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Farming Chit Chat

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Comments

  • #632
    blue5000
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 12,961 Mod ✭✭✭✭blue5000


    Username John wrote: »
    Is it not taking a big chance to reseed in June? Or am I wrong to say that?

    As for weather in West Cork - we didnt get much rain the last few weeks, got a good bit on Saturday night for a few hours and we were in need of it. Some nights are still fierce cold...

    I'm a bit of a chancer, had a look at it this evening and clover has germinated, hopefully it will stay going now.

    If the seat's wet, sit on yer hat, a cool head is better than a wet ar5e.



  • #633
    whelan1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,786 ✭✭✭✭whelan1


    fantastic morning here , i'm off with my knapsack to spray weeds:o


  • #634
    johngalway
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,271 ✭✭✭✭johngalway


    5live wrote: »
    So BBQ in connemara in Jan?:D

    Am planning on cornering the post Christmas market if he does well :pac:


  • #635
    5live
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,438 ✭✭✭5live


    First day able to walk in a week and itching to get back to work now
    (never thought i would say that:D) so picked one of the lads off school and went for a walk to see how grass doing. Probably need to go in with 3/4 bag of N later in the week but must do a bit of measuring first. Not sure of the cover levels again as it is close to 3 weeks since i walked it. Is there any site with levels there to help eyeballing?

    But at least the grass coming again:)


  • #636
    stanflt
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,954 ✭✭✭stanflt


    stanflt wrote: »
    surplus of grass here- farm cover of 166/lu at stocking rate of 4.05lu/ha
    demand is at 1562/day-grazing covers of 1400 today but that is steadily rising-come the weekend will have to start taking paddocks out-last surplus taken out 10 days ago

    cows are avg 28.17 at 3.68bf and 3.48prot scc slightly higher this week at 177

    cows are on avg 2.8kilo 16%dairy nut with 1.5mg
    45%of herd are winter milkers calving from late august


    butterfat rising dramatically 3.98 this morning and 3.46prot- grass is loking good:)


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  • #637
    5live
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,438 ✭✭✭5live


    Was at an IFA meeting last night. They were talking about a voluntary BVD testing scheme with samples taken from calf ears when tagging and sent to enfer for testing. It will be voluntary next year and could be compulsary after that. I didnt get the whloe story as i was a bit late getting in. Is this a good idea or a bad one?


  • #638
    bogman_bass
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 5,462 ✭✭✭bogman_bass


    Great idea if they make it compulsary. Especially if they do it up north too. After 2 years you could have all the PI's in the country identified and have it under control. Haveing BVD free status would make Ireland an even more attractive source of stock.
    But do it right or not at all


  • #639
    reilig
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,401 ✭✭✭reilig


    5live wrote: »
    Was at an IFA meeting last night. They were talking about a voluntary BVD testing scheme with samples taken from calf ears when tagging and sent to enfer for testing. It will be voluntary next year and could be compulsary after that. I didnt get the whloe story as i was a bit late getting in. Is this a good idea or a bad one?

    That has been bandied about for a while. A vet spoke about it at one of our suckler group meetings this time last year. It would be a great idea as it would eliminate bvd from herds, but don't you know what will happen if it does go ahead. Enfer will get really busy, it will take months for them to give back test results. They will double their charges and the farmer will be out a pocket for it.

    The farmer will end up paying in the end. He/she always does.


  • #640
    5live
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,438 ✭✭✭5live


    reilig wrote: »
    The farmer will end up paying in the end. He/she always does.

    But isnt there a big cost also in having to vaccinate for BVD and a big cost if you get an unknown PI in the herd?

    I think the voluntary side in the first year should iron out most of the problems with delays and they will know from the orders of sampling tags what kind of numbers will be needed to be tested.

    I heard there was talks last year but i am delighted something is happening finally. Hopefully in 4 or 5 years it will be eliminated and we can move onto IBR, Johnes etc etc.

    Fingers crossed;)


  • #641
    Birdnuts
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,036 ✭✭✭✭Birdnuts


    Moving a suckler herd for a neighbour this morning when disaster struck - the stock bull nailed one of the calves that was trying to mount one of the cows. The calf was down for a while(3 hrs) but has now gingerly risen to its feet - hoping he'll be alright in terms of any broken ribs etc. but he did get one hell of a belt. Those Limousins bulls sure are nasty yolks!!


