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whats the weather like in your area?

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24567…334

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    #32
    5live
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,438 ✭✭✭5live


    -7 down here now. No water for cattle and cubicle scrapers frozen solid. Road fairly poor after a bit of a thaw in the sun today and now going to freeze tonight. At least the council gritters showed up this morning for the first time ever:rolleyes:. We are just not used to the prolonged freeze down here but at least its not snowing. I must move tires on top of the pit tomorrow and im not looking forward to that. How long can cattle go without water on average DM silage? All cows dry now so less pressure on water:)


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    #33
    whelan1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,786 ✭✭✭✭whelan1


    i am going with water twice a day , am not finished yet , have hose in last drinker now..... there was a serious frost here last night, it never went above freezing today... i am giving them the water everyday as if i skipped a day it would take way to long iykwim... i do not plan on going round with water on christmas day


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    #34
    snowman707
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,279 ✭✭✭snowman707


    -8 here now

    roads have dried and mostly ok

    feeding hay to the ewes , the outsides of the silage bales (second cut) were frozen

    have drier bales but they are in the middle of the pile,

    all cattle & sheep have water for 4 hours each day which seem adequate (no animals in milk)


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    #35
    irishh_bob
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,700 ✭✭✭irishh_bob


    5live wrote: »
    -7 down here now. No water for cattle and cubicle scrapers frozen solid. Road fairly poor after a bit of a thaw in the sun today and now going to freeze tonight. At least the council gritters showed up this morning for the first time ever:rolleyes:. We are just not used to the prolonged freeze down here but at least its not snowing. I must move tires on top of the pit tomorrow and im not looking forward to that. How long can cattle go without water on average DM silage? All cows dry now so less pressure on water:)


    the brother has had so much bother with his scrapers this past few weeks that he swears he,s throwing them out next summer and digging out tanks , anything at all throws them off course , when you go out in the morning , the slurry which has accumulated throughout the night is frozen solid and has transformed into gravel and the scraper blade has unhitched itself from the track , Q , having to ring a neighbour to come over and lug the tonne weight blade out of the slurry and back on the track , add to that , the pump is frozen this evening so the cows will be hip deep in thier own crap tommorrow morning , greatest gets of yokes that ever came about the place

    the scrapers , not the cows


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    #36
    whelan1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,786 ✭✭✭✭whelan1


    our scrapers where bad this morning too , but the main problem was the dung had frozen , i forked alot of it out :o, they went fine for the rest of the day


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    #37
    bbam
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,410 ✭✭✭bbam


    -11.5 here now... damn it's cold, but no ammount of snow yet..

    For the really cold nights could you not increase the frequency of the automatic scraper runs, there may be less dung but it wouldn't get such a chance to freeze either. They're very handy but by their nature when they give trouble you're in deep sh1t pretty quick.


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    #38
    blue5000
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 12,619 Mod ✭✭✭✭blue5000


    Cold here too, was -11.5 C at 8.30 this morning, freezing all day. I think there is ice in a pipe from the central heating boiler outside to rads upstairs, under floor heating downstairs is working ok.

    There is frozen sh1te building up on outside slats, the weanlings outside on kale don't like the green icepops so are getting a grab of maize on their bbs every day. First time I ever saw cattle with frosty coats was today. At least the tractor starts and I'm glad I don't milk cows anymore. Cattle aren't drinking a lot of water, as I've cut back the meal.

    Time for a hotwater bottle and I'm off to bed.

    If the seat's wet, sit on yer hat, a cool head is better than a wet ar5e.



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    #39
    bbam
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,410 ✭✭✭bbam


    Just back in there and it's unbelivably bright... Considering tomorrow is the shortest daylight it's amazing..
    No bother walking round with no lights it has a real magical feel ice on the snow glittering, could nearly hear those sleigh bells:D..

    Remember to keep an eye out for the eclipse of the moon in the morning, it'll be touch and go if we see it as the moon will have near set when it starts... About 6:50 in the morning for those on the move and looking upward..


