Farming Chit Chat

Muckit · 18-02-2011 12:11AM

reilig wrote: »

Well that was a first. Had a guy to look at my bull tonight who told me that my bull was too good of quality for him. Would you not buy the best quality that you could if you were buying a bull??? He knew the price before he came and he didn't even try to bargain with me. You just can't win, can you??? He said that he wanted something with less muscle and shorter - the two things that I would like to see in a bull.

Ya you've to listen to alot of sh*t:rolleyes: You'd have been in a better position if you were selling more than the one.

An uncle of mine used to sell PB LIM bulls out of the shed like that. Said he never gave out prices over the phone. When they arrived he'd point out the bulls individually and give their prices, then walk back into the house. No talking the bulls up, they spoke for themselves.

If they wanted one, they came in to get him. If they weren't happy with what they saw or price, they could drive off with no obligation or talking bullsh*t like what you just got an earful of.

vanderbadger · 18-02-2011 07:22AM

reilig wrote: »

Well that was a first. Had a guy to look at my bull tonight who told me that my bull was too good of quality for him. Would you not buy the best quality that you could if you were buying a bull??? He knew the price before he came and he didn't even try to bargain with me. You just can't win, can you??? He said that he wanted something with less muscle and shorter - the two things that I would like to see in a bull.

feckin tyre kicker, nice looking animal if im looking at the right one, good enough value at the money

reilig · 18-02-2011 11:57AM

vanderbadger wrote: »

feckin tyre kicker, nice looking animal if im looking at the right one, good enough value at the money

Probably

,

pictures are bad but will try to get a few more this evening - its a fecker to get him to stand straight when you have noone to hold him. Have another guy coming this evening who rang first looking for the tag number. He rang this morning to say that he has looked up his figures on ICBF and likes what he sees. So hopefully he might buy him.

Muckit · 18-02-2011 12:18PM

It's good to see he's doing his homework anyway. That database is a great job alright for those into the facts and figures side.

He'I buy a few tonne of fertiliser and hopefully the new wheels for the tanker:D

reilig · 18-02-2011 07:25PM

Muckit wrote: »

It's good to see he's doing his homework anyway. That database is a great job alright for those into the facts and figures side.

He'I buy a few tonne of fertiliser and hopefully the new wheels for the tanker:D

He sure will. The guy bought him this evening. Thanks to donedeal

vanderbadger · 18-02-2011 07:37PM

reilig wrote: »

He sure will. The guy bought him this evening. Thanks to donedeal

good result

C0N0R · 18-02-2011 09:09PM

We bought 90 cows to calve this autumn so we can supply a bit of winter milk, got them delivered on Wednesday and yesterday one of them calved, not due for another six weeks. Puts a bit of a spanner in the works as we were intending to run the autumn calvers as a separate herd and milk first to try keep mastitis to a minimum. On the plus side we don't have to rear it as it was a bull calf so it got knocked on the head. Not ready to start feeding calves yet!

Got the mower fixed yesterday to as haven't been topping for nearly three months, topped 15 acres and swapped with the boss, Half an hour later the gearbox went on the mower! Apart from that all good in nz, it's great to see another way of milking cows.

Bodacious · 18-02-2011 09:30PM

C0N0R wrote: »

We bought 90 cows to calve this autumn so we can supply a bit of winter milk, got them delivered on Wednesday and yesterday one of them calved, not due for another six weeks. Puts a bit of a spanner in the works as we were intending to run the autumn calvers as a separate herd and milk first to try keep mastitis to a minimum. On the plus side it was a bull calf so it got knocked on the head. Not ready to start feeding calves yet!

Got the mower fixed yesterday to as haven't been topping for nearly three months, topped 15 acres and swapped with the boss, Half an hour later the gearbox went on the mower! Apart from that all good in nz, it's great to see another way of milking cows.

