Farming Chit Chat

wesleysniper38

pakalasa wrote: »

Agree with above. I borrowed a Vink from a neighbour a while back. Easy to use. I then bought a Technal one, from Magenta Direct.
The Technal is fine, but more akward to use.

Is it not inclined to 'ride up' ? when the cow goes down and sit too close to the passage to get a big calf out?
In my experience jacking with the cow/heifer gone down can be fatal if not done absolutely right. Do you agree?

wesleysniper38

Muckit wrote: »

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-foyle-west-19755077

It looks a bit suspect to me. The animals were gone to the knackery before anyone saw them according to the donegaldaily.com news:rolleyes:

Finno59

whelan1 wrote: »

what age where the calves? didnt read the links (sorry)

Think i read somewhere a year old. its a wonder rte havent reported on it yet

pakalasa

wesleysniper38 wrote: »

Is it not inclined to 'ride up' ? when the cow goes down and sit too close to the passage to get a big calf out?
In my experience jacking with the cow/heifer gone down can be fatal if not done absolutely right. Do you agree?

Which one are you talking about now, the Vink or the Technal?
The Technal I got has a Moorepark head. I think the Vink may have too.
I hate using the jack, to be honest. I always think I'm putting way too much pressure on the cow. I have been using too ropes on their own for years, but you can seriously damage your back that way.
What technique do people use on the jack? I prefer to wait till the cow is pushing before I pull. Using plenty of lubricant on the calves head.

redzerologhlen

wesleysniper38 wrote: »

Is it not inclined to 'ride up' ? when the cow goes down and sit too close to the passage to get a big calf out?
In my experience jacking with the cow/heifer gone down can be fatal if not done absolutely right. Do you agree?

At lot of the time with a big pull it is hard to avoid them going down from my experience, With a very big pull we have often put a cow on her back, the seem to open up a small bit more when you do. If you get caught on the hips and the cow is down lift the cows back leg and more often than not the calf will fall out the rest of the way by itself.

Muckit

C'mon the Tribesmen

I've a horrible feeling though it may not be our day I hope I'm wrong!!

1chippy

put in the first of the dry cows today. 19 in at the start of oct, its definately a first for us. hoping to prolong the grass a bit in front of the rest of them and the weanlings. there seems to be no base of grass at all in any of the fields.

redzerologhlen

Muckit wrote: »

C'mon the Tribesmen

I've a horrible feeling though it may not be our day I hope I'm wrong!!

Feck it, you were right

I hope the squad stick together for next year, they are a great team imo. You will hear all sorts of sh1t about how they were wiped off the field today but they didnt perform anything like what they did in the other 2 games with the cats. They didnt seem the have the same desire to tear into the match or even go for the ball, they handed a lot of silly ball to the cats. I'll be shouting for them again next year anyway because I think it will be a few years yet before our lads get to the required level (if at all with current management)

Richk2012

Pakalasa [QUOTE
What technique do people use on the jack? I prefer to wait till the cow is pushing before I pull. Using plenty of lubricant on the calves head.[/QUOTE]

Yea plenty of lubricant on the calves head , especially on the crown and back towards his neck . Have the ropes soaked in water so they are soft and easliy worked and easy tightened on the hocks .

Once i get the ropes on the feet in the crush , i let her back out into the straw bedded shed , (if shes a quiet girl ).
Even though they get worked up at calving i find it amazing , a tight pull by hand on both ropes will bring the cow to a hault from moving and allow the jack to be positioned , and then you have plenty of space to work .

If shes not so quiet we put them in the other crush with the sideopening gate , so when she goes down under pressure the side opens so she is not trapped.
Dont really like this way though as their head is still caught in the front when they collapse and there is a concrete wall to the other side of the cow , so this sort of limits the space and movement of the cow when shes down .

Then jack on slowly allowing the cow to push with you . Another thing i always do is wear working glove with a rubber palm for grip on my right hand . There is nothing more frustrating then your hand slipping on the handle at the vital time .
If your to use the jack properly though , its better to let it act as a lever rather than trying to pull the calf with the ratchet .
Pushing down on the jack to ease the calf out a certain amount and then raising it back up again , then ratchet in the slack of the ropes , and begin to lever down again .

Finally i always have a bucket of cold water near me for the calf .
I splash a small amount into their ear if they are slow to respond , however i was told by one of the vets that if you throw a bucket cold water over the newborn calf it also shocks him with the sudden temp change and can stimulate him to begin breathing properly.

wesleysniper38

redzerologhlen wrote: »

At lot of the time with a big pull it is hard to avoid them going down from my experience, With a very big pull we have often put a cow on her back, the seem to open up a small bit more when you do. If you get caught on the hips and the cow is down lift the cows back leg and more often than not the calf will fall out the rest of the way by itself.

One of the reasons I had to get out of the sucklers, albeit reluctantly, was the regular necessity for the jack and the lack of help available between 1am and 8am... (and thats when I was there myself)
although I used to curse them at the time I miss the cows
all said and done I still believe they were the only thing to leave a few quid if you had a bit of luck.

Just saw the forecast....not good, getting cold with wind and heavy showers..

