Sure those lads are delighted with themselves. It wouldn't be for me. You see it here on this forum, some lads just want numbers of cows at any cost.
Some lads weren’t lucky enough to inherit land and have to work a bit harder than others 😉
Paying for every bit we’re farming here
What time do you finish in the evening?
Nah quality over quantity every day
You’ve a long day for the 12/12. It probably takes at least 30 minutes to get the cows to the parlour in the morning and maybe 2 hours at least again from the time you start the evening milking to finish. 7 days a week is a lot of hours
It's usually 11pm, I let milking to the last thing. But this year I'm going to change..
That's no life.
What’s your help situation like? My father was out after 9 every night before finishing the whole time in the spring while I was away in college during the weeks and living abroad for a year it’s hard get everything done in the day on your own and even going out in the morning and being met with cows calving the morning can slip away And that pushes your whole day out.
Once you can get some proper routine going if your on your own after the spring that would be the main thing.
I'm contented. Between children and elderly relatives, farming is only half my day. That's probably the main benefit of being self employed in that you can juggle things around.
I was that soldier once apon a time ,but eventually got a bit of sense .Life is far too short to be rooting with cows that hour of the night!!!
There's more than one way to skin a cat. Running around like a blue arse fly all day with no time to smell the roses is no life either. Can spend time with family/friends during the day too.
Is it 2 or 3 times a day you’re milking?
Four times hes at it ......he's the outside buyer for the processing assets in Kerry...........🙃
If your contented that's half the battle....is everyone else content. Have you a small bit of a relief milker if you change about your milking time even A bit it may be easier get someone to give you an evening off .that's if you want it. It's hard with family stuff to get about to the jobs in the yard at some stages of the year. As Jack said if you're on your own then small things can cause tie to run away
One thing I can never figure with this milking early evening. You get a couple extra hrs work done say between 330 and 530 every day that's 12 hours a week.when does that get done then.used to work and milk cows before so would-be used to long days.alot of talk about work life balance but I d ve a little question mark over what people are doing with alot of their free time.an awful amount of time now is being wasted on line in various forms. Myself included
Normally away with kids after milking in evenings or I spend time with my parents, neither of these should be neglected. Too many kids dont get to spend time with their parents anymore. We've an extra 2 hours in the day to do work on farm since new parlour went in. Maybe when kids move on I'll milk a bit later.
All the model farms usually have those silent labour units be it a placement student/husband/son/daughter//parents/wife/heavy reliance on good contractors etc out doing a few hours here and their to act as relief valve....
It's the above groups lack of disbelief at one man bands been out half the night and not in with the feet up at 6 in the evening that's most amusing, alot of the above group would be in a mental asylum/cows sold after a season if you took away all the outside labour, and its often the case in failed dairy farms where they are passed on, that it's not because the next generation is any worse a farmer than the previous but his support network of the above mighten exist
With regard to the milking time we milk OAD and many others milk OAD in the spring, the cows adapt very easily in my experience. So the couple of hours early start in the evening shouldn't be an issue for the cows.
Each to there own though we are in a different situation and this route is working out fine..with regards filling my time, I have a full time job and am studying a degree in my "spare time"
One thing re being on the phone: everyone is different but I’d class time on this forum as almost part of the working day. I learn a lot and it’s a great outlet to talk to other farmers when you’re part-time and don’t meet many peers in the physical world. Big difference between that and watching reels on Facebook (I swear I’m gonna stop doing that)
What's this "away with the kids" about. Why not have them out in the yard helping. It is the best way to bond with them and also good for their mental health.
We reared 6 of them here, all were brought up to work and they are all doing well now in their own right.
This idea of having them inside watching TV or on the phone is why lads have no successors.
Rant over.
When I’m working o don’t bring mine on farm as it’s simply too dangerous …people in non farming jobs don’t take there kids to work with them farming is no different and too many hidden dangers …I bring them out on Sundays when jobs are done in morning to see cows and calves …there in the calf pens …too up calf feeder and tell me which calf they want …funnily they don’t want any Fr bulls ….I’m down 2 nice Charolais calves !!!!.only time I’d bring them out when working is if I’m giving in silage when they’ll sit in tractor
Mainly to sports stuff. We dont go until their jobs are done. I help out with some of the teams. We've a PlayStation 4 in our house. I'd say once a week at most it's played. Summer months never used
Have your own lads/daughters that are farming with you, have a conveyor belt of chaps in the wings, to keep the show on the road in 20 years, that silent labour aspect seems lost on you, what was the norm for your generation kids isn't now, have 5 brothers here, not one of them can/could milk a cow/drive a tractor all grown men in their 20/30's
That's a very good point re support systems. And look there's a difference in people, generation,and also In the graw for farming and the land and way of life of farming (if that makes sense)
I do think a lot of the younger generation just look at it as a business and as a way to earn money. (I know not all do )
Bringing em out here in the evening, bee some of the small calves, hunt cows out of paddocks etc with me, put up strip wires also with them in de summer. Lot of adults nevermind kids don't want to work anymore...
After years of paperwork and thousands of yo-yos, I’ve been accepted into the Poitou-Charente AOP. It was one of the most difficult projects to get over the line. The onus of proof was on me, and it was retrospective for 10yrs. No GMO feed allowed for 10yrs before hand. All forage must come from within a 50km radius, and no more than 10% can be purchased. Cows cannot be fed more than 750kg of concentrates. Etc etc.
I’ll get +3cpl base for non-gmo and another +6-8cpl, depending on butterfat, for being AOP.
I actually had to dump Facebook because ..........where the hell did that hour go.😁these phones are frighteningly addictive
I need to get rid of tik tok 😱
There's the other side to it though, if they dont want to do it dont force them. Many a child grew up with a total hate for the farm after being made work on it. There are other chores they can do
Well done! A 10cent bonus is nice to have. Play where the ball's going to be, not where it's at.