Jees man, what did ye use to kill the calf and is that even legal? is this common practice

C0N0R · 18-02-2011 10:00PM

Bodacious wrote: »

Jees man, what did ye use to kill the calf and is that even legal? is this common practice

Better stress I'm in New Zealand. Bull calves get hit on the head with a hammer and thrown In a hole in the ground. As for legality I've never questioned it to be honest

stanflt · 18-02-2011 10:04PM

C0N0R wrote: »

Better stress I'm in New Zealand. Bull calves get hit on the head with a hammer and thrown In a hole in the ground. As for legality I've never questioned it to be honest

where abouts in nz are you. any where near mata mata:)

C0N0R · 18-02-2011 10:19PM

stanflt wrote: »

where abouts in nz are you. any where near mata mata:)

Darfield Christchurch, guy I work with is from matamata. Were you over here yourself?

Muckit · 19-02-2011 01:11AM

C0N0R wrote: »

On the plus side it was a bull calf so it got knocked on the head.

Now THAT is what you call Fuc*ed up.

C0N0R · 19-02-2011 01:13AM

Muckit wrote: »

Now THAT is what you call Fuc*ed up.

Just to clarify I'm not glad it got knocked on the head, i far rather it was sold or something a bit more humane

johngalway · 19-02-2011 01:22AM

C0N0R wrote: »

Bull calves get hit on the head with a hammer and thrown In a hole in the ground.

Not personal comment regarding you C0N0R, but I find that practice... distasteful

C0N0R · 19-02-2011 01:26AM

johngalway wrote: »

Not personal comment regarding you C0N0R, but I find that practice... distasteful

I would agree with you on that, that's what I've found out here, there is nowhere near the same amount of care/compassion towards the animals, there more a means to an end. For example since I've been here I've never seen the vet called out to an animal, at home with less cows the vet would have been out at least once.

I have edited my original post btw as it could easily be misconstrued.

vanderbadger · 19-02-2011 08:55AM

was looking at a cow on calving camera at about half six this morning, jesus i could have sworn i saw a calf beside her and though happy days she has calved..when i went up she hadnt calved at all

i must be loosing it

funny man · 19-02-2011 09:14PM

C0N0R wrote: »

I would agree with you on that, that's what I've found out here, there is nowhere near the same amount of care/compassion towards the animals, there more a means to an end. For example since I've been here I've never seen the vet called out to an animal, at home with less cows the vet would have been out at least once.

I have edited my original post btw as it could easily be misconstrued.

Would the purchase of a humane killer be out of the question?

What size of a farm are you working on and how many cows?

stanflt · 19-02-2011 10:13PM

C0N0R wrote: »

Darfield Christchurch, guy I work with is from matamata. Were you over here yourself?

no my older brother is in matamata. 600cow herd. ear to the ground wil be reporting from over there in a few weeks i think;)

Bodacious · 20-02-2011 04:22PM

vanderbadger wrote: »

was looking at a cow on calving camera at about half six this morning, jesus i could have sworn i saw a calf beside her and though happy days she has calved..when i went up she hadnt calved at all
i must be loosing it

Id love one of those cameras ,,, "up to your neck in duvet and checking the cows!!!" but it'd want to be some camera as they all out in the field and she'd surely pick spot i couldn't see her!! Had as fine BYU Belgian blue heifer calf this morning though, she fired her out no hassle:D

C0N0R · 20-02-2011 08:46PM

funny man wrote: »

Would the purchase of a humane killer be out of the question?

What size of a farm are you working on and how many cows?

After posting this here I hit thinking about it and asked a few questions to the 2ic here. From his experiences this is the fine thing over here but it is frowned upon and rightly so. I think vets want us to use a bolt gun to knock them out and put s hole in their head then use a piece of wire to mash their brains. He said he would struggle to do that. A few if us on the farm have just completed our gun licence's so hopefully the purchase of a rifle would solve this problem. This is the first calf I've really been here for and I didn't witness it nor will I be doing it at any stage. The reason why they do it is that bull calves are basically worthless here, you might get ten bucks after five or six days and at the cost of labour of 15 bucks an hour they see it a waste of money. But what I might try and do is see if I can get some of the calves and keep they and feed them out of my own time/money. I will be able to get milk everyday for them and so at some stage they might be worth something. Just have to run it past the boss.

