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

frazzledhome · 31-01-2016 11:40AM

Dawggone wrote: »

Had to milk 2 herds this morning....
Someone is *FIRED*!!

Take your finger off that trigger till you find a replacement or you'll be milking 2 herds for the foreseeable

Dawggone · 31-01-2016 12:12PM

Dawggone wrote: »

Had to milk 2 herds this morning....
Someone is *FIRED*!!

Job done.

The man I'm in partnership with had to fly home on Fri night to a sudden funeral. His second cousin said no bother to milk for the weekend, and they could swap around next week. He knows the set up well now as he's there nearly 3 months. Something in the back of my head was telling me to touch base with him...phone turned off. Finished up TMR etc for home herd, phone still off. Off I head nearly 50 miles away to find cows queued up at parlor busting...
I've a 140hp tractor on the feeder there and there are other tractors parked for the winter...he had a 300hp on it...18cube!!
Rocked in about 20 minutes ago with a head of drink on him.

Bags packed and gone now.

Ffs it's not a nuclear power plant, but some things need doing, no matter what!!

Rant over.

mahoney_j · 31-01-2016 12:24PM

Anyone that is gone through bord bia audit ??quick question is there a requirement to have an isolation pen and is it inspected ,nothing about it on check list .lad coming down from Monaghan to do mine in am just double checking things at moment .something I could do without as cows calving fairly rapid ,hope he dosnt flap about all day

einn32 · 31-01-2016 12:28PM

mahoney_j wrote: »

Anyone that is gone through bord bia audit ??quick question is there a requirement to have an isolation pen and is it inspected ,nothing about it on check list .lad coming down from Monaghan to do mine in am just double checking things at moment .something I could do without as cows calving fairly rapid ,hope he dosnt flap about all day

When I did it the auditor said he would have accepted setting up a little square of a paddock with wire for an animal. We had pens too. His question was if you had to isolate a sick animal where would you put it.

whelan2 · 31-01-2016 12:30PM

mahoney_j wrote: »

Anyone that is gone through bord bia audit ??quick question is there a requirement to have an isolation pen and is it inspected ,nothing about it on check list .lad coming down from Monaghan to do mine in am just double checking things at moment .something I could do without as cows calving fairly rapid ,hope he dosnt flap about all day

He just asked did I have any, didnt look at them

Buford T. Justice XIX · 31-01-2016 12:33PM

blackdog1 wrote: »

That's the one thing about being the boss your the only one who is dependable. Farmers I worked for while training had a polish lad and out a nowhere just packed up and was gone.

I heard a story about 10 years ago that a few Cork farmers in the middle of the boom had hired a bunch of Polish lads in October to help with calving and to train them in before spring.

All went well and the Polish lads english was coming on well and they were getting more responsibility.

On the first of February, all the polish lads disappeared off to the buildings and the farmers had no one to help on the farm just as calving started.

The lads had spent 4 months learning english and getting paid for it.

frazzledhome · 31-01-2016 01:24PM

Buford T. Justice V wrote: »

I heard a story about 10 years ago that a few Cork farmers in the middle of the boom had hired a bunch of Polish lads in October to help with calving and to train them in before spring.

All went well and the Polish lads english was coming on well and they were getting more responsibility.

On the first of February, all the polish lads disappeared off to the buildings and the farmers had no one to help on the farm just as calving started.

The lads had spent 4 months learning english and getting paid for it.

Same happened me in 06, difference was it was an Irish guy getting off a site for the winter

frazzledhome · 31-01-2016 01:26PM

mahoney_j wrote: »

Anyone that is gone through bord bia audit ??quick question is there a requirement to have an isolation pen and is it inspected ,nothing about it on check list .lad coming down from Monaghan to do mine in am just double checking things at moment .something I could do without as cows calving fairly rapid ,hope he dosnt flap about all day

MJ, wasn't a bother here. Asked I said yes, job done. That audit is won and lost in the office imv

mahoney_j · 31-01-2016 02:21PM

frazzledhome wrote: »

MJ, wasn't a bother here. Asked I said yes, job done. That audit is won and lost in the office imv

Ta lads ,paper work I'm confident with and parlour calving sheds pens etc .just somebody mentioned a isolation box and it sort of got me .i have one but it's half full of sticks!!!!,as a matter of interest how long will it take .pressire is on Arrabawn suppliers to get it approval before June as after that if not approved were down 1.5 cent per ltre

Buford T. Justice XIX · 31-01-2016 02:24PM

mahoney_j wrote: »

Ta lads ,paper work I'm confident with and parlour calving sheds pens etc .just somebody mentioned a isolation box and it sort of got me .i have one but it's half full of sticks!!!!,as a matter of interest how long will it take .pressire is on Arrabawn suppliers to get it approval before June as after that if not approved were down 1.5 cent per ltre

Kerry will not accept supplies from non approved farms from the end of next year, I think.

