Farming Chit Chat

just do it · 01-08-2012 09:39PM

J Deere

Great post there. Good to get an account from someone with first hand experience. A bit like 1chippy I'm just checking out the various options for building up the herd. The benefit I see from having a few LMxFR cows is for breeding replacements. Interesting you point this out at the end of the post.

One of the reasons I'm considering trying a batch of calves is I've a few wet acres. Good at growing grass but poach easily. How good are calves to graze out a paddock?

just do it · 01-08-2012 09:47PM

1chippy wrote: »

To tell you the truth j deere i would love to go out and buy a really good batch of bulling heifers and work from there, however ive bought a fair share and at this stage i need to cut my clothe to suit my means.

Another few weeks of this weather and I think weanlings/ young breeding heifers will become affordable again. I saw one nice weanling heifer go through the ring in Ennis yesterday and sold for €920. Only a few weeks ago I reckon she could have made €1,100. Only the dealers were bidding.

just do it · 01-08-2012 10:16PM

I'm based in West Clare and am starting out building our future home via direct labour having received planning earlier this year. As I know a good few of you are in Clare I'm looking for PMs with recommendations for someone to do the groundworks at this stage. I've been hanging around on the Construction & Planning forum as well for the last few years but farmers are always a good source of info regarding construction.

Thanks in advance.

J DEERE · 01-08-2012 10:49PM

1chippy wrote: »

Its a 1chippy trial rather than a derrypatrick copycat. I was nearly all limo out of sim cows. mainly for the reason you get a fairly consistant batch of fairly good calves with a limo bull. I'm currently expanding and doing so with a variety of breeds and instead i'll be throwing at lot to ai. Apersonal favourite of mine is the black limo out of belguim blue but i really dislike the calving, so i kept these to a mi nimum. I have been taken advice for everywhere and to tell you the truth i'm pretty stubborn and have to f*k up for myself.
To tell you the truth j deere i would love to go out and buy a really good batch of bulling heifers and work from there, however ive bought a fair share and at this stage i need to cut my clothe to suit my means. things are too volatile at the moment to invest serious capital in one massive
gamble. The limo out of bf will work outas dear but spread out over a longer period and less risk. I have a shed another pit and more reseeding to do. i'm not just to full capacity and the calves work ok.

I wasn't implying that you're out to replicate the Derrypatrick herd, no offence intended. Just giving my personal experience as I've been down that route. Don't get me wrong, I'm not completely knocking the system. Friesian cross cows make up the core of my Spring calving herd. I wouldn't sell these cows for any money as they breed excellent replacements, I hope for heifers out of them every year. If I was back again though I'd probably do it differently. Remember that these 20 are the only ones remaining out of an initial 100 bought

I know exactly what your saying about building up the herd whilst trying to invest in your land and facilities. In the same boat myself. Its hard done especially when trying to fund it out of any surplus cash that might present itself. Personally though, instead of buying 10 heifer calves for say 4000, I'd prefer to buy maybe 4 or 5 top quality weanling heifers and have them calving a year sooner. As a man I know says "They're only dear the day ya buy them". You'd also have a better idea of the type of animal you will have at just say 400kg. I've tried both ways and just feel that buying as weanlings suits me better

At the end of the day, only you yourself knows what suits ya and what doesnt. What works or doesnt work for me might be the complete opposite for you and vice versa

J DEERE · 01-08-2012 10:54PM

One of the reasons I'm considering trying a batch of calves is I've a few wet acres. Good at growing grass but poach easily. How good are calves to graze out a paddock?[/QUOTE]

They'll graze it out alright. You'll have to keep the grass leafy and short for them though. Calves are selective grazers, they won't eat just anything. They shouldn't be made either. Move them regular, every 3 or 4 days and they'll thrive very well

bob charles · 02-08-2012 01:14AM

beautiful night out, you wouldn't believe going on tonight that the weather is so bad.

Im on the graveyard shift as I have to give a B12 vitamin injection to a smashing heifer every 3 hrs to correct here deficiency

reilig · 02-08-2012 06:47AM

bob charles wrote: »

beautiful night out, you wouldn't believe going on tonight that the weather is so bad.

Im on the graveyard shift as I have to give a B12 vitamin injection to a smashing heifer every 3 hrs to correct here deficiency

I thought the full moon last night was spectacular. In all my years, I have never seen it so bright or appear to be so close to the earth.

I was on the night shift for other reasons - full moon normally means that our baby doesn't sleep too well.

The old generation of people believed that a full moon brings a change in the weather. I hope its so!!

