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

Waffletraktor · 21-05-2016 02:58PM

Dawggone wrote: »

Because it would mean that they would have to hire five full time staff...

If was set up with a good foreman-manager set-up would it not work?

freedominacup · 21-05-2016 06:59PM

Dawggone wrote: »

I'd say if you offered 5 x ebidta it would be put to bed. No native will touch it.

I'll know for certain next week...

You'd want to tie the boss into the place for a year as part of the deal even if you had the full skillset needed to keep that place running. A good few irons in the fire there. Hard to see how that enterprise works as an add on.

Timmaay · 21-05-2016 07:33PM

Sam Kade wrote: »

How do them yokes make so much as calves or maiden heifers when they are worthless as culls?

I'd rather spray off every bit of clover on the farm than have to cull the Jex, they are by far the least trouble group of cows here, and probably the most profitable also.

kevthegaff · 21-05-2016 07:33PM

Sam Kade wrote: »

How do them yokes make so much as calves or maiden heifers when they are worthless as culls?

Couldn't let her out to grass so culled, normally 1/2 beds around 500+ at end of year but didn't want the knackery paying a visit

Dawggone · 21-05-2016 08:11PM

freedominacup wrote: »

You'd want to tie the boss into the place for a year as part of the deal even if you had the full skillset needed to keep that place running. A good few irons in the fire there. Hard to see how that enterprise works as an add on.

Definitely not an add on. In no way could you stick a manager in and hope for the best...there's a bit of stockmanship in rearing over three thousand calves every year. I come out in a rash just thinking about the things that could go wrong.

RightTurnClyde · 21-05-2016 08:24PM

Dawggone wrote: »

Definitely not an add on. In no way could you stick a manager in and hope for the best...there's a bit of stockmanship in rearing over three thousand calves every year. I come out in a rash just thinking about the things that could go wrong.

Dawg, you said the calves were contracted to an abittoir. Is it like the poultry business, calves and feed supplied or is it supply X calves at X weight every week.
Are the cows indoors or grazing, is there much ground suitable for grazing
Apologies for all the questions,

Dawggone · 21-05-2016 09:13PM

RightTurnClyde wrote: »

Dawg, you said the calves were contracted to an abittoir. Is it like the poultry business, calves and feed supplied or is it supply X calves at X weight every week.
Are the cows indoors or grazing, is there much ground suitable for grazing
Apologies for all the questions,

Without looking too closely this morning, I think that the jersey herd is for feeding the calves and the hols are for the Coop. They supply the same Coop as me but now would be a good time to change over to supplying the baby formula plant...
The calf to veal operation is a real earner. An agent supplies the calves and the abattoir pays on a kg of meat basis. They must supply a x amount of kgs of meat per week. They own the calves.

There's some grazing of cows because there are paddocks around the dairy, but I don't know how much. There are two fields around the dairy. One is 42ha and the other 51ha. Would that be enough grazing for you ?

. All the land is suitable for tillage and is deep easily worked soil.
The rest of the land is about 1km away in another block along with his brothers 127ha. That block is also good sized fields and arable.
You sound interested...you buy home farm and I'll buy the outside farm.

They do like Fendts.

White Clover · 21-05-2016 09:53PM

Dawggone wrote: »

Second cut. No fertiliser.
Luzerne to be dropped tomorrow.

What are the New Holland's Dawg? U happy with them? Interesting (if not a bit disturbing!!) to hear your views on the Massey's.

MickeyShtyles · 21-05-2016 10:44PM

Timmaay wrote: »

Only one shower at lunchtime, however silage definitely abit wetter than I'd have liked, not down long enough and not warm enough to get any sort of wilt. Pit is fairly jammers, alot more than I expected in the crop, despite being down a decent few acres on last yr! Obviously once the moisture comes out it will drop but scratching my head as to how I'll fit 170 or so tons of maize in now. My contractor offered me silage to put into it (at 250/acre put in the pit), my dad said we'll definitely need afew acres of that ha, no room for it now!

And he's been surprisingly ok about it, he was off to the mart today anyways so was otherwise occupied.

Any tricks for trying to spread fertiliser in the silage paddocks now? I did 2 rings of the headland but couldn't make out the tracks well enough ugh! Contractor coming on Monday to put slurry out so need to get the urea out tomorrow

http://www.fwi.co.uk/community/topic/foam-markers-972025/

RightTurnClyde · 22-05-2016 07:43AM

Dawggone wrote: »

Without looking too closely this morning, I think that the jersey herd is for feeding the calves and the hols are for the Coop. They supply the same Coop as me but now would be a good time to change over to supplying the baby formula plant...
The calf to veal operation is a real earner. An agent supplies the calves and the abattoir pays on a kg of meat basis. They must supply a x amount of kgs of meat per week. They own the calves.

There's some grazing of cows because there are paddocks around the dairy, but I don't know how much. There are two fields around the dairy. One is 42ha and the other 51ha. Would that be enough grazing for you ? . All the land is suitable for tillage and is deep easily worked soil.
The rest of the land is about 1km away in another block along with his brothers 127ha. That block is also good sized fields and arable.
You sound interested...you buy home farm and I'll buy the outside farm.