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  • #642
    vanderbadger
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,087 ✭✭✭vanderbadger


    Birdnuts wrote: »
    Moving a suckler herd for a neighbour this morning when disaster struck - the stock bull nailed one of the calves that was trying to mount one of the cows. The calf was down for a while(3 hrs) but has now gingerly risen to its feet - hoping he'll be alright in terms of any broken ribs etc. but he did get one hell of a belt. Those Limousins bulls sure are nasty yolks!!

    last year found a neighbours weanling in a heap in my place, he was a monster, he had crossed a river no less and come in under my fence, I had a cow bulling at the time, I can only assume my bull got him as when I found him he was down and his hip broken, poor old devil


  • #643
    dar31
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,711 ✭✭✭dar31


    5live wrote: »
    Was at an IFA meeting last night. They were talking about a voluntary BVD testing scheme with samples taken from calf ears when tagging and sent to enfer for testing. It will be voluntary next year and could be compulsary after that. I didnt get the whloe story as i was a bit late getting in. Is this a good idea or a bad one?


    they have been scratching at that one this while.
    first up it should be compulsory that any animals tested as a positive PI, should have the card confiscated and the dept of ag make it compulsory that that animal be slaughtered/disposed of.
    to many lads are dumping PI,s at the mart with no consequences, except for the man buying. its a disgrace what ya hear going on...
    at a minimum the dept should record all stock tested as PI's.

    some Scandinavian countries are as good as BVD free after 5 years of a BVD eradication program.


  • #644
    reilig
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,401 ✭✭✭reilig


    5live wrote: »
    But isnt there a big cost also in having to vaccinate for BVD and a big cost if you get an unknown PI in the herd?

    I think the voluntary side in the first year should iron out most of the problems with delays and they will know from the orders of sampling tags what kind of numbers will be needed to be tested.

    I heard there was talks last year but i am delighted something is happening finally. Hopefully in 4 or 5 years it will be eliminated and we can move onto IBR, Johnes etc etc.

    Fingers crossed;)

    I definitely agree that identifying and removing the PI's from the herd would save money. I suppose I'm just sceptical about the Dep of Ag appointing a specific company for the testing. After all, the Dep of Ag is responsible for appointing Mullinahone for Animal tags - is there a person in the country that hasn't had a problem with a delay or a mistake on their part??? At the time of appointment, Mullinahone tendered prices for the tags that were equivalent to those across Europe. However, these few years later, we currently pay twice as much for our cattle tags on average than they do in the uk. Have mullinahone ever had to re-tender against other companies for price??? Something tells me that someone in the Dep of Ag gets a nice brown envelope from Mullinahone on an annual basis - and its not a bill for tags that is in the envelope.

    BVD testing could turn into the same monopoly if its left in the hands of the Dep of AG. The idea of having 2 or 3 companies providing a product or service is one that will promote lower prices through competition and ultimately less expense on the farmer. While there may not be other labs in ireland to compete with Enfer, there are several in the uk and continental europe.


  • #645
    Atilathehun
    Closed Accounts Posts: 521 ✭✭✭Atilathehun


    Thinking of feeding silage to a few dry cows, and keeping them confined for a few weeks due shortage of grass.
    Made silage bales 10 days ago. When would be the soonest I could open one for feeding? Does it matter?

    Any ideas?


  • #646
    reilig
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,401 ✭✭✭reilig


    Atilathehun wrote: »
    Thinking of feeding silage to a few dry cows, and keeping them confined for a few weeks due shortage of grass.
    Made silage bales 10 days ago. When would be the soonest I could open one for feeding? Does it matter?

    Any ideas?

    They should be fine for opening now. The silage process happens fairly quickly once they are sealed (ie. wrapped)


  • #647
    Atilathehun
    Closed Accounts Posts: 521 ✭✭✭Atilathehun


    reilig wrote: »
    They should be fine for opening now. The silage process happens fairly quickly once they are sealed (ie. wrapped)

    :):) Good to hear. I had something in my head, that they should be six weeks before opening. Don't know where I got that piece of wisdom from.


  • #648
    whelan1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,786 ✭✭✭✭whelan1


    anyone go to the derrypatrick open day , i'd say there was plenty up for discussion:D


  • #649
    Tipp Man
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,025 ✭✭✭Tipp Man


    Atilathehun wrote: »
    :):) Good to hear. I had something in my head, that they should be six weeks before opening. Don't know where I got that piece of wisdom from.

