Dairy Farming General

whelan2 · 05-04-2015 01:09PM

Timmaay wrote: »

Hmmmmmmm defo not jumping to conclusions just yet, but SCC 187 last collection, which is the lowest here in probably 2yrs (been anything between 250 and 350 normally) , anyways the 187 is despite the cows having the stress of a new milking parlour etc, I was expecting it to rocket for a week or so! Hopefully this is a sign of things to come!

Last SCC was 130 here. Big improvement on previous years

Greengrass1 · 05-04-2015 01:49PM

Timmaay wrote: »

Hmmmmmmm defo not jumping to conclusions just yet, but SCC 187 last collection, which is the lowest here in probably 2yrs (been anything between 250 and 350 normally) , anyways the 187 is despite the cows having the stress of a new milking parlour etc, I was expecting it to rocket for a week or so! Hopefully this is a sign of things to come!

Good to here tim.
Scc 88 here last collection despite a cow with 800 k scc

frazzledhome · 06-04-2015 07:29AM

freedominacup wrote: »

I was doing a bit of fence repairs along one of the main reason drains on Friday. A few furze bushes growing through the wire so we decided to pull them out. I had to get down into the drain to loop the sling around them. If I spread urea in it I'd have been relying on the dew to dissolve it. Drain was bone dry and its pulling out of s good 20 acres of our place and 30+ from neighbours. I dunno how dry your place is at all frazz. Either that or we haven't been getting the same rainfall. I have a couple of pics but the sides of the drain are fairly overgrown and it's not to clear what's what.

I was down visiting a neighbour of yours during the summer, well your neck of the woods. Large xbred herd daughter in the business and in partnership with another, you'll know who I mean.

Their farm was really dry but the soil was so different to ours and they also had less rainfall. While ours is dry and trafficable it would be more wheat and beet land than what i saw that day. I'd classify it as barley and sheep ground.

Ours would have more soil in the top layer thus holding more moisture. I have 33% gravel here and there's some difference between that and the limestone ground.

We fed out here for 10 days in July last summer but once the rain came it recovered straight away and we had the perfect year there after. I think your ground gets so stressed it could take 3-4 wks to recover whereas its instant here. Will admit that we're very lucky to be in possibly one of the best areas in the country from a land quality point. It makes life much easier even if land breaks all records when rented or sold. Unless you have 15k/acre min don't go to auction or 350-400 for rent and that's if it comes available. A lot of guys here are moving 30-40 km for land because of price and available land to lease. We moved to 200/acre area and now that's beginning to rise with all asking 300

freedominacup · 06-04-2015 09:41AM

frazzledhome wrote: »

I was down visiting a neighbour of yours during the summer, well your neck of the woods. Large xbred herd daughter in the business and in partnership with another, you'll know who I mean.

Their farm was really dry but the soil was so different to ours and they also had less rainfall. While ours is dry and trafficable it would be more wheat and beet land than what i saw that day. I'd classify it as barley and sheep ground.

Ours would have more soil in the top layer thus holding more moisture. I have 33% gravel here and there's some difference between that and the limestone ground.

We fed out here for 10 days in July last summer but once the rain came it recovered straight away and we had the perfect year there after. I think your ground gets so stressed it could take 3-4 wks to recover whereas its instant here. Will admit that we're very lucky to be in possibly one of the best areas in the country from a land quality point. It makes life much easier even if land breaks all records when rented or sold. Unless you have 15k/acre min don't go to auction or 350-400 for rent and that's if it comes available. A lot of guys here are moving 30-40 km for land because of price and available land to lease. We moved to 200/acre area and now that's beginning to rise with all asking 300

Tesgasc adviser did a bit of research for me last summer on recovery after drought. No point in spreading if only a small amount of rain coming. There will be enough N, mineralised was the phrase I think he used, in the soil to support gr upto 20kg. If you're not going to get at least this then leave in the bag. Spread CAN here in mid July and late August last year total waste.

stretch film · 06-04-2015 10:20AM

The constant drying coastal breeze is a major contributor to drought setting in rapidly here.

Brown Podzol · 06-04-2015 11:23AM

frazzledhome wrote: »

I was down visiting a neighbour of yours during the summer, well your neck of the woods. Large xbred herd daughter in the business and in partnership with another, you'll know who I mean.