I'm working on a 1050 cow farm with a 60 bail rotary shed. Milking platform of 300 hectares but 40 of that isn't irrigated so isn't much use at the moment.

funny man · 20-02-2011 09:01PM

C0N0R wrote: »

After posting this here I hit thinking about it and asked a few questions to the 2ic here. From his experiences this is the fine thing over here but it is frowned upon and rightly so. I think vets want us to use a bolt gun to knock them out and put s hole in their head then use a piece of wire to mash their brains. He said he would struggle to do that. A few if us on the farm have just completed our gun licence's so hopefully the purchase of a rifle would solve this problem. This is the first calf I've really been here for and I didn't witness it nor will I be doing it at any stage. The reason why they do it is that bull calves are basically worthless here, you might get ten bucks after five or six days and at the cost of labour of 15 bucks an hour they see it a waste of money. But what I might try and do is see if I can get some of the calves and keep they and feed them out of my own time/money. I will be able to get milk everyday for them and so at some stage they might be worth something. Just have to run it past the boss.

I'm working on a 1050 cow farm with a 60 bail rotary shed. Milking platform of 300 hectares but 40 of that isn't irrigated so isn't much use at the moment.

That is the humane killer and it's much more deffinite than a rifle unless you've more than a .22 calibre. on the keeping of the calves i don't belive they would be worth the effort or some other sod would be at it.

What time do you start and finish at, i'd also be interested in what a typical day's work would intale.

Muckit · 20-02-2011 09:04PM

C0N0R wrote: »

After posting this here I hit thinking about it and asked a few questions to the 2ic here. From his experiences this is the fine thing over here but it is frowned upon and rightly so. I think vets want us to use a bolt gun to knock them out and put s hole in their head then use a piece of wire to mash their brains. He said he would struggle to do that. A few if us on the farm have just completed our gun licence's so hopefully the purchase of a rifle would solve this problem. This is the first calf I've really been here for and I didn't witness it nor will I be doing it at any stage. The reason why they do it is that bull calves are basically worthless here, you might get ten bucks after five or six days and at the cost of labour of 15 bucks an hour they see it a waste of money. But what I might try and do is see if I can get some of the calves and keep they and feed them out of my own time/money. I will be able to get milk everyday for them and so at some stage they might be worth something. Just have to run it past the boss.

I'm working on a 1050 cow farm with a 60 bail rotary shed.

CONOR I hope you realise I wasn't personally trying to make you feel bad, or having a go at you personally. It was more the PRACTICE you mentioned that I was taking exception to and the attitude of farmers that carry out this practice. I do understand it's driven by price but I still don't think it's right.

Maybe I'm a bit naive though. Perhaps it is something that needs to be done, at the end of the day practicality has to come into it. Still, as yourself, not giving an animal a chance to live to maturity and receive a humane killing, doesn't rest easy with me.

Slaughter is obviously the inevitable fath of all farm animals. I really admired Darragh McCullough on Ear to the Ground last year when he brought his pig for slaughter. Fair play to him for allowing his emotional reaction to seeing it killed to have been filmed.

stanflt · 20-02-2011 09:08PM

Muckit wrote: »

. I really admired Darragh McCullough on Ear to the Ground last year when he brought his pig for slaughter. Fair play to him for allowing his emotional reaction to seeing it killed to have been filmed.

east meath softy!!!!!!!!:):)

C0N0R · 20-02-2011 09:27PM

funny man wrote: »

That is the humane killer and it's much more deffinite than a rifle unless you've more than a .22 calibre. on the keeping of the calves i don't belive they would be worth the effort or some other sod would be at it.

What time do you start and finish at, i'd also be interested in what a typical day's work would intale.

It's not a way I would like to do it! Would a 270 or a 308 be suitable for shooting them? I guess you'd right, I wouldn't consider my own time costing money though.

On a normal day we have cups on for 4:45 so depending where the cows are someone might be up as early as 3:45. Milking and wash down clean up etc is finished by 8:30 normally then it's home for breakfast for an hour. 9:30 till anywhere between 11:30 and 12:30 is general duties. I'm incharge of one herd so that's basically keeping grass infront of them setting up fences etc. Other things like topping, grubbing, spraying, checking of dry stock, mowing roadsides just general farm work and keeping the place tidy is done then to. Then is lunchtime, cups on 1:50/2:00 so again depending whoes on cows could be away from lunch as early as 1:00. Milking finishes at 4:30 and that's it for the day normally. To milk we need three people, one to get the two herds in, one to cup on and one to cup off. At the moment were running two herds plus a mob of lame cows Inc mastitis ones which are milked in the morning only. Were averaging about 1.55 kg a cow a day at the moment. On weekends all we do is milk so have time between milkings off. Out of 14 days you get 3 off which is ok I guess. Today is one of mine hence why I can still be in bed at 9:30 am!

