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

jack o shea · 10-04-2016 11:24AM

Cows back in since Friday night and won't be back out for good while going by Mt s forecast, April is wrote off already at the 10th day, fcuking sickening country we live in.

whelan2 · 10-04-2016 11:31AM

jack o shea wrote: »

Cows back in since Friday night and won't be back out for good while going by Mt s forecast, April is wrote off already at the 10th day, fcuking sickening country we live in.

The one thing we cant control is the weather, in a few weeks lads will probably be looking for rain. Wonder how many people budgeted on cows still being in now. April 10th is the normal day here for having thw cows out by night. Didnt work last year as it was so cold

jack o shea · 10-04-2016 11:33AM

The first lad I hear this year looking for a dash of rain will get a broken jaw.I honestly would love 3 months of a drought.the land has enough moisture for 3 months at this stage.

Milked out · 10-04-2016 11:59AM

7 cows bulling this morning, they've been active enough till now hopefully they'll keep going thru mating start date. Hard to keep em right when they are more inside than out and diet all over the shop

johnny122 · 10-04-2016 11:59AM

Looks like cows are going nowhere today! First day since they went out I've decided to forget about it and throw them a bit of silage. Some differences to the blue sky's yesterday!

mf240 · 10-04-2016 12:06PM

Was dry here this morning at milking. I let off the cows.

Just after letting them back in. They were disgusted with me. They would rather be looking out than looking in today.

wats the craic · 10-04-2016 02:25PM

anyone breeding yet . started here on the 27 of march here . two weeks in and 20 cows gone plus 9 heifers , am i mad

mahoney_j · 10-04-2016 02:38PM

wats the craic wrote: »

anyone breeding yet . started here on the 27 of march here . two weeks in and 20 cows gone plus 9 heifers , am i mad

Unless in winter /liquid personally I think it's a month too early .too much expensive milk produced from silage and meal .starting cows 25/4 and heifers 01/05 with intention of cows calving straight to grass .calving and milking through Xmas and new year not my cup of tea either

visatorro · 10-04-2016 03:18PM

mahoney_j wrote: »

Unless in winter /liquid personally I think it's a month too early .too much expensive milk produced from silage and meal .starting cows 25/4 and heifers 01/05 with intention of cows calving straight to grass .calving and milking through Xmas and new year not my cup of tea either

IF a good liquid milk deal was in place would you consider milking 365 again?

whelan2 · 10-04-2016 03:37PM

wats the craic wrote: »

anyone breeding yet . started here on the 27 of march here . two weeks in and 20 cows gone plus 9 heifers , am i mad

when did you start calving this year? Bull will go with heifers here on Thursday, last year he went in on 9th of April

wats the craic · 10-04-2016 03:48PM

whelan2 wrote: »

when did you start calving this year? Bull will go with heifers here on Thursday, last year he went in on 9th of April

was suppose ta start 8 of jan ,but the first one dropped on the 28 of dec with twins

mahoney_j · 10-04-2016 03:58PM

visatorro wrote: »

IF a good liquid milk deal was in place would you consider milking 365 again?

It'd want to be v good ,35/40 base plus solids .even at that I'd question it .i prefer compact Spring calving and milking to20/12 and having a few weeks down time to recharge the batteries .a one man show here and if I did start back at it I think I'd find it pure relentless

Timmaay · 10-04-2016 04:04PM

mahoney_j wrote: »

It'd want to be v good ,35/40 base plus solids .even at that I'd question it .i prefer compact Spring calving and milking to20/12 and having a few weeks down time to recharge the batteries .a one man show here and if I did start back at it I think I'd find it pure relentless

It would basically need to pay to hire a reliable chap to come in and milk, lime cubicles etc when you'd normally be dry. Would 40c even cover it??

Milked out · 10-04-2016 04:22PM

Aut calving here from Oct 12 to Nov 7. Will start Ai around the 16th so calving again in spring from Jan 20 or so

RightTurnClyde · 10-04-2016 08:41PM

Barley/peas/grass wholecrop bales as a grass stretcher/replacer @ €30 delivered. What do ye think? Know very little about wholecrop.

kevthegaff · 10-04-2016 09:04PM

whelan2 wrote: »

lda cow died, feck it any way. Must have damaged something internally when she went down

Had a lda last week, sis operated on her, in great form but not much milk. Had a vet before that lost 2/2, didn't think he was thorough and cleaning the area.

freedominacup · 10-04-2016 09:44PM

RightTurnClyde wrote: »

Barley/peas/grass wholecrop bales as a grass stretcher/replacer @ €30 delivered. What do ye think? Know very little about wholecrop.

