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Thanks all.

David's going Dairying.

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Comments

  • #122
    wrangler
    Registered Users Posts: 11,047 ✭✭✭✭wrangler


    Reggie. wrote: »
    I dont put clover in any of my reseeds. I add it afterwards. No point putting in clover and wiping it out with a post emergence spray. Get the non clover option grass seed bag which will be cheaper and have more grass seed in it. Then add your clover at a later time

    And what do you charge for adding clover


  • #123
    yewtree
    Registered Users Posts: 811 ✭✭✭yewtree


    Reggie. wrote: »
    Thsts going to be the issue going forward. Moorepark are pushing clover as a save the planet crop to reduce the artificial nitrogen requirements. I'm stitching in alot of it recently with dairy farmers. 2kg an acre is the max recommended. If reseeding and no clover anywhere else on the farm then no more than .5kg per acre to reduce risk of bloat

    I can see no logic in that, you either want clover or you dont want clover. In order to get the benefits of clover (nitrogen fixation and increased milk solids) ypu need an average of 30% across the year. It will be much higher this time of year. Clver has its disadvantages, so if you want the upside you have to manage the risks.


  • #124
    Mooooo
    Registered Users Posts: 8,611 ✭✭✭Mooooo


    Reggie. wrote: »
    I dont put clover in any of my reseeds. I add it afterwards. No point putting in clover and wiping it out with a post emergence spray. Get the non clover option grass seed bag which will be cheaper and have more grass seed in it. Then add your clover at a later time

    That's what I'm saying all grass mixes will have to have clover in them afaik from next year on. Have tried it here, wet ground 9 years out of ten is a disaster as it's colder longer clover doesn't grow and all you have is bare patches and more poaching and weeds.


  • #125
    trixi2011
    Registered Users Posts: 1,535 ✭✭✭trixi2011


    Put cooking oil in the troughs here for bloat seems to work well in dry weather, meal also seems to help for some reason


  • #126
    Reggie.
    Registered Users Posts: 24,362 ✭✭✭✭Reggie.


    wrangler wrote: »
    And what do you charge for adding clover

    Depends on the acreage really but that statement is the common sense approach rather than the contractor head on


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  • #127
    Reggie.
    Registered Users Posts: 24,362 ✭✭✭✭Reggie.


    Mooooo wrote: »
    That's what I'm saying all grass mixes will have to have clover in them afaik from next year on. Have tried it here, wet ground 9 years out of ten is a disaster as it's colder longer clover doesn't grow and all you have is bare patches and more poaching and weeds.

    I dont think so once you put it in the swarth. The mixes can still be got without clover and no word of discontinuing them as far as I know. It's better to add the clover on it's own so at the back end so it has the whole winter to get established. Takes clover roughly 6 to 8 months to get going and be competitive with the grass


  • #128
    Reggie.
    Registered Users Posts: 24,362 ✭✭✭✭Reggie.


    yewtree wrote: »
    I can see no logic in that, you either want clover or you dont want clover. In order to get the benefits of clover (nitrogen fixation and increased milk solids) ypu need an average of 30% across the year. It will be much higher this time of year. Clver has its disadvantages, so if you want the upside you have to manage the risks.

    No idea but that's the word from moorepark and that's why I'm stitching it now as they are pushing it.

    It was pushed on a reseeding event I was at too. Same stand as the dribble bars and trailing shoes


  • #129
    Water John
    Registered Users Posts: 21,104 ✭✭✭✭Water John


    Humphries I think is the expert on that in Moorepark. Clover grows in the back end of the year. Building the wedge through the late autumn for early grazing won't suit it at all. Land needs to be grazed out. Possibly better calving later and milking until Christmas.
    White clover replaces 3 bags CAN and red clover replaces 6 bags of CAN. Red clover mainly for silage ground, lasts 3/4 years.