It's good I'm enjoying it, it's given me alot of food for thought and I think dairying is what I want to do when I return home. Not sure how happy the father will be to hear that! Now just have to figure out how to make money from 100 acres milking platform in Monaghan. At the moment were milking roughly 60 cows on winter milk supplying 450000 litres. Any suggestions on how to improve greatly appreciated!

johngalway · 20-02-2011 09:32PM

C0N0R wrote: »

It's not a way I would like to do it! Would a 270 or a 308 be suitable for shooting them?

I wouldn't shoot them with either calibre at close range. You may put yourself or others at risk, both are powerful rounds.

50 yards away, headshot with expanding ammo (ballistic tip or hollow point bullet - do not use full metal jacket rounds), with a safe backstop, they'd certainly do the job as long as the shot is placed well. Both are used here for stalking deer, including red deer, much bigger than a calf.

C0N0R · 20-02-2011 09:34PM

Muckit wrote: »

CONOR I hope you realise I wasn't personally trying to make you feel bad, or having a go at you personally. It was more the PRACTICE you mentioned that I was taking exception to and the attitude of farmers that carry out this practice. I do understand it's driven by price but I still don't think it's right.

Maybe I'm a bit naive though. Perhaps it is something that needs to be done, at the end of the day practicality has to come into it. Still, as yourself, not giving an animal a chance to live to maturity and receive a humane killing, doesn't rest easy with me.

Slaughter is obviously the inevitable fath of all farm animals. I really admired Darragh McCullough on Ear to the Ground last year when he brought his pig for slaughter. Fair play to him for allowing his emotional reaction to seeing it killed to have been filmed.

I wasn't sure if you were or not, I can see how what I wrote could be read that I was in favour of it. A more humane killing is only fair though.

C0N0R · 20-02-2011 09:38PM

johngalway wrote: »

I wouldn't shoot them with either calibre at close range. You may put yourself or others at risk, both are powerful rounds.

50 yards away, headshot with expanding ammo (ballistic tip or hollow point bullet - do not use full metal jacket rounds), with a safe backstop, they'd certainly do the job as long as the shot is placed well. Both are used here for stalking deer, including red deer, much bigger than a calf.

I'll look into that. This probably isn't the ideal forum to be asking this but what's the highest powered rifle we can licence in Ireland? Just if I were to buy something here i would buy something I could take home. Never looked into getting a gun licenced at home.

funny man · 20-02-2011 09:44PM

C0N0R wrote: »

It's not a way I would like to do it! Would a 270 or a 308 be suitable for shooting them? I guess you'd right, I wouldn't consider my own time costing money though.

On a normal day we have cups on for 4:45 so depending where the cows are someone might be up as early as 3:45. Milking and wash down clean up etc is finished by 8:30 normally then it's home for breakfast for an hour. 9:30 till anywhere between 11:30 and 12:30 is general duties. I'm incharge of one herd so that's basically keeping grass infront of them setting up fences etc. Other things like topping, grubbing, spraying, checking of dry stock, mowing roadsides just general farm work and keeping the place tidy is done then to. Then is lunchtime, cups on 1:50/2:00 so again depending whoes on cows could be away from lunch as early as 1:00. Milking finishes at 4:30 and that's it for the day normally. To milk we need three people, one to get the two herds in, one to cup on and one to cup off. At the moment were running two herds plus a mob of lame cows Inc mastitis ones which are milked in the morning only. Were averaging about 1.55 kg a cow a day at the moment. On weekends all we do is milk so have time between milkings off. Out of 14 days you get 3 off which is ok I guess. Today is one of mine hence why I can still be in bed at 9:30 am!

