Plans for 2020

whelan2 · 27-12-2019 9:48pm #1

A new decade. Hope to build new milking parlour. Also need to make more time for me. Need to put in a few new roadways. Glad 2019 is nearly over. What are your plans for 2020?

Dakota Dan · 27-12-2019 10:00pm

Hope to give up the cows, getting too old for this dairying lark, life’s too short.

Say my name · 27-12-2019 10:22pm

Hope to make my own carbon fertilizer and treat it with minerals and microbes and if all goes well maybe put it in the soil into the anaerobic layer to deepen the soil. Otherwise it'll be applied on top.

Wheels are in motion.

#keepitinteresting

whelan2 · 27-12-2019 10:33pm

Dakota Dan wrote: »

Hope to give up the cows, getting too old for this dairying lark, life’s too short.

What age are you?

MickeyShtyles · 27-12-2019 11:12pm

Hopefully finish the house. Wanted it finished for Christmas but the electrician/plumber had other ideas!
Few bits to be done aswell. Bitta fencing and drainage.
We’ll get there in the end.

visatorro · 27-12-2019 11:15pm

MickeyShtyles wrote: »

Hopefully finish the house. Wanted it finished for Christmas but the electrician/plumber had other ideas!
Few bits to be done aswell. Bitta fencing and drainage.
We’ll get there in the end.

You'll only be finished the house and she'll want the kitchen changed!

MickeyShtyles · 27-12-2019 11:21pm

visatorro wrote: »

You'll only be finished the house and she'll want the kitchen changed!

Ah, but I’ve that figured out already.
I left the kitchen till last!
Down there for dancing, Visatorro!

mycro2013 · 27-12-2019 11:22pm

New cubicle shed, handling crush, holiday away this year. Not necessarily in that order.

dohc turbo2 · 28-12-2019 12:11am

Old crush is away from the new sheds and is getting weak , started to dig for new one there is bit of work involved , old low cubicle shed roof is poor I’m taking down and having new crush at back of main house .

memorystick · 28-12-2019 12:24am

Hang gates and fence. Install water troughs. Have to get in ESB into new shed. Put in base for bales. Buy slurry tanker. Loose weight and get back at running.

carrollsno1 · 28-12-2019 9:02am

Start an Apprenticeship if i head home hopefully. Starting a new job out here in early january moneys not as good but should be an improvement of quality of life with the option to stay long term (visas provided as well). Looking likely ill be heading home though in the first half of the year and im absolutely dreading it, mad the way i could head off to this side of the world in a heartbeat nearly three years ago and the thoughts of heading home even for a holiday gives me the shivers nearly nowadays.

Gods Gift · 28-12-2019 12:20pm

Try to take over the world.
Again.

kollegeknight · 28-12-2019 12:42pm

Very clear targets here.

Farm:
A walk around from ag advisor to make farm fully compliant for inspections
Cut Cattle numbers.
Make decision on breed of cattle(probably Irish moiled)

Work;
Get slightly more organized.
Learn a small bit on programming to make students life easier.

Personal;
Mind self- make time to allow me to walk/run. (Target 2020km)
Get rid of credit union loan (8k left)
De clutter house( already started)

CHOPS01 · 28-12-2019 1:29pm

Farm
Finish what I started with a wet 2 acre field earlier this year. All drains have been sorted so get the heaps of timber and bushes separated for firewood and burn the rest. Then reseed.
Never done here before but hedges to be cut and tidied up.
Last of the fencing to be completed to make place 100% stock proof.
Replace fence around open slurry pit.
Increase slightly cattle numbers during summer months.
Work
Took over where I worked this year so just consolidate the business this coming year.
Look at possibility of taking on an extra person.
Pay myself a bit more !
Self
Loose a few pounds.
Keep as much time as possible for wife and 2 kids.
Thats nearly enough.

farawaygrass · 28-12-2019 1:51pm

carrollsno1 wrote: »

Start an Apprenticeship if i head home hopefully. Starting a new job out here in early january moneys not as good but should be an improvement of quality of life with the option to stay long term (visas provided as well). Looking likely ill be heading home though in the first half of the year and im absolutely dreading it, mad the way i could head off to this side of the world in a heartbeat nearly three years ago and the thoughts of heading home even for a holiday gives me the shivers nearly nowadays.

