units, but it's a world removed from 40 units that were being applied 10 and years ago.


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    #826
    alps
    Registered Users Posts: 4,944 ✭✭✭alps


    Massive reductions can be achieved by not throwing fertiliser away in the Spring time. Background N will easily feed early growth rates and in most cases until the plant has been stimulated with a grazing.

    Follow this by turning off the spinner while passing exits, water troughs, and lie back areas, or any area where any congregation occurs and you can easily cut down from a 25 units spread rate to an actual 20 units used rate.

    Over a year..it quiet significant.


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    #827
    atlantic mist
    Registered Users Posts: 1,258 ✭✭✭atlantic mist


    grandfather used to put out 300 weight back in the 60s and 70s, thats per spreading, he makes out we grow nothing like what they used to in the country, hes often giving out about the little butty grass all over the place


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    #828
    Timmaay
    Registered Users Posts: 11,394 ✭✭✭✭Timmaay


    It would be interesting to know the nitrogen use per kg of milk solids out the gate also, would be easy for a lad stocked at 2cows/ha to be using alot less bag nitrogen than a chap at 4cows/ha and sending out 550kg/cow, however the 2nd chap might be ahead on the nitrogen per kg ms. And yep you do need to factor in how much extra bought in feed the chap with the 4cow/ha needs and the nitrogen use here.


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    #829
    Siamsa Sessions
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 3,676 Mod ✭✭✭✭Siamsa Sessions


    Timmaay wrote: »
    It would be interesting to know the nitrogen use per g of milk solids out the gate also, would be easy for a lad stocked at 2cows/ha to be using alot less bag nitrogen than a chap at 4cows/ha and sending out 550kg/cow, however the 2nd chap might be ahead on the nitrogen per kg ms. And yep you do need to factor in how much extra bought in feed the chap with the 4cow/ha needs and the nitrogen use here.

    Thru the QA scheme, Bord Bia would have a lot of the info needed to work out that ratio across the country

    Trading as Sullivan’s Farm on YouTube



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    #830
    Mooooo
    Registered Users Posts: 8,611 ✭✭✭Mooooo


    Scanned today. Cow's 8% empty after 13 weeks, heifers 2 out of 34 empty. Pity as those two were scanned in calf back in June so lost the pregnancies.
    Must put in the figures to see the calving pattern yet but still too many due in April, a couple in early May. left the bull in the extra 10 days as easier to manage in the herd test when with the cow's. Still once they are saleable they are better than empty cows I spose.


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    #831
    mahoney_j
    Registered Users Posts: 11,111 ✭✭✭✭mahoney_j


    Mooooo wrote: »
    Scanned today. Cow's 8% empty after 13 weeks, heifers 2 out of 34 empty. Pity as those two were scanned in calf back in June so lost the pregnancies.
    Must put in the figures to see the calving pattern yet but still too many due in April, a couple in early May. left the bull in the extra 10 days as easier to manage in the herd test when with the cow's. Still once they are saleable they are better than empty cows I spose.

    Scanned here too ,not good but along expected lines 16 empty (including 7 planned culls ).sub fertile bull did damage all heifers will be calved within 10 days due to very good hit on ftai.calving wrapped up by late March .4 really good cows gone .fook it anyway but is what it is ...nothing obvious wrong one cow with cyst did few blood samples few weeks back nothing major up .will most likely buy back in 5/6 young cows /heifers


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    #832
    Buford T. Justice XIX
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,633 ✭✭✭✭Buford T. Justice XIX


    mahoney_j wrote: »
    Scanned here too ,not good but along expected lines 16 empty (including 7 planned culls ).sub fertile bull did damage all heifers will be calved within 10 days due to very good hit on ftai.calving wrapped up by late March .4 really good cows gone .fook it anyway but is what it is ...nothing obvious wrong one cow with cyst did few blood samples few weeks back nothing major up .will most likely buy back in 5/6 young cows /heifers

    I'll tell Mike to prepare a bigger overdraft so:D


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    #833
    cosatron
    Registered Users Posts: 2,021 ✭✭✭cosatron


    mahoney_j wrote: »
    Scanned here too ,not good but along expected lines 16 empty (including 7 planned culls ).sub fertile bull did damage all heifers will be calved within 10 days due to very good hit on ftai.calving wrapped up by late March .4 really good cows gone .fook it anyway but is what it is ...nothing obvious wrong one cow with cyst did few blood samples few weeks back nothing major up .will most likely buy back in 5/6 young cows /heifers

    wouldn't happen to the ones that sh*ts in parlour or has 3 teats or is full awkward.


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    #834
    Mooooo
    Registered Users Posts: 8,611 ✭✭✭Mooooo


    mahoney_j wrote: »
    Scanned here too ,not good but along expected lines 16 empty (including 7 planned culls ).sub fertile bull did damage all heifers will be calved within 10 days due to very good hit on ftai.calving wrapped up by late March .4 really good cows gone .fook it anyway but is what it is ...nothing obvious wrong one cow with cyst did few blood samples few weeks back nothing major up .will most likely buy back in 5/6 young cows /heifers

    Always the way. Have 2 with bad feet went in calf the day the bull went in I'd say. Empty cow's are all fine bar being empty so will see how yields are going may milk on with the late calvers, well if this covid craic is still around as there'll be nowhere to go anyway! If I could find Feb calvers may buy and then sell the late ones but shir that's what every fella will be looking to do. Will put everything in and see how the calving pattern goes first anyway


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    #835
    mf240
    Registered Users Posts: 4,850 ✭✭✭mf240


    mahoney_j wrote: »
    Scanned here too ,not good but along expected lines 16 empty (including 7 planned culls ).sub fertile bull did damage all heifers will be calved within 10 days due to very good hit on ftai.calving wrapped up by late March .4 really good cows gone .fook it anyway but is what it is ...nothing obvious wrong one cow with cyst did few blood samples few weeks back nothing major up .will most likely buy back in 5/6 young cows /heifers

    See Lads selling scanned empty cows for milking on. What kind of money are they making


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    #836
    Sacrolyte
    Registered Users Posts: 851 ✭✭✭Sacrolyte


    mf240 wrote: »
    See Lads selling scanned empty cows for milking on. What kind of money are they making


    Traditionally between 550 and 750


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    #837
    kevthegaff
    Registered Users Posts: 6,905 ✭✭✭kevthegaff


    With milk prices only nay, probably best option to move them now


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    #838
    mahoney_j
    Registered Users Posts: 11,111 ✭✭✭✭mahoney_j


    kevthegaff wrote: »
    With milk prices only nay, probably best option to move them now

    Lots of high solids milk to be produced for next 3.5 months I’ll milk all mine on till then and try shift the better ones on then if I can as milkers if not tube them and sell as culls end jan


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    #839
    Mooooo
    Registered Users Posts: 8,611 ✭✭✭Mooooo


    If sr is ok I'd milk on, if it's tight I'd sell em on now to help build a bit of cover. Ok here so will milk on. Not sure what to do with the two empty heifers tho


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    #840
    Farmer2017
    Registered Users Posts: 85 ✭✭Farmer2017


    Milking some my planned culls oad and kill late Oct. empties milking nd will dry off mid dec nd outwinter. Sell as culls early feb


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    #841
    Buford T. Justice XIX
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,633 ✭✭✭✭Buford T. Justice XIX


    Letter from Kerry in the post just now that all milking machines will have to be washed by chlorine free detergents from next Feb 28th. It'll be interesting as the local Delaval store isn't currently stocking any chlorine free powders.


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