Dairy Chit Chat- Please read Mod note in post #1

darragh_haven · 11-11-2015 10:21PM

Deepsouthwest wrote: »

Interesting comments on bales v pc. Everyone seems to get caught up on the whole cost between the two argument, which is minimal anyway. But surely the proof in the pudding is in the animals eating it.
Probably the single biggest influence on me making the change was from talking to a v good farmer around here who said it was only after the switch the bales that he found cows properly put on condition over the winter.
I wonder if I'll be of the same opinion in the spring when I've got them all fed, but it's so far so good for now.

In the spring, if your happy with the conversion to all bales, will you purchase a bale shear that opens the bale and holds the plastic. (Mchale or keltec etc)

mahoney_j · 11-11-2015 10:27PM

Deepsouthwest wrote: »

Interesting comments on bales v pc. Everyone seems to get caught up on the whole cost between the two argument, which is minimal anyway. But surely the proof in the pudding is in the animals eating it.
Probably the single biggest influence on me making the change was from talking to a v good farmer around here who said it was only after the switch the bales that he found cows properly put on condition over the winter.
I wonder if I'll be of the same opinion in the spring when I've got them all fed, but it's so far so good for now.

My pit silage first cut tested at 75 Dmd and I tested 5 different lots of bales ranging from 71 to 82 Dmd and I'd nearly bet that the 71 Dmd bales will feed way better than the pit .

BG2.0 · 11-11-2015 10:29PM

mahoney_j wrote: »

My pit silage first cut tested at 75 Dmd and I tested 5 different lots of bales ranging from 71 to 82 Dmd and I'd nearly bet that the 71 Dmd bales will feed way better than the pit .

So how'd wagon pit compare to pc pit vs bales?

mahoney_j · 11-11-2015 10:47PM

BG2.0 wrote: »

So how'd wagon pit compare to pc pit vs bales?

Bales ,wagon and pc in that order with pc a distant third.wagon silage lovely stuff but seemingly afull stuff for man on loader to build pit with and compact it .still though if u want to just fill a pit and want a heavy crop it'll make more sense to go pc but for quality on Dmd ,dm wise bales better option

mf240 · 11-11-2015 11:20PM

If you go for high dry matter it can be hard to preserve in a pit.

I make two stacks of bales . Nice leafy stuff for milkers and finishing cattle.

And stronger stemmy stuff for dry cows.

The fact that they are being opened up fresh every other day has to count for something too.

mf240 · 11-11-2015 11:22PM

mahoney_j wrote: »

Bales ,wagon and pc in that order with pc a distant third.wagon silage lovely stuff but seemingly afull stuff for man on loader to build pit with and compact it .still though if u want to just fill a pit and want a heavy crop it'll make more sense to go pc but for quality on Dmd ,dm wise bales better option

Pit silage would do sucklers or store cattle the finest.

Milked out · 11-11-2015 11:40PM

Gonna buck the trend here, will be for pit all the way cut at right time quality can be as good as any but must also say with limited feed space, a narrow feed passage and the fact maize is bought in as part of winter feed the practicalities of it are the most appealing to me. Will use bales for a few dry cows and yearlings in the other yard as bales were made around it. Will be using pit silage, maize silage, circa 2 kg of 3 way mix of maize grain/ barley/ beet pulp and 2 kg soya bean meal in feeder for milkers. Awaiting results of silage and will adjust the 3 way mix and soya to suit. Fresh calvers will get topped up in parlour with 2 or 3 kgs of 18% nut

Midfield9 · 12-11-2015 12:08AM

pedigree 6 wrote: »

A lot of people here feeding bales. Does anyone have the plastic on the bales instead of the net. I think it's great as the bales are in perfect condition. But the aul fella here doesn't like it as he says it's harder to take off compared to the net. I'm undecided here.