Their farm was really dry but the soil was so different to ours and they also had less rainfall. While ours is dry and trafficable it would be more wheat and beet land than what i saw that day. I'd classify it as barley and sheep ground.

Ours would have more soil in the top layer thus holding more moisture. I have 33% gravel here and there's some difference between that and the limestone ground.

We fed out here for 10 days in July last summer but once the rain came it recovered straight away and we had the perfect year there after. I think your ground gets so stressed it could take 3-4 wks to recover whereas its instant here. Will admit that we're very lucky to be in possibly one of the best areas in the country from a land quality point. It makes life much easier even if land breaks all records when rented or sold. Unless you have 15k/acre min don't go to auction or 350-400 for rent and that's if it comes available. A lot of guys here are moving 30-40 km for land because of price and available land to lease. We moved to 200/acre area and now that's beginning to rise with all asking 300

Light free draining soil on slopes here. Noticed that in drought we burned up less and later than our neighbours the last two years. Did a check on a couple of soil samples this year for organic matter. 12%. Haven't had time to check out the ramifications of this but definitely moisture retention but does it hamper traficibality in wet weather?.

Milked out · 06-04-2015 03:22PM

http://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/gross-output-figures-peak-at-e6091ha-on-spring-calving-dairy-farms/

They are basing this off eprofit monitors, I assume there is no wage or land charge, unless rented, accounted for in these? If repaying a loan on purchased land is this included in the figures or is it just the interest?
Publishing figures as net profit when no wages are taken into account or mentioned is misleading the general public along with the fact it is based on one of the highest milk price years in recent past. Even if the average wage was used as a benchmark it would be more useful

Timmaay · 06-04-2015 03:33PM

Still useful information, Main conclusion is nothing beats stocking your farm to its max. Interesting about the considerably higher output/HA for higher stocked winter milking situations, most certainly labour becomes a huge factor with this which isn't shown in the study if it excludes own labour etc.

Greengrass1 · 06-04-2015 04:50PM

Made up a drafting gate today.
Need to make a race now over next 3 weeks.
what way can I do it so the gate will close by itself after I draft a cow.
there's a wall going up on the left so I think that rules out a weight?

C0N0R · 06-04-2015 04:53PM

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Made up a drafting gate today.
Need to make a race now over next 3 weeks.
what way can I do it so the gate will close by itself after I draft a cow.
there's a wall going up on the left so I think that rules out a weight?

Elastic bungy cord or a spring on the hinged side of the gate going round the pole. Can't you explain the gate setup a bit more ie which side your drafting to

Greengrass1 · 06-04-2015 04:57PM

C0N0R wrote: »

Elastic bungy cord or a spring on the hinged side of the gate going round the pole. Can't you explain the gate setup a bit more ie which side your drafting to

Cows will be drafted into race on left and head off to field on right. Elastic bungy sounds like the job.

C0N0R · 06-04-2015 05:00PM

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Cows will be drafted into race on left and head off to field on right. Elastic bungy sounds like the job.

http://www.gateshut.net

Something like that either, used bungy before and worked well, trial and error and she will be right. I assume you can get it from the pit?

Greengrass1 · 06-04-2015 05:01PM

C0N0R wrote: »

http://www.gateshut.net

Something like that either, used bungy before and worked well, trial and error and she will be right. I assume you can get it from the pit?

Would need something that goes back quick

Yeah going to put rope and pull on it to use from pit

whelan2 · 06-04-2015 07:06PM

have a heifer with massive springing, she calved the other day but she is very sore between her udder and her leg, what will i put on it? sudocreme?

jaymla627 · 06-04-2015 07:20PM

whelan2 wrote: »

have a heifer with massive springing, she calved the other day but she is very sore between her udder and her leg, what will i put on it? sudocreme?

Had one like that last month and used alovera gel and it worked very well took all the heat out of where she was getting rubbed

Dawggone · 06-04-2015 07:25PM

jaymla627 wrote: »

Had one like that last month and used alovera gel and it worked very well took all the heat out of where she was getting rubbed

We have a lot of problems with fresh calvers splitting in the centre crease of the udder. You could put your fist into some of the wounds. We just spray iodine into the wound....any better ideas?

