Farming Chit Chat

blue5000

Richk2012 wrote: »

Good to hear .
Got call of Department yesterday . Cow we sold 3 months ago in the mart is after showing up in the factory with tb

Might not have been yours at all, just your tag, I think we should insist on a DNA test in cases like this before restricting us.

dzer2

Richk2012 wrote: »

Good to hear .
Got call of Department yesterday . Cow we sold 3 months ago in the mart is after showing up in the factory with tb

Need to make sure its your cow, fairly hard now that she is dead. Had a case a few year ago sold a bull in the mart about 2 yrs later dept came looking about the animal said it was a Charlois but we sold an Aberdeen Angus bull.

whelan1

bought in a load of heifers a few years ago as recipients. one of them went down on tb test. turned out previous owner had come from 4 counties away with 1 animal to the mart to sell her. dept went down heavy on him and his vet as it was obvious she had been a reactor in his herd and both the vet and him had tried to cover it up. he could have gotten away with it but we tested 3 weeks after we bought her

Bodacious

whelan1 wrote: »

i wouldnt have the confidence to skull them, just one of the things i wont do, i will ring bulls no problem,.. its just if theres a bleeder i would be glad tohave the vet to fall back on.... as i said each to their own.... when we are ringign the bulls we put a halter on them tie it to bar of crush, then tie another rope around the halter around the bar of the crush and work away

Would you use a local anaesthetic when putting in a ring? Saw it done years ago with a skewer to make the hole first .. What's best most humane method?

whelan1

Bodacious wrote: »

Would you use a local anaesthetic when putting in a ring? Saw it done years ago with a skewer to make the hole first .. What's best most humane method?

we have the punchers for making the hole, last time we got the vet to do it she lost the screw that goes into the ring, bought the punchers shortly after that, do them our selves now

Richk2012

dzer2 wrote: »

Need to make sure its your cow, fairly hard now that she is dead. Had a case a few year ago sold a bull in the mart about 2 yrs later dept came looking about the animal said it was a Charlois but we sold an Aberdeen Angus bull.

I know what your saying , but now that the animal is slaughtrerd what procedure would i take to follow up on it ??

Bizzum

Bodacious wrote: »

Would you use a local anaesthetic when putting in a ring? Saw it done years ago with a skewer to make the hole first .. What's best most humane method?

I suppose an anaesthetic is the correct procedure. I think the Vet here used a paste. Anyone have an opinion on the " never ring your own bull" line?

delaval

I spent the day between milkings bringing dry cows home from out farm noticed a lot of cattle being let out around here. I am off tospread urea in am a few dry days promised

dzer2

Bizzum wrote: »

I suppose an anaesthetic is the correct procedure. I think the Vet here used a paste. Anyone have an opinion on the " never ring your own bull" line?

Every one around here says that only ring bulls that are sold.

dzer2

Richk2012 wrote: »

I know what your saying , but now that the animal is slaughtrerd what procedure would i take to follow up on it ??

Dont really know, I would try checking to see if replacement tags were ordered. After that check if card was replaced or altered and make sure the breed was the same. After that see if cow was sold on a few times. After that if you have a cow that is from the same mother try for dna or blood tests

delaval

Richk2012 wrote: »

Good to hear .
Got call of Department yesterday . Cow we sold 3 months ago in the mart is after showing up in the factory with tb

Very same happened here. They wanted us to test, I phoned and said that on welfare grounds that we were unwilling to test as calving in full swing. I also pointed out that the cow was gone from here for 3 mts and that should not be our problem. They relented as we have a clean sheet for the last few years.I would call them Monday and take it from there and maybe keep dna tests etc out of conversation till sweet talk is not working. Be sure to ask to speak to the vet that looks after your herd no.

just do it

dzer2 wrote: »

Dont really know, I would try checking to see if replacement tags were ordered. After that check if card was replaced or altered and make sure the breed was the same. After that see if cow was sold on a few times. After that if you have a cow that is from the same mother try for dna or blood tests

Agree with this and delaval's advice. I was going to suggest getting the department vet for your area to do the checks dzer2 mentions. Have you any history of tb or tb in the area?

hugo29

dzer2 wrote: »

[/B]


Every one around here says that only ring bulls that are sold.

