Farming Chit Chat II

whelan1 · 27-04-2013 07:36AM

we normally let them hang at the hips for a minute or two to let some of the fluid drain out of their lungs

just do it · 27-04-2013 07:58AM

freedominacup wrote: »

When did you last spread lime?

2T/ac in 2010. Happy with it as I've it ear-marked for reseeding in the Autumn. Same field as I opened the trench to the back corner a few months ago.

jomoloney · 27-04-2013 08:35AM

freedominacup wrote: »

You're supposed to drop the end of the jack once the calf is out past the waist that's why they have the hinges on them. A straight pull after that point is no good.

If it's a real tough pull.
be careful not to go too far down,... you could do ligament damage and partially paralyze the calf,

found that out a long time ago

pakalasa · 27-04-2013 08:41AM

bbam wrote: »

Always mimick the real thing my dad used to say.
If You watch a cow calve on her own, once past the navel the calf is moving out and down. Any pull should be similar.

Exactly, thats what I was thinking too. If cow is calfing on her own and standing and calf caught at hips, the calf will be hanging straight down. We weren't using jack, btw.
What I noticed this year aswell with the calving camera, is the amount of time the cow will keep shifting weight from one leg to another, for hours on end. Natures way, I guess of working the calf into position.

freedominacup · 27-04-2013 08:42AM

jomoloney wrote: »

If it's a real tough pull.
be careful not to go too far down,... you could do ligament damage and partially paralyze the calf,

found that out a long time ago

Jacks are dangerous pieces of equipment. The possibilities for things to wrong when using them are endless.

Timmaay · 27-04-2013 08:58AM

Sore sore head doing the milking this morning! I've said never again to my old friend whiskey but a bottle always seems to appear on nights out!

bogman_bass · 27-04-2013 10:51AM

calf crossed the fence into the neighbours cows. No idea how he did it because its a good fence. no gaps to get him back through and the mammy going spare the far side. Little fecker had no intrest in going near the fence to get him back:mad: Going to have to come up with a new plan of action

matTNT · 27-04-2013 10:53AM

freedominacup wrote: »

Jacks are dangerous pieces of equipment. The possibilities for things to wrong when using them are endless.

Maybe problems are more likely in a beef herd or when using beef animals on the dairy herd. I have never seen a calving with the jack go wrong, then again we'll usually just let the cow calve.

redzerologhlen · 27-04-2013 10:58AM

matTNT wrote: »

Maybe problems are more likely in a beef herd or when using beef animals on the dairy herd. I have never seen a calving with the jack go wrong, then again we'll usually just let the cow calve.

The only calfs we pull are the ones that arent able to calf themselves, I know a few people that pull every calf but I dont see the point to be honest. I have seen a few calves and cows lost because of pure roughness with the jack, some people will try to just ratchet the calf straight out which doesnt really work.

ABlur · 27-04-2013 11:01AM

Fab day here lots to do but its communion day with the in-laws. I know what everyone will say 'think of the kids'! Pity these do's cant be on a wet Sunday instead. Beginning to sound like my old man now!

whelan1 · 27-04-2013 11:20AM

bogman_bass wrote: »

calf crossed the fence into the neighbours cows. No idea how he did it because its a good fence. no gaps to get him back through and the mammy going spare the far side. Little fecker had no intrest in going near the fence to get him back:mad: Going to have to come up with a new plan of action

we had 3 angus calves go through 4 strand barbed wire fence, the mammies going crazy... tokk about 10 minutes to get them back, was funny to see the 3 of them going straight to their mammies for a drink, only on a saturday or sunday

dzer2 · 27-04-2013 11:31AM

Just reading about the calf getting into the neighbours field.

A few years ago had a calf not doing well but cow had plenty of milk so brought the cow and calf in after a week calf was flying let them out again. The calf started to go back again so I camped in the field and eventually copped a huge weanling from the neighbours crossing the ditch and under the wire flogging the cow and going back. so I put up a second strand of fence and barbed wire on the ditch where it was crossing. About a week later the weanling was caught in the barbed wire I rang the neighbour to tell her. I went to help her get the animal out and she told me it wasnt her animal either it belonged to the man next to her and she was always having trouble with his cattle. So we rang him he was ranting and raving when he came that the calf was destroyed I told him next time one of his animals came in I would shoot it as he is always failing the tb test. It was amazing as his boundary with us has being fenced properly always yet he was abusing the neighbour as she lives on her own. I told her to report the boundary to the dept as they keep trampling her electric fence.

hugo29 · 27-04-2013 12:27PM

Herd test all clear thank god, smashing day here, was going to chance some long overdue spraying but just a bit breezy,

Conmaicne Mara · 27-04-2013 12:28PM

ABlur wrote: »

Fab day here lots to do but its communion day with the in-laws. I know what everyone will say 'think of the kids'! Pity these do's cant be on a wet Sunday instead. Beginning to sound like my old man now!

