Milk Price- Please read Mod note in post #1

just do it · 19-07-2015 06:20PM

frazzledhome wrote: »

Our June milk cheque was 6% back on last years with 5% more cows.

I'm feeling like a daft prick here now considering the money I left behind last year with the record high price.

We split the cows this year putting all 1st lac and any with history of foot problems as well as any cow with lower BCS in one group.

When things got tight and we needed to push cows we pushed fit group not the young ones

One thing this exercise has done is shown me that small changes can make a big difference. The real test will be to see have we and more in calf than other years. Looking at the cows I'm feeling that may be the case. Won't be scanning cows for a while yet so will wait and see.

Grazing separate set of paddocks or leader follower?

Edit - I think your next post answers that

Milked out · 19-07-2015 06:46PM

6500 supplied last year per cow at a price of 40.2c/l last year. Includes winter bonus but over litres supplied only works out at 1.3c/l. Hope to improve litres supplied by removing passengers and carrying over as little as possible. Anything marked for culling will be gone before herd test next month. At that still need to up numbers by 20 cows or so so depending on scanning and testing may clear out empties and replace. Wondering would I be as well off to buy autumn calvers and give spring herd a decent dry period once enough milk going in to meet winter quota. Feeding less cows to produce same milk and give spring herd a good start to next year.? Alternative buy spring calving cows but would prefer to buy calved and don't want cows calved late in spring and I assume many would be selling cows incalf before housing . Will see how scanning goes first anyway. This year p has been up every month with less meal used, bf also up every month bar may. Will have feeders in parlour so hope to improve the lower performers as feeding at feed face is survival of fittest and less standing around and tearing at barrier to be fed so hopefully will reduce lameness also. Hopefully better average performance with less meal fed as those who need it will get it and those who don't wont

Greengrass1 · 19-07-2015 09:04PM

Stans comment about if you can't afford to expand in a bad MP yr you can't afford in a good MP yr.
agree to a point but it's has a serious price
35% more milk sent thus june over june 14 and only same money brought in
tough when you have to foot the cost of producing that extra milk aswell as keeping more young stock.
not saying were going not going to milk more next yr but it has to be thought about again now

mahoney_j · 19-07-2015 09:40PM

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Stans comment about if you can't afford to expand in a bad MP yr you can't afford in a good MP yr.
agree to a point but it's has a serious price
35% more milk sent thus june over june 14 and only same money brought in
tough when you have to foot the cost of producing that extra milk aswell as keeping more young stock.
not saying were going not going to milk more next yr but it has to be thought about again now

Think point he was making gg was that an investment like that in parlour or cubicles ,storage etc is a long term investement and will have to be paid for in high milk price year as well as bad.tackling a job like that in bad price year says a lot about a business as well as been a good time to go at it as builders will be quieter and keener for work.youve obviously outlined work that needs to be done and where investement is needed ,you should back yourself whilst your young and tackle this head on

Deepsouthwest · 19-07-2015 10:36PM

frazzledhome wrote: »

Funny thing MJ is that we've fed slightly less meal this year. A few things happened as a consequence of splitting. We grew more grass and cows spending less time walking and standing in collecting yard.

Growing more grass but more importantly all cows are getting a fairer chance to gobble it. For young herd longest walk is 400m to parlour. Some of the further paddocks were cut for first cut so not visited as often be main herd. These are 1hr from parlour.

With such a small increase in numbers the herd has also matured with the knock on production increase. My big bear was that had we done this last year we would've reaped a lot more of the higher price with no increase in costs. Lesson learned.

It's an on going education and I think herd size will be an important consideration in the future.

How far is the field that's an hr away? Walked my cows to ground just over a mile away yesterday, and two of us had them home in about 45 mins, not really rushing them either. Do u find any drop in yield when walking this far? Visited Pat and Olive Weeks a few yrs ago and they reckoned u lose about a litre per kilometre.

Sam Kade · 19-07-2015 10:43PM

Deepsouthwest wrote: »

How far is the field that's an hr away? Walked my cows to ground just over a mile away yesterday, and two of us had them home in about 45 mins, not really rushing them either. Do u find any drop in yield when walking this far? Visited Pat and Olive Weeks a few yrs ago and they reckoned u lose about a litre per kilometre.

Wouldn't it be easier to bring the grass to the cows in that situation? Pick up an old single chop or wagon and feed in a paddock near the yard.

Timmaay · 19-07-2015 10:58PM

Sam Kade wrote: »

Wouldn't it be easier to bring the grass to the cows in that situation? Pick up an old single chop or wagon and feed in a paddock near the yard.