Have heard that, never ring your own bull, but know a lad who does and he never had a problem

whelan1

dzer2 wrote: »

[/B]


Every one around here says that only ring bulls that are sold.

we would never sell a bull with out a ring in it, always have a ring in any bull we keep also

dzer2

whelan1 wrote: »

we would never sell a bull with out a ring in it, always have a ring in any bull we keep also

We wouldnt ring the bull until we sell it The bull would not leave here without a ring is what I meant.

redzerologhlen

Just used the hook doser for the first time there now doing a few auld cows, dont know how we managed for so long without it to be honest, makes the job a lot more pleasurable

freedominacup

redzerologhlen wrote: »

Just used the hook doser for the first time there now doing a few auld cows, dont know how we managed for so long without it to be honest, makes the job a lot more pleasurable

Had any of 'em done the course?

Timmaay

Started giving Zanil to the cows on top of the nuts in the parlour myself here over the last few wks, after I think it was delaval suggested it here. Had one or two cows snub their noses to it but once you give them time they will always have the trough licked clean.

reilig

Anyone go to Marian Harkin's CAP meeting in Drumshanbo last night?
It wasn't organised by any of the Farm Representative organisations and there was some serious bashing of the representatives from farm organisations that attended. This is small farmer country, bad land, mountain farms etc and a lot of people really feel let down by the farm organisations and the government. Seems like farm organisations only want to help the minority of large farmers in the country to keep their big SFP and couldn't give a stuff about you if you farm less than 200 acres. Lets hope Marian Harkin and the other politicians present feed back the sentiments of the meeting to those that will be making decisions as to how this CAP payment will be paid out!

"Representing 2,102 farmers at expense of 120'000" was the quote of the night!!!

rancher

reilig wrote: »

Anyone go to Marian Harkin's CAP meeting in Drumshanbo last night?
It wasn't organised by any of the Farm Representative organisations and there was some serious bashing of the representatives from farm organisations that attended. This is small farmer country, bad land, mountain farms etc and a lot of people really feel let down by the farm organisations and the government. Seems like farm organisations only want to help the minority of large farmers in the country to keep their big SFP and couldn't give a stuff about you if you farm less than 200 acres. Lets hope Marian Harkin and the other politicians present feed back the sentiments of the meeting to those that will be making decisions as to how this CAP payment will be paid out!

"Representing 2,102 farmers at expense of 120'000" was the quote of the night!!!

Nice to see some one else getting hammered apart from me. I had to listen to it in harkins meeting in athlone.

Marooned75

"Representing 2,102 farmers at expense of 120'000" was the quote of the night!!![/Quote]
Any wonder there is more farmers over eighty than under 35 its stifiling growth when the rules of the game dont change to help younger farmers get a start.

Conmaicne Mara

reilig wrote: »

Anyone go to Marian Harkin's CAP meeting in Drumshanbo last night?
It wasn't organised by any of the Farm Representative organisations and there was some serious bashing of the representatives from farm organisations that attended. This is small farmer country, bad land, mountain farms etc and a lot of people really feel let down by the farm organisations and the government. Seems like farm organisations only want to help the minority of large farmers in the country to keep their big SFP and couldn't give a stuff about you if you farm less than 200 acres. Lets hope Marian Harkin and the other politicians present feed back the sentiments of the meeting to those that will be making decisions as to how this CAP payment will be paid out!

"Representing 2,102 farmers at expense of 120'000" was the quote of the night!!!

A man high up in IFA came to our neck of the woods in November. He asked for herd numbers of people who had not got their DAS, I along with others gave mine and got a text back about 10 days later that we were cleared for payment.

Skip to late Jan, rang up and told by SFP that I wasn't to get DAS, understocked, not to bother ringing DAS as they don't answer their phone.

Met another man who gave his number the same night, same story, text and no DAS. Heard from yet another man today the same craic.

Someone square that circle.

I won't even comment on the minister for Big Agriculture and Big Food.

Conmaicne Mara

Is there a schedule for Harkins meetings? I would like to go to one and see what's happening.

Richk2012

just do it wrote: »

Agree with this and delaval's advice. I was going to suggest getting the department vet for your area to do the checks dzer2 mentions. Have you any history of tb or tb in the area?

The last time we had TB , 13 springing heifers went down .
We were milking at that time .
That must be 20 years ago .

However in the last 8 years or so nearly everyone in the area has had a reactor or two and we have managed to dodge the bullet .
A herd test is due this month anyway , and afaik were required to have 2 clear tests after that

just do it

Richk2012 wrote: »

The last time we had TB , 13 springing heifers went down .
We were milking at that time .
That must be 20 years ago .

