Dairy Chitchat 3

freedominacup · 24-08-2018 6:04pm

whelan2 wrote: »

How are you getting on now, did you get enough rain?

From the sound of things we've been very lucky. Silage gone from diet for 2 weeks now. Aftergrass type 1200-1400 covers in front of them and part of the grazing stopped to go in with third cut in the first week of Sept. The oul boy has been saying for quite a while that farmers banging on about tonnes of dm grown per ha a blowing it out their arse. Sunshine and rain dictate it all. All you can do is try to be in a position to make the best of what comes. There's been more grass grown here this August than any normal July and August combined and we had no more control over it this year than any other. Hard to credit that we have been getting rain when other parts of the country are going back into drought or never got out of it. No major dumps of rain just a few mm one or two nights a week and a bit of a drop in temps since late July.

gozunda · 24-08-2018 9:24pm

I've no idea why - but I keep mixing these two threads up

https://touch.boards.ie/thread/2057839031/1/#post106084725

GrasstoMilk · 24-08-2018 10:50pm

Pit refilled today with nice leafy stuff. Judging by what trailer loads we got there was 4000-4500/ha on it. A lot more than I would have thought. Fert on tomorrow to get grass back for ICH and try for a 3rd cut on 30 acres

freedominacup · 24-08-2018 11:19pm

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

Pit refilled today with nice leafy stuff. Judging by what trailer loads we got there was 4000-4500/ha on it. A lot more than I would have thought. Fert on tomorrow to get grass back for ICH and try for a 3rd cut on 30 acres

Is that the end of an era or will ye go back to bales next year?

GrasstoMilk · 25-08-2018 6:59am

freedominacup wrote: »

Is that the end of an era or will ye go back to bales next year?

A well it has been for a few years now but we worked away with them. I've no interest in machinery but I'll run what we have and try to look after it. We haven't the time to be spending days at bales the way we were and that's never going to change now

Say my name · 25-08-2018 7:54am

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

Pit refilled today with nice leafy stuff. Judging by what trailer loads we got there was 4000-4500/ha on it. A lot more than I would have thought. Fert on tomorrow to get grass back for ICH and try for a 3rd cut on 30 acres

Was that your reseed?

Did you have no rain yesterday?

GrasstoMilk · 25-08-2018 8:04am

Say my name wrote: »

Was that your reseed?

Did you have no rain yesterday?

No from land there at the grotto and the rectory lands. Yeah got a few spills alright. Amounted to about 5 mm. Was mown dry so shouldn't be too wet.
Fair drop coming tomorrow. Wanted it off so we could try for another cut on some of it

Say my name · 25-08-2018 8:31am

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

No from land there at the grotto and the rectory lands.

How did that ground fair out in the drought?
You'd imagine both would be damper than the home block.

Injuryprone · 25-08-2018 9:03am

freedominacup wrote: »

I'll get back to you on that. Might have fcuked it up by including too much hybrid Italian.

Are you saying that the hybrid is smothering it? If it'll grow 4tDM/ha in 6 weeks in drought conditions, I would've thought it would be the grass that would be smothered

GrasstoMilk · 25-08-2018 9:13am

Say my name wrote: »

How did that ground fair out in the drought?
You'd imagine both would be damper than the home block.

The land at the grotto grew okay for most of June but just sat there from start of July till about 3 weeks ago. The other block is on the banks if the slaney. Driest land you'll get around here. It got rain the day after we took silage off it the end of may and it got very little since till about 3 weeks ago. Happy enough though with what we got. Should make up for it now if we can get regular weather

GrasstoMilk · 26-08-2018 6:33pm

Anyone know what block layers are charging per block ATM?

charolais0153 · 26-08-2018 6:40pm

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

Anyone know what block layers are charging per block ATM?

70-80c

Gawddawggonnit · 26-08-2018 7:47pm

Mooooo wrote: »

For arguments sake if that was set here for harvest in September? after a winter crop, what way would it be if it was harvested in wettish conditions which would most likely be the case? And would you get much more of a yield in normal rainfall conditions here? Perhaps where Timmay and freedom are where they seem to suffer drought like conditions for some bit of every summer something such as that may suit but for those of us which 90% of the time get more rain would there be much point in setting that?

I was away for a couple of days...

I would think that sorghum wouldn’t like the wet. Likewise with moha.

However I reckon that squarrosum, crimson, vetch etc would fly in any normal year.