Someone do the back of the envelope figure here please ha. But I'm guessing that the KISS rule will well and truly be broken by the time you have picked up the single chop/wagon, either wasted your own time or possibly the time of someone else who wouldn't necessarily be use to using one, for a machine that is to be used for a very limited amount of time, and with possibly very marginal gains over just walking the cows the distance.

Sam Kade · 19-07-2015 11:03PM

Timmaay wrote: »

Someone do the back of the envelope figure here please ha. But I'm guessing that the KISS rule will well and truly be broken by the time you have picked up the single chop/wagon, either wasted your own time or possibly the time of someone else who wouldn't necessarily be use to using one, for a machine that is to be used for a very limited amount of time, and with possibly very marginal gains over just walking the cows the distance.

Lame cows, milk yield drop, time, money? The old wagon, single chop wouldn't be long paying for itself.

Deepsouthwest · 19-07-2015 11:09PM

Sam Kade wrote: »

Wouldn't it be easier to bring the grass to the cows in that situation? Pick up an old single chop or wagon and feed in a paddock near the yard.

Certainly not, the easiest and cheapest way to get grass into cows will always be straight grazing.

Deepsouthwest · 19-07-2015 11:10PM

Timmaay wrote: »

Someone do the back of the envelope figure here please ha. But I'm guessing that the KISS rule will well and truly be broken by the time you have picked up the single chop/wagon, either wasted your own time or possibly the time of someone else who wouldn't necessarily be use to using one, for a machine that is to be used for a very limited amount of time, and with possibly very marginal gains over just walking the cows the distance.

What's the kiss rule?

Injuryprone · 19-07-2015 11:25PM

Deepsouthwest wrote: »

What's the kiss rule?

Keep it simple, stupid

frazzledhome · 19-07-2015 11:31PM

Deepsouthwest wrote: »

How far is the field that's an hr away? Walked my cows to ground just over a mile away yesterday, and two of us had them home in about 45 mins, not really rushing them either. Do u find any drop in yield when walking this far? Visited Pat and Olive Weeks a few yrs ago and they reckoned u lose about a litre per kilometre.

Don't know tbh, must measure. They get there quicker than they come in. When we bring in we stay 2 fence posts behind so as not to push. The herd will only move as fast as the slowest cow

On milk don't notice drop but wouldn't be doing twice a day ever. I think the issue here was the size of the group.

Sam Kade · 20-07-2015 12:01AM

Deepsouthwest wrote: »

Certainly not, the easiest and cheapest way to get grass into cows will always be straight grazing.

Not when you're walking them a mile which is 4 miles a day for 2 milking's

The grass will recover faster also.

Timmaay · 20-07-2015 12:12AM

Sam Kade wrote: »

Not when you're walking them a mile which is 4 miles a day for 2 milking's The grass will recover faster also.

You'd keep them much closer at night.

keep going · 20-07-2015 12:14AM

Sam Kade wrote: »

Wouldn't it be easier to bring the grass to the cows in that situation? Pick up an old single chop or wagon and feed in a paddock near the yard.

Its one thing that becomes obvious with larger numbers that these kind things dont stack up.fartherest grass is 1.2 km but only do it during day once.it means I have 2 paddocks on the go and will grow less grass but its worth it.if they have a good feed during the day very little does them by night

Timmaay · 20-07-2015 12:17AM

Sam Kade wrote: »

Lame cows, milk yield drop, time, money? The old wagon, single chop wouldn't be long paying for itself.

Lame cows depend on the cow type, and Lane way conditions. Yeild increase with drawing the silage in I'd guess would be offset by extra diesel burnt, and running costs of the wagon. Time is equal for both, what you save walking the cows you waste driving. I still think the gains would be margin, and I definitely don't like breaking KISS unless it pays me well.

Sam Kade · 20-07-2015 12:17AM

Timmaay wrote: »

You'd keep them much closer at night.

True, neighbours wife spent many a day walking cows 2 miles to and from grazing

same woman couldn't walk around dunnes stores now.

Timmaay · 20-07-2015 12:23AM

Sam Kade wrote: »

True, neighbours wife spent many a day walking cows 2 miles to and from grazing same woman couldn't walk around dunnes stores now.

I dare say her current lack of mobility is caused by simply walking and extra 4miles a day for a relatively short period of the year, but instead by doing other awkward things, like maybe too shallow a parlour pit, over use of the hand shovel/fork (which is a very unbalanced task, nobody swaps over sides with either, so you end up one side totally over worked, and the other under developed), incorrect lifting/dragging heavy bags etc. In any case most farmers have quads now.