  • #130
    Mooooo
    Registered Users Posts: 8,611 ✭✭✭Mooooo


    Reggie. wrote: »
    I dont think so once you put it in the swarth. The mixes can still be got without clover and no word of discontinuing them as far as I know. It's better to add the clover on it's own so at the back end so it has the whole winter to get established. Takes clover roughly 6 to 8 months to get going and be competitive with the grass

    Googled there and I'm corrected it's derogation farmers have to do it but it could come in for every one else said.
    https://www.independent.ie/business/farming/forestry-enviro/environment/nitrates-derogation-key-details-revealed-38343749.html


  • #131
    Buford T. Justice XIX
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,633 ✭✭✭✭Buford T. Justice XIX


    Water John wrote: »
    Humphries I think is the expert on that in Moorepark. Clover grows in the back end of the year. Building the wedge through the late autumn for early grazing won't suit it at all. Land needs to be grazed out. Possibly better calving later and milking until Christmas.
    White clover replaces 3 bags CAN and red clover replaces 6 bags of CAN. Red clover mainly for silage ground, lasts 3/4 years.

    On the white clover, it only starts working at 6 degrees and it's at its optimum in late summer when the temperature is at it's best here.

    It produces a bigger surplus during the summer and ideally this is used to supplement poorer growth in paddocks with lots of clover during spring and autumn.

    Straight from James Humphreys mouth. He's not as involved in clover any more iirc.


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  • #132
    Water John
    Registered Users Posts: 21,104 ✭✭✭✭Water John


    Grass at 6 degrees, clover at 8?


  • #133
    Buford T. Justice XIX
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,633 ✭✭✭✭Buford T. Justice XIX


    Water John wrote: »
    Grass at 6 degrees, clover at 8?

    Yeah, that's it:)


  • #134
    davidk1394
    Registered Users Posts: 4,038 ✭✭✭davidk1394


    An update for ye lads and ladies. I am busy working on a near by dairy farm getting used to day to day running of a farm and doing night time lambing for some one aswell. Plans were submitted to the council last week so hopefully everything will go well. I have joined Teagasc and I'm currently doing a course for new entrants to dairy farming, it's based from Kildalton but there's groups all over the country. We meet once a month on a new entrant farm. I've picked up lots of information through the group. Well worth doing if anyone is thinking about going down the dairy route. All the animals are alive and well and we are currently busy lambing. I have prices got for parlors, concrete and other bits. I have a meeting with the bank next week.

    At the moment I am picking out AI straws, if the weather holds I'll turn out the dairy heifers next week and sell the beef ones fairly soon.


  • #135
    Castlekeeper
    Registered Users Posts: 1,641 ✭✭✭Castlekeeper


    Keep an open mind when taking in all that "education" anyway, and bear in mind that lot of the present Teagasc blueprint will be obsolete in the next 10 years.


  • #136
    cosatron
    Registered Users Posts: 2,002 ✭✭✭cosatron


    davidk1394 wrote: »
    An update for ye lads and ladies. I am busy working on a near by dairy farm getting used to day to day running of a farm and doing night time lambing for some one aswell. Plans were submitted to the council last week so hopefully everything will go well. I have joined Teagasc and I'm currently doing a course for new entrants to dairy farming, it's based from Kildalton but there's groups all over the country. We meet once a month on a new entrant farm. I've picked up lots of information through the group. Well worth doing if anyone is thinking about going down the dairy route. All the animals are alive and well and we are currently busy lambing. I have prices got for parlors, concrete and other bits. I have a meeting with the bank next week.

    At the moment I am picking out AI straws, if the weather holds I'll turn out the dairy heifers next week and sell the beef ones fairly soon.

    Did you consider using an angus bull for the first year. we find it very hard to get a heifer from a heifer ready to calf down at 2 year old. she just won't have the strength where as a heifer calf from a mature cow will calf down no bother at 2 years and will be a good strong heifer at that.The bull will take a bit of pressure of you aswell considering your a newbie and might have some missed heats when aiing. best of luck with it.