Tbh, it’s way beyond my pay grade to be recommending what to grow or what not to grow, Moo.
What I find completely baffling is that Teagasc etc have NO research whatsoever done into this. In fairness to Teagasc they must be one of the world leading research institutes on how to grow 16+t/ha of grass with an unlimited allowance of nitrogen. Saying that, surely they must know that *sometimes* the grass doesn’t grow?
There’s a weather station in most of their bases for decades now?
Where’s the research into multi-species grasses and herbs?
Cover cropping?
Cash cropping?
Carbon sequestration?
Soil structure?
Soil “farming”? Etc etc etc etc...

Seems very laisser faire research to me!
At the risk of repeating myself, Teagasc imho, are a one trick pony.

From my own personal experience I think that (especially dairy) farmers are missing a trick, as are tillage farmers, on the whole cover/cash crop scene. Ye must be 20yrs behind.

Instead of tillage and dairy farmers being at loggerheads over land, there could be a mutually beneficial relationship where everyone (including the environment and soil) wins.

I won’t be holding my breath.

simx · 26-08-2018 7:52pm

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

Anyone know what block layers are charging per block ATM?

Got some done yesterday 80c/block

Buford T. Justice XIX · 26-08-2018 9:09pm

Spent the last few days sorting and tidying up around the yard for the BordBia later in the week. I was printing out the lists needed and was worried that the printer ink was getting low but it just printed the last sheet:)
Then I realised I hadn't put in a calf born last week, 2 cows sold and the weanlings we dosed yesterday:rolleyes:
Off to buy ink to print it all out again tomorrow:(

Anyways, its raining now so a bit of grass might grow and I'm fecking off to bed

jaymla627 · 26-08-2018 9:35pm

Gawddawggonnit wrote: »

I was away for a couple of days...

I would think that sorghum wouldn’t like the wet. Likewise with moha.

However I reckon that squarrosum, crimson, vetch etc would fly in any normal year.

Tbh, it’s way beyond my pay grade to be recommending what to grow or what not to grow, Moo.
What I find completely baffling is that Teagasc etc have NO research whatsoever done into this. In fairness to Teagasc they must be one of the world leading research institutes on how to grow 16+t/ha of grass with an unlimited allowance of nitrogen. Saying that, surely they must know that *sometimes* the grass doesn’t grow. There’s a weather station in most of their bases for decades now?
Where’s the research into multi-species grasses and herbs? Cover cropping? Cash cropping? Carbon sequestration?
Soil structure? Soil “farming”? Etc etc etc etc...
Seems very laisser faire research to me!
At the risk of repeating myself, Teagasc imho, are a one trick pony.

From my own personal experience I think that (especially dairy) farmers are missing a trick, as are tillage farmers, on the whole cover/cash crop scene. Ye must be 20yrs behind.

Instead of tillage and dairy farmers being at loggerheads over land, there could be a mutually beneficial relationship where everyone (including the environment and soil) wins.

I won’t be holding my breath.

Their like a Scientology preacher at this stage, it’s grand though the new line is it’s not how one year grass growth goes it has to be looked at as the average over 4 years....
Offered a nice quantity of 3 rd cut silage delivered into the yard of a place with 300 plus cows and only 30 days of their own silage in-store, no interest whatsoever, can guarantee the same place won’t have a bale left by February and will be hoping the grass and weather play ball

Timmaay · 26-08-2018 10:52pm

jaymla627 wrote: »

Their like a Scientology preacher at this stage, it’s grand though the new line is it’s not how one year grass growth goes it has to be looked at as the average over 4 years....
Offered a nice quantity of 3 rd cut silage delivered into the yard of a place with 300 plus cows and only 30 days of their own silage in-store, no interest whatsoever, can guarantee the same place won’t have a bale left by February and will be hoping the grass and weather play ball

Teagasc obviously have zero influence on that farm so, their fodder budgets are all based on 5month winters.

yosemitesam1 · 27-08-2018 7:33am

wrote:

I was away for a couple of days...

I would think that sorghum wouldn’t like the wet. Likewise with moha.

However I reckon that squarrosum, crimson, vetch etc would fly in any normal year.

Tbh, it’s way beyond my pay grade to be recommending what to grow or what not to grow, Moo.
What I find completely baffling is that Teagasc etc have NO research whatsoever done into this. In fairness to Teagasc they must be one of the world leading research institutes on how to grow 16+t/ha of grass with an unlimited allowance of nitrogen. Saying that, surely they must know that *sometimes* the grass doesn’t grow?
There’s a weather station in most of their bases for decades now?
Where’s the research into multi-species grasses and herbs?
Cover cropping?
Cash cropping?
Carbon sequestration?
Soil structure?
Soil “farming”? Etc etc etc etc...

