Dairy Farming General

Buford T. Justice XIX · 08-07-2015 12:48PM

Deepsouthwest wrote: »

What will u do for € if u stop farming? U seem pretty clued in, just wondering what ur options are.

Probably rent it out. Big block of land for round here with most of the housing and storage and roads for over 100 cows.

I'll hope find a bit of contract work for a few weeks each year and look after the kids when it finishes up, might even do a bit of relief milking for whoever takes it:D

It would be nice to be able to sleep through till morning in spring and leave someone else worry about finding money for me for a change rather than the other way round.

Just really pissed off at the whole thing of being picked on constantly for no benefit to me but huge benefit to someone else. I could live with it, maybe, if they found something on one of the other 3 visits this year already. Nothing found to fine me on just looking to fix a few cubicles and tidy up a few timbers, jobs for a quiet time of the year rather than spring in the middle of calving, spreading, collecting kids from school and visiting the father who was very sick in hospital at the time.

Ah, screw 'em.

mf240 · 08-07-2015 01:17PM

Buford T. Justice V wrote: »

Myself and the OH spent the week away talking about where we want to be in the future and the conclusion was, if we got another inspection this year, we would bench any expansion plans or upgrades and wind down the clock to paying off the loans.

The thought of working for free one year in three isn't really appealing, especially when everyone higher up the food chain has 40 hour weeks, 5 day week, a paid months holidays every year and a gross of near 1k a week.

Then yesterday we got notice 48 hours notice of a cross compliance inspection. So off to the accountant next week to see the best way of exiting in a couple of years.

I'm not sure I can cope with another box-ticker justifying their existence at my expense.

Answer the door in your underpants, and tell him you cant go outside with him as your cooking the neighbours dog in the oven and you dont want him to get overdone.

Let him worry about you, instead of the other way round.

Buford T. Justice XIX · 08-07-2015 01:30PM

mf240 wrote: »

Answer the door in your underpants, and tell him you cant go outside with him as your cooking the neighbours dog in the oven and you dont want him to get overdone.

Let him worry about you, instead of the other way round.

Thanks for that.

I don't think me in my underpants would be the most welcoming greeting he would ever have.

Head down and plough on for now.

Markcheese · 08-07-2015 01:31PM

mf240 wrote: »

Answer the door in your underpants, and tell him you cant go outside with him as your cooking the neighbours dog in the oven and you dont want him to get overdone.

Let him worry about you, instead of the other way round.

And what's weird about that . :-)

Dawggone · 08-07-2015 01:45PM

Buford T. Justice V wrote: »

:

Head down and plough on for now.

+1.

yosemitesam1 · 08-07-2015 01:54PM

browned wrote: »

got results back from grass samples taken during the summer of paddocks that were next in line for grazing. can someone with a better knowledge of dmd%, dm and crude protein interoperate the results for me? should some of these be higher?

dry matter ranged from 16.4-20.5
dmd ranged from 82-85.9
crude protein range from 19.7-26.7

Was there an me value? Hard to judge those figures on their own

browned · 08-07-2015 03:05PM

yosemitesam1 wrote: »

Was there an me value? Hard to judge those figures on their own

just those figure. were done as part of a teagasc trial so wasn't in control of the figures being given back to me. ah no worries

Milked out · 08-07-2015 03:32PM

browned wrote: »

just those figure. were done as part of a teagasc trial so wasn't in control of the figures being given back to me. ah no worries

Did they give any more info on it on general ranges etc, your protein is about right you wouldn't want it any higher anyway and the dm figures seem similar to those you'd see quoted elsewhere. Is there anything out there that can go to a higher dmd? I don't know of anything anyway so I don't think they can be much better really just a case of keeping it consistent. Had you covers, when fert was last spread noted with each sample?

browned · 08-07-2015 04:54PM

Milked out wrote: »

Did they give any more info on it on general ranges etc, your protein is about right you wouldn't want it any higher anyway and the dm figures seem similar to those you'd see quoted elsewhere. Is there anything out there that can go to a higher dmd? I don't know of anything anyway so I don't think they can be much better really just a case of keeping it consistent. Had you covers, when fert was last spread noted with each sample?

just a student from mp calling every couple of weeks and taking a measurement of post grazing height and taking samples of the next 3 grazing paddocks. no covers, fert date were taken but it would have been a cover of roughly 1300and fert out 2-3weeks prior. just got results yesterday so was curious as to what they actually meant in terms of quality.

just do it · 08-07-2015 08:25PM

Buford
What were the different inspections? I'm in sucklers and only had 1 inspection in last 10-15 years. Pretty much the same as other lads I know around here. It seems to me from boards.ie that dairy lads are more at risk of inspections for some reason?