Black Smoke

Why cant F&F on boards, have some really interesting, topics to discuss like the guys over on BFF :cool: http://farmingforum.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=74641

Manoffeeling

Black Smoke wrote: »

Why cant F&F on boards, have some really interesting, topics to discuss like the guys over on BFF :cool: http://farmingforum.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=74641

Tis good to see people talking about their health and other issues. That guy needs Guinness and peanuts.

whelan1

it would be alot worse if he couldnt go at all:D

aghead

redzerologhlen wrote: »

At lot of the time with a big pull it is hard to avoid them going down from my experience, With a very big pull we have often put a cow on her back, the seem to open up a small bit more when you do. If you get caught on the hips and the cow is down lift the cows back leg and more often than not the calf will fall out the rest of the way by itself.

Redz i've the solution to your calving woes, a quality docile salers bull :-p

naughto

Username John

Miserable enough night and morning down here. Ferocious rain last night at 23.00, and mad rain again this morning...
Mad dark as well these mornings... Bloody winter is here...

whelan1

ok here so far, cows still out at night....... hope i dont speak too soon

Manoffeeling

Anyone with the pit opened yet?

Black Smoke

Absolute flood of rain Saturday night and again Sunday night.
Then last night, very windy and massive showers. River overflowing in parts of land this morning. Lots of tree branches down and broken. Cattle miserable. Land totally fkued up.
Seriously considering selling all stock except cows and a few heifers I have for bull in December. Really concerned, that if we get a dodgy spring, either too wet or too cold and hard like this past spring, there will be a major fodder and feed crisis, and as a consequence a major cattle price collapse.
One thing is certain, we need a kind spring!!

bbam

Manoffeeling wrote: »

Anyone with the pit opened yet?

Was talking to a friend who made bales in two goes during the "summer". One half got badly wet as the river flooded into the field.. that half are a total loss when he opened them.. firm but black and sour smelling. half feeding a total loss and he reckons the other half is poor to average..

He's off out thismorning with as much weanlings as are anywhere near selling and going to cull a few cows too... i'd say it will be a problem repeated often throughout the country.

Manoffeeling

The first of mine were opened last week after being made the previous week. The guy who bought them is happy.

vanderbadger

did anyone see rte weather last night, forcaster said it was the dryest sept in cork since the 80's, anyone from cork able to confirm??
weather must be much different in cork to clare if so

Username John

vanderbadger wrote: »

did anyone see rte weather last night, forcaster said it was the dryest sept in cork since the 80's, anyone from cork able to confirm??
weather must be much different in cork to clare if so

Hi Vander,

Yeah - that'd fit. We had great weather the past month to be fair, dry almost every day. Not particularly warm, but good dry days... Growth wasn't as good as it could be, but it was September too, so we can't be expecting miracles...

And as I type this, blue skies are appearing, so it might not be such a bad day after all...

It looks like Clare didn't do too bad at 82%, but Donegal got 143% while Dublin got 149%
http://www.met.ie/climate/monthly_summarys/sept12sum.pdf

And there was I thinking they never got any rain in Louth, and Whelan1 was only telling us stories of bad weather

Black Smoke

Username John wrote: »

Hi Vander,

Yeah - that'd fit. We had great weather the past month to be fair, dry almost every day. Not particularly warm, but good dry days... Growth wasn't as good as it could be, but it was September too, so we can't be expecting miracles...

And as I type this, blue skies are appearing, so it might not be such a bad day after all...

It looks like Clare didn't do too bad at 82%, but Donegal got 143% while Dublin got 149%
http://www.met.ie/climate/monthly_summarys/sept12sum.pdf

And there was I thinking they never got any rain in Louth, and Whelan1 was only telling us stories of bad weather

Sometimes wonder about met office facts. Rain in Clare this past few weeks, at least where I am, has been phenomenal:( I have rreasonably dry land. It's hard to find a dry spot now, for a cow to lie on, never mind travel with a tractor. River in my land is either near the top or over the top, literally 85% of the time.

vanderbadger

Black Smoke wrote: »

Sometimes wonder about met office facts. Rain in Clare this past few weeks, at least where I am, has been phenomenal:( I have rreasonably dry land. It's hard to find a dry spot now, for a cow to lie on, never mind travel with a tractor. River in my land is either near the top or over the top, literally 85% of the time.

yep i would have said it was a wet month in clare as well, let in last of cows last night, the amount of surface water running on top of fields is crazy

leg wax

vanderbadger wrote: »

yep i would have said it was a wet month in clare as well, let in last of cows last night, the amount of surface water running on top of fields is crazy

weather down here is holding up well as for ground conditions solid under foot,but grass has really slowed down.

Birdnuts

Username John wrote: »

Hi Vander,

Yeah - that'd fit. We had great weather the past month to be fair, dry almost every day. Not particularly warm, but good dry days... Growth wasn't as good as it could be, but it was September too, so we can't be expecting miracles...

And as I type this, blue skies are appearing, so it might not be such a bad day after all...