Seems very laisser faire research to me!
At the risk of repeating myself, Teagasc imho, are a one trick pony.

From my own personal experience I think that (especially dairy) farmers are missing a trick, as are tillage farmers, on the whole cover/cash crop scene. Ye must be 20yrs behind.

Instead of tillage and dairy farmers being at loggerheads over land, there could be a mutually beneficial relationship where everyone (including the environment and soil) wins.

I won’t be holding my breath.

There was an application made to Dafm for funding to investigate production of various cover crops a few years ago. Ended up being dismissed as too practical and not scientific enough to justify funding...

wrangler · 27-08-2018 8:05am

yosemitesam1 wrote: »

There was an application made to Dafm for funding to investigate production of various cover crops a few years ago. Ended up being dismissed as too practical and not scientific enough to justify funding...

Looks a great idea for sowing....no time wasted

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7iXweYSRh0

Gawddawggonnit · 27-08-2018 9:35am

yosemitesam1 wrote: »

There was an application made to Dafm for funding to investigate production of various cover crops a few years ago. Ended up being dismissed as too practical and not scientific enough to justify funding...

The impracticality of practical research...

Jesus wept.

Gawddawggonnit · 27-08-2018 9:36am

Non irrigated.
Looks like the combine will be putting through more maize than planned.

White Clover · 27-08-2018 10:33am

Gawddawggonnit wrote: »

Non irrigated.
Looks like the combine will be putting through more maize than planned.

Good crop there dawg. I didn't have you down as a trailer jockey....more of a pit man !

Gawddawggonnit · 27-08-2018 11:37am

White Clover wrote: »

Good crop there dawg. I didn't have you down as a trailer jockey....more of a pit man !

Neither!
Way too old to be rattling the teeth outa my head at this craic...

Nekarsulm was supposed to tog out for the week but unfortunately let me down

.

Nekarsulm · 27-08-2018 2:07pm

Gawddawggonnit wrote: »

Neither!
Way too old to be rattling the teeth outa my head at this craic...

Nekarsulm was supposed to tog out for the week but unfortunately let me down .

Ha!

The Oscar Wilde waits for no man!

alps · 27-08-2018 2:32pm

Nekarsulm wrote: »

Ha!

The Oscar Wilde waits for no man!

Oscar Wilde is too slow...go Stena, and the waft of calf chit will make you feel right at home...

Gawddawggonnit · 27-08-2018 5:47pm

Dry...

gozunda · 28-08-2018 1:27am

Article in the UK today about some of the muck which is now used to make Ice cream.

The UK had regulations up to 2015 which required manufacturers to include milk and or cream as standard. Since then popular dietery interests have resulted in manufacturers using cheap (and sometimes nasty) alternatives to the real thing.

Not sure what regulations we have in this country relevant to the manufacture of real Icecream
See:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/food-and-drink/news/does-scoop-vanilla-ice-cream-contain-no-vanilla-fresh-cream/

carrollsno1 · 28-08-2018 5:22am

gozunda wrote: »

Article in the UK today about some of the muck which is now used to make Ice cream.

The UK had regulations up to 2015 which required manufacturers to include milk and or cream as standard. Since then popular dietery interests have resulted in manufacturers using cheap alternatives to the real thing.

Not sure what regulations we have in this country relevant to the manufacture of real Icecream
See:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/food-and-drink/news/does-scoop-vanilla-ice-cream-contain-no-vanilla-fresh-cream/

Had to do a double take, thought it was going to be an articly about FYM being used to make ice cream!

whelan2 · 28-08-2018 8:55am

Going to mow silage today for the pit. Will do bales next week hopefully

freedominacup · 28-08-2018 9:08am

whelan2 wrote: »

Going to mow silage today for the pit. Will do bales next week hopefully

Going to do a nitrates test today to see where we are. Dull enough day. Wouldn't be rushing to get mower out atm.

Gawddawggonnit · 28-08-2018 9:10am

No artificial fertiliser, no herbicide.
60t/ha of fym and scuffled twice.

Just in case...

Timmaay · 28-08-2018 9:30am

whelan2 wrote: »

Going to mow silage today for the pit. Will do bales next week hopefully

Painful last few weeks here, despite being only stocked at 2.2 on the milking block the afc is totally dropping off again, the 10mm last weekend will hopefully grow sometime over the next few days but nothing really forecast for the next 10days.

mahoney_j · 28-08-2018 9:34am

Timmaay wrote: »

Painful last few weeks here, despite being only stocked at 2.2 on the milking block the afc is totally dropping off again, the 10mm last weekend will hopefully grow sometime over the next few days but nothing really forecast for the next 10days.

