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Thanks all.

David's going Dairying.

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Comments

  • #32
    Genghis Cant
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 4,980 Mod ✭✭✭✭Genghis Cant


    Best of luck David. This has the makings of a brilliant thread . Keep us all updated on your journey!


  • #33
    Timmaay
    Registered Users Posts: 11,394 ✭✭✭✭Timmaay


    kevthegaff wrote: »
    I have a masters in soft ware engineering so maybe I went the wrong track! No things worked out, reading that post I still enjoyed meself chain and drink in. I think its getting harderbin dairying with numbers increasing, I'm aching atm hurling a little after a hectic spring. I'm considering with 3 kids of a few different options in the future. Oad is one

    How are you for labour? Very lucky here that I've had 2 decent chaps part time this spring, that alongside the good weather has made this the easiest spring I've had so far. I'm prb gonna spend the best part of 20k on labour this year, or say 3c/l, worth every penny though, esp when I look at how unsustainable what I use to be at doing consistent 80 hr weeks and absolutely not enjoying it.


  • #34
    visatorro
    Registered Users Posts: 3,096 ✭✭✭visatorro


    Reggie. wrote: »
    If ya got out of bed at a reasonable hour it would help

    Look there's no point getting to excited you'll burn out. Anytime after twelve is a good start.


  • #35
    Sheep breeder
    Registered Users Posts: 1,954 ✭✭✭Sheep breeder


    Best of luck with your venture, milked cows in my youth for my sins and at one time was milking two herds a day and some days three herds, feeding, grass, management of cows etc all come second to the parlour. Which is where the time goes and very important to have it user friendly for man and beast.
    One the best saying that was parted from one old fella I milked for was the parlour was like a bed, if not comfortable you won’t sleep well and you won’t work well that day.


  • #36
    Albert Johnson
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 1,870 Mod ✭✭✭✭Albert Johnson


    visatorro wrote: »
    Look there's no point getting to excited you'll burn out. Anytime after twelve is a good start.

    Welcome to my psychology haha. The above is somewhat of an exaggeration but perhaps I'm not the only one who finds mornings a challenge. I'd stay out all night but don't ask me to get up in the mornings, the auld lad is the complete opposite and would be out at dawn regardless of the work to be done.

    Good luck with the new venture David, there's been no dairying here in my lifetime and little locally so I'm of almost zero help to you on that front. I do admire the courage and conviction of anyone who makes a major life decision of any kind and I hope that your efforts will be justly rewarded.


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  • #37
    Ard_MC
    Registered Users Posts: 516 ✭✭✭Ard_MC


    Best of luck David. Your views will be missed in the sheep forum.


  • #38
    Reggie.
    Registered Users Posts: 24,363 ✭✭✭✭Reggie.


    visatorro wrote: »
    Look there's no point getting to excited you'll burn out. Anytime after twelve is a good start.

    :D


  • #39
    Willfarman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,239 ✭✭✭Willfarman


    Best of luck David


  • #40
    davidk1394
    Registered Users Posts: 4,043 ✭✭✭davidk1394


    Some of the calves are settling in nicely. I only have 10 dairy heifer calves bought. I missed out on a few because I didn’t have enough shed space with sheep lambing. The pens used for the sheep can be easily changed to hold calves which is very handy


  • #41
    davidk1394
    Registered Users Posts: 4,043 ✭✭✭davidk1394


    Bullocks wrote: »
    Best of luck David. Will you keep a few ewes aswell still or get out completely?

    At this moment and time I think I’m going to get out completely. My heart isn’t in sheep anymore. Both myself and my parents could look at another lambing


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  • #42
    farisfat
    Registered Users Posts: 326 ✭✭farisfat


    davidk1394 wrote: »
    At this moment and time I think I’m going to get out completely. My heart isn’t in sheep anymore. Both myself and my parents could look at another lambing

    Best of luck with your venture.
    Lambing sheep will look easy if things start to go wrong with cows and calves.


