Dairy Chitchat 4, an udder new thread.

Castlekeeper · 15-08-2023 03:49PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120977839#Comment_120977839

Lovely cow, holding up well.

You have to wonder about the consequences of gestation shortening though. Is that not just giving us a 3 week premature calf?

whelan2 · 15-08-2023 04:23PM

It's too short tbh. Dry off dates are messed up too. Was lucky this one was just the 40 days dried. 2 more Friesian heifer calves since out of same bull. One cow just 30 days dried other one is 41 days

green daries · 15-08-2023 09:36PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120982422#Comment_120982422

Ya that's way too short in my opinion anyway. It's not now it's going to catch the cow but towards the end of lactation I find they just tail off. Way too early 👍👍

straight · 16-08-2023 10:22PM

Some year for grass growth. Usually like to have 200 bales with the pit here but I often end up buying. I'll have 500 bales with a freshly filled full pit this year.

GrasstoMilk · 17-08-2023 06:19AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120983675#Comment_120983675

I always allow time for the short gestation when drying off cows

you can change the gestation length in HerdApp to give more accurate dry off dates

mahoney_j · 17-08-2023 08:27AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120988969#Comment_120988969

Saying it for years despite all the pricking around the ICBF have done with ebi gestation length hasn’t been looked at ….predicted start of calving and farms with 15/20% calved before that date is common

straight · 17-08-2023 09:01AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120989276#Comment_120989276

Are inaccurate calving prediction dates caused by lads registering calves on the incorrect date I wonder. I don't pay much attention to their dates here but I start breeding on the 3rd of may and don't get calves until February..

Say my name · 17-08-2023 10:19AM

Sold a Montbeliarde bull calf out of a fr/hol heifer yesterday.

The bull was left in with the heifers just to calving last winter and obvs this heifer wasn't in calf but went when the bull was with them.

Calf sold for €280. A real dote of a calf. Big dote though had to pull it from the heifer calving in the paddock. Heifer never minded me. A dote herself. But no way maternal. Calf reared on bottle. Calf walked in behind my father from the field half hour after being born.

Calf was four weeks old in the sale. Other calves in sale were lucky to get €10 in sale. Grouped together in 3 in a lot and younger than my own of the black and white breed but looked to be badly bred for beef and not the greatest looked after.

I don't want to preempt any actions but with online and movement technology now shown on boards it'll be simple for any officials to follow up and inspect farms. Sometimes people need rescuing from themselves.

whelan2 · 17-08-2023 11:58AM

I had a whitehead heifer calf , put her on donedeal. Sold in an hour. No mart fees etc. 130 at 10 days old and a new customer for calves. Probably could have asked for more but wanted her gone as we were going to be restricted a day or 2 later

TheClubMan · 17-08-2023 10:12PM

Does anyone know the breakdown cost of 1 litre of milk split between the farmer, processor and the supermarket? It's very easy to find the production costs at farm level as well as average incomes but processors and supermarkets share of the pie isn't as transparent. How much does it cost a processor to get that 1 litre of milk on the supermarket shelf?

roosterman71 · 18-08-2023 10:29AM

Don't think you'll ever get that information. Ceertainly from the supermarkets - they don't disclose their profits, and certainly not on individual items. Though I'd say what they make on milk would be small if anything as it's usually used as a loss leader to get you in the door where they will ride you on other stuff you buy. Processors would be the same. And I'd suggest processors aren't making a huge amount from the milk itself being packaged and sold in shops. Their money is in the value add side of things be that baby powder, or whey for sports drinks, cream, cheese, etc.

Bass Reeves · 18-08-2023 11:50AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120994650#Comment_120994650

I think there is only 2-3 liquid milk producers in Ireland and one of them is selling on there business. The CA is having a look at it. Other than that you have the Northern producer that operates here as well.

Margin must have improved. As well there is no bonus any longer for liquid milk production AFAIK because they can get enough milk from.outbof season production

18-08-2023 11:56AM

The last thing we needed was a storm. It’s a year that keeps on giving. Have housed all young animals as a precaution.