    I'll be interested to hear how that silage looks after only 10 days wrapped

    The usual length of time quoted to feed silage after ensiling is 4-6 weeks to allow fermentation to complete, so you weren't wrong.

    Let us know how the 10 days silage works out


  • #650
    reilig
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,401 ✭✭✭reilig


    Tipp Man wrote: »
    I'll be interested to hear how that silage looks after only 10 days wrapped

    The usual length of time quoted to feed silage after ensiling is 4-6 weeks to allow fermentation to complete, so you weren't wrong.

    Let us know how the 10 days silage works out

    10 day silage will be fine. We have often had to open a bale like this. Its perfectly palatable, looks fine too.


  • #651
    5live
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,438 ✭✭✭5live


    whelan1 wrote: »
    anyone go to the derrypatrick open day , i'd say there was plenty up for discussion:D
    Looking forward to the questions too. It should be......interesting???;)


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  • #652
    bob charles
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,343 ✭✭✭bob charles


    you can fed silage once its baled, have done it numerous times down through the years as a proportion of our herd stay indoors


  • #653
    Tipp Man
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,025 ✭✭✭Tipp Man


    bob charles wrote: »
    you can fed silage once its baled, have done it numerous times down through the years as a proportion of our herd stay indoors

    Surely its just grass if you are feeding it directly after baling?


  • #654
    20silkcut
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,741 ✭✭✭20silkcut


    Was topping today and and some serious smoke was coming out of the topper. When I investigated I found that the grass wrapped around one of the blades was smouldering. The housing just above the blade was absolutely reddened. Blocked grease nipple I am thinking.


  • #655
    johngalway
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,271 ✭✭✭✭johngalway


    Gas piece on the news, cattle escaping a shed, unbolting double bolted gates with tongues and mouths.


  • #656
    stanflt
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,954 ✭✭✭stanflt


    johngalway wrote: »
    Gas piece on the news, cattle escaping a shed, unbolting double bolted gates with tongues and mouths.


    theres a tread on here with the video linked


  • #657
    whelan1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,786 ✭✭✭✭whelan1


    i used to have a cow that could open the gates , so every gate had to have a chain on it also , she could feed herself in the parlour by getting her tongue around the ropes on the cashman feeders , one night she opened the gate into the milking parlour and fed herself and her friends for hours:rolleyes: was crap everywhere in the morning when i went to milk


  • #658
    whelan1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,786 ✭✭✭✭whelan1


    raining here all day... was a break where it was only drizzling for a while so i moved a few groups of cattle... back lashing now... you can see the growth


  • #659
    reilig
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,401 ✭✭✭reilig


    whelan1 wrote: »
    raining here all day... was a break where it was only drizzling for a while so i moved a few groups of cattle... back lashing now... you can see the growth

    Ye are the people that need it :D

    Thankfully we haven't had much rain since last monday. Ground is starting to dry up a bit. But we still have a very poor growth rate. Its going down to temperatures of 4 and 5 degrees here at night and this is knocking back growth rates.


  • #660
    KatyMac
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,209 ✭✭✭KatyMac


    Been watching the sky all day coz had a cow ready to calve. She managed to beat the rain by a whisker! Had a black heifer who is running after a bigger 3 month old calf, her mother is going crazy trying to keep up. We dare not go into the field until tonight as she doesnt like interference for first coupla hours. I also let out the last bucket fed lads today - the excitement was high for half and hour and then they went back into the shed and lay down, so much for feeling sorry for them that they were still inside!


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  • #661
    KatyMac
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,209 ✭✭✭KatyMac


    20silkcut wrote: »
    Was topping today and and some serious smoke was coming out of the topper. When I investigated I found that the grass wrapped around one of the blades was smouldering. The housing just above the blade was absolutely reddened. Blocked grease nipple I am thinking.
    You are lucky that smoke was all you had. Last year a harvester that was working over the road from our house went up in flames within a few minutes. We heard noise like a bomb going off, ran out and saw the biggest fire I've ever seen. The driver had to jump for it.
    The neighbours all started arriving then because some of them thought the column of smoke was coming from our house. Was nice to know that help will come when its needed.


This discussion has been closed.
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