I'm leaving mine for a few weeks yet as I have weanlings bedded on one side of the parlour. They should be out once (if) the weather clears up:(

whelan2 · 31-01-2016 02:26PM

mahoney_j wrote: »

Ta lads ,paper work I'm confident with and parlour calving sheds pens etc .just somebody mentioned a isolation box and it sort of got me .i have one but it's half full of sticks!!!!,as a matter of interest how long will it take .pressire is on Arrabawn suppliers to get it approval before June as after that if not approved were down 1.5 cent per ltre

Think about 2.5-3 hours

frazzledhome · 31-01-2016 02:43PM

Buford T. Justice V wrote: »

Kerry will not accept supplies from non approved farms from the end of next year, I think.

I'm leaving mine for a few weeks yet as I have weanlings bedded on one side of the parlour. They should be out once (if) the weather clears up:(

:)

frazzledhome · 31-01-2016 02:44PM

mahoney_j wrote: »

Ta lads ,paper work I'm confident with and parlour calving sheds pens etc .just somebody mentioned a isolation box and it sort of got me .i have one but it's half full of sticks!!!!,as a matter of interest how long will it take .pressire is on Arrabawn suppliers to get it approval before June as after that if not approved were down 1.5 cent per ltre

2-3 hrs

Timmaay · 31-01-2016 03:02PM

Buford T. Justice V wrote: »

Kerry will not accept supplies from non approved farms from the end of next year, I think.

I'm leaving mine for a few weeks yet as I have weanlings bedded on one side of the parlour. They should be out once (if) the weather clears up:(

Haha, use every inch! I'm seriously thinking turning part of the milking parlour exit yard into a proper shed (has a roof on it already, just needs another wall for shelter), the dairy washings tank can take the runoff from it, and use it for heifers, same deal, only need a narrow exit from the parlour during the winter when only a few rows in the parlour.

freedominacup · 31-01-2016 03:19PM

Milked out wrote: »

What average dates would first and third cuts be taken roughly? ground conditions early on would be difficult here to get fert out and ground grazed in time particularly in one field which makes up half the silage ground, then again we barely got the second cut out of it and that was in July. My issue I think is when I bale it's done as much to tidy up paddocks as take surplus so a lot of our bales wouldn't be near the quality of some of ye guys, perhaps a sign I'm baling a round too late..

We apply N for first cut with the intention that it's gone by May 10th. Ready to take first opportunity that presents itself after that. Second cut around 25th of June and third cut 5th of August.

frazzledhome · 31-01-2016 03:22PM

freedominacup wrote: »

We apply N for first cut with the intention that it's gone by May 10th. Ready to take first opportunity that presents itself after that. Second cut around 25th of June and third cut 5th of August.

Same as you and like you I believe that it costs the same wheather it's crap or not. Might as well make good stuff.

One thing I notice is that it's "too good" for dry cows. It piles weight on if not careful. Buying in Haylage this year for any dries not in forward group

Any view?

mahoney_j · 31-01-2016 03:31PM

frazzledhome wrote: »

Same as you and like you I believe that it costs the same wheather it's crap or not. Might as well make good stuff.

One thing I notice is that it's "too good" for dry cows. It piles weight on if not careful. Buying in Haylage this year for any dries not in forward group

Any view?

Straw ,I'm still on all bales with 35 plus dm and Dmd 72 plus .cows in super nic and some with br fr blood a tad over conditioned maby .i just throw out straw along passage and load bales on top and let the diet feeders work through it .there eating roughly 2 kg straw daily I'm thinking of doubling it and leaving some of drys hungry for 1/2 day before new feed out .thinking of buying some wirey stuff this year for drys and just stay baling quality stuff from my own blocks ,either that or buy more straw

frazzledhome · 31-01-2016 03:37PM

mahoney_j wrote: »

Straw ,I'm still on all bales with 35 plus dm and Dmd 72 plus .cows in super nic and some with br fr blood a tad over conditioned maby .i just throw out straw along passage and load bales on top and let the diet feeders work through it .there eating roughly 2 kg straw daily I'm thinking of doubling it and leaving some of drys hungry for 1/2 day before new feed out .thinking of buying some wirey stuff this year for drys and just stay baling quality stuff from my own blocks ,either that or buy more straw

Guy in our group bales quality as we all do but locks up part of heifer ground later for Dry cow silage.

mahoney_j · 31-01-2016 03:48PM

frazzledhome wrote: »

Guy in our group bales quality as we all do but locks up part of heifer ground later for Dry cow silage.

I think I'd lean more twoards 8*4*3 bales of good quality wheaten straw to dilute hi quality silage

freedominacup · 31-01-2016 03:51PM

frazzledhome wrote: »

Same as you and like you I believe that it costs the same wheather it's crap or not. Might as well make good stuff.