Mind me asking how old are you starting an apprenticeship?

blue5000 · 28-12-2019 2:14pm

Farm;
Forestry has to get it's first thinning towards the end of the year
Re-seed 12 acres with a red clover rye grass mix
Family;
Get a new passport and do a bit of travelling
Self;
Look after the health a bit better than I've been doing.

GrasstoMilk · 28-12-2019 2:22pm

More cows, more milk solids, more roadways and more concrete

einn32 · 28-12-2019 2:40pm

Get out of agriculture as a full time job. Enjoy life and family. Put some money into myself. I need to get my teeth sorted and get into the gym again.

K.G. · 28-12-2019 2:45pm

Finish and tidy up a couple of jobs in January. New pit for second cut and roof the topless cubicles.alot of my thinking is going into reducing work and hassle. Fencing and a good bit of concrete in a yardthats always covered in muck.kinda reached my number s cow wise ,might have passed it.looking at the irish dairy farmer magazine and definitely have no appetite for some of the stuff lads are doing.

Mooooo · 28-12-2019 2:51pm

Get some roadways done and reseed 20 to 30 acres. Hope to put some plans together for yard development, cubicle shed, parlour and silage pits, some existing sheds need reroofing also. Will be up approx 25 cows this year. Will look into contract rearing also as a way of hopefully increasing output without much extra labour

straight · 28-12-2019 2:56pm

Install calf feeder, upgrade paddock water system, maybe make some money this year with a bit of luck. Need to get away from the farm a bit more.

GrasstoMilk · 28-12-2019 4:11pm

Mooooo wrote: »

Get some roadways done and reseed 20 to 30 acres. Hope to put some plans together for yard development, cubicle shed, parlour and silage pits, some existing sheds need reroofing also. Will be up approx 25 cows this year. Will look into contract rearing also as a way of hopefully increasing output without much extra labour

We went contract rearing last year for the first time ever. Delighted with the stock, they're better again than what we ever did with them and they were a poor bunch if weanlings that was sent

Gods Gift · 28-12-2019 5:24pm

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

More cows, more milk solids, more roadways and more concrete

Spoken like a true Irish dairy farmer.
More
More
More.

Timmaay · 28-12-2019 5:31pm

Gods Gift wrote: »

Spoken like a true Irish dairy farmer.
More
More
More.

Jezz we have a somewhat ambitious farmer among us here and all you wanna do is knock him back, fair play to him because I know there are enough negative farmers who have no interest in pushing anything on (or alternatively lazy farmers like me who just aren't as pushed lol). And that last line brings me onto my 2020 plans, keep going largely as I am ha, get back up to 2018 cow numbers while still improving efficiency, keep up the hired labour (hopefully 2 parttime Labour units for most of calving season, then one rest the year), alongside continuing to take a back seat myself on the day to day running of the farm, and building on my off farm income streams.

visatorro · 28-12-2019 5:44pm

Not expanding herd size here. Cutting numbers. But it's not a negative approach. Cutting alot of deadwood.
Building wise iv plans but I'll be doing well getting anything more done.
I need a couple of new lanes though. Other than that stay afloat! Hope that the different challenges facing Irish farming don't finish alot of people off.

Iv to lose a stone or two aswell.

Odelay · 28-12-2019 6:16pm

Gods Gift wrote: »

Spoken like a true Irish dairy farmer.
More
More
More.

That’s how they got to be dairy farmers.

TooOldBoots · 28-12-2019 6:23pm

Rent more land on the cheap
Reduce the Suckler cow numbers/ sell empty cows before mid Feb.
Reduce Silage bill if possible or else charge more for any fodder leaving the farm
Put up a new Holding pen on outside farm
Re-fence/Stock proof some boundaries
Put down more permanent Electric fence
New set of shoes for the Tractor
New Bull
Try and make more Hay that I can store and use for a long term feed buffer.

keepalive213 · 28-12-2019 6:52pm

My sisters husband gifted me about 50 small trees, oak and sitka spruce, rooted.
Its extremely windy here but im gonna chance planting them in sheltered south facing spots, if 10 are growing by 2021 I'll be happy.

Capercaillie · 28-12-2019 7:19pm

Trial a new reed canary grass/phacelia/fodder radish crop. Dig out another pond. Recondition a section of degraded nettle bed.

raypallas · 28-12-2019 7:51pm

@KollegeKnoght
"Work;
Get slightly more organized.
Learn a small bit on programming to make students life easier."

