You have a cow that suits your situation perfect- what I can’t understand is that your doing 570kg ms and haven’t any bulls in Ai- at 570 your best cows would be doing 750 kg ms on a grass based system
why don’t you show us some of your best performing cows
Ye I'm kinda one generation into crossing pretty much British Friesians with Holsteins, so all the younger cows and heifers are about 40-50 percent friesan. I'm sorry I wasn't more particular with the the bulls I used on them older cows. Just went with the high ebi from the ai man..anyway lesson learned.
Any recommendations, would you use any Irish bulls?
Same here
I'm neither good or confident enough to recommend Irish bulls I'm sure there out there but I'm not confident in irish bulls anymore without the family back up. plus your the only man who knows what he wants in his cows or out of his cows.
For instance what do your cows look like and they they big square fr cows or smaller type cow with the back sloping towards the back. Then what would you like to do with your cows.as in do you want to add milk, size without loosing condition, or just matain your output while increasing solids. There's many ways to improve cows but it's about what you want yourself. I hope I'm sorta making sense if it was me I'd be looking for power milk solids and locomotive your fr cows are probably good hard wearing cows anyway
Anybody any experience with any of these models
Still blessed to have parents feed the calves while i concentrate on the cows during farming
Main problem is karting the milk to calf house as its rough and uneven ground
My other thoughts would be one of these and have barrell on ot to move around but not sure how well it will work
any thoughts would be greatly appreciated to help make the spring that bit easier
Thanks
Are you feeding mainly whole milk or milk replacer to calves ?
Whole milk to calves for first week to ten days then on to automatic calf feeder
Look they are costly options but parents are pushing on to be lugging buckets around the place
How far is the parlour from the calf shed/pens? The options you’ve given would be my last resort you could set up a submersible pump and run yellow hose you’d have on volume washer if not too far and attach a nozzle at other end for filling into pens. It wouldn’t even be a 20th of the price of the carts and works very well and no pushing at all involved even if it’s minimal with the carts.
Thats an option i hadn't thought about but could work
Distance is probably less than 100 meters once you take into account corners etc
Have milked in a few places with setups like that have a reel for hose in dairy so it can be reeled up and kept in from the elements during frost etc. Have pumped milk up to 70 metres from dairy to calves using this method so 100m should be doable I’d be thinking but maybe someone else with experience could confirm this for you.
Any one get a price for 35New concrete. Is 140 including vat + levy, anyway close?
€118 including levy plus vat in the south east before Christmas. Not sure since
Have spoken to lads about the urban milk shuttle and are happy with I but its serious money, I think 8k plus. But some had there 10 Yr olds feeding calves no bother. Was thinking of the connacht agri one myself but it's a few bob as well. Parlour a good distance down the hill from sheds here. Another option would be a buggy type thing and a trailed milk trolley with pump. The buggy may suit them/ and you for driving around the farm roads as well if they want if they could be found price right
Dry 1st calver down in the shed this morning, dunno what happened here. Took her out to field and made an attempt but failed to rise. One leg very weak whether she got flattened by another awkwardly or what I dunno.
Take your own advice and keep your money in your pocket
Advice is for giving. I had to break a yard because of blocked pipes. It was dog rough and one lorry would do it. A fella should write down what he does before he covers it with concrete. It would save a lot of time in the future.
More good advice I probably won't do.
I thought today was the open date for slurry. Ah well 🤣
I paid €140 in Dec. That was for foundations for an extension to the dwelling house. Incl VAT but not levy.
I’ve plenty to pour around the yard this year so I’ll be pricing around. @Grueller - was the €118 from Doyles?
Caseys outside Gorey
Have two of the "Gentleman" milk trolleys here. Haven't used them the last two years since we got the JFC automatic machine. But putting them back into use this year to ferry milk to the bull calves that will now be on ad lib milk with the new "Power" feeder we have just bought.
are u happy with the JFC feeder??
Its the motor to drive the wheels up the hill is the main thing. Have a standard jfc trolley with mixer with years but would be helpful on the busy days not to be pushing and pulling etc
yes no problems
The Gentleman trolley is like a wheelbarrow with 2 wheels. Easy to push but we don,t have to go uphill, all concrete and yard is level. The Power feeder has a pump and you just connect to bottom of trolley and it sucks it out.
Has their concrete got better ?
last lot I got off them a few years ago was utter shite
A first cousin works in the roadstone lab. If you know the roadstone lab staff, you'll know my cousin. Distinctive shall we say. Always take a cube and no problems.
I took a few cows to the factory last week. The slaughter report came back with a score of 2 and 3 for livers. liver damage or fluke present it said. Was a bit surprised by this because they've always been dosed and were in good condition. Is this normal and what effect would a damaged liver have. This was one fat bitch so it didn't seem to be harming her.
Any news with the first Calver. Is she far from calving. At least the weather is dry. Some pain in the aßsss to have a cow down.
Do you mind telling, what you used to go her to the field.
She has moved but not up yet but siting up and alert.
Have an 8 foot bucket on the loader, fortunately she wasn't far from where the loader can't go any further so with the help of a neighbour managed to turn her in to the bucket to carry her out. If she was further in it would have been a case of pushing and pulling using ropes etc till we got her to the bucket. Joys of old sheds
Not great for your back either. Best of luck with her
