Dairy Chitchat 4, an udder new thread.

It could have been worse, at least it wasn’t the vice grips.

Heifers broke out of their house last night and sh1t on and dragged their own and cow's silage around the yard. Milk lorry arrived seemingly when they were out and luckily closed the gate behind himself. Could have been much worse.

Cow calved a short while ago and the calf is as wild as a deer. Have to feed the calf now.

Always hold your breath time when cows are moved between groups. Try to do when feeding to distract them or do it at milking time is good too.

Cows can be very cruel to each other. They will pick on the weakest ones and can be very rough with them.

Can't seem to get ahead of myself here, dry cows mixed and between fighting and everything else didn't a daft bitch calve in the cubicles. Calf fine and cow fine but would she follow the calf or come out of the shed, not a fcuking hope. Being on your own then for when majority of these things happen. Few cases of mastitis as well on top of things a load of night time calvings has me well burned out.

Yep it happens to many of us. I used to see my father who was a very fit hard worker. That was when work was hard, cycling and piking and cows in stalls. But he was a big believer in the nap after dinner. Take a power nap when you can, either day or night.

I could be off my head but sure what's new.

I see online people are claiming benefits of hydrogen water or adding hydrogen tablets to glasses of water and claiming it's a big help against tiredness and improved energy.

Pros: it's not drugs. There'll be no harm done. Our bodies are basically I think 80% h2 by mass.

Haven't tried it myself bar making an inline water pipe thing a ma jig with round stones that may release more hydrogen in the water line here. But just myself I think I've more energy this year than a normal calving season. Could be placebo. I have a h2 meter bought to test a few things. May have a look see to compare.

Youtube channel VolmerFilm has video on Compost tea for spraying on land, might be of interest to you

I was landed flat on my back in a cubicle passage the other night, by a 9th calver, she showed a serious turn of pace for an old girl when I was trying to turn her over to the calving pen.. no injuries but glad it was me not the old fella

Feed pre-calvers in the evening. Have them in that routine for at least 3 weeks before calving. Make sure they’re hungry before feeding every evening.

We never calve cows by night. They’re seen at 9pm and not seen again until 6am. It works!

The only time we would change this is during a heatwave, when we want them to calve during the night. That’s the only time of the year when we calve at night.

I’m a bit overwhelmed myself. Before the new year my two dairy lads were in a serious accident. One broke his femur in two and the other broke his neck in 3 places. Both out of action for months…you can imagine how pleased I am.

There’s 41 lads in the local FRS…and they point blank refuse to milk cows! Hard to blame them I suppose.

There will come a time when there won’t be anyone to milk cows. We’re already at that point now.

I'm in a similar boat, a contract came up close to me for a year that I couldn't turn down. Up these days at 5.30 to check them, I'll milk if theres nothing stirring, gone by 7.30, back for 5.30 in the evening. I'm lucky that the fella who was doing relief milking for me came available full time, he lands at 7 and waits for the day if hes needed. We've a four week old in the house too. Its the nites where shes up or theres a cow calving that are the killer, you're a zombie the following day

You still not tempted to throw in a few robots and future proof your business haha...

Dream on Mahoney!

Yes there will be lads to do farm work…but milk cows, I’m not so sure.

Ordinary dairy workers are on €41k p.a. with me and if I’d to replace them, I wouldn’t have a hope. There’s no shortage of work and they can pick and choose…and milking cows isn’t the most desirable job in the world. I’ve seen it here with Irish lads, they’d tell you how they love cows etc, but when the drivers are heading off on the tractors you’d see their faces fall. It’s understandable.

Robots aren’t the answer either.