They do like Fendts.

Grand job then... Cheque or bank draft. You can hold onto the Fendts, and could you ask the French lads if they've every driven cabless Zetors. I might send over a few pictures of Greenfields and a couple of Jack Kennedy articles just to set the mood.

Dawggone · 22-05-2016 12:20PM

RightTurnClyde wrote: »

Grand job then... Cheque or bank draft. You can hold onto the Fendts, and could you ask the French lads if they've every driven cabless Zetors. I might send over a few pictures of Greenfields and a couple of Jack Kennedy articles just to set the mood.

Grand so. You buy the home farm and livestock, and I'll buy the machinery and the outside farm.

I'd say the cows would be the easy part, it's the few thousand calves would keep you on your toes...imagine an outbreak of crypto...

Milked out · 22-05-2016 12:33PM

Dawggone wrote: »

RightTurnClyde wrote: »

Grand job then... Cheque or bank draft. You can hold onto the Fendts, and could you ask the French lads if they've every driven cabless Zetors. I might send over a few pictures of Greenfields and a couple of Jack Kennedy articles just to set the mood.

Grand so. You buy the home farm and livestock, and I'll buy the machinery and the outside farm.

I'd say the cows would be the easy part, it's the few thousand calves would keep you on your toes...imagine an outbreak of crypto...

Stop. I assume they have areas where all clothes are changed and hands etc washed similar to pharma/ food plants upon entering rearing sheds. Would be worth it at that scale

Dawggone · 22-05-2016 12:48PM

Milked out wrote: »

Stop. I assume they have areas where all clothes are changed and hands etc washed similar to pharma/ food plants upon entering rearing sheds. Would be worth it at that scale

You'd think so...there are showers there.
I didn't go inside the houses. The smell was awful...
There's an English couple coming to view the farm during the week. I'll know more then.
On biosecurity.
When I used to keep turkeys one had to shower before entering and wear special overalls and boots. A massive PITA.

Chickens are a lot hardier than turkeys. No need to shower etc.

freedominacup · 22-05-2016 01:23PM

Dawggone wrote: »

You'd think so...there are showers there.
I didn't go inside the houses. The smell was awful...
There's an English couple coming to view the farm during the week. I'll know more then.
On biosecurity.
When I used to keep turkeys one had to shower before entering and wear special overalls and boots. A massive PITA.

Chickens are a lot hardier than turkeys. No need to shower etc.

Larger pig units around here on same sort of system. Even farms that are part of the same outfit have little or no sharing of staff or equipment.

Bullocks · 22-05-2016 01:27PM

Dawggone wrote: »

You'd think so...there are showers there.
I didn't go inside the houses. The smell was awful...
There's an English couple coming to view the farm during the week. I'll know more then.
On biosecurity.
When I used to keep turkeys one had to shower before entering and wear special overalls and boots. A massive PITA.

Chickens are a lot hardier than turkeys. No need to shower etc.

Is there any animal as stupid and fickle as the turkey !

Dawggone · 22-05-2016 01:37PM

Bullocks wrote: »

Is there any animal as stupid and fickle as the turkey !

So true.
The turkeys I had were huge. The males would weigh in at 50kg and that's on a very restricted diet.
When things were quiet in the house, if you clapped your hands loudly a few of them would keel over dead from heart attacks. Hate them. I don't even eat turkey now. Goose for xmas day.

Buford T. Justice XIX · 22-05-2016 01:39PM

Waiting for the vet to come to do an op on an RDA. Only the third one I've had here and only one of the two others survived:(

I'm thinking that the shot of Buscopan she got last night might have helped, though, so am hoping it's turned into an LDA only.

whelan2 · 22-05-2016 01:50PM

Buford T. Justice V wrote: »

Waiting for the vet to come to do an op on an RDA. Only the third one I've had here and only one of the two others survived:(

I'm thinking that the shot of Buscopan she got last night might have helped, though, so am hoping it's turned into an LDA only.

Sure what else would ya be doing on a sunday

Waffletraktor · 22-05-2016 02:28PM

freedominacup wrote: »

Larger pig units around here on same sort of system. Even farms that are part of the same outfit have little or no sharing of staff or equipment.

Did 6 weeks work experience on a pig farm outside enniscorthy years ago. Only 2 lads worked with the finishers on a separate farm from the farrowing unit and everything else was automated. The pigs get used to someone and strangers really upset them dropping feed intake and stress causing tail biting etc

mahoney_j · 22-05-2016 02:37PM

Buford T. Justice V wrote: »

Waiting for the vet to come to do an op on an RDA. Only the third one I've had here and only one of the two others survived:(

I'm thinking that the shot of Buscopan she got last night might have helped, though, so am hoping it's turned into an LDA only.

Get a big jar of espresso coffee and give it to her

Dawggone · 22-05-2016 02:44PM

One of the milkers threw a sicky this morning so I'd to milk. Anyhow fecked up and put milk from a cow that had been tubed into the tank.
Off I went with a sample to a guy I know with a CMT. God above I'll never go there again...he's got 44 cows on an indoor system with a robot. It cost him nearly €600k to build inc the robot. Herd av is 12k litres. Losing money hand over fist...and the complaining! He could complain for Les Bleus.