Did the same myself recently. Look into BBC Microbits, very easy to use, drag and drop blocks and all online with free software. Downside a little on the expensive side

raypallas · 28-12-2019 8:02pm

Farm
Tidy the place up a bit more, few gutters, downpipes need sorting.
Wire up lights into a small slatted shed and yard.
Man-basket for front loader
Hang more gates
Plumb permanent water troughs into the new cubicles.

Off farm
Getting married in the backend
Finish front yard around my house
Hopefully change the car budget allowing
Continue gym work nd weightloss by getting back on the road bike when the weather picks up.

mr.stonewall · 28-12-2019 8:31pm

Plans for 2020
Hold numbers the same but play the cards right for the beam scheme
New crush in yard and cheap dungstead( old slats for wall)
Set up a few more temporary calving pens in disused palour (may double up as workshop
Drain and reseed 3.5 acres
Spllt 3 bigger fields in to flexiable paddocks and add a few extra water troughs
Ai an extra 25% of sucklers (75% to fixed time) just works easier with the job

Personal
More time to family and make the creche collections
Get 2 pigs and a few hens for the smallies
Do a welding course and more time to woodworking
Finish lawns and kerbs at house
Stay on top of paper work, both job and farm ( get accounts done in Jan)

mahoney_j · 28-12-2019 8:57pm

Milk few less cows ,produce more milk and more milk solids from that reduced no of cows ,explore option of contract rearing ,lay new silage Slab to get away from bales .lay more concrete around yard for better appearance ,be more efficient and work less hours look at option of new calf shed and auto calf feeder

MIKEKC · 28-12-2019 9:02pm

TooOldBoots wrote: »

Rent more land on the cheap
Reduce the Suckler cow numbers/ sell empty cows before mid Feb.
Reduce Silage bill if possible or else charge more for any fodder leaving the farm
Put up a new Holding pen on outside farm
Re-fence/Stock proof some boundaries
Put down more permanent Electric fence
New set of shoes for the Tractor
New Bull
Try and make more Hay that I can store and use for a long term feed buffer.

Rent more land on cheap.For sucklers surely two jokes there. Rent cheap, and for sucklers. Must have a magic way of making money from sucklers

Water John · 28-12-2019 9:11pm

Continue down the organic route, despite not getting into Govn't scheme.
Offload the remaining old stock, when someone will pay a decent price for them.
I intend looking at moving the cattle daily and creating an extended rotation.
For this I will get a water bowser with attached trough made up on a twin axle.
Will buy a mower. This is to crop the Red clover/grass mix with about 4 cuts.
It needs to be cut about 7cm high and no conditioner.
Finish draining about 3 acres.
Aim to start selling finished stock from Jan 2020.
Will visit any organic livestock marts in the spring. I have to decide whether to buy weanlings or year old cattle, in the longer term.

Like someone above, the teeth need to be done. Biggest bill of the year I'd say.
Need to get back walking. The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Also still looking at putting in two robot lawnmowers next year.
Looking at a couple of projects outside the gate.

Dinzee Conlee · 28-12-2019 9:25pm

Water John wrote: »

Need to get back walking. The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Also still looking at putting in two robot lawnmowers next year.

.

Skip the robots and get a walk-behind lawnmower... two birds, one stone

Plus, save a bit of cash... Is that three birds...

trixi2011 · 28-12-2019 9:28pm

Just moved back to Ireland after the guts 13 years
Hope to find a lease dairy farm or large scale partnership
Spend more time with family
Hope to get fitter and lose a few kg
Get some hobbies outside of farming

Jb1989 · 28-12-2019 9:30pm

Dinzee Conlee wrote: »

Skip the robots and get a walk-behind lawnmower... two birds, one stone
Plus, save a bit of cash... Is that three birds...

That's the Most sensible answer to previous post,

TooOldBoots · 28-12-2019 9:37pm

MIKEKC wrote: »

Rent more land on cheap.For sucklers surely two jokes there. Rent cheap, and for sucklers. Must have a magic way of making money from sucklers

I don't see where I said that it was for sucklers. Must have alternate vision

kollegeknight · 28-12-2019 9:38pm

raypallas wrote: »

@KollegeKnoght
"Work;
Get slightly more organized.
Learn a small bit on programming to make students life easier."