  • #137
    Green&Red
    Registered Users Posts: 11,387 ✭✭✭✭Green&Red


    cosatron wrote: »
    Did you consider using an angus bull for the first year. we find it very hard to get a heifer from a heifer ready to calf down at 2 year old. she just won't have the strength where as a heifer calf from a mature cow will calf down no bother at 2 years and will be a good strong heifer at that.The bull will take a bit of pressure of you aswell considering your a newbie and might have some missed heats when aiing. best of luck with it.

    Would it be awful hard to rent a bull for May & June?


  • #138
    Bass Reeves
    Registered Users Posts: 18,126 ✭✭✭✭Bass Reeves


    Green&Red wrote: »
    Would it be awful hard to rent a bull for May & June?

    Why would you rent, buying an AA bull is virtually cash neutral, they will make as much in the factory after as you paid for them. Some lads just rove the bull at the end of the breeding season and finish him as a sub 24 month bull.

    Slava Ukrainii



  • #139
    Green&Red
    Registered Users Posts: 11,387 ✭✭✭✭Green&Red


    Bass Reeves wrote: »
    Why would you rent, buying an AA bull is virtually cash neutral, they will make as much in the factory after as you paid for them. Some lads just rove the bull at the end of the breeding season and finish him as a sub 24 month bull.

    Because the man who used to own my farm refuses to do anything I ask him and while I might keep a 78yo out of a field for six weeks I'd struggle to do that for a few months.

    A bull is a bull, so I'd like to limit the amount of time he is around for


  • #140
    Odelay
    Registered Users Posts: 3,783 ✭✭✭Odelay


    Green&Red wrote: »
    Because the man who used to own my farm refuses to do anything I ask him and while I might keep a 78yo out of a field for six weeks I'd struggle to do that for a few months.

    A bull is a bull, so I'd like to limit the amount of time he is around for

    What if you put a ring and chain on him?


  • #141
    Green&Red
    Registered Users Posts: 11,387 ✭✭✭✭Green&Red


    Odelay wrote: »
    What if you put a ring and chain on him?

    Could be an option, my dad still thinks he's in his 40s, no regard for how he'd get out of trouble


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  • #142
    Water John
    Registered Users Posts: 21,104 ✭✭✭✭Water John


    Odelay wrote: »
    What if you put a ring and chain on him?

    He'd be proscecuted for cruelty to a senior citizen if he did that.


  • #143
    blue5000
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 12,615 Mod ✭✭✭✭blue5000


    Just put a copper ring on his wrist, it'll help the arthritis.;)

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



  • #144
    davidk1394
    Registered Users Posts: 4,038 ✭✭✭davidk1394


    I was thinking about an AA bull alright, I think I'd be nearly impossible for me to pick up every heifer bulling alright. Did any of ye try synchronisin your heifers, how did it go?


  • #145
    Dakota Dan
    Registered Users Posts: 3,761 ✭✭✭Dakota Dan


    davidk1394 wrote: »
    I was thinking about an AA bull alright, I think I'd be nearly impossible for me to pick up every heifer bulling alright. Did any of ye try synchronisin your heifers, how did it go?

    I did plenty synchronisation, the injection works best for heifers you’d still want to be watching them 3 times a day though. I used to watch them 3 times a day for 7 days and synchronise the ones that didn’t come bulling and they should come bulling with on 3-5 days any that don’t get a second injection. It keeps the observation to a minimum. I tried the pride but there were too many repeats with heifers.


  • #146
    davidk1394
    Registered Users Posts: 4,038 ✭✭✭davidk1394


    Howdy everyone. Hope ye are all keeping safe these days and enjoying the sun and the few showers of rain. The last of the sheep went yesterday, one farmer bought them all. I am glad they went to one farm instead of being dotted all over the place. Pre breeding started on the heifers and I plan to start AI on the 25th of April. I'm not sure what I'll do with some of the smaller heifers, will I synchronise them or not. At the moment the small heifers are bulling. Their 300kgs and the larger heifers are 330kgs. I was happy with their weight gain over winter and how they cleaned up out on grass.
    I sold some AA heifers and I used that money to buy some more calves and it will cover the majority of the AI bill also.
    I have quotes for a number of different parlors, contrete work for the sheds and tanks, cubicles and sheds. With the virus causing havoc on world markets and the milk price dropping. I'm planning on cutting back on the budget. Doing the basics and going from there. Planning has been submitted since February and I am talking with the bank so hopefully everything should come together.

