Dairy Chitchat 4, an udder new thread.

The JE and some other breeding is a disaster. You cannot even export them. Even the beef crosses off them are a disaster, now it doesn't help the use of extremely easy calving beef bulls.

When you have cattle struggling to make 300 kg carcases at 30 months no matter what they are fed and struggling with flesh cover as well.

Why would we even consider leaving the EU. It has been the greatest thing that has happened Ireland. It broke out dependence on the UK. It took us from a second world country to one of the richest ker Capita in the world.

Ya it has it issues but we are not leaving the EU because if a few regulations on dairying or farming in general.

It would be like shooting yourself in the foot because you had nail fungus

In your fantasy land scenario where a dairy farm brings through all calves to either beef at 24 months our as a dairy replacement, if in the higher band at 106kgs/ha per cow is used plus 81kgs combined for calf/1-2 year old, if derogation is revoked, a 100ha, 250 ac dairy farm could run about 90 cows plus all the followers, a 100 acre block would be down under 40 cows, is that financially viable you reckon...

The notion that they should be killing out at 300kg and at 30 months is something that could be looked at when they have the potential to do lw gains of 1kg/day and kill out at 220-250kg at 18 months, all at grass, lowering emissions and without importing proteins. If you look at our native breeds the jersey is the most similar animal, versatile and easy care. The top Michelin star restaurants throughout Europe look for purebred Jersey for the prime cuts due to the quality. In terms of the nutrient density of their milk, best in class and again extremely suitable to the Irish system of production, I get that people don't argue against their benefits when it comes to milk production but worth mentioning still. Again each to their own opinion but the vilification of this breed astounds me on on the regular.

I don't think I am missing the point. The dairy lads are set up to calve cows and then hold calves for as long as required before offloading. It's how they've set up their business and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. The volume of calves is dealt with and then they are moved on. You seem to want them to no longer move the calves on to another farm. And i don't get that logic. There's a market in the EU for these and that's why they get exported.

For beef they are worthless, i wouldn't take them for free because it wouldn't be free.

There are downsides to them for milking as well, they suit some operations more than others

There’s one man sitting back with s big smile and chuckle on his face watching over all this …..good auld mr goodman with the prospect of a heap of cheap beef on way

+1

Quite obviously a troll if you genuinely think that is viable or you’re A little numerically challenged. That 100 acre farm might be able to support 80 cows currently and if a top operator might make a gross profit of 60k this year. If that farm could only carry 40 cows, gross profit down to 30k. Completely unsustainable for the hours involved and would lead to a mass exodus of dairy farmers…but judging by your comments you’d be pleased with this outcome.

Not going to happen given the recent poll on Irish attitudes to EU membership - in any case folk here should ask British farmers how happy they are atm with the trade deals the UK are signing with Mercosur countries and Tory agri polcies post Brexit in general. The NFU hoodwinked their membership with BS about a "bonfire of Regs" etc. to get as many suckers on board as possible saying the EU "handbreak" on British farming would come off once they went over the cliff with BoJo. Sadly you hear similar BS from certain farming orgs here in recent months🙄

You couldn't put a cigarette paper between the EU commission and free market wing of the Tory Party.

Especially on trade especially on agriculture.

I'm not calling here to leave the EU etc but just I've often wondered why people who are so opposed to Brexit decide to characterise the EU leadership as something else...

He was clearly making reference to the 100 acre sized farm which is more in line with the majority of dairy farmers in dero around the country.

Of course a 250 acre farm with 90 cows and all stock kept will make money but that is a very small minority of farmers with that kind of land bank, he was using that as an example of what a farm that size could carry regarding stock not that it wasn’t viable.

I don't know where you think I said anything about worthless calves. Until recently, the push was for milk traits and law of averages then mean a % will be male. I find it hard to believe that no one puts value on them and it's a sad state that our beef industry processors wouldn't at least cover costs for even a free calf. Every calf has a value of course, even in dairy as without the calf you don't have milk. The dairy lads may need to suck it up but even dairy are receiving, or are close to receiving below cost of production for milk. Again, the primary producer, no matter what they are producing are being rode.

I'll agree that there is no plan for the absence of live exports, and why would there be as it's not gone yet. But I've a feeling minds are going to be focused on it after this airs tonight.

The people who should be and will be most outraged by this will be farmers. Those who take steps to ensure high levels of care for their calves. They should make their voices heard on this, no room for excuses. So.e of the staff you see working at marts are pretty brutal.

By the way, bad practices at marts have been going on for years; it is a separate issue to dairy expansion bit looks like it will be conflated to suit other agendas.

Exactly. Heads need to role and the farm orgs should be front and centre looking for that

Didn't make for great viewing, between live exports of calves, the killing of newborns and the amount of pollution from dairying the timing of that program tells me that there's something coming down the line. That program was the prep work for what ever scheme is on the way