Did the same myself recently. Look into BBC Microbits, very easy to use, drag and drop blocks and all online with free software. Downside a little on the expensive side

Yeah it’s microbits we are using- I just need to spend a bit of time getting to know them.

jaymla627 · 28-12-2019 9:58pm

mahoney_j wrote: »

Milk few less cows ,produce more milk and more milk solids from that reduced no of cows ,explore option of contract rearing ,lay new silage Slab to get away from bales .lay more concrete around yard for better appearance ,be more efficient and work less hours look at option of new calf shed and auto calf feeder

Getting away from the bales will free up sometime year round itself. You don't realise the f**k acting with them till you get away from them,

carrollsno1 · 28-12-2019 10:01pm

farawaygrass wrote: »

Mind me asking how old are you starting an apprenticeship?

24/25

Water John · 28-12-2019 10:04pm

Trixi, contact the Land Mobility Service. they may be able to source a suitable farm partnership for you.

carrollsno1 · 28-12-2019 10:10pm

jaymla627 wrote: »

Getting away from the bales will free up sometime year round itself. You don't realise the f**k acting with them till you get away from them,

I didnt realise the f##k acting with pit silage till a previous employer asked me whether i wanted pit or bales i chose bales and its a hell kf a lot easier out here with tube wrappping as well.

trixi2011 · 28-12-2019 10:21pm

Water John wrote: »

Trixi, contact the Land Mobility Service. they may be able to source a suitable farm partnership for you.

Work in progress

MIKEKC · 28-12-2019 10:41pm

TooOldBoots wrote: »

I don't see where I said that it was for sucklers. Must have alternate vision

You don't say that you have any other stock. Hardly renting it to see forage

jaymla627 · 28-12-2019 10:49pm

carrollsno1 wrote: »

I didnt realise the f##k acting with pit silage till a previous employer asked me whether i wanted pit or bales i chose bales and its a hell kf a lot easier out here with tube wrappping as well.

Used to think that was making 1000 plus yearly for 5 years, the drawing in was what put pay to it here, contractor “didn’t have time to do it anymore” so putting in the night drawing in bales till 3-4 in the morning started happening regularly, add up the cost of plastic, and handling the stuff something had to change....
Get a lad in with a wagon now to do all silage and he has no problem coming to do 20 acres of paddocks and throwing it into a pit for us, silage bill for 19 is half of what it was in 18 and cost savings are basically paying for new tub feeder which has been a godsend around the place labour wise

whelan2 · 28-12-2019 10:55pm

jaymla627 wrote: »

Used to think that was making 1000 plus yearly for 5 years, the drawing in was what put pay to it here, contractor “didn’t have time to do it anymore” so putting in the night drawing in bales till 3-4 in the morning started happening regularly, add up the cost of plastic, and handling the stuff something had to change....
Get a lad in with a wagon now to do all silage and he has no problem coming to do 20 acres of paddocks and throwing it into a pit for us, silage bill for 19 is half of what it was in 18 and cost savings are basically paying for new tub feeder which has been a godsend around the place labour wise

Bought in the bales this year from a good source , newly reseeded ground, delivered. Saved me money and time

mahoney_j · 28-12-2019 11:02pm

jaymla627 wrote: »

Getting away from the bales will free up sometime year round itself. You don't realise the f**k acting with them till you get away from them,

I’ll still have a couple hundred of them ,it’s the cost more than anything that is putting me off them ,I’d go all pit if there wAs a local contractor With a WAgon

jaymla627 · 28-12-2019 11:28pm

mahoney_j wrote: »

I’ll still have a couple hundred of them ,it’s the cost more than anything that is putting me off them ,I’d go all pit if there wAs a local contractor With a WAgon

Anyone within a 20 mile radius, youd be surprised how far they will travel if you can guarantee them a good shot of work, loading shovel and wagon is a two man band so distance isn't really a big thing, my lad has a 40 mile roundtrip to get to us but doesn't seem to mind

foxy farmer · 29-12-2019 12:06am

1Most importantly stay alive!!
2 Get out of sucklers/beef. Jaysus I never thought I'd say those words but there it is. Won't be clear this yr but be damn near it.
I'm in the middle of serious dairy country here in west cork. Land is in short supply. I've been growing silage to sell to a few lads with last few yrs. This yr I was approached for ground for maize. Decided to let 17 acres. He's looking for another 10 for next yr. Waiting for another to get back to me who will probably want 20 if his current maize ground changes hands.
3 Need to do some reseeding.
4 Need to keep the concrete industry busy too so hope to finish around the house and do a bit around the yard.

Plans for 2020

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