  • #43
    jaymla627
    Registered Users Posts: 6,448 ✭✭✭jaymla627


    farisfat wrote: »
    Best of luck with your venture.
    Lambing sheep will look easy if things start to go wrong with cows and calves.

    Don’t be scaring the chap, sure it’s great craic spending literally hours every day during peak calving training and bottling colostrum into calves, levels of patience are required that no one should need haha, and if your spending a hour our twobefore this with unruly heifers in the parlour it dosent be long fraying the nerves after a few weeks


  • #44
    mahoney_j
    Registered Users Posts: 11,067 ✭✭✭✭mahoney_j


    davidk1394 wrote: »
    If it’s a parlor it’ll be a 16 unit, plenty big for me. A friend of mine put in a new De Laval parlor last year and I enjoy milking in it. It’s all De Laval around here because one of my neighbors installs them and services them. Another friend of mine in the locality is currently putting in a GEA parlor. I’m want to see how it goes for them. It looks like a lovely parlor, well designed and built.

    I am still undecided on going for a parlor or robots. After the last 2/3 years I have pros and cons for both. I am going to visit 2 more dairy farms with robots. There is going to be an open day held on one of them next week in Cappaquin in Waterford.
    In the coming months I’ll make my decision.
    On Gea no doubt well built and stuff sells itself but Gea Ireland has a very Chequerd history ,just ask any customer of charleville refrigeration


  • #45
    Bullocks
    Registered Users Posts: 5,890 ✭✭✭Bullocks


    davidk1394 wrote: »
    At this moment and time I think I’m going to get out completely. My heart isn’t in sheep anymore. Both myself and my parents could look at another lambing

    Ah sure I'd say everyone says that when they're at the end of lambing haha


  • #46
    Dakota Dan
    Registered Users Posts: 3,761 ✭✭✭Dakota Dan


    Reggie. wrote: »
    If ya got out of bed at a reasonable hour it would help

    :D


  • #47
    Dakota Dan
    Registered Users Posts: 3,761 ✭✭✭Dakota Dan


    jaymla627 wrote: »
    Don’t be scaring the chap, sure it’s great craic spending literally hours every day during peak calving training and bottling colostrum into calves, levels of patience are required that no one should need haha, and if your spending a hour our twobefore this with unruly heifers in the parlour it dosent be long fraying the nerves after a few weeks

    To hell with that crack, stomach tube the first 2-3 feeds skip 1 feed and they'll take to the teat no bother.


  • #48
    jaymla627
    Registered Users Posts: 6,448 ✭✭✭jaymla627


    Dakota Dan wrote: »
    To hell with that crack, stomach tube the first 2-3 feeds skip 1 feed and they'll take to the teat no bother.

    Last resort using stomach tube here, 10 times healthier calves when the first feed is bottled fed plus a lot better immunity to fight disease, you hear of horror stories where crypto and rota wipe out calves in places and I guarantee you its down to running with the tube to every calf instead of spending the time to bottle it


  • #49
    cosatron
    Registered Users Posts: 2,004 ✭✭✭cosatron


    jaymla627 wrote: »
    Dakota Dan wrote: »
    To hell with that crack, stomach tube the first 2-3 feeds skip 1 feed and they'll take to the teat no bother.

    Last resort using stomach tube here, 10 times healthier calves when the first feed is bottled fed plus a lot better immunity to fight disease, you hear of horror stories where crypto and rota wipe out calves in places and I guarantee you its down to running with the tube to every calf instead of spending the time to bottle it
    We do the exact same thing. It's worth it in the long run.


  • #50
    Panch18
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,471 ✭✭✭Panch18


    We have never tubed a calf, always try to get them to suck the cows first

    Most would go eventually and if not then milk cow into a 3 teat feeder and get calf going on that

    That’s not to say that we don’t have a few that would break your heart every year


  • #51
    kevthegaff
    Registered Users Posts: 6,875 ✭✭✭kevthegaff


    Timmaay wrote: »

    How are you for labour? Very lucky here that I've had 2 decent chaps part time this spring, that alongside the good weather has made this the easiest spring I've had so far. I'm prb gonna spend the best part of 20k on labour this year, or say 3c/l, worth every penny though, esp when I look at how unsustainable what I use to be at doing consistent 80 hr weeks and absolutely not enjoying it.
    On my own, had a guy during the winter re roofing a shed and milking empties but it was a disaster(his attitude stunk as well as costly errors) pity as I hoped it would work out. It's bad when you let a lad go at the end of February. ..