KCTK · 02-08-2012 08:02AM

bob charles wrote: »

beautiful night out, you wouldn't believe going on tonight that the weather is so bad.

Im on the graveyard shift as I have to give a B12 vitamin injection to a smashing heifer every 3 hrs to correct here deficiency

Bob will giving it every 3 hours do the job? I had a bullock last week with either a B12 deficiency or meningitis, vet gave him few injections and I injected him then for 2 days 12 hour intervals, no good, poor fellow just pined away, would not eat or drink a thing, lost the sight and just walked around in circles and into walls. Ended up putting him out of his suffering on Tuesday as could see no hope for him, was grinding the teeth and everything

bbam · 02-08-2012 08:48AM

J DEERE wrote: »

One of the reasons I'm considering trying a batch of calves is I've a few wet acres. Good at growing grass but poach easily. How good are calves to graze out a paddock?

They'll graze it out alright. You'll have to keep the grass leafy and short for them though. Calves are selective grazers, they won't eat just anything. They shouldn't be made either. Move them regular, every 3 or 4 days and they'll thrive very well

We find that heifers will clear the ground better than bull calves?? I've no real explanation just what we noticed..

johngalway · 02-08-2012 10:15AM

Don't tell the Yanks, but I suspect we've stolen their rain:

http://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2012/07/us/drought/index.html?hpt=us_t5

Tipp Man · 02-08-2012 10:30AM

johngalway wrote: »

Don't tell the Yanks, but I suspect we've stolen their rain:

http://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2012/07/us/drought/index.html?hpt=us_t5

I think we should live up to our reputation as a kind and generous people and we should give a lot of it back to them

Atilathehun · 02-08-2012 11:05AM

Does anybody have calves out of Dovea Lim Bull CWI?
I have two of them this year, both heifer calves and both well made. I was targeting them to keep as replacements.
One problem though, both as wild as deere:( As soon as you get within ten yards they take off across the field, with tails on their backs.
I have pretty much ALL quiet cows and calves. Anything showing flighty tendenancies over the years, have got the gate, leaving me with grand calm stock.
So in this case, I blame the bull and bull alone for the flighty nature in these two paticular calves:eek:

pakalasa · 02-08-2012 12:11PM

Atilathehun wrote: »

Does anybody have calves out of Dovea Lim Bull CWI?

You should check the docility figure on www.ICBF.com for the AI bull before using. CWI is only 13% (across breeds) for docility. The simmental bull IS4, for example is 96% with 98% reliability. I have heifers on the ground from IS4 and you can pat them on the head. The quietest I've ever bred.

Atilathehun · 02-08-2012 12:38PM

pakalasa wrote: »

You should check the docility figure on www.ICBF.com for the AI bull before using. CWI is only 13% (across breeds) for docility. The simmental bull IS4, for example is 96% with 98% reliability. I have heifers on the ground from IS4 and you can pat them on the head. The quietest I've ever bred.

Yes, I know, but I still didn't expect a cross between a gazelle and a hare:o .
Still, when I get them weaned, and in the shed, I make a point of standing into the pen with my replacement heifers, and gradually getting them used to human contact. A small bucket of ration, and you soon get them to like you. Anything that fails that test, will get the auld P45:p
Have a few sim heifer calves also this year. Look good and quiet. Some say, not great in the feet dept

, and prone to problems on slats. Time will tell.

just do it · 02-08-2012 04:19PM

Atilathehun wrote: »

I have pretty much ALL quiet cows and calves. Anything showing flighty tendenancies over the years, have got the gate, leaving me with grand calm stock.
So in this case, I blame the bull and bull alone for the flighty nature in these two paticular calves:eek:

Why let these 2 destroy all your good work? I did something similar but held one replacement from one of the cows I culled as she was a good one. After 2 calves she's going to the factory this autumn. She's squared up to me once or twice and it's just not worth it.

These 2 will sell well as I'm always amazed temperament doesn't seem to affect the price cattle make at the mart. Then buy 2 quiet ones instead.

flat out !! · 02-08-2012 07:12PM

Just wondering about the tv signals going digital on oct 24. Will a saorview box pick up my calving camera signal. It's one of those that has it's own aerial on the calving shed roof, with line of sight to the aerial on the dwelling house. Any ideas.?

johngalway · 02-08-2012 09:19PM

http://aldi.ie/ie/html/offers/special_buys3_22973.htm

I got one of the above a few years ago to keep all my lambing stuff in one place. It's got lots of room and is plenty rugged unless you plan on repeatedly driving over it. Handy for small stuff that's easily misplaced.