In reality that 10 mm u got last weekend will probably do more harm than good unless u get more again pretty soon after it .....some year

jaymla627 · 28-08-2018 1:46pm

Council approved planning for golf course up stream of us has lead to the below picture, used to be trout in this river, of course paddy farmer is to blame for rivers been destroyed

Buford T. Justice XIX · 28-08-2018 2:29pm

Bord Bia sorted again for a while:)

A wee bit of tidying around the yard and spreading the FYM and we're good to go.

kevthegaff · 28-08-2018 7:02pm

I see a crowd selling slurry separators on agriland, are they good?

freedominacup · 28-08-2018 9:52pm

kevthegaff wrote: »

I see a crowd selling slurry separators on agriland, are they good?

The "separator" in Westphalia separator the milking machine manufacturer refers to that type of separator. They have installed a good few of the in sewage treatment plants around the country. Hard to be sure what benefit they are unless the water separated was considered dirty water similar to dairy washings and could be spread at any time. Price against the Westphalia seeing as they're put in where money isn't much object.

Mooooo · 28-08-2018 10:24pm

Pissing rain here, looks like we'll get a good enough drop down here this week but not much further north. Looking to cut silage down here and others back feeding it out. Crazy year.
Scanning booked for next week, just on observing the herd with last few weeks looking like 15% empty. 3 cows hadn't been seen in heat with weeks so possible burst of growth had a part to play in that. Disappointed as have a few to cull not in that list too.

Timmaay · 28-08-2018 11:42pm

Mooooo wrote: »

Pissing rain here, looks like we'll get a good enough drop down here this week but not much further north. Looking to cut silage down here and others back feeding it out. Crazy year.
Scanning booked for next week, just on observing the herd with last few weeks looking like 15% empty. 3 cows hadn't been seen in heat with weeks so possible burst of growth had a part to play in that. Disappointed as have a few to cull not in that list too.

I scanned last week and was surprised to find 6 or 7 cows who had been observed bulling last month were actually well incalf. I wouldn't pay to much notice!

charolais0153 · 28-08-2018 11:43pm

Timmaay wrote: »

I scanned last week and was surprised to find 6 or 7 cows who had been observed bulling last month were actually well incalf. I wouldn't pay to much notice!

Ya. Bull calves are rising on a different cow every day

whelan2 · 29-08-2018 9:33am

Timmaay wrote: »

I scanned last week and was surprised to find 6 or 7 cows who had been observed bulling last month were actually well incalf. I wouldn't pay to much notice!

I sent 3 to the factory yesterday evening. One was bulling yesterday morning. She was a cnut. Would head butt the cluster off the cow in front in order to get nuts. Then move back into the manger behind. Was delighted she was in heat yesterday.

Reggie. · 29-08-2018 11:46am

kevthegaff wrote: »

I see a crowd selling slurry separators on agriland, are they good?

Be careful with them

kevthegaff · 29-08-2018 12:57pm

Reggie. wrote:

Be careful with them

Well?

Reggie. · 29-08-2018 1:44pm

kevthegaff wrote: »

Well?

Supposedly a farmer used the dung from the separator to bed his cattle and when bord bia found out he lost his bonus. 4c a litre

whelan2 · 29-08-2018 1:45pm

Reggie. wrote: »

Supposedly a farmer used the dung from the separator to bed his cattle and when bord bia found out he lost his bonus. 4c a litre

Is it 4 cpl?

GrasstoMilk · 29-08-2018 1:53pm

whelan2 wrote: »

Is it 4 cpl?

First I ever heard of there being a bonus on milk for being bord bia approved

Reggie. · 29-08-2018 1:55pm

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

First I ever heard of there being a bonus on milk for being bord bia approved

Or whatever. Could have been organic bonus or something on beef kg. This man was going to import a separator but that incident put him off

Snowfire · 29-08-2018 3:27pm

whelan2 wrote: »

Is it 4 cpl?

6 cent/kg QA bonus

White Clover · 29-08-2018 4:42pm

Snowfire wrote: »

6 cent/kg QA bonus

12c/kg, only if the animal grades correctly, is under 30 months and has resided on a maximum of 3 farms.

kevthegaff · 29-08-2018 5:42pm

Anyone notice it's gone very quiet here lately

Dairy Chitchat 3

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