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    #40
    irishh_bob
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,700 ✭✭✭irishh_bob


    whelan1 wrote: »
    our scrapers where bad this morning too , but the main problem was the dung had frozen , i forked alot of it out :o, they went fine for the rest of the day

    could the pump possibley freeze ??? , ours is making noise but the scrapers are refusing to move an inch , its different this time , thier not moving back and forward on the track ( tongue problems ) while going nowhere like they sometimes do , they wont budge at all


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    #41
    irishh_bob
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,700 ✭✭✭irishh_bob


    blue5000 wrote: »
    Cold here too, was -11.5 C at 8.30 this morning, freezing all day. I think there is ice in a pipe from the central heating boiler outside to rads upstairs, under floor heating downstairs is working ok.

    There is frozen sh1te building up on outside slats, the weanlings outside on kale don't like the green icepops so are getting a grab of maize on their bbs every day. First time I ever saw cattle with frosty coats was today. At least the tractor starts and I'm glad I don't milk cows anymore. Cattle aren't drinking a lot of water, as I've cut back the meal.

    Time for a hotwater bottle and I'm off to bed.

    despite the problems with water , animals dont seem desperete for it when you finally get it going , they also seem turned off by how cold the water is


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    #42
    irishh_bob
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,700 ✭✭✭irishh_bob


    bbam wrote: »
    Just back in there and it's unbelivably bright... Considering tomorrow is the shortest daylight it's amazing..
    No bother walking round with no lights it has a real magical feel ice on the snow glittering, could nearly hear those sleigh bells:D..

    Remember to keep an eye out for the eclipse of the moon in the morning, it'll be touch and go if we see it as the moon will have near set when it starts... About 6:50 in the morning for those on the move and looking upward..

    if farmers ( people in general ) in this country were properly prepared for arctic conditions like they are in canada , properly insutated water pipes buried deep , chains on tyres etc , it wouldnt be a big deal , in fact , i actually find the weather healthy and refreshing , no worries about animals getting sick either


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    #43
    bbam
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,410 ✭✭✭bbam


    irishh_bob wrote: »
    could the pump possibley freeze ??? , ours is making noise but the scrapers are refusing to move an inch , its different this time , thier not moving back and forward on the track ( tongue problems ) while going nowhere like they sometimes do , they wont budge at all

    If they're hydraulic it's unlikely the oil would freeze, unless it was badly contaminated from condensation but I've never seen it that bad... Has the oil been changed at all recently ??
    I've heard off the track freeze solid to the floor with dung but not seen it, again more regular runs would prevent it from happening...

    Noise and no movment??... Has it blown off a pipe?? Surely the oil level sensor would prevent the pump from running but maybe not all systems have a sensor.


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    #44
    Sundy
    Registered Users Posts: 1,512 ✭✭✭Sundy


    johngalway wrote: »
    This new white feed isn't all it's cracked up to be boss, can we have grass back please?

    They even put it in the trough too..


    5278917600_6df6230105.jpg
    Cant eat this white stuff.. by IS 365, on Flickr


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    #45
    raindodger
    Registered Users Posts: 294 ✭✭raindodger


    starting to get sick of this weather despite all efforts water after freezing had a good flow of water out of one pipe but now gone must be a savage frost around here tonight funny thing being out around you cant see your breath and its like day light with the moon roll on the morning will the usual sh it


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    #46
    whelan1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,786 ✭✭✭✭whelan1


    irishh_bob wrote: »
    could the pump possibley freeze ??? , ours is making noise but the scrapers are refusing to move an inch , its different this time , thier not moving back and forward on the track ( tongue problems ) while going nowhere like they sometimes do , they wont budge at all
    ye, i had to move the knob for the pressure on the pump on ours


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    #47
    pakalasa
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,552 ✭✭✭pakalasa


    - 7C this morning driving to work (Co. Clare).
    Noticed cattle needed very little water when on 2nd cut silage, but a lot more now that there on the 1st cut. I filled up a few barrells just before this cold spell. Looks like I'll be out thawing pipes this evening.:mad:


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    #48
    whelan1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,786 ✭✭✭✭whelan1


    no milking done yet:mad: going to offload kids to school and try and get machine going


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    #49
    vanderbadger
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,087 ✭✭✭vanderbadger


    bbam wrote: »
    If they're hydraulic it's unlikely the oil would freeze, unless it was badly contaminated from condensation but I've never seen it that bad... Has the oil been changed at all recently ??
    I've heard off the track freeze solid to the floor with dung but not seen it, again more regular runs would prevent it from happening...