First time with plastic net here and easily prefer it over ordinary net. Find it easier and quicker. Not using a bale shear either

keep going · 12-11-2015 12:10AM

stanflt wrote: »

My young bull left me for greener pastures today- had grown quite fond of him around the yard all summer-

On a different note the bloody tax man had to get paid todayðŸ˜¡

id say hes getting a fair lump of money this week

keep going · 12-11-2015 12:13AM

Deepsouthwest wrote: »

If they keep him off the beer, fags and women he might have a chance so!!

as one local coach says "the problem is ass and glass"

keep going · 12-11-2015 12:17AM

on the whole silage thing,one big difference i see between wagon and pc is the amount of effluent that comes out of the pit from pc ,stands to reason that alot of the good runs out of the grass with all the choping

pedigree 6 · 12-11-2015 12:25AM

Midfield9 wrote: »

First time with plastic net here and easily prefer it over ordinary net. Find it easier and quicker. Not using a bale shear either

No bale shear here either was very tempted though. I take the plastic off when bale is on the loader and the outer plastic is a little clingy to the plastic round, but it's ok. Also with the net when cut underneath you could pull it from one side, with the plastic you have to leave bale down and peel it back over the top. You cant pull it as friction is holding it, just have to peel over the top. But it's nothing major.

Cow Porter · 12-11-2015 12:32AM

No intention on moving to all bales. Have about 500 on hand here and can't wait to be opening the pit. In an ideal world I'd only like 200 bales max and put the rest in pit. Diet feeder does take them fine just find it an inefficient way of making a large amount of silage

Mad4simmental · 12-11-2015 12:34AM

On the cows not eating as much PC silage as bales. Could it be that you have allot more silage infront of the cows than you think with it being so choped and compacted?

freedominacup · 12-11-2015 12:36AM

Milked out wrote: »

Gonna buck the trend here, will be for pit all the way cut at right time quality can be as good as any but must also say with limited feed space, a narrow feed passage and the fact maize is bought in as part of winter feed the practicalities of it are the most appealing to me. Will use bales for a few dry cows and yearlings in the other yard as bales were made around it. Will be using pit silage, maize silage, circa 2 kg of 3 way mix of maize grain/ barley/ beet pulp and 2 kg soya bean meal in feeder for milkers. Awaiting results of silage and will adjust the 3 way mix and soya to suit. Fresh calvers will get topped up in parlour with 2 or 3 kgs of 18% nut

Bales vs pit doesn't come into it. Only thing that counts is quality of product being ensiled. Opened pit around a fortnight ago couldn't have been happier to be finished with handling big numbers of bales. Absolutely no drop in performance when we changed and holding since. I posted exactly what the first collection after the changeover was yield wise, I think it was slightly higher. Stale cows eating 15kg dm of first cut atm. Not to bad considering teagasc talk about getting 16kg of spring grass as a target intake.

merryberry · 12-11-2015 09:35AM

Now that quotas are gone, farmers will b milking longer through the year and observe shorter dry period. Will this require more or less winter silage stocks to achieve desired BCS. Suppose it depends on the BCS at drying. Will farmers be milking off silage (not this year perhaps) if economics justify or will quota abolition have no effect on duration of milking season?

Milked out · 12-11-2015 09:48AM

merryberry wrote: »

Now that quotas are gone, farmers will b milking longer through the year and observe shorter dry period. Will this require more or less winter silage stocks to achieve desired BCS. Suppose it depends on the BCS at drying. Will farmers be milking off silage (not this year perhaps) if economics justify or will quota abolition have no effect on duration of milking season?

Most Definitely cows will be milked on. Weather will have a lot to do with it in partd as the good autumn so far has cows milking relatively well if weather was bad in sep oct more would be inclined to dry off woth poor price. Alot of lads also had more cows than suited their quota. More quality silage would be needed as a lactating cow would have higher intakes than a dry cow anyway. Get BCS right during lactation. If too thin a longer dry period would be needed

Timmaay · 12-11-2015 11:14AM

Freedom /Milked out, do yas mostly use wagon or PC in the pits?

Timmaay · 12-11-2015 11:18AM

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/honour-for-cork-teen-who-used-karate-skills-to-save-father-from-being-gored-by-bull-364422.html

520kg animal flipped his father into the air like a rag doll, knocked him to the ground and started goring him.

John, who won numerous national and international karate awards, used his martial arts skills to fight the bull off his father. He grabbed the bull around the neck and tugged the ring in his nose to subdue him.