However in the last 8 years or so nearly everyone in the area has had a reactor or two and we have managed to dodge the bullet .
A herd test is due this month anyway , and afaik were required to have 2 clear tests after that

Good luck with the test. On the plus side if you do have reactors it's not the worst time of year to be locked up and hopefully will have nipped it in the bud.

Timmaay

Have a f*&ker of a heifer at the minute that is almost impossible to milk! She calved a week or so early, has tiny teats so the clusters wont stay on her, and she kicks non stop, so between the two of theses its taken me 10mins or so last few days to milk anything from her! Kicking bar isn't ideal at all with her, she wasn't too bad with it yesterday, but went mental this morning with it on and went down in the parlour, I had some job taking off the bar then as she couldnt getup with it on. Used a rope around the outside leg across the rump bar then, helped abit but she still kicks like crazy with the other leg. Driving me fecking mental, worst heifer I've had in a long time for poor temperament! Any other suggestions to help keep her calm!

whelan1

Timmaay wrote: »

Have a f*&ker of a heifer at the minute that is almost impossible to milk! She calved a week or so early, has tiny teats so the clusters wont stay on her, and she kicks non stop, so between the two of theses its taken me 10mins or so last few days to milk anything from her! Kicking bar isn't ideal at all with her, she wasn't too bad with it yesterday, but went mental this morning with it on and went down in the parlour, I had some job taking off the bar then as she couldnt getup with it on. Used a rope around the outside leg across the rump bar then, helped abit but she still kicks like crazy with the other leg. Driving me fecking mental, worst heifer I've had in a long time for poor temperament! Any other suggestions to help keep her calm!

get her in as tight as possible. like have an extra cow in the row, normally works for me, also keep calm yourself and talk to her

reilig

Anyone know where you would get spare parts for a mole plough? Looking for a new point, bullet and attachments for converting a subsoiler into a mole plough? Got prices from spaldings but they want nearly Eur300 for few pieces.

whelan1

www.ifmireland.ie. i got one there

delaval

reilig wrote: »

Anyone go to Marian Harkin's CAP meeting in Drumshanbo last night?
It wasn't organised by any of the Farm Representative organisations and there was some serious bashing of the representatives from farm organisations that attended. This is small farmer country, bad land, mountain farms etc and a lot of people really feel let down by the farm organisations and the government. Seems like farm organisations only want to help the minority of large farmers in the country to keep their big SFP and couldn't give a stuff about you if you farm less than 200 acres. Lets hope Marian Harkin and the other politicians present feed back the sentiments of the meeting to those that will be making decisions as to how this CAP payment will be paid out!

"Representing 2,102 farmers at expense of 120'000" was the quote of the night!!!

You all weren't too worried when ye were selling weanlings for €700 along with there weight and the guys with the BIG SFP finishing them. Instead of producing more of them or finishing thsm yourselves you went back to the building sites laughing. If you think that a politician cares about you your clearly misguided, all any politician wants is to be re elected.
Before you jump down my neck I am the oldest of 5 who farmed for 20 years before I bought my first piece of land and yes I am a so called big farmer but if I had your attitude I would be still relief milking. Grow a pair and do something for yourself and stop expecting others to do it for you.

reilig

delaval wrote: »

You all weren't too worried when ye were selling weanlings for €700 along with there weight and the guys with the BIG SFP finishing them. Instead of producing more of them or finishing thsm yourselves you went back to the building sites laughing. If you think that a politician cares about you your clearly misguided, all any politician wants is to be re elected.
Before you jump down my neck I am the oldest of 5 who farmed for 20 years before I bought my first piece of land and yes I am a so called big farmer but if I had your attitude I would be still relief milking. Grow a pair and do something for yourself and stop expecting others to do it for you.

Do you want a medal?
Why do you assume that I worked on the buildings?
Weinlings sold for 700 with their weight don't go to Irish finishers. You're fooling yourself if you think they do. If enough people were producing weinlings suitable for export then it would take the glut out of the system and force factories to pay proper prices.
I'm the oldest of 7. There was no opportunity to work on farms when I was young. I was lucky to be able to go to college and get a job out of it. I bought my first piece of land too and I'm still paying for it. If you want to farm in this country and want to make a living from it, you have to have a pair and you have to be prepared to get up off your ass and work for it - even if that means working off the farm until you have the farm built up enough to support you,

I'm for equality. Why should someone get a huge SFP based on something that they did in the past and not what they are doing now? Why should Larry Goodman get 1.5 million every year - does he not make enough on the heads of finishers by cutting prices? His true colours were shown in the last month - he doesn't give a dam about farmers so long as he gets his cut of sfp.