Mac Taylor · 02-08-2012 10:02PM

Bodacious wrote: »

Its absolutely cat weatherwise, rained all day .. got soaked to the skin, land saturated and we have dry land!

Annual herd test tomorrow and its going to be torrential rain down the back of the neck :D:D:D

How did things go?

Bizzum · 02-08-2012 10:11PM

just do it wrote: »

Why let these 2 destroy all your good work? I did something similar but held one replacement from one of the cows I culled as she was a good one. After 2 calves she's going to the factory this autumn. She's squared up to me once or twice and it's just not worth it.

These 2 will sell well as I'm always amazed temperament doesn't seem to affect the price cattle make at the mart. Then buy 2 quiet ones instead.

I've seen it go the other way too. A predominantly quite herd settling down the odd flighty one.
Even flighty weanlings can settle well over their first winter with calmer stock.
I wouldn't panic just yet!

ZETOR_IS_BETTER · 02-08-2012 10:40PM

flat out !! wrote: »

Just wondering about the tv signals going digital on oct 24. Will a saorview box pick up my calving camera signal. It's one of those that has it's own aerial on the calving shed roof, with line of sight to the aerial on the dwelling house. Any ideas.?

As long as your calving system has its own broadcast aerial ( on the shed) and reciever aerial ( your roof) you should be fine.

The saorview box wont decode the cow channel and display it. You will need to have a wire going directly to the back of the tv just like you have now. Just buy a cheap splitter and put one wire into the saorview box and the other directly into the tv to get the cows.
A scart cable/hdmi cable will then link between your tv and saor view box to display rte channels.

Hope i havent confused you

well at least not as bad as rte are doing :pac:

snowman707 · 03-08-2012 07:08AM

nice morning here

cows milked

saws sharpened and lunch box packed off to spend another day thinning ash in the forestry :eek:

I will never complain about dagging sheep again

bbam · 03-08-2012 08:27AM

snowman707 wrote: »

nice morning here

cows milked

saws sharpened and lunch box packed off to spend another day thinning ash in the forestry :eek:

I will never complain about dagging sheep again

Its a strange little country and the weather is very localised..
Was out with the stock thismorning before work and I got soaked to the skin

Even the roof in the office is leaking !

whelan1 · 03-08-2012 09:09AM

woo hoo.... over 5000 replies to the farming chit chat thread:D

bbam · 03-08-2012 09:26AM

whelan1 wrote: »

woo hoo.... over 5000 replies to the farming chit chat thread:D

Well, if nothing else farming folk like to talk !

And of course the large chit/chat thread was started by a woman !:p

just do it · 03-08-2012 12:17PM

whelan1 wrote: »

thought i might start this about daily goings on. last night went to check kids during the night as they are all sick:eek: anyways there was a cow out having a stroll in the yard:rolleyes: lucky enough as the road isnt far away

Awful idea for a thread Whelan1, sure no one will have any interest in it

.....(quoted post is the first post in the thread).....

Username John · 03-08-2012 12:59PM

snowman707 wrote: »

nice morning here

cows milked

saws sharpened and lunch box packed off to spend another day thinning ash in the forestry :eek:

I will never complain about dagging sheep again

Wasn't too bad a morning here, wouldn't go so far as to say it was nice. But it was dry, so we'll take it

But its LASHING here now, getting some really heavy thunder showers...

blue5000 · 03-08-2012 01:14PM

Not a bad mornin here either. At long last I'm down to the last 5 loads of slurry/soiled water. Broke a belt on the topper so that's a job for the next wet day:pac:

Atilathehun · 03-08-2012 01:28PM

45 mins of heaviest rain I ever saw.!!!! Unreal! Unreal! Unreal! I have dry enough land, but it just can't cope anymore!

Kovu · 03-08-2012 01:29PM

Lovely morning here too in south Leitrim.
Wandering round in shorts putting pour-on onto the calves in the shed.
Worst thing is trying to keep the airflow through the shed to stop them heating up in the humidity. The fields are in sh**e round here.

Atilathehun · 03-08-2012 02:01PM

Kovu Murr wrote: »

Lovely morning here too in south Leitrim.
Wandering round in shorts putting pour-on onto the calves in the shed.
Worst thing is trying to keep the airflow through the shed to stop them heating up in the humidity. The fields are in sh**e round here.

I'm getting an eveshoot put in at the belt of my trousers, to stop the rain wetting my arse!!

Farming Chit Chat

Comments