Greengrass1 · 09-07-2015 04:29PM

Weighed and dosed all calves today.
Av 135. Bigger group all around 150 kg and smaller group at 120 mostly. Variation from 110 to 180 kgs. 1kg of meal for younger group on good grass since they went out and .5kg going to bigger group for last few weeks. Bombing

Greengrass1 · 10-07-2015 09:22AM

There's a jersey here and she's always head of the herd when walking back to field. And if she decides to stop walking the whole lot will stop and none will go past her. Well she started it today. And a nice newly surfaced road for them to walk on and all. I went off and got my breakfast and went down to paddock to lock in as usual and all still standing on the road. That's my system fcuked for the rest of the yr

keep going · 10-07-2015 10:10AM

Greengrass1 wrote: »

There's a jersey here and she's always head of the herd when walking back to field. And if she decides to stop walking the whole lot will stop and none will go past her. Well she started it today. And a nice newly surfaced road for them to walk on and all. I went off and got my breakfast and went down to paddock to lock in as usual and all still standing on the road. That's my system fcuked for the rest of the yr

These girls should realise that little things like this moves help move them up ramp

Greengrass1 · 10-07-2015 10:22AM

keep going wrote: »

These girls should realise that little things like this moves help move them up ramp

She's had twins all her life always a bull and a heifer

frazzledhome · 10-07-2015 10:28AM

Greengrass1 wrote: »

She's had twins all her life always a bull and a heifer

Happy meal

jaymla627 · 10-07-2015 10:45AM

Greengrass1 wrote: »

There's a jersey here and she's always head of the herd when walking back to field. And if she decides to stop walking the whole lot will stop and none will go past her. Well she started it today. And a nice newly surfaced road for them to walk on and all. I went off and got my breakfast and went down to paddock to lock in as usual and all still standing on the road. That's my system fcuked for the rest of the yr

12 hour breaks here all year and the biggest problem is making sure to get out of their way quick enough when opening gate to let them out of shed after milking haha

Milked out · 10-07-2015 11:10AM

http://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/european-fonterra-plant-to-process-1-billion-litres-of-milk-a-year/

Do any processor in Ireland make use of the lactose given the amount of pharma companies here. I know most pharma here is more the manufacture of api's more than the actual final tablet where the lactose would be more used but still I read somewhere we were net importers of lactose.

Greengrass1 · 10-07-2015 11:11AM

jaymla627 wrote: »

12 hour breaks here all year and the biggest problem is making sure to get out of their way quick enough when opening gate to let them out of shed after milking haha

Controlled starvation we call that. Always found cows were never satisfied when used 12 hr bresks

Deepsouthwest · 10-07-2015 11:17AM

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Controlled starvation we call that. Always found cows were never satisfied when used 12 hr bresks

Expect the backlash!!

Milked out · 10-07-2015 11:18AM

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Controlled starvation we call that. Always found cows were never satisfied when used 12 hr bresks

We do tgat here as well, always have give more during the day than at night or else give more in the first grazing of a paddock and they'll clean it out when second grazing. Have to change a few paddocks here tgat are too small but it works well esp in wet weather or in covers over 1500 tgat must be grazed

mf240 · 10-07-2015 11:26AM

Greengrass1 wrote: »

There's a jersey here and she's always head of the herd when walking back to field. And if she decides to stop walking the whole lot will stop and none will go past her. Well she started it today. And a nice newly surfaced road for them to walk on and all. I went off and got my breakfast and went down to paddock to lock in as usual and all still standing on the road. That's my system fcuked for the rest of the yr

Put her in the crush after milking and let her out when the rest are on their way.

