Yes they lie down and also eat allot. Big girls need some tlc
You do realise that 8 kgs is costing more than 8 litres of milk.
There quite a few lads would get a heartattack at the thought ofv8 kilos.have upped the ration here and things seem to be running alot smoother.on the milking front, I just have a habit of pushing on at alot of things I m always looking at what time it takes do a job trying to make it more efficient.
Your statement is correct if the cow is only producing 8 litres. 345 a tonne is 2.75 for 8 kg. 40 cent for 30 litre next month is 12 euro a day. Considering the cows are only out 2 and half weeks on less than ideal grass, I think it's a little price to pay to keep the cows motoring during breeding season. We all don't have the luxury of horsing out maize and whole crop which I'm sure cost more or less the same as nuts which if I remember correctly u saying is the cheapest way to feed cows
You are confusing me with another OP. I never said crops were the cheapest way of feeding cows but in combination with top quality silage are the most efficient way to produce milk of land that is not accessible to cows.
sorry ginger, i meant the other way around nuts is the cheapest feed available, in my opinion, and good quality silage
Are you taking land and labour costs into account or are they free?
It takes me between 20 mins and an hour to bring in cows and move wire, depending how far away they are, 80 mins pit time for 8 and a bit rows of 12. Another hour to wash up, feed a few calves and close the wire. Everything just takes time when your on your own. Some people have parents or children bringing cows in/out, feeding calves, washing up.
It's fine by me. No rush but it does take time and I like to be thorough and not rush cows. Ai man comes before 8 now so I'd be finished milking for him.
Balls this year, there is no fresh semen and alot of new bulls didnt come through because of bluetongue.
Do you move wire every milking? Im probably not giving enough grass here the last week. Fresh breaks all the time. Was thinking about cutting meal. Should have sprayed off a paddock a fortnight ago but chickened out!
The latest dairy edge podcast dont like feeding meal. Whether you agree with them or not they are certainly passionate!!
12 hour breaks all the time. 3 or 4 grazing per paddock, the last one would be the smallest. First one the biggest. Cutting back ration here gradually. 3Kg. Possibly understocked here vs the teagasc system of growing 15 tons of grass.
Do you let them walk over what's already grazed?
Ya, they back graze on day two and three. If i gave them the whole paddock they would just gorge themselves.
TThat's what teagasc was saying to do to get intakes up. Does make sense but not what happens to here either
It Works well actually but my cows get too hard to move and won't eat their nuts in the parlour. They would probably settle if I persevered with them but i don't mind moving fence while the cows are walking in at their ease.
Last cow calved just now.
Milk lorry comes here at 8 and ai man around half 8. Drop youngest to school most mornings at 8.15. Milking to be finished for 8.
But shure the land is required for nitrates anyway so may turn it into milk as efficiently as possible and 260 acres of that far away land is owned. What better use could you suggest for that ground.
Lease it or trade it in for something nearer home. Keep the maps 😜.
Run a calf to beef operation, keep all cull cows.
Keep a lower stocking rate at home if stuck for nitrates.
Grow away the crops, whatever works. Just that there is alot of work and risk in it vs getting maize blown into a bin or brewers grain tipped in the yard for example.
Having said all that I'm looking out for 10 dry flat acres to buy myself to grow maize. I'm kind of on the fence as they say.
My School run is 8:40. Keeps me right. Only one more year left. Then secondary only.
Not necessarily, 8kg meal = 6L of milk here. Its a ratio everyone should know and base their feeding off it
Strip wire invariably means you are under feeding the cow. 1.5 day paddocks and move the cows round the farm quicker this time of year
Can be yes. The picture of the perfect clean out also means the cows ran out of grass. Its a balance. Not saying im getting it right all the time
get yourself a batt latch. Quick spin out to the field to hunt out any cows that didn’t come in and move your wire. Would save you a lot of time. We only use the wire here in spring and autumn to allocate grass or were trying to build grass back after a dry spell. It’s gone for the last month
Saving time is no bad thing like some suggest here. No need for a job to take longer than it should. Plenty other jobs to be done and the less time the cows are standing on concrete the better
Is the batt latch still effective when you're not strip grazing? I'd say there would be no moving mine if they got the full paddock from the start
But it keeps conditon on cows and helps going incalf.Cows can only produce so much off grass before meal needs to be introduced.
Quick spin and move fence you wouldnt find half or 3/4 .
Depends what is in the 8kgs,
Im on 3 here and a pinch of calmag. They are dropping milk on 2nd rotation grass. They had enough of ration since 1st of Feb, twas a long slog,
mine are leaving the paddock every morning at 5.30 with the battlatch atm and they have a full paddock to graze.
Are you not zero grazing though
One load a day after milking. They get as far as they can reach in the evening and the rest is pushed in for the morning. The last of the cows are going straight to the field, they’re not in the yard any longer than it takes to milk
zero grazing and maize every day! Grass based my hole! Grass based to me is grass in the paddock, nuts in the parlour and silage in the winter. It’s always funny when them lads say your feeding too much nuts