The 2000+ that were referred to at the meeting weren't finishers - most of them aren't even farmers!

Juniorhurler

delaval wrote: »

You all weren't too worried when ye were selling weanlings for €700 along with there weight and the guys with the BIG SFP finishing them. Instead of producing more of them or finishing thsm yourselves you went back to the building sites laughing. If you think that a politician cares about you your clearly misguided, all any politician wants is to be re elected.
Before you jump down my neck I am the oldest of 5 who farmed for 20 years before I bought my first piece of land and yes I am a so called big farmer but if I had your attitude I would be still relief milking. Grow a pair and do something for yourself and stop expecting others to do it for you.

Also, we have finished cattle here in the past and gave it up to carry extra sucklers and if anything we spend more time in the yard on the head of it so weanling producers don't have all this extra time to run to building sites.

As a young farmer whohas also bought his own land and is still paying for it too I don't want anybody to do it for me, but I don't want to be competing with a man down the road who is up €20,000+ on me at the start of every year without turning a hand. And before anybody says it is not a competition, you should go to a land auction and you will see whether it is or not.

delaval

You're dead right it is a competition and there is no way I will give anything I've worked hard for to some one else because they happen to live in a particular area

delaval

reilig wrote: »

Do you want a medal?
Why do you assume that I worked on the buildings?
Weinlings sold for 700 with their weight don't go to Irish finishers. You're fooling yourself if you think they do. If enough people were producing weinlings suitable for export then it would take the glut out of the system and force factories to pay proper prices.
I'm the oldest of 7. There was no opportunity to work on farms when I was young. I was lucky to be able to go to college and get a job out of it. I bought my first piece of land too and I'm still paying for it. If you want to farm in this country and want to make a living from it, you have to have a pair and you have to be prepared to get up off your ass and work for it - even if that means working off the farm until you have the farm built up enough to support you,

I'm for equality. Why should someone get a huge SFP based on something that they did in the past and not what they are doing now? Why should Larry Goodman get 1.5 million every year - does he not make enough on the heads of finishers by cutting prices? His true colours were shown in the last month - he doesn't give a dam about farmers so long as he gets his cut of sfp.

The 2000+ that were referred to at the meeting weren't finishers - most of them aren't even farmers!

I don't need a medal or anything else for that matter. My comments are in the plural not personally aimed at you.
Do you also think I should surrender some of my milk quota like the guys who originally created it. They had 13% confiscated from any one with more than 100k gallons, do you think that has been forgotten?

reilig

delaval wrote: »

You're dead right it is a competition and there is no way I will give anything I've worked hard for to some one else because they happen to live in a particular area

Its not about where people live. There are small farmers and young farmers in every part of the country who get no SFP or small SFP. Some because they weren't farming during the reference years. Others for various reasons. Why shouldn't they get their fair bite of the cherry in the new share out? You said it - its a compensation. Why should people who aren't farming or who are barely farming continue to get compensation for something that they were doing 10 years ago and not doing now? Nobody is disputing payments to farmers who are working hard on their farms.

Juniorhurler

I don't get what you mean by the living in a particular area unless you are referring to disadvantaged?

My gripe is that somebody earned a SFP on the land I now own back in the day. Fair play to him/her and they were in the right place at the right time, but why should that be protected for them now at my expense when I am actively farming? I am all for active farmers being rewarded, it is the armchair ones that need to be weeded out. Now if I don't benefit from this round of CAP reform I will not go under because of it as I did not factor it into my calculations when starting up and have not since, but it would be a big help all the same.

Btw I am not having a go at anyone in particular. I am sure we are all active farmers on here and seem to be progressive in the main.

reilig

delaval wrote: »

Do you also think I should surrender some of my milk quota like the guys who originally created it. They had 13% confiscated from any one with more than 100k gallons, do you think that has been forgotten?