It's good I'm enjoying it, it's given me alot of food for thought and I think dairying is what I want to do when I return home. Not sure how happy the father will be to hear that! Now just have to figure out how to make money from 100 acres milking platform in Monaghan. At the moment were milking roughly 60 cows on winter milk supplying 450000 litres. Any suggestions on how to improve greatly appreciated!

always regretted not seeing how the rest of the world milks cows!

yea i think either of them machines would make it a quick end.

that sounds like a fair good days work, do you do anything on heat detection, what aid do ye use and do ye do DIY or does an operator come in. I'm planning to go down the route of crossing a Ho/Fr herd with jersey what are your views on them or have ye any of them in the herd, got advise hear not to use NZ jersey as the quality is poor, do you think that's the case or what is the quality of the stock like over there.

sorry for all the questions i should have been a gaurd!

On the farm in monaghan, what sort of land is it, were you thinking of going down the NZ route or sticking with the winter milk. i'm sure the ould boy will love to see you have interest in it, he mightned be impressed if you start to switch over to NZ system. What is your thinking on what you'd like to do with it.

C0N0R · 20-02-2011 10:17PM

funny man wrote: »

always regretted not seeing how the rest of the world milks cows!

yea i think either of them machines would make it a quick end.

that sounds like a fair good days work, do you do anything on heat detection, what aid do ye use and do ye do DIY or does an operator come in. I'm planning to go down the route of crossing a Ho/Fr herd with jersey what are your views on them or have ye any of them in the herd, got advise hear not to use NZ jersey as the quality is poor, do you think that's the case or what is the quality of the stock like over there.

sorry for all the questions i should have been a gaurd!

On the farm in monaghan, what sort of land is it, were you thinking of going down the NZ route or sticking with the winter milk. i'm sure the ould boy will love to see you have interest in it, he mightned be impressed if you start to switch over to NZ system. What is your thinking on what you'd like to do with it.

It really is an interesting opportunity and i would advise anyone interested in dairy farming to do it. Even for month or two. If anyone would be interested in coming out I could probably get work for them on this farm for two months starting in august, at the start of our calving. Something to keep in mind.*

It is a good days work, there have been days I've worked from after breakfast the whole way through till 7pm but there few and far between and it's more because I'm trusted/given responsibility. And then there are other days where we wouldn't come back after breakfast.*

For heat detection we tail paint then as were milking who ever is on cups off drafts out any that have been rubbed. We will do that for six weeks and ai every morning then after that we sent out 20 heraford bulls to clean it up. Scanned last week and I think the in calf rate was 75% but the bulls haven't been away long so that will rise at the next scanning. Of that there could be anything up to 15% to be induced in two groups. We synchronised 120 cows that werent
Coming onto heat just before the six week and of ai. We get an operator in, he supplies the straws and we basically buy a package or a mixture of bulls. It's mostly friesen we ai to with any of the bigger cows getting ai'd to a kiwi cross bull to try reduce their size. We only have about 40 jerseys in the herd. The quality of stock over here isn't bad, i come from a purebred Holstein herd so I am looking at different animals here!**

The farm at home would be heavy enough, brilliant in a dry year not good in a wet year kind of thing. I don't think I'll be going down the nz route to be honest. It works here but I don't think it would suit us at home. What I would like to do is keep the same kind of system but expand it, we have one block of land all be it with a main road going through it but that can be crossed with cattle. At the moment we do all off that, silage, your stock milk etc. I would like to look at using as much of that for milking as possible as I think the best way of turning grass into money is milking off it. If I was to do this I would probably have to extend parlour and build another silo to start off with.*

That would mean buying silage in or renting ground to make silage off and I guess that only viable if good land can be rented. Would also like to look down the lines of contract rearing to to free up land. I'm not sure, it's easy dreaming about these things but putting them into practice is a different thing.*

The beauty of the farm is that it has very little debt. One shed was put up with the grant, that will be paid off in three or four years. Other than that and the overdraft there is no debt/finance. The other side of that is that we have no fancy tractors or a diet feeder or anything along those lines. Just a ford 6600, 4600 and a 135. We get contractors to do the silage, spread the main slurry and silage fert.*

funny man · 20-02-2011 10:29PM

Thanks for the low down, must be very interesting.

On the plans for the farm in Monaghan i think you're on the ball get the young stock off and take some ground for silage, after that you could goto 120-140 cows on the home block, i did a similar thing years ago. What co-op do ye supply, don't think there is any problem with super levy up that country yet.

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