    Noise and no movment??... Has it blown off a pipe?? Surely the oil level sensor would prevent the pump from running but maybe not all systems have a sensor.

    I noticed on my one a few times that the switch on the ram box which is just a little bar the scraper backs into to switch off sticks when frozen, in other words the little bar wont slide in and out which seems to stop scraper working, loads of wd40 fixed it, although i noticed this morning that one of the paddles on the scraper was stuck up as opposed to folding down when moving forward so it was leaving the ****e after it, i wonder how low the temp is going inside in the sheds, must be very low


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    #50
    Pat the lad
    Registered Users Posts: 160 ✭✭Pat the lad


    -10 ALL MORNING:cool:. Ground like concrete. Great weather for spreading slurry - oh yeah forgot - we're not allowed - we have to farm to a calender - oh well - we'll wait until january so - went its' pxxsing rain, ground wet, and every farmer in the country spreading on the one day!!!!! thats seemly better for the water courses/environment???????
    sorry for rant - something has to give at this stage- and its not the fxxking ice in the water pipes!!!!!!:mad:


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    #51
    irishh_bob
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,700 ✭✭✭irishh_bob


    vanderbadger wrote: »
    I noticed on my one a few times that the switch on the ram box which is just a little bar the scraper backs into to switch off sticks when frozen, in other words the little bar wont slide in and out which seems to stop scraper working, loads of wd40 fixed it, although i noticed this morning that one of the paddles on the scraper was stuck up as opposed to folding down when moving forward so it was leaving the ****e after it, i wonder how low the temp is going inside in the sheds, must be very low

    one can loose count of the number of things that can go wrong with scrapers , they are without doubt the most tempremental machines ive ever seen on a farm , i hate them with a passion :mad:


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    #52
    vanderbadger
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,087 ✭✭✭vanderbadger


    irishh_bob wrote: »
    one can loose count of the number of things that can go wrong with scrapers , they are without doubt the most tempremental machines ive ever seen on a farm , i hate them with a passion :mad:

    you do seem to have a fierce hatred of them alright Bob :) mine is only in it 2nd season and I have to say I love it, was a right old b4stard of a job with a hand scraper twice a day, now set the timer timer and forget about it. the little bar sticking is the only issue ive had so far so and in fairness everything else is frozen so its not doing too bad


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    #53
    bbam
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,410 ✭✭✭bbam


    We had -12.9 here last night, lowest I've seen. All frozen thismorning even the tap inside the pumphouse which has a heat lamp on :eek: there is only 2 feet of pipe so one kettle thawed it and then carrying water again... -9 now and it feels like every bit, of course handling water and getting wet isn't great in this weather... we've only half the stock of last winter so a reduced job at least.

    Anyone see the eclipse?? Was great here


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    #54
    reilig
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,401 ✭✭✭reilig


    -14 this morning. All water frozen except the kitchen tap. Spent till 11 last night filling IBC tank from it and bringing it to cattle. District heating pipe between house and garage frozen and its well insulated. Must have frozen where it rises from the ground to go into the house. Luckily we have a range that will keep the house warm. N4 at crawling pace this morning, lorries coming sideways down hills, a number of jackknifes. Brought the tractor to the train station so that I can get to work. 40k is faster than any car can travel in this weather. :D