Timmaay · 10-07-2015 11:39AM

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Controlled starvation we call that. Always found cows were never satisfied when used 12 hr bresks

Agreed, too hard to match supply and demand, I was doing it a bit afew weeks ago, and either moving them or moving the fence in the field between milkings but you only got them chasing you every single time you enter the paddock then thinking they will get fresh grass. I do a mix of 12, 24 and the odd 36 hour here, largely trying to match the demand to the area or 1/2 the area rather than the other way around. I do plan in changing a good few paddocks here so as they match a 24hrs block for 120 cows at a pregraze of 1500, but I'll way until I have the cows on the ground before I set that.

Greengrass1 · 10-07-2015 11:49AM

Timmaay wrote: »

Agreed, too hard to match supply and demand, I was doing it a bit afew weeks ago, and either moving them or moving the fence in the field between milkings but you only got them chasing you every single time you enter the paddock then thinking they will get fresh grass. I do a mix of 12, 24 and the odd 36 hour here, largely trying to match the demand to the area or 1/2 the area rather than the other way around. I do plan in changing a good few paddocks here so as they match a 24hrs block for 120 cows at a pregraze of 1500, but I'll way until I have the cows on the ground before I set that.

36 hr is only way. Neighbour uses 12 hr breaks and cows were bawling at me all week when I went to give calves there meal.
We're rearranging fields here ass there reseeded. Going into 4 ac paddocks. Have 2 10 ac fields they'll be split into 2 5ac pieces and a strip wire put down it for first grazing. Give them second half for next grazing and let them over whole lot for last grazing

Milked out · 10-07-2015 12:03PM

Greengrass1 wrote: »

36 hr is only way. Neighbour uses 12 hr breaks and cows were bawling at me all week when I went to give calves there meal.
We're rearranging fields here ass there reseeded. Going into 4 ac paddocks. Have 2 10 ac fields they'll be split into 2 5ac pieces and a strip wire put down it for first grazing. Give them second half for next grazing and let them over whole lot for last grazing

If they are bawling he isn't giving them enough, get good clean out here and still have to walk around to the lot of them to get them out of the paddock here mist days

friesian13 · 10-07-2015 12:06PM

no strip grazing here during summer months.get either 1,2 or 3 grazings from each paddock.great job. less work with fences aswell as higher yield,p and bf.

jaymla627 · 10-07-2015 01:45PM

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Controlled starvation we call that. Always found cows were never satisfied when used 12 hr bresks

If your allocating the right amount of grass and have cows trained into the system their isn't any issues, the Controlled starvation statement I never grasped if theirz 3 grazings in the paddock 3 equal 12 blocks is no different to letting them run over all of it the first grazing except your saving them pissing/****ting/walking/lying on perfectly good grass....
On the time issue setting up wires I reckon it would probably half lameness in alot of herds if 12 hour blocks where used and wires changed as cows exit paddock simply because they then walk in at their own pace and aren't been drove in with a quad etc

Sacrolyte · 10-07-2015 02:28PM

jaymla627 wrote: »

If your allocating the right amount of grass and have cows trained into the system their isn't any issues, the Controlled starvation statement I never grasped if theirz 3 grazings in the paddock 3 equal 12 blocks is no different to letting them run over all of it the first grazing except your saving them pissing/****ting/walking/lying on perfectly good grass....
On the time issue setting up wires I reckon it would probably half lameness in alot of herds if 12 hour blocks where used and wires changed as cows exit paddock simply because they then walk in at their own pace and aren't been drove in with a quad etc

+1 Using 12 hr break here since forever. Remember the day before geared reels. Life is so much easier now. (Thank you Mr. Gallagher). At times I have no problem moving cows in the middle of the day and feel I get a better clean out this way.

Muckit · 10-07-2015 02:34PM

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Controlled starvation we call that.

Pressure and release is better terminology if nothing else

alps · 10-07-2015 02:39PM

Muckit wrote: »

Pressure and release is better terminology if nothing else

Would be very interesting to do a survey here on protein levels of those that 12 hr and those that 36....
Moved from 12 hour here where the boss said the 36 wouldn't work cause we'd run out of grass....we'll protein shot from 3.02 to 3.65 now. ..

Milked out · 10-07-2015 03:26PM

alps wrote: »

Would be very interesting to do a survey here on protein levels of those that 12 hr and those that 36....
Moved from 12 hour here where the boss said the 36 wouldn't work cause we'd run out of grass....we'll protein shot from 3.02 to 3.65 now. ..

P 3.6 bf 3.98 at the mo

Dairy Farming General

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