I agree with you! Anything I get dragged to, I mean go to with a smile on my face seems to be held on a glorious day.

kowtow · 27-04-2013 12:36PM

bogman_bass wrote: »

calf crossed the fence into the neighbours cows. No idea how he did it because its a good fence. no gaps to get him back through and the mammy going spare the far side. Little fecker had no intrest in going near the fence to get him back:mad: Going to have to come up with a new plan of action

As they're not going to be milking for a year or two, we've let our mixed bag of reject Holsteins suckle their calves this year while we get them sorted out.

I can say for certain that the long-term mothering instinct has been bred out of them, they couldn't give two hoots when the calves vanish off down the lane to the bulls field - or the ponies field, or wherever and half the time they have a very foggy idea of which calf belongs to them (with the result that most of the calves share all of the milk..)

Interestingly / perhaps unsurprisingly the two more attentive Mothers are both a MB / Holstein cross..

freedominacup · 27-04-2013 01:23PM

matTNT wrote: »

. I have never seen a calving with the jack go wrong, then again we'll usually just let the cow calve.

I don't think I could say the same as in not every cow that the jack is used on has a live calf. We are inclined to let the cow sort herself out as well but we had one this year on a 3 year old heifer, had to use the jack but she f'ed us around so much and did nothing for so long herself that the calf didnt make it. The pull was harder than I'd like but she hopped up after it and has been flying since.

freedominacup · 27-04-2013 01:26PM

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

I agree with you! Anything I get dragged to, I mean go to with a smile on my face seems to be held on a glorious day.

WTF are ye working for if ye can't close the fn gate behind ye and go to these events and enjoy them. The farm will be there when ye get back and the forecast for daylight is good for the morning.

reilig · 27-04-2013 01:47PM

freedominacup wrote: »

WTF are ye working for if ye can't close the fn gate behind ye and go to these events and enjoy them. The farm will be there when ye get back and the forecast for daylight is good for the morning.

These type of events would not be the sort of thing that I would class as enjoyable. If I had a choice of a day that I had to take off for enjoyment it would be very different.

freedominacup · 27-04-2013 01:50PM

reilig wrote: »

These type of events would not be the sort of thing that I would class as enjoyable. If I had a choice of a day that I had to take off for enjoyment it would be very different.

It's not all about you though is it?

tismesoitis · 27-04-2013 02:14PM

no offense whelan or any other ladies on here but Freedom.... Ur starting to sound like a woman!!!!:p

whelan1 · 27-04-2013 02:16PM

youngest lad goes to gaelic nursery on a Saturday morning 11-12, last Saturday I was talking to a local farmers wife, she works every second Saturday, she said he wouldn't bring kids this week as he would be working, like wtf , he cant spare 1 hour

freedominacup · 27-04-2013 02:19PM

tismesoitis wrote: »

no offense whelan or any other ladies on here but Freedom.... Ur starting to sound like a woman!!!!:p

I dunno why you'd think that my wife rarely says anything like that.

Conmaicne Mara · 27-04-2013 02:20PM

freedominacup wrote: »

WTF are ye working for if ye can't close the fn gate behind ye and go to these events and enjoy them. The farm will be there when ye get back and the forecast for daylight is good for the morning.

WTF type of school did you go to :P, I said events I get dragged to, do they sound enjoyable to you

I am thinking of abandoning the farm one day next next week to go on a BETTER farm walk. That's an event I'll enjoy

freedominacup · 27-04-2013 02:23PM

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

WTF type of school did you go to :P, I said events I get dragged to, do they sound enjoyable to you

I am thinking of abandoning the farm one day next next week to go on a BETTER farm walk. That's an event I'll enjoy

What sort of events do you find yourself dragged to?

reilig · 27-04-2013 02:40PM

freedominacup wrote: »

It's not all about you though is it?

But you said that we should go and enjoy these events. They are not the sort of thing that I enjoy. When I close the gate to go off and enjoy something, it's to do something that I actually enjoy. In this case it is about me.

When I have to go to something like a family event I go. It doesn't mean that I have to enjoy it. As long as the organiser thinks I enjoy it, it's no skin off anyone's nose.

freedominacup · 27-04-2013 02:41PM

reilig wrote: »

As long as the organiser thinks I enjoy it, it's no skin off anyone's nose.

Well that's true enough.

Marooned75 · 27-04-2013 04:22PM

Let cattle out this morning I don't know who's happier me or them the sunshine gives us all a lift.

hugo29 · 27-04-2013 04:25PM

My god we have all turned into grumpy old men/women on here, what's needed is a good drink, a good u know what, and some sunny weather in that order,

mf240 · 27-04-2013 05:21PM

hugo29 wrote: »

My god we have all turned into grumpy old men/women on here, what's needed is a good drink, a good u know what, and some sunny weather in that order,

Well I know where to get the first one.

Might have to go on holidays for the last one and possibly the second one.

whelan1 · 27-04-2013 05:25PM

cheers

Farming Chit Chat II

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