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    #55
    irishh_bob
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,700 ✭✭✭irishh_bob


    vanderbadger wrote: »
    you do seem to have a fierce hatred of them alright Bob :) mine is only in it 2nd season and I have to say I love it, was a right old b4stard of a job with a hand scraper twice a day, now set the timer timer and forget about it. the little bar sticking is the only issue ive had so far so and in fairness everything else is frozen so its not doing too bad

    slats are superior to scrapers in every possible way

    their cheaper no matter what anyone says
    once you put them in , you need not worry about them for 25 years
    frost has no effect on them
    no moving parts need replacing


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    #56
    johngalway
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,271 ✭✭✭✭johngalway


    Snowed another bit last night, and for a while again in the late morning/early afternoon. There's a small thaw on though, lots of water drops on trees/furze and I can hear drips off the house roof.

    P1020838.jpg


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    #57
    cormywormy
    Registered Users Posts: 319 ✭✭cormywormy


    snowing away here in kildare, after getting about 5 inches in the curragh


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    #58
    5live
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,438 ✭✭✭5live


    irishh_bob wrote: »
    slats are superior to scrapers in every possible way

    their cheaper no matter what anyone says
    once you put them in , you need not worry about them for 25 years
    frost has no effect on them
    no moving parts need replacing
    Cheaper alright. Except where you have to bring in a rockbreaker to dig down after 6in. I am still trying to forget that bill for the reception tank:(. The crap at the end of the scraper line going solid is my biggest problem in the frost alright. And as a previous poster has said, the bar gets frozen solid to the track bars but with a bit of dung on them or a tip of a sledge and they move in a few minutes. If they are not moving at all then you might have blown a hydraulic pipe but fairly easy to replace. This global warming is freezing my ass off though


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    #59
    irishh_bob
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,700 ✭✭✭irishh_bob


    5live wrote: »
    Cheaper alright. Except where you have to bring in a rockbreaker to dig down after 6in. I am still trying to forget that bill for the reception tank:(. The crap at the end of the scraper line going solid is my biggest problem in the frost alright. And as a previous poster has said, the bar gets frozen solid to the track bars but with a bit of dung on them or a tip of a sledge and they move in a few minutes. If they are not moving at all then you might have blown a hydraulic pipe but fairly easy to replace. This global warming is freezing my ass off though

    my point about them being cheaper is this

    you still have to have a tank for scrapers to push to , running the length of the shed , rather than have a tank outside the shed , better to have the tanks ( and slats ) inside the shed , hey presto , no scrapers required , two scrapers on an 5 bay shed are up on eight grand , you,d buy a lot of ready mix for that and once the tanks and slats are in , no more costs for 25 yrs

    the only situations where i have any time for scrapers is where they are running on top of slats , they keep them very clean but i think thier more of a luxury item in that instance


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    #60
    whelan1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,786 ✭✭✭✭whelan1


    snowing here now , at least if its snowing its not -12 ! its around -2 or 3 at the minute... just went to drogheda to do some christmas shopping:( , god the retailers are getting it bad... there was no one in town , some streets are closed off with cars abondoned on them , never saw anything like it


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    #61
    5live
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,438 ✭✭✭5live


    irishh_bob wrote: »
    my point about them being cheaper is this

    you still have to have a tank for scrapers to push to , running the length of the shed , rather than have a tank outside the shed , better to have the tanks ( and slats ) inside the shed , hey presto , no scrapers required , two scrapers on an 5 bay shed are up on eight grand , you,d buy a lot of ready mix for that and once the tanks and slats are in , no more costs for 25 yrs

    the only situations where i have any time for scrapers is where they are running on top of slats , they keep them very clean but i think thier more of a luxury item in that instance
    Well irishh bob we could take up an entire website on this one alone. You only need a 1 week tank outside the door to collect the slurry against a 5 month tank under them. Different strokes for different folks. I was in tralee tonight and -10 in the car at 8.30. I think the old turkey might have to stay in the butchers if this weather stays with us. Bright clear skies and freezing on top of the melt on the roads. And all the local schools closed up for christmas because the car parks too dangerous


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