organic farming

In Orghanics up on 15 years and what you described is how I found them from the start. Issues every year. IT excuse is a joke think after 10 years have it sorted.

Yeah - I have a lad lined up for later next month. Lime and Fym already applied and plot fenced off

Do all organic dairy farmers sell their non-replacement calves at a month old to be reared off another cow? Many farmers selling weaned calves? What would I expect to pay for a weaned calf that I could rear to beef?

A lot of organic dairy x calves are jsold conventionally at 3-5 weeks too. You'd have to go into a direct arrangement to justify a dairy farmer rearing them them. It'll cost the dairy farmer c.€150-200 extra in milk alone not to mind meal, hay, straw, and vet . Then add in a margin for time/ labour and facilities and add that on to your price of a month old calf. You're looking at €500 - 600 on average I'd say for a well done bunch.

Might be cheaper buy the cull cows to multi suckle and young calves, but there's plenty work in that too.

Apparently the Department have rolled back a bit and you can now feed organic milk replacer but there is no one shouting out that info, if you ask the bodies they will tell you but they are not broadcasting the fact either.

You mean you can feed non organic milk replacer?

Every effort should be made to keep stock organic. This looks like one of the rules where Ireland wants to be better than everyone else. If other countries in the EU can use organic milk replacer, then so should we. The market however is quite small as there is only about 70 organic dairy farms.

There may be an allowance there, it's best check with your certification body.

Nope has to be organic powder

This is it exactly! This was Paddy showing that he was better than the rest of Europe. But when it was contested the Irish standards couldn't stand up because there is noting in the EU organic regulations about 72 hour feeding or not using reconstituted milk. The regulations only stipulate that if feeding milk replacer it has to be organic. I've a feeling that when the FVO were over last Autumn they pulled the Department over it .

Two things one per standards below which are EU based calves have to be fed maternal milk until 3 months and 2 there is no certified organic milk replacer in Ireland.

Milk

4.08.11 (889.20.1) All young mammals shall be fed on maternal milk in preference to natural milk, for a minimum period of three months for bovines including bubalus and bison species and equidae, 45 days for sheep and goats and 40 days for pigs. Note: Natural milk is defined as fresh whole milk or dried whole or skimmed milk and must be organically certified.

Note:

A product containing milk protein and vegetable oil made into a product that looks like milk cannot be accepted as natural milk and cannot therefore be used in the first three months of life for bovine animals. While certain milk replacers on the market can be certified as organic, such organically certified milk replacers cannot be fed to bovines in the first three months of life, or similarly other mammals within the periods specified at Article 20 par 1 of Commission Regulation 889/2008, e.g. 45 days for sheep and goats and 40 days for pigs. The only exception to this would be in a specific emergency situation, which is catered for within the veterinary section of the standards, i.e. as a veterinary input for a limited period (up to 72 hours) in emergency situations.

This is one for individual clarification from the certification bodies and the Department regarding the latest standards. It's be easy get in trouble and lose out.

As far as I'm aware, it's allowed now (in what circumstances?) and is available to order from a few merchants. It's just dried milk powder, no veg oils etc and is coming in at about the equivalent of €1.20/l

Has anyone much experience in spreading rock phosphate in organics. Soil test results came back and everything is at pretty good levels, except for P which is quite low in nearly all of my plots. Looking to do silage ground this year and will cover some grazing next year hopefully.