One thing I notice is that it's "too good" for dry cows. It piles weight on if not careful. Buying in Haylage this year for any dries not in forward group

Any view?

Different cows frazz. Ours are on ad lib mixture of third and second cut and they need every pound of it. Not too scientific about the rates as third is on top of second but youngstock and in calf heifers get only second cut.

Cows calving down fine so far. No Jack apart from one heifer who wasn't too find of what she was being expected to do. Calves head was just starting to swell when we got her out. Heifer had been sitting with toes out for a while. Cows and calves popping up straightaway. We were restricting dry cows too much here for quite a while. Not a course of action I would be recommending to anyone else but working for us at this time with these animals.

You can take the dry cow silage thing too far. I know a guy who makes one big cut mid June who would have to have his arm twisted up behind his back to give 6kg to fresh calved cows at this point of the year who was feeding 4-5kg to dry cows a couple of years ago because he'd have been better off with a pit of sawdust than what he had in his yard.

I think you need to keep a close eye on condition with dry cows always. They can't be in optimal condition at dry off in most cases. 8 weeks is recommended for good reasons. The animals need the break. We weren't as diligent about it for a couple of years while we were really chasing output and I think it was a pennywise move. Cows hitting the ground in much better order after calving at 8 weeks dry rather than 6. I think you can pick out the cows in the dry group who are into their second month dry. They're much more relaxed and obviously in better condition.

Sorry for the long post but in summary I'd rather have the top quality all of the time. Simple and cheap to reduce overall quality of a diet with a bit of straw. Fairly simple but damn expensive to increase the quality adding meal. How many who don't have a feeder have the headroom to allow every dry animal comfortable access to meal in the shed of you needed to feed it.

Milked out · 31-01-2016 04:24PM

freedominacup wrote: »

Different cows frazz. Ours are on ad lib mixture of third and second cut and they need every pound of it. Not too scientific about the rates as third is on top of second but youngstock and in calf heifers get only second cut.

Cows calving down fine so far. No Jack apart from one heifer who wasn't too find of what she was being expected to do. Calves head was just starting to swell when we got her out. Heifer had been sitting with toes out for a while. Cows and calves popping up straightaway. We were restricting dry cows too much here for quite a while. Not a course of action I would be recommending to anyone else but working for us at this time with these animals.

You can take the dry cow silage thing too far. I know a guy who makes one big cut mid June who would have to have his arm twisted up behind his back to give 6kg to fresh calved cows at this point of the year who was feeding 4-5kg to dry cows a couple of years ago because he'd have been better off with a pit of sawdust than what he had in his yard.

I think you need to keep a close eye on condition with dry cows always. They can't be in optimal condition at dry off in most cases. 8 weeks is recommended for good reasons. The animals need the break. We weren't as diligent about it for a couple of years while we were really chasing output and I think it was a pennywise move. Cows hitting the ground in much better order after calving at 8 weeks dry rather than 6. I think you can pick out the cows in the dry group who are into their second month dry. They're much more relaxed and obviously in better condition.

+1. Experimented here with the good solid cows with 6 weeks dry and am veering away from it. Cows calved fine and went back in calf but following lactation all were close on 1kL back in yield. Obviously different factors St play but I reckon dry period a big part of it. On dry cow feeding only cows here that get over fat would be carryovers really. Feed silage and maize with a kg of straw to dries.

frazzledhome · 31-01-2016 04:59PM

freedominacup wrote: »

Different cows frazz. Ours are on ad lib mixture of third and second cut and they need every pound of it. Not too scientific about the rates as third is on top of second but youngstock and in calf heifers get only second cut.

Cows calving down fine so far. No Jack apart from one heifer who wasn't too find of what she was being expected to do. Calves head was just starting to swell when we got her out. Heifer had been sitting with toes out for a while. Cows and calves popping up straightaway. We were restricting dry cows too much here for quite a while. Not a course of action I would be recommending to anyone else but working for us at this time with these animals.

You can take the dry cow silage thing too far. I know a guy who makes one big cut mid June who would have to have his arm twisted up behind his back to give 6kg to fresh calved cows at this point of the year who was feeding 4-5kg to dry cows a couple of years ago because he'd have been better off with a pit of sawdust than what he had in his yard.

I think you need to keep a close eye on condition with dry cows always. They can't be in optimal condition at dry off in most cases. 8 weeks is recommended for good reasons. The animals need the break. We weren't as diligent about it for a couple of years while we were really chasing output and I think it was a pennywise move. Cows hitting the ground in much better order after calving at 8 weeks dry rather than 6. I think you can pick out the cows in the dry group who are into their second month dry. They're much more relaxed and obviously in better condition.