Siamsa Sessions · 18-08-2023 01:42PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120993175#Comment_120993175

It was 2-3 years ago now but I remember at a farm meeting that 6-7c/litre was mentioned as the processor cost for milk here for the main co-op in the south-east. I'm assuming that's gone up since then, but I guess it depends on several factors such as the debt co-ops are carrying, share buy-outs, and god knows what other internal business/admin issues.

mahoney_j · 18-08-2023 01:49PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120995116#Comment_120995116

Liquid milk is a no or negligible return business ….and o for one am delighted we’re nearly gone from it ….cut throat business with competitors undercutting one another just for volume …..supermarkets win most of time ….there is a set price per litre for winter months over base with no extra for solids

green daries · 18-08-2023 11:06PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120996008#Comment_120996008

That pricing structure is very nearly gone now mahoney_j nearly all gone to premium over base and solids.

I'm hoping against hope that glanbia have shot themselves in the foot debt wise and will now need to return a reasonable margin on liquid milk and not be annoying everyone else by supplying below cost milk just to get into am area

mahoney_j · 19-08-2023 06:32AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120998528#Comment_120998528

That’s just for liquid milk tho (stuff we drink )price is just x over base at standard solids ….winter milk schemes different as they offer price over base plus solids

green daries · 19-08-2023 08:07AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120998801#Comment_120998801

Ya ye are literally the last coop in the country with that payment structure all others are changed over to premiums for fixed contracts as well I think Strathdon are still flat price. ......and isn't arrabawn exiting liquid 🤔.

mahoney_j · 19-08-2023 08:48AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120998968#Comment_120998968

We are but competition authority are looking into it …..exiting liquid something we should of done years ago ….rotten low /no margin business

alps · 23-08-2023 08:27AM

Running 3.5l behind this time last year. Same fats and proteins.

€1.40 per cow per day......lotta moolah..

Mooooo · 23-08-2023 08:55AM

2L back but protein ahead by .15 this year. Bf ahead a bit but variable enough. Earlier in the year I was further back on litres so we'll still end up a good bit back on last year.

Another wet night and **** day here and last of the grass on the ground and all clover🤦‍♂️

Siamsa Sessions · 24-08-2023 09:12AM

Milked cows for the first time in 21 years this morning.

I can confirm they still have 4 teats (most of the them), their sh*t is still semi-liquid green stuff, and they still walk wherever the hell they like 😂

JeffKenna · 24-08-2023 09:16AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121020042#Comment_121020042

Green cow poop is a new one to me lol

The Rabbi · 24-08-2023 10:48AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121020066#Comment_121020066

As it sails through air towards your face,glistening in the morning sunlight it can display a myriad of glorious colours.It still stinks and leaves a green stain on your neck and collar.

24-08-2023 11:40AM

Can plate coolers be a source of a thermoduric problem? Mine is over 20 years old. Got a new hot water tank so that’s not the problem but getting the same results, it’s 10k now and last month was around 800. I pre spray and wipe. It’s very annoying, the time and cost’s washing and getting bad results.

mahoney_j · 24-08-2023 12:38PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121020736#Comment_121020736

Wash your vacuume line and overfill jar

cute geoge · 24-08-2023 12:42PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121020736#Comment_121020736

You are using acid descaler I presume

whelan2 · 24-08-2023 12:48PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121020736#Comment_121020736

Have farm services come out to help? As said wash out pipeline. It's something it's passing over somewhere

jaymla627 · 24-08-2023 12:51PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121020736#Comment_121020736

get your parlour tech to open it up and you’ll find out fairly quick, had to change plate cooler here as seals went on her and it was filthy inside was passing test results but was always borderline 30-40 tbc and thermos of 400-600, last results where 6 tbc and 60 thermo……

what inch is your milk line jet blaster stopped working here and all the top of the 4 inch line was caked in cheese-curd got a crazy high tbc of a million and that was the issue had to take apart the milk in 3 spots and power wash it out to clear the curd out….

Mooooo · 24-08-2023 12:56PM

Give the machine a couple of washes with chlorine based detergent as well, rinse a couple of times after as well

Dairy Chitchat 4, an udder new thread.

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