Actually my quad had been out of action (again!) for the last month, haven't missed it as much as I thought ha, plenty extra miles for me tho!

whelan2 · 20-07-2015 06:00AM

Timmaay wrote: »

You'd keep them much closer at night.

for the last week mine have been in the furthest fields, night and day, will take me just under an hour to get them in in the morning and about 40 minutes in the evening as kids give a hand then, they are alot quicker getting back to the paddock, yield has stayed the same.

Milked out · 20-07-2015 06:29AM

frazzledhome wrote: »

Don't know tbh, must measure. They get there quicker than they come in. When we bring in we stay 2 fence posts behind so as not to push. The herd will only move as fast as the slowest cow

On milk don't notice drop but wouldn't be doing twice a day ever. I think the issue here was the size of the group.

If I did that most days they'd be still standing in the roadway Ha. Awful slow these days coming in. Generally they.d all be in the field once I go to close the gap alrite

Deepsouthwest · 20-07-2015 07:42AM

Sam Kade wrote: »

True, neighbours wife spent many a day walking cows 2 miles to and from grazing same woman couldn't walk around dunnes stores now.

She must've had the wrong breeding for his system!

Markcheese · 20-07-2015 07:50AM

Deepsouthwest wrote: »

Certainly not, the easiest and cheapest way to get grass into cows will always be straight grazing.

I still like the idea of a mobile parlour - but that's far from simple as well -

oxjkqg · 20-07-2015 08:09AM

just do it wrote: »

Grazing separate set of paddocks or leader follower?

Edit - I think your next post answers that

Just do it ur message inbox is full :pac::rolleyes:

Cow Porter · 20-07-2015 08:24AM

It's gone way off topic but yer on about far away paddocks etc, in same predicament here, furthest paddock (rented ground) is just over 1km, these paddocks are setup for 3 grazing at planned numbers,

Must get paddocks at home properly fenced (other side of the road so plan to use as night paddocks as much as possible)

If I make them just 1 grazing mid summer then they will be too small the other side of grazing season? Soooo any suggestions

freedominacup · 20-07-2015 08:32AM

Cow Porter wrote: »

It's gone way off topic but yer on about far away paddocks etc, in same predicament here, furthest paddock (rented ground) is just over 1km, these paddocks are setup for 3 grazing at planned numbers,

Must get paddocks at home properly fenced (other side of the road so plan to use as night paddocks as much as possible)

If I make them just 1 grazing mid summer then they will be too small the other side of grazing season? Soooo any suggestions

I'm taking out paddock divisions as much as possible and adding gaps and water troughs. There's virtually no such thing as a correct paddock size. What most divisions are ending up at is around three days for the full herd at peak demand. Subdivide to requirements on any day depending on the variables. There's at least four entrances to a section this size and two water points. More troughs will be added.

Greengrass1 · 20-07-2015 08:36AM

freedominacup wrote: »

I'm taking out paddock divisions as much as possible and adding gaps and water troughs. There's virtually no such thing as a correct paddock size. What most divisions are ending up at is around three days for the full herd at peak demand. Subdivide to requirements on any day depending on the variables. There's at least four entrances to a section this size and two water points. More troughs will be added.

The trouble I'm having here trying to get extra gaps into paddocks.
You'll never get them.out there anyway is what I'm told

browned · 20-07-2015 08:47AM

The average grazing per paddock is something like 9/10. Are these farm with the long distance paddocks on highly stocked milking platforms? If not why don't ye just graze young stock or take silage from these paddocks during the summer and leave the long walks for the shoulders. You'd reduce the number of walks from 10 down to say 4.

If the herd and milking platform expands to being too long and narrow with too many long walks they say the next step is oad

freedominacup · 20-07-2015 08:51AM

Greengrass1 wrote: »

The trouble I'm having here trying to get extra gaps into paddocks.
You'll never get them.out there anyway is what I'm told

Hook a reel on beside the gap and job done. There's several spots where with the best will in the world divisions won't line up with gaps. Reel just makes a dead end and directs them out. Wouldn't have a shock going through it, just a guide.

Sam Kade · 20-07-2015 09:01AM

Deepsouthwest wrote: »

She must've had the wrong breeding for his system!

She was city bred and never came close to a cow until she met him in her 30's.

kevthegaff · 20-07-2015 09:10AM

Firstly you have to remember frazzs cows are jersey cross (built for walking!), i have a field nearly a mile away, let them out onto public road (no traffic) by the time im finished cycle past them most are in the field!

Milk Price- Please read Mod note in post #1

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