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  • #52
    mahoney_j
    Registered Users Posts: 11,067 ✭✭✭✭mahoney_j


    kevthegaff wrote: »
    On my own, had a guy during the winter re roofing a shed and milking empties but it was a disaster(his attitude stunk as well as costly errors) pity as I hoped it would work out. It's bad when you let a lad go at the end of February. ..

    So so hard find Labour now ,still have gheorghe here ,be fooked without him


  • #53
    whelan2
    Registered Users Posts: 29,070 ✭✭✭✭whelan2


    I have a lad same age as myself. 100% reliable. Get him 2 or 3 mornings a week. Made a massive difference. He finished yesterday as young lad is home now, but hopefully will get him again next winter. Takes a lot of pressure off me


  • #54
    kevthegaff
    Registered Users Posts: 6,875 ✭✭✭kevthegaff


    So so hard find Labour now ,still have gheorghe here ,be fooked without him

    Ya he's not the fastest but he's done a serious amount of milikings! It's handier to keep staff if your nearer to a town also. On the lookout for a lad/lass two days a week


  • #55
    davidk1394
    Registered Users Posts: 4,043 ✭✭✭davidk1394


    farisfat wrote: »
    Best of luck with your venture.
    Lambing sheep will look easy if things start to go wrong with cows and calves.

    I think calving is a lot easier versus lambing down the numbers we were, especially during ****ty weather.


  • #56
    Danzy
    Registered Users Posts: 13,236 ✭✭✭✭Danzy


    davidk1394 wrote: »
    I’ve created a new thread so you can follow my journey into dairy farming. I’ve made the decision to start milking cows by February 2021. The first of the calves arrived today. I’ll post along the way

    Here’s a link to my old thread: https://touch.boards.ie/thread/2057681402/1/#post101948565

    Best of luck


  • #57
    wrangler
    Registered Users Posts: 11,054 ✭✭✭✭wrangler


    Best of luck David
    Two large beef farmers converting near here, would be feeding a lot of cattle between them.
    One of them looked to lease my farm last year, at that time they had 1400 cattle in.
    The other farmer would have more


  • #58
    orm0nd
    Registered Users Posts: 4,174 ✭✭✭orm0nd


    davidk1394 wrote: »
    Some of the calves are settling in nicely. I only have 10 dairy heifer calves bought. I missed out on a few because I didn’t have enough shed space with sheep lambing. The pens used for the sheep can be easily changed to hold calves which is very handy

    I know many here don't regard me as a typical dairy or sheep farmer because of views I have expressed in the past, but when space gets tight here the below happens and works quite well.

    Good luck BTW, and dont try to do much too quickly.


  • #59
    mf240
    Registered Users Posts: 4,843 ✭✭✭mf240


    Best of luck David. You'll fly it.


  • #60
    mf240
    Registered Users Posts: 4,843 ✭✭✭mf240


    orm0nd wrote: »
    I know many here don't regard me as a typical dairy or sheep farmer because of views I have expressed in the past, but when space gets tight here the below happens and works quite well.

    Good luck BTW, and dont try to do much too quickly.

    Even the calf is wondering what the Fcuk :D:D


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  • #61
    Dakota Dan
    Registered Users Posts: 3,761 ✭✭✭Dakota Dan


    jaymla627 wrote: »
    Last resort using stomach tube here, 10 times healthier calves when the first feed is bottled fed plus a lot better immunity to fight disease, you hear of horror stories where crypto and rota wipe out calves in places and I guarantee you its down to running with the tube to every calf instead of spending the time to bottle it
    Never had a problem here with unhealthy calves after being tubed colostrum. If anything calves are healthier after enough colostrum on time.


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