I think if you have any neighbour with barley still to sow you should go to him and try to strike a deal for whatever straight wholecrop you need. Barley peas can be a very fibrous and low dmd feed. With green barley looking like being under €130/tonne the price you quoted for wholecrop peas and barley doesn't look like value. You're comparing what could well end up as dry cow feed to something that will drive milk production.

blackdog1 · 10-04-2016 09:55PM

mahoney_j wrote: »

It'd want to be v good ,35/40 base plus solids .even at that I'd question it .i prefer compact Spring calving and milking to20/12 and having a few weeks down time to recharge the batteries .a one man show here and if I did start back at it I think I'd find it pure relentless

I'm in the process of upgrading farm so I can run it by myself in an autumn calving herd. I need an automatic washer for parlour, feed to yield system and a bobman should knock a lot of hours off. Feed calves powder. Hopefully I'll have it done in the next 5 years. After that I'll give myself a wage

stanflt · 10-04-2016 10:19PM

freedominacup wrote: »

I think if you have any neighbour with barley still to sow you should go to him and try to strike a deal for whatever straight wholecrop you need. Barley peas can be a very fibrous and low dmd feed. With green barley looking like being under €130/tonne the price you quoted for wholecrop peas and barley doesn't look like value. You're comparing what could well end up as dry cow feed to something that will drive milk production.

Personally I think whole crop is the biggest load of dung that could be fed to high yielding cows- straw is only a filler and the grain doesn't have the same feed value as rolled barley

Dawggone · 10-04-2016 10:30PM

stanflt wrote: »

Personally I think whole crop is the biggest load of dung that could be fed to high yielding cows- straw is only a filler and the grain doesn't have the same feed value as rolled barley

Plus it rapes land of p and k.

Dawggone · 10-04-2016 10:32PM

blackdog1 wrote: »

I'm in the process of upgrading farm so I can run it by myself in an autumn calving herd. I need an automatic washer for parlour, feed to yield system and a bobman should knock a lot of hours off. Feed calves powder. Hopefully I'll have it done in the next 5 years. After that I'll give myself a wage

What's a Bobman? Excuse ignorance.

stanflt · 10-04-2016 10:33PM

Dawggone wrote: »

What's a Bobman? Excuse ignorance.

It's a machine with a brush on it and it spreads lime and saw dust on the cubicle in one go

Dawggone · 10-04-2016 10:35PM

stanflt wrote: »

It's a machine with a brush on it and it spreads lime and saw dust on the cubicle in one go

Walk behind or on tractor?
Trialed them here a few years back.

stanflt · 10-04-2016 10:44PM

Dawggone wrote: »

Walk behind or on tractor?
Trialed them here a few years back.

Sit on cost about 10k

stanflt · 10-04-2016 10:47PM

stanflt wrote: »

Sit on cost about 10k

Moreway.ie

Dawggone · 10-04-2016 10:48PM

stanflt wrote: »

Sit on cost about 10k

Yep. Know it.

I trialed them here.
Rabaud brush and tractor mounted straw chopper streets ahead.
More cost efficient also.

Then again I like cows to be clean and comfortable.

awaywithyou · 10-04-2016 10:52PM

stanflt wrote: »

Sit on cost about 10k

10k?? More like 30k.....! Bro in law has a handy one that cost 15k.....

RightTurnClyde · 10-04-2016 11:36PM

freedominacup wrote: »

I think if you have any neighbour with barley still to sow you should go to him and try to strike a deal for whatever straight wholecrop you need. Barley peas can be a very fibrous and low dmd feed. With green barley looking like being under €130/tonne the price you quoted for wholecrop peas and barley doesn't look like value. You're comparing what could well end up as dry cow feed to something that will drive milk production.

Thanks Free, what I'm looking for is something to tie me over now, silage stocks running low here, and the next 10 days arent looking promising. I still have 150 bales that would be lower quality 72 dmd, but I was wondering would that wholecrop be worth a try. It was something that a "friend" was offering.

Timmaay · 11-04-2016 12:18AM

RightTurnClyde wrote: »

Thanks Free, what I'm looking for is something to tie me over now, silage stocks running low here, and the next 10 days arent looking promising. I still have 150 bales that would be lower quality 72 dmd, but I was wondering would that wholecrop be worth a try. It was something that a "friend" was offering.

Soyahulls, 165e/ton. Only 10%p but perfect if you got some grass in the diet to balance that up.

RightTurnClyde · 11-04-2016 08:16AM

Timmaay wrote: »

Soyahulls, 165e/ton. Only 10%p but perfect if you got some grass in the diet to balance that up.

Ya Tim, they're getting 4kgs hulls aswell. (& 6kgs 16% in parlour) but the tank is suffering on days I can't get to grass, which is getting too frequent.
Looks like they're in again.

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

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