did you lose many to tb ??
about 200 between everything
A few lads retiring. No new entrants. Don't think anyone is increasing numbers now.
Ya would seem to be the same around my area no mass exodus but a slow bleed and no replacement rate
reading the grass watch page of the Journal today… looks like Sligo is the new Golden Vale… the contributor said ground conditions were excellent and cows were out grazing everyday and going out for a few hrs by night next week… while the contributor from Louth had no cow out as land was too wet…
Is there an issue with ICBF / DAFM genotyping? Taking forever
With land at 15 to 20k per acre rent 400 to 500 concrete 130 to 160 per meter how the hell can a new entrant get going or any lad expand
Same Every year.
A few single ones broke so no cattle went in.
Yea I know it sounds weird but I'll be 75 at the end of the lease and I'll neither have the energy or the inclination to change them
Waste of time genotyping just use daughter proven bulls from good cow families look at the percentage accuracy for each trait not worth bothering with look at the way the ebis of genotyped bulls dropped.Most bulls in this years catalouges may never be seen again.
your some genius 🙄🙄
Friday the 13th,
Sent away 3 dry cows to the factory. Got a voice mail this morning. One had lesions. Well feck it, im only clear a year.
What are the odds it was caused by something else. 3 weeks for results to come back but im locked up now
when had you a herd test last ?
Another Friday the 13th in March, yay
Jeez, that's bad luck, and bad timing with it, may the harm of the year go with it.
It could be timber tongue?alot of mis diagnosis. It could be up to 6 weeks to wait until the lesions are plated imo and experience.
I thought with this pcr test results were to be back quicker and there'd be no inconclusive only negative or positive
AThat would be nice, if it came back clear, it's a bad time to be locked up
It was mentioned maybe last year but did anyone go ahead with rubber mats in the calving pen instead of straw? Im still of the view it would get very slippy with fluid and cleanings etc
!!! An actual shitshow is what it would be, I couldn't imagine anyone with the first notion of animal husbandry would give it a second thought.
Not a suitable environment to be letting sprung up cows and newborns into.
have you ever seen one ….i have and it’s very impressive ,foam mattress area which can easily be washed down and disinfected ,great grip for cows feet ,saying that hard beat deep bed straw but above is very viable alternative
its not a cubicle mat its a totally different job made for just calving and then moving on the calf to a straw pen and cow to parlor
wash them between calvings and minimize disease spread
it makes a lot of sense for a tight calving dairy herd from a labour point of view
I was walking thru cow shed one of the days and I slipped on cleanings on the slats. I would just be afraid of the cow or myself slipping on the mat. Also im not well enough organised to watch the cow start to calf on the cubicles and just take them out to a calving area. Some people seem to time this very well. Mine could be on straw for a week Before they calf.
Dislocated my knee slipping on cleanings years ago
Im trialing mayo calving mats this year on 2 calving pens, no issue with slipping so far, the calving mats are harder with more grip support, cant drive on with tractor
If given choice cows do pick straw bedded shed, im bedding down on top with sawdust and lime daily
Works fine, calves not as snug as in straw, im considering adding a heat lamp to see if it would even it out, i dont like them getting destroyed in sawdust after calving but cow still licks them
A week?? Do u not walk thru cows a few times a day??
It only makes more work as far as I can see.
Iv other commitments and prefer them out on the straw rather than coming home to a mess. My 6 week calving figure wouldn't be 5 star so the calving pen is never wedged
Would you not be better off taking the chance and leaving them in the cubicle shed?
I always wonder about the benefits of having them in a straw calving pen versus the cost and additional work, and thats for a day or so, nevermind a week.
Any calf i ever found in the cubicle shed was sound, as was the mother.
Have it here a few years in the pen when we have to jack the calf. Great job and I'm very happy with it. Calf usually slips on the mat but I take the calf from the cow after 20 minutes anyway and milk the cow. Have a hose and scrub and give it a wash straight after. Also fitted a winch which is great for a C section. Going to put in more calving boxes next year and I'm going to use mats in them.
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