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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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davidk1394

Deal done on a parlor and tank and shed. Concrete man is coming Friday evening to go over the final plans and I'll be doing the final bit of digging next week. Finance is secured and the contract to supply milk has been signed.

Green&Red

Any update? Hows the parlour coming along?

Bought the last of my heifers this week, parlour wired up last week, last of the reseeding is showing above ground now, finishing off the roads. Small bit of drainage left to do

Mooooo

The capital cost of land over there can be written off also, but higher tax on sale price

Bass Reeves

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

Isn't that deliberate to keep down inheritance tax, which is very high there for farms.

No, when some one retires they sell the farm to the next generation whether family or not. The money is used as you pension. As farms often skip generations or are transferred out of the family the next generation of farmers start with a high level of debt.

The advantage is it focuses the farmer to be profitable. But most systems are highly intensive, this structure is coming under pressure at present where mandatory cuts to nitrate and phosphorus levels have lead to cut in cow numbers.

patsy_mccabe

Sacrolyte wrote: »

Much of the farm debt in Holland is generational debt.

Isn't that deliberate to keep down inheritance tax, which is very high there for farms.

Sacrolyte

Tileman wrote: »

Some bill for building that. Must be a venture capitalist behind it.

Much of the farm debt in Holland is generational debt.

patsy_mccabe

We farm land just like that. You dig down below the topsoil and it's all blue mud. It's out in the Shannon estuary. Land is well below high tide. Crazy thing is there is a load of houses built on it. Even scarier is that the town of Shannon and it's airport, is all built on land like that.

I wouldn't build on it, that's for sure. Impossible to even hang a gate there. The post just falls over in time. It goes rock hard in summer, but in the wet of winter, if you get stuck with the tractor, it will go to the axle. Great fertile land though, if cared for.

Tileman

cosatron wrote: »

F**k it dave go all in like this lad, knock the whole lot .:D

Some bill for building that. Must be a venture capitalist behind it.

Mooooo

cosatron wrote: »

F**k it dave go all in like this lad, knock the whole lot .:D

Right job. In the netherlands sheds at 25 years old are considered spent, often new ones built instead. They use timber piles in the polderlands as they last fine in the wet ground. Was on a farm where an old pit wasn't piled he said it would sink a few feet if silage was in it.
Pity the return from farming isn't alwayd good enough to say when these things could be done instead of if.... be it machinery, land or accommodation

cosatron

F**k it dave go all in like this lad, knock the whole lot .:D

davidk1394

It needs about 6 to 8 months to rot. It hasn't much soakage but it's fine for the first few weeks to build up the bed.

Say my name

Base price wrote: »

IYO, how long do you need to compost Rape/Bean straw before spreading presuming that it was used for bedding.
It's awfully woody and dusty compared to traditional straw.

I couldn't tell you.

I presume six months when it's chopped?

Ideal stuff for the biochar kiln.

wrangler

Base price wrote: »

IYO, how long do you need to compost Rape/Bean straw before spreading presuming that it was used for bedding.
It's awfully woody and dusty compared to traditional straw.

And is it really that absorbent

Base price

Say my name wrote: »

On the bedding.

I hear the best reports are of sand bedded cubicles. Only thing is the housing and slurry tank has to be designed to cope with sand from day one.
So slurry scraped to an outdoor or separate area off the housing that can be emptied out with a loader.

On the bean straw David. That should be the highest nutrient fym you'll have.

IYO, how long do you need to compost Rape/Bean straw before spreading presuming that it was used for bedding.
It's awfully woody and dusty compared to traditional straw.

Say my name

On the bedding.

I hear the best reports are of sand bedded cubicles. Only thing is the housing and slurry tank has to be designed to cope with sand from day one.
So slurry scraped to an outdoor or separate area off the housing that can be emptied out with a loader.

On the bean straw David. That should be the highest nutrient fym you'll have.

GrasstoMilk

Base price wrote: »

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?

Yeah I think I posted it up here, were in 2 years now and happy out. We were able to do a lot ourselves and got major work like roof/insulated slabs/plastering and wiring done by direct labour

We were way over stocked on straw bedding but I'd say weve more mastitis cases now than on straw but we havent actively culled for high scc in a while so that has a bearing on it too

GrasstoMilk

Mooooo wrote: »

Most would take to em, may have to run scrapers more often or put something down so they wouldn't lie elsewhere like tyres or something. Had in calf heifers on straw and all bar one were up on the cubicles first day moved in

We trained the majority of ours to cubicles in a week or so, none of them.knew what a cubicle was

Mooooo

wrangler wrote: »

Is it not difficult to train cows to cubicles if they haven't started in cubicles

Most would take to em, may have to run scrapers more often or put something down so they wouldn't lie elsewhere like tyres or something. Had in calf heifers on straw and all bar one were up on the cubicles first day moved in

Dozer1

Each to their own I'm on my 3rd house been through the conservation battle the whole hog an tshirt to prove it. But unless ure living in it I wouldn't rent out a house within an asses roar of the farm yard as the compo culture makes it a disaster waiting to happen. Anyway best of luck David didn't mean to sidetrack ure thread.

ruwithme

Lad down the road here planned on doing up a old house. Got planning for a extension too.time passed a bit and he changed his mind. Decided he'd knock her.

And so he did and just rebuilt her on the original footprint. Claims now he never paid a development levy and doesn't expect to either. Sure they never need to know.brave rascal

wrangler

davidk1394 wrote: »

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.

Is it not difficult to train cows to cubicles if they haven't started in cubicles

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

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?

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.