Greengrass1 · 06-04-2015 07:40PM

Dawggone wrote: »

We have a lot of problems with fresh calvers splitting in the centre crease of the udder. You could put your fist into some of the wounds. We just spray iodine into the wound....any better ideas?

Maybe take a few days off the pre calving mix might stop them putting as much milk into themselves

Dawggone · 06-04-2015 07:46PM

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Maybe take a few days off the pre calving mix might stop them putting as much milk into themselves

Pre calving is just hay and then maize silage for the last 10 days...however they don't get infected it's just an open wound.

It's when they start to come into milk proper they split quiet badly.
It can happen an old cow or a springer. I never mind getting rubbed at the sides as most suffer from this.

orm0nd · 06-04-2015 07:52PM

Dawggone wrote: »

Pre calving is just hay and then maize silage for the last 10 days...however they don't get infected it's just an open wound.

It's when they start to come into milk proper they split quiet badly.
It can happen an old cow or a springer. I never mind getting rubbed at the sides as most suffer from this.

have a couple of older cows with it, not so bad this time of year but when the flies start it's a different story

Dawggone · 06-04-2015 07:58PM

orm0nd wrote: »

have a couple of older cows with it, not so bad this time of year but when the flies start it's a different story

No trouble with flies as when on grass the problem is only the odd one. But when on maize diet it's a very common issue.
As an aside I got grass tested for protein last Friday and it came in at 26%. I didn't think it would be so high.

blackdog1 · 06-04-2015 08:08PM

Dawggone wrote: »

Pre calving is just hay and then maize silage for the last 10 days...however they don't get infected it's just an open wound.

It's when they start to come into milk proper they split quiet badly.
It can happen an old cow or a springer. I never mind getting rubbed at the sides as most suffer from this.

Put gypsum into your diet. Forget the exact amount. It reduce odema in the bag all top American farmers use it.

Timmaay · 06-04-2015 08:08PM

1st time I ever saw a split in the middle of the udder was this spring, kept it cleared out the 1st 2wks with paper towel and put blue spray every day or so, cleared up after a month.

On another topic, how soon after a cow is bulled do you give her estrumate to make her not hold, fu&ker of a bull burst through a gate into the milkers again..

Dawggone · 06-04-2015 08:15PM

blackdog1 wrote: »

Put gypsum into your diet. Forget the exact amount. It reduce odema in the bag all top American farmers use it.

Thanks.

Timmaay · 06-04-2015 08:16PM

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Cows will be drafted into race on left and head off to field on right. Elastic bungy sounds like the job.

Electric fence spring either

White Clover · 06-04-2015 09:20PM

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Made up a drafting gate today.
Need to make a race now over next 3 weeks.
what way can I do it so the gate will close by itself after I draft a cow.
there's a wall going up on the left so I think that rules out a weight?

A spring out of a gap handle. Weld a link of light chain on gate and another on gate post, 2 small d shackles to attach spring. Tidy and effective. I have this on gate of gangway beside crush. Closes automatically behind you

Deepsouthwest · 06-04-2015 11:23PM

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Made up a drafting gate today.
Need to make a race now over next 3 weeks.
what way can I do it so the gate will close by itself after I draft a cow.
there's a wall going up on the left so I think that rules out a weight?

When u have the drafting gate fixed, nxt thing I'd do is shift that water drinker outside the door, looks like a killer for cow flow

Greengrass1 · 07-04-2015 06:07AM

Deepsouthwest wrote: »

When u have the drafting gate fixed, nxt thing I'd do is shift that water drinker outside the door, looks like a killer for cow flow

Yeah that's going don't worry. No need for it now since we're not holding all the cows

Greengrass1 · 07-04-2015 08:11AM

Have cows here refusing to eat meal this morning and then trying to rob neighbours meal.
had 2 get sick.
is magnesium inconsistent in mix or what?

jaymla627 · 07-04-2015 09:44AM

Cows going into cruise control here 27.5 litres a day at 4%bf and 3.4p with 50% of the herd heifers, if this weather keeps up will definitely go down as a spring to remember....

Ruxin · 07-04-2015 10:20AM

What difference a year makes just checked last years diary every day wet and windy cows are already a head of last years peak here now if only I could get the last of them calved we would be really flying.

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