It looks like Clare didn't do too bad at 82%, but Donegal got 143% while Dublin got 149%
http://www.met.ie/climate/monthly_summarys/sept12sum.pdf

And there was I thinking they never got any rain in Louth, and Whelan1 was only telling us stories of bad weather

Its those 2 horrific days early last week that did the damage in the east.

redzerologhlen

aghead wrote: »

Redz i've the solution to your calving woes, a quality docile salers bull :-p

I spose you'd be the man to sell me one and all

redzerologhlen

vanderbadger wrote: »

yep i would have said it was a wet month in clare as well, let in last of cows last night, the amount of surface water running on top of fields is crazy

Well if this is what global warming has done and is going to become our summers for the future I think a change of system will be called for...Free range duck farming might suit.

vanderbadger

redzerologhlen wrote: »

Well if this is what global warming has done and is going to become our summers for the future I think a change of system will be called for...Free range duck farming might suit.

the spruce tree is about the only thing that will thrive...

JohnBoy

We need to put out 2t of lime to the acre, what's the story with grazing afterwards? Is it ok once the first shower of rain falls or does it need to left wash in for a while, or should it be left all winter?


I suppose I'm asking do I have to wait until the ground is closed for the winter or could I spread away if ground conditions came right.

Manoffeeling

Just back from a suckler group talk. The farmer has lovely silage, nice smell and dry. We were asked what we thought dmd was. Everyone said 70-72. It was 65!!!
Be afraid, be very afraid.

just do it

Manoffeeling wrote: »

Just back from a suckler group talk. The farmer has lovely silage, nice smell and dry. We were asked what we thought dmd was. Everyone said 70-72. It was 65!!!
Be afraid, be very afraid.

I suppose it's worth getting it analysed this year. At least if you know you can make alternate plans...

Black Smoke

Manoffeeling wrote: »

Just back from a suckler group talk. The farmer has lovely silage, nice smell and dry. We were asked what we thought dmd was. Everyone said 70-72. It was 65!!!
Be afraid, be very afraid.

Did he say when it was cut? Conditions? Was it grazed off in spring?

whelan1

just back from mart - again:cool:- got€945 for a 574 kg fr heifer not in calf 2 year old, got no meal... happy out, also got €300 for a fr bull born january that nearly died about 10 times

Muckit

whelan1 wrote: »

just back from mart - again:cool:- got €300 for a fr bull born january that nearly died about 10 times

God the way young cattle are going, you got on alright whelan1 with that fr bull

Manoffeeling

Black Smoke wrote: »

Did he say when it was cut? Conditions? Was it grazed off in spring?

Mowed 1 June and picked up the following day. Not from new grass. It felt nice in the hand and was not too stemmy. Just lack of sun and weather. The guy has cattle in since June 10.

dar31

just got the results of first cut to day.
good stuff, happy with it,
back about 20-30% on yield though

saranac1

we got great hay made this year 200 round bales and have still 50 bales of second year hay to.all stored and dry but with the weather thats out there now and possible fodder crisis in spring its hard to know whether to sell now or in dec/jan

whelan1

spoke to neighbour today, nice man has any amount of silage bales and ican have as many as i want for €18 ... best thing is he is a sheep farmer so i know theres no ragworth in it , so probably worth a lot more:)

just do it

whelan1 wrote: »

spoke to neighbour today, nice man has any amount of silage bales and ican have as many as i want for €18 ... best thing is he is a sheep farmer so i know theres no ragworth in it , so probably worth a lot more:)

Well there's a man who doesn't believe in making a profit!:)

kevthegaff

whelan1 wrote: »

spoke to neighbour today, nice man has any amount of silage bales and ican have as many as i want for €18 ... best thing is he is a sheep farmer so i know theres no ragworth in it , so probably worth a lot more:)

lovely man:D

Manoffeeling

just do it wrote: »

Well there's a man who doesn't believe in making a profit!:)

I'm selling mine for 20. Same guys over the years. Tis good to have a conscience.

Mac Taylor

Some serious rain/hail/thunder & lighting here since early morning.

Will it ever stop!!:mad:

1chippy

opened the pit and pretty happy. noreal bad and cows are cleaning it up. cut a few of strong grass the weekend and got it baled dry on saturday so will have to wait to see what thats like.

pgodkin

Quick question regarding silage quality,

When do you check, do you bale it/put it in the pit and check a bit a couple of weeks later?

Thanks

bogman_bass

back from carnaross. pen of 11 jersey cross bulls, 230 kg. couldnt be sold at 120 a head:eek:

surely they were worth a punt at that

Manoffeeling

bogman_bass wrote: »

back from carnaross. pen of 11 jersey cross bulls, 230 kg. couldnt be sold at 120 a head:eek:

surely they were worth a punt at that

Castrate and time?

just do it

I got the measuring tape out this evening and can say that cows can reach silage upto 45 inches away from feed barrier. So for a 4ft bale to last 3 days you want to drop it 16inches inside this i.e. 29inches away from barrier. And then, needles to say, you push it in 16inches each day.

bogman_bass

Manoffeeling wrote: »

Castrate and time?

thats what I was thinking. If I had the shed space to take them I would have bid