Sorry for the long post but in summary I'd rather have the top quality all of the time. Simple and cheap to reduce overall quality of a diet with a bit of straw. Fairly simple but damn expensive to increase the quality adding meal. How many who don't have a feeder have the headroom to allow every dry animal comfortable access to meal in the shed of you needed to feed it.

Agree with all the above. Bcs monitored weekly here as cows go through race for footbath.

What I have noticed is over conditioned cows are the cows who give the most trouble at and after calving. Milk fever, cleanings etc. I'm prepared for cows loosing condition in the 80 days post calving but find the over done ones can't handle it as well as the fit ones.

The main difference between hi Fert cows and others is their ability to recover post calving imv. Now our herd is far from hi Fert but proper feeding as you say is the key

freedominacup · 31-01-2016 06:09PM

frazzledhome wrote: »

Agree with all the above. Bcs monitored weekly here as cows go through race for footbath.

What I have noticed is over conditioned cows are the cows who give the most trouble at and after calving. Milk fever, cleanings etc. I'm prepared for cows loosing condition in the 80 days post calving but find the over done ones can't handle it as well as the fit ones.

The main difference between hi Fert cows and others is their ability to recover post calving imv. Now our herd is far from hi Fert but proper feeding as you say is the key

How often during milking season so you footbath. Never do dry cows here. We try to have them right going in, hooves clean and hardened. Wouldn't be a fan of putting heavily pregnant animals through the crush.

frazzledhome · 31-01-2016 06:20PM

freedominacup wrote: »

How often during milking season so you footbath. Never do dry cows here. We try to have them right going in, hooves clean and hardened. Wouldn't be a fan of putting heavily pregnant animals through the crush.

Leased a farm a few yrs back, former dairy farm. Put dry cows to shed and phucking Mortellaro brought home. Containing with foot bath.

Drys go through every Friday, milkers every week for 2 milkings. The drys actually go through parlour and bring heifers enmasse. They wander through and out to herringbone crush on their own at this stage, no horse play. That's where we check condition.

yosemitesam1 · 31-01-2016 08:20PM

Milked out wrote: »

+1. Experimented here with the good solid cows with 6 weeks dry and am veering away from it. Cows calved fine and went back in calf but following lactation all were close on 1kL back in yield. Obviously different factors St play but I reckon dry period a big part of it. On dry cow feeding only cows here that get over fat would be carryovers really. Feed silage and maize with a kg of straw to dries.

there's a lot of american and canadian research showing it can be done but not with heifers, they're recommendations for protein are higher than what most cows on a silage only diet will get afaik, steaming up probably helps too but i doubt its worth the extra bother to chase those marginal litres

Milked out · 31-01-2016 08:34PM

yosemitesam1 wrote: »

there's a lot of american and canadian research showing it can be done but not with heifers, they're recommendations for protein are higher than what most cows on a silage only diet will get afaik, steaming up probably helps too but i doubt its worth the extra bother to chase those marginal litres

That's part of what I thought that I dont have the space to do that bit extra pre calving most of the time plus in spring going to grass changes diet again. I still feel the recovery aspect is important .

freedominacup · 31-01-2016 08:34PM

frazzledhome wrote: »

Leased a farm a few yrs back, former dairy farm. Put dry cows to shed and phucking Mortellaro brought home. Containing with foot bath.

Drys go through every Friday, milkers every week for 2 milkings. The drys actually go through parlour and bring heifers enmasse. They wander through and out to herringbone crush on their own at this stage, no horse play. That's where we check condition.

We have it here since I brought a pair of wellies home from college in the UK in the early nineties. We find that once you do the work over the summer the need for treatment of drys over winter is gone. Place is alive with it. Cows we bought in had it inside a few weeks. Easy to treat and control but still a pita.

kevthegaff · 31-01-2016 09:04PM

freedominacup wrote: »

We have it here since I brought a pair of wellies home from college in the UK in the early nineties. We find that once you do the work over the summer the need for treatment of drys over winter is gone. Place is alive with it. Cows we bought in had it inside a few weeks. Easy to treat and control but still a pita.

Got a loan of bull last year for a few days, think that could have started it, ba%%Ard of a disease. Mostly fairly young stock infected, treated some with penstr/ wash and alymisin spray, mixed results:-(, ye using bluestone??

freedominacup · 31-01-2016 10:38PM

kevthegaff wrote: »

Got a loan of bull last year for a few days, think that could have started it, ba%%Ard of a disease. Mostly fairly young stock infected, treated some with penstr/ wash and alymisin spray, mixed results:-(, ye using bluestone??

Dar 31 had a cure. Using bluestone and formalin. You need lincomycin spray. Powerhose feet and spray on linco. Someone could well tell you to out it in footbath but you'd want plenty of headroom in the od ac to use it that way.

Greengrass1 · 31-01-2016 11:48PM

http://www.farmersjournal.ie/us-dairy-co-us-dairy-co-op-to-introduce-quota-system-199400/

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

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