Wow. Where do I start...

kowtow · 12-11-2015 11:27AM

Timmaay wrote: »

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/honour-for-cork-teen-who-used-karate-skills-to-save-father-from-being-gored-by-bull-364422.html

Wow. Where do I start...

Among the things that saved both the Father & the first teen was the 13YO brother, who the teen was able to yell at to bring over the "family 4x4"

It's interesting to reflect when we ban children from machinery, cabs, etc. that occasionally at least it might be a two edged sword.

Complicated things, family farms.

Milked out · 12-11-2015 11:31AM

Timmaay wrote: »

Freedom /Milked out, do yas mostly use wagon or PC in the pits?

PC here Timmaay. Asked contractor about having a longer chop length, he said he would have to remove some knives. Use wheaten straw 0.5kg or a bit less in feeder as well.

freedominacup · 12-11-2015 03:26PM

Timmaay wrote: »

Freedom /Milked out, do yas mostly use wagon or PC in the pits?

Wagon, by the hour. Loader by the hour. Rest by the acre. Total cost per acre around 75euro incl vat. Contractor set up for cutting light cuts of high quality. Another customer made first cut a few days before our second cut his charge for the wagon and loader was around two and a half times ours on a per acre basis.

edit; I'd have no hang up if a contractor with a pc set up came looking for business as long as he was cost competitive. I'd have to trust him on reliability too though, guy we use now means what he says when he commits to doing a job. Fairly high hurdle for others to cross.

cute geoge · 12-11-2015 04:28PM

I suppose you wont tell us how many acres you cut in that you get it cut for €75/acre

Sacrolyte · 12-11-2015 04:43PM

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Deepsouthwest wrote: »

What's ur plan?

Nothing as yet.
my father has heavy metal addiction

Add your reply here.

I'm sorry for your troubles. And no cure in sight.

Sacrolyte · 12-11-2015 04:43PM

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Deepsouthwest wrote: »

What's ur plan?

Nothing as yet.
my father has heavy metal addiction

Add your reply here.

I'm sorry for your troubles. And no cure in sight.

Deepsouthwest · 12-11-2015 04:45PM

freedominacup wrote: »

Wagon, by the hour. Loader by the hour. Rest by the acre. Total cost per acre around 75euro incl vat. Contractor set up for cutting light cuts of high quality. Another customer made first cut a few days before our second cut his charge for the wagon and loader was around two and a half times ours on a per acre basis.

edit; I'd have no hang up if a contractor with a pc set up came looking for business as long as he was cost competitive. I'd have to trust him on reliability too though, guy we use now means what he says when he commits to doing a job. Fairly high hurdle for others to cross.

Don't think they'll be too many guys knocking on ur door offering to cut for less than €75/acre. That's another reason I switched to bales, was costing me €130/acre first cut, and no tedding or racking either at that.

BG2.0 · 12-11-2015 04:55PM

freedominacup wrote: »

edit; I'd have no hang up if a contractor with a pc set up came looking for business as long as he was cost competitive. I'd have to trust him on reliability too though, guy we use now means what he says when he commits to doing a job. Fairly high hurdle for others to cross.

As in turns up when he says and not 'soon' we're nearly there carry on. Leaves without wrecking half the peirs on farm!

BG2.0 · 12-11-2015 04:58PM

Sacrolyte wrote: »

Add your reply here.

I'm sorry for your troubles. And no cure in sight.

Leave him to sort it when poo hits the fan/sitting on it for a week straight soon looses the appeal.

cute geoge · 12-11-2015 05:01PM

€130 seems a bit steep for a short draw and any descent amount of acres
Bales get dear if you fertilise too well and get caught with weather ,
I had 16 bales/acre in some of my first cut, savage crop ,cut dry turned twice ,conditions were ok but no drying mid may .Neighbour had similar crop but held tough until good spell june 10th ,turned and wilted ,he also ended up with 16 bales/acre .€130 for pit silage is cheap in that case and more often then not the weather will best you along the western seaboard

Timmaay · 12-11-2015 05:17PM

16bales per acre, hmm I hope only the huge horribly over-conditioned drycows are getting that!

Dairy Chit Chat- Please read Mod note in post #1

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