Buford T. Justice XIX · 22-05-2016 03:07PM

whelan2 wrote: »

Sure what else would ya be doing on a sunday

mahoney_j wrote: »

Get a big jar of espresso coffee and give it to her

I should have gone to the beach:D

Cow was in good enough form after milking this morning so I left her run around the yard picking at a bit of grass. Put her in the crush when the vet came and she was after getting lively.

Vet pinged her on the right and nothing there so I was happy enough.

Then she was pinged on the left and nothing again.

I must keep her again tomorrow for a checkup but the Buscopan seems to have worked:)

Timmaay · 22-05-2016 03:09PM

Dawggone wrote: »

One of the milkers threw a sicky this morning so I'd to milk. Anyhow fecked up and put milk from a cow that had been tubed into the tank.
Off I went with a sample to a guy I know with a CMT. God above I'll never go there again...he's got 44 cows on an indoor system with a robot. It cost him nearly €600k to build inc the robot. Herd av is 12k litres. Losing money hand over fist...and the complaining! He could complain for Les Bleus.

Whatever about the 600k capital cost, his 44cows are knocking out more milk in total than my 90! If I were him I'd have put in a 22unit, milk 3times a day but only 20mins per milking ha.

Bullocks · 22-05-2016 03:20PM

Dawggone wrote: »

So true.
The turkeys I had were huge. The males would weigh in at 50kg and that's on a very restricted diet.
When things were quiet in the house, if you clapped your hands loudly a few of them would keel over dead from heart attacks. Hate them. I don't even eat turkey now. Goose for xmas day.

Quail aren't too far behind them . I used to keep them as a hobby and if I hadn't a soft net over them they would keep flying up against their roof until they had the back of their head bursted .
If milk stays bad for a longish period would any of ye dairy farmers consider a poultry shed or what price would milk want to be to compare to the milk cheque ?

Markcheese · 22-05-2016 04:50PM

Isnt poultry on a good day about the same as dairy on a bad ?? It'd be out of the fat into the fire.

pedigree 6 · 22-05-2016 05:32PM

Markcheese wrote: »

Isnt poultry on a good day about the same as dairy on a bad ?? It'd be out of the fat into the fire.

Don't know what it's like in this country.
But I know a place in Yorkshire where they seem to be doing well from it and are planning more houses.
Generalisation I know but the same place don't like taking implements off tractors.
Rather buy a new tractor than do that.
Also have a small airplane for getting around.
They do have scale though and they say the chickens are the most profitable on farm.

Dawggone · 23-05-2016 06:38AM

Bullocks wrote: »

Quail aren't too far behind them . I used to keep them as a hobby and if I hadn't a soft net over them they would keep flying up against their roof until they had the back of their head bursted .
If milk stays bad for a longish period would any of ye dairy farmers consider a poultry shed or what price would milk want to be to compare to the milk cheque ?

What kind of Quail? I used to keep some Japanese Quail which were tame enough, but the Bobwhite were crazy little things. There's a woman not too far from me is making a tidy sum producing Quail eggs.
The most profitable enterprise I have are the chickens. Beats the tillage and dairy hands down, for very little work. The only reason I'm in dairy is to put some cheap forage/grains through them. To add a bit of value as it were.
Chickens are profitable because the Gov. called in the big supermarket chains and strongly suggested that they source local produce over imports. Hence an oven ready chicken (French) is about €10, but you can buy an imported chicken from Lidl for €4.
Fortunately nobody shops in Lidl or Aldi. I often wonder why they persist in remaining open...the only time you'd see a car in there is someone getting driving lessons.

Bullocks · 23-05-2016 07:25AM

Dawggone wrote: »

What kind of Quail? I used to keep some Japanese Quail which were tame enough, but the Bobwhite were crazy little things. There's a woman not too far from me is making a tidy sum producing Quail eggs.
The most profitable enterprise I have are the chickens. Beats the tillage and dairy hands down, for very little work. The only reason I'm in dairy is to put some cheap forage/grains through them. To add a bit of value as it were.
Chickens are profitable because the Gov. called in the big supermarket chains and strongly suggested that they source local produce over imports. Hence an oven ready chicken (French) is about €10, but you can buy an imported chicken from Lidl for €4.
Fortunately nobody shops in Lidl or Aldi. I often wonder why they persist in remaining open...the only time you'd see a car in there is someone getting driving lessons.

I cannot remember the names now . A buddy still keeps them and cannot keep the eggs with the demand for them , a lot of eastern Europeans love them

Dawggone · 23-05-2016 09:57AM

Bullocks wrote: »

I cannot remember the names now . A buddy still keeps them and cannot keep the eggs with the demand for them , a lot of eastern Europeans love them

They are delicious with a nice salad.

Dawggone · 23-05-2016 10:01AM

Waiting in line to fill the jeep with diesel and their saying a max of €30.

Flashback to the 70s....

The queue must be over 1km long.
Tractor diesel rationed to 3k litres.

We badly need that fine lady from Grantham for a couple of years.

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

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