I have a booster pump if gravity glows starts to suffer
Great growth and grazing conditions now.. Are we all going to try and come in under the 6300 litres or what? What are the fines like for exceeding it? Seems like a shame to be drying off cows for 3 months or milking extra cows to dump it down calves throats in the spring.
No fines just drive on ….if over 6300 you may just drive on to whatever level of production u want ….sell off the low volume goats ….no cow/heifer should need any longer than 50/60 dayS out of parlour …..less cows more milk and solids
Cut out December milk here any way
we’re just on the line between the 2 bands I’ll try and stay in middle band as long as possible
24,000l supplied last December
call it 16k this year, yeah nice cheque to get in December but what are the consequences by doing that if it pushes you over the line
everyone will have a different solution to there situation
Worked in 3 year average ….if anywhere near it may as well drive on hard into it and cut out the passengers /low yielders
milking straight thru from here on calving bought back to mid January start calving handful of cows up to early may if I have to ….November /December cheques are money for jam if solids are good and cows will milk on …..only milk oad from late November to when cows start calving in January …..imo far too much pressure is put on you aiming to calve big amounts of cows in February …and dealing with the problems of a spring if/when they occur
As I said everyone’s route will be different
feck all passengers here, 27 extra incalf here and hard enough pick out which to sell after April calvers and a few high scc ones
calve em all in 9 weeks and shut down the parlour in early December is much more appealing to me
if there calved tight you’ll have to be dried early any way to give them a decent dry period
Looks like the shear grab has attacked her in the past
That 16k would be nice after Xmas and the new year though. I milk for 2 weeks in December and get 10k litres off 3 or 4kg nuts. Solid percentages would be high. That January cheque is nearly my favourite one of the year. It would be nearly April before I'd see a decent cheque again.
Everyone to there own 👍👍I used to think that way calve them quick and shut down from early December ….over years found out calving quick is grand and still is but when things go wrong with calves and or weather wheels start to come off ….figured out oad from late November and December is stress free and easiest cheque of year to pick up ….changes I’m making now fit me far better
9 week calving spread will be some achievement but ultimately good cows will be culled just because of a strict calving window …maby grand with loads of heifers coming behind but nitrates restriction and cost of carrying them will have implications …..I’d easily find 10% of cows to cull here last few years if I’m honest ….have a serious bunch of heifers comming on now though
Talking to scanner man today- very poor results this year
Imo with the bands, its either drive on if in the high one or stay in the middle one. Would want to be doing circa 7400 plus to account for the lower sr of the 106 against the 92 in terms of output depending on overall numbers.
60ha if dero is at 220 would be 143.4 cows at 92 and 124 cows at 106.
If 143.4 did 6400kgs 124 would have to do 7400 for the same overall output
My scanner said things are good in West cork except for few lads going for short calving season
my point is if that December milk is going to push you into the higher band as is the case here what’s that cheque going to cost you in the grand picture
its going to cost us reducing by 30ish cows at same land area or taking on 30-35 acres to stay at current cow numbers
either way it’s less money to me over trying to take in milk in December off meal and silage
30 less cows is 30+ k profit gone or other wise forking out 400€ an acre for new land
Two different approaches to milking between us tbf
you’d probably cull all my heifers, like wise your heifers wouldn’t be my cup of tea either
Results very good here. 93% in calf, with 83% of those inside 6 weeks. 8 week calving window.
I've been planning on buying a small outside block for nitrates, silage, heifers. A nice place has come up now but it's 6 miles from me which isn't ideal. Then again, one could be waiting forever for something more local. I'll give a look at it anyway.
We scanned this morning. Great in calf rate to ai. Then there's about 3 weeks with nothing in calf, then more in calf. I knew there where a good few not in calf as I took the bull out a month earlier than last year. Scanning man said the warm weather is to blame. The late calvers will just carry over to autumn. Haven't had to do that in a good few years. They're milking well though
I know what you mean but it's a sore thing to take when it makes no sense and it's not going to do anything to help with water quality.
If only the set they band at 7000 like the milk recording bands that already exist. Regarding milking off silage and meal in December - well you will be giving them silage anyway.
Fair point ….both work for us in different ways
Would December milk do that as it’s be the smallest volume month milk wise ….
Was just doing my figures there. Will exceed 6300 by mid Sept. Average running at 6700 the last few years. But I'm only supplying about the 500kgMs and feeding about a ton.
If I have to cut 10 cows it's really going to hurt and I think they'll be looking for suppliers like me yet.
Meanwhile signpost farms are all stocked at 3+.
Seriously mixed around here ….lads who ran stock bulls from start going to be v busy ….lads who did just 2 /3 weeks Ai and let off bulls some not enough bulls are v mixed …..sexed semen saw v poor results and then the drought through august has seen cows scanned in calf come billing
here had 12% empty which was disappointing but at least can be explained ….cows fell off a cliff milk wise early June …..stomach/lungworms …..then let off a Hereford bull who despite testing fertile just wouldn’t do the job and finally had an abnormally large amount of twins last spring and despite having them all handled and checked pre breeding a lot showed empty …..luckily heifers 100% with 80% holding to fixed time serve
Drive the f**k on, why would you dry up with potentially 70 cent a litre this winter
I had a lad ringing me today as I was scanning looking for culls. I said with milk price at what it's at I'll be milking them on
Because of the stupid banding legislation that teagasc wrote which says that if you produce a few hundred litres over 6300 then they are going to fine you.
just shy of 70 last month ….should break it this month ….agree
If you didn't draw down the dole money you can basically drive on, nitrate derogation is basically goosed going forward anyways your just buying yourself a year our two at best given the 220kgs/ha been muted for 2024, what's the plan then give the 400 acre for ground to keep numbers at current levels our destock
Whats the first band 5500? I sold culls the other day, grass gets scarce here in October. Had 6%empty so happy with that. Would we be better off feeding less meal to get under the 6600 band or 5500 one
Is the banding not coming next year
Not as clear cut as that anymore either. If no bps or whatever twill be council/ epa come into play afaik