    The images I've attached below is the final load of sheep leaving the farm, the new heifer calves and some of my smaller heifers.


  • #147
    Mooooo
    Registered Users Posts: 8,611 ✭✭✭Mooooo


    Serve the smaller ones on their natural heats. Perhaps keep separate and give a kg of meal and they may catch up. Are they younger than the rest or just smaller in general? If bought from different places they may just be a smaller cow type as well


  • #148
    davidk1394
    Registered Users Posts: 4,038 ✭✭✭davidk1394


    Mooooo wrote: »
    Serve the smaller ones on their natural heats. Perhaps keep separate and give a kg of meal and they may catch up. Are they younger than the rest or just smaller in general? If bought from different places they may just be a smaller cow type as well

    I have them divided out. Their a month younger amd their out of a smaller type of cow from a different farm.


  • #149
    Mooooo
    Registered Users Posts: 8,611 ✭✭✭Mooooo


    davidk1394 wrote: »
    I have them divided out. Their a month younger amd their out of a smaller type of cow from a different farm.

    You could delay breeding them by 2 weeks they would still be Feb calving if you want. If you can keep them separate till housing they should be fine, would give them every chance. Left a group of mine together big and small and should have separated em as the big ones always out competed the small ones even at grass and they never caught up as much


  • #150
    jaymla627
    Registered Users Posts: 6,444 ✭✭✭jaymla627


    davidk1394 wrote: »
    Howdy everyone. Hope ye are all keeping safe these days and enjoying the sun and the few showers of rain. The last of the sheep went yesterday, one farmer bought them all. I am glad they went to one farm instead of being dotted all over the place. Pre breeding started on the heifers and I plan to start AI on the 25th of April. I'm not sure what I'll do with some of the smaller heifers, will I synchronise them or not. At the moment the small heifers are bulling. Their 300kgs and the larger heifers are 330kgs. I was happy with their weight gain over winter and how they cleaned up out on grass.
    I sold some AA heifers and I used that money to buy some more calves and it will cover the majority of the AI bill also.
    I have quotes for a number of different parlors, contrete work for the sheds and tanks, cubicles and sheds. With the virus causing havoc on world markets and the milk price dropping. I'm planning on cutting back on the budget. Doing the basics and going from there. Planning has been submitted since February and I am talking with the bank so hopefully everything should come together.

    The images I've attached below is the final load of sheep leaving the farm, the new heifer calves and some of my smaller heifers.

    I’d be trying to get finance sorted as soon as possible, money isn’t going to be thrown around like it was and interest rates will be going up to compensate for bad debts....


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  • #151
    kk.man
    Registered Users Posts: 3,418 ✭✭✭kk.man


    davidk1394 wrote: »
    Howdy everyone. Hope ye are all keeping safe these days and enjoying the sun and the few showers of rain. The last of the sheep went yesterday, one farmer bought them all. I am glad they went to one farm instead of being dotted all over the place. Pre breeding started on the heifers and I plan to start AI on the 25th of April. I'm not sure what I'll do with some of the smaller heifers, will I synchronise them or not. At the moment the small heifers are bulling. Their 300kgs and the larger heifers are 330kgs. I was happy with their weight gain over winter and how they cleaned up out on grass.
    I sold some AA heifers and I used that money to buy some more calves and it will cover the majority of the AI bill also.
    I have quotes for a number of different parlors, contrete work for the sheds and tanks, cubicles and sheds. With the virus causing havoc on world markets and the milk price dropping. I'm planning on cutting back on the budget. Doing the basics and going from there. Planning has been submitted since February and I am talking with the bank so hopefully everything should come together.

    The images I've attached below is the final load of sheep leaving the farm, the new heifer calves and some of my smaller heifers.
    Best of luck with the dairy enterprise, a wise move. Lovely trees and you won't need the electric wire as low from now on!


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