We've all had part of our SFP confiscated as modulation. Nobody has complained about that. It went to support new farmers and young farmers through the national reserve. The fact remains that a huge portion of the CAP payments for the last number of years went to people who gained their entitlements through a loophole which meant that they didn't have to be farming at the same level as the reference years, some barely farming at all. That's not compensation, that's money for nothing!!! Having a go at someone for producing good cattle that they got good prices for is hippocritical!

delaval

I did not say anything about it being compensation I said it's a competition! The payment is purely to subsidise cheap food therefore only food producers should share in it.I agree re young farmers. As someone who leases a lot of my farm I really think it needs to be removed from armchair farmers, but I still won't give an inch.

Juniorhurler

Nobody wants the likes of you to give up your sfp delaval. You earn it by working. It is the ones who earned it ten years ago and do nothing but submit maps now are the problem.

reilig

delaval wrote: »

As someone who leases a lot of my farm I really think it needs to be removed from armchair farmers,

That's what I'm saying. That was the point made at the meeting too

mf240

Get rid of it alltogether. Let the market dictate the price and let those of us who can hack it rise to the top.

Let the complainers and whingers either up their game or fall back on the social welfare system and not be sitting on land that should be farmed.

Let the pen pushers in the department be redeployed to build the reputation of this island and scrutinise every morsel that is imported.

Juniorhurler

mf240 wrote: »

Get rid of it alltogether. Let the market dictate the price and let those of us who can hack it rise to the top.

Let the complainers and whingers either up their game or fall back on the social welfare system and not be sitting on land that should be farmed.

Let the pen pushers in the department be redeployed to build the reputation of this island and scrutinise every morsel that is imported.

I agree with this to a degree. If food was sold at a fair price this would be the best option. I don't see this happening though so distributing it fairly to active farmers would be a good start. Also 10 years without reform is way too long. It should be re-assessed every 3-4 years.

Timmaay

I'd say if the SFP was done away with a hell of alot more land would showup for rent around me! I'm finding it harder to buy the whole SFP providing cheap food aspect anymore 2BH, food proportionally makes up considerably less of your disposable income these days anyways, obesity is an ever increasing problem, fueled by cheap unhealthy foods, and this whole horse meat fiasco has shown that cheap highly processed food (like mince/burgers that you don't know whats in) are going to be a total lottery, and at the end of the day the consumer needs to wise up and accept that they need to pay more for food. Food waste has also been shown to be a big big problem these days, in terms of what the consumer buys and then throws away, again fueled by the cheap food, the low value means they are less concerned about wastage.

But I suppose I'm totally bias considering I'm a food provider in this case!

bob charles

As I always said I would love to see SFP gone, but my business would also be gone with it even though I dont claim SFP, beef farming would be finished over night as its such a subsidized system as it currently stands. beef would have to be near €6 to make it pay for everyone in the line

rancher

bob charles wrote: »

As I always said I would love to see SFP gone, but my business would also be gone with it even though I dont claim SFP, beef farming would be finished over night as its such a subsidized system as it currently stands. beef would have to be near €6 to make it pay for everyone in the line

Interesting times ahead alright, many of the farmers lobbying for the flat rate haven't taken into consideration that the winter finishers will not be in the same position financially to give the prices that they're giving now, also they won't be pushing the exporters to pay what they're paying at the moment.
Probably be less farmers in Farm Assist when the extra SFP pushes them over the threshold, govt will like that,
When all the un claimed land is taken into account, we won't be getting the colour of €270/ha.
At harkins meeting in Athlone, one of the guys spouting was my age....I just thought to myself 'what the **** was he doing in the nineties that he's looking for decent SFP.......hadn't he the same chance as I had. All the rubbish farmers mightn't be in the 2000

keep going

my seven year old watching a tesco add on telly tonite turned to his mom and said"dont buy anything in tesco-they sell horses in their burgers":D

delaval

Timmaay wrote: »

Have a f*&ker of a heifer at the minute that is almost impossible to milk! She calved a week or so early, has tiny teats so the clusters wont stay on her, and she kicks non stop, so between the two of theses its taken me 10mins or so last few days to milk anything from her! Kicking bar isn't ideal at all with her, she wasn't too bad with it yesterday, but went mental this morning with it on and went down in the parlour, I had some job taking off the bar then as she couldnt getup with it on. Used a rope around the outside leg across the rump bar then, helped abit but she still kicks like crazy with the other leg. Driving me fecking mental, worst heifer I've had in a long time for poor temperament! Any other suggestions to help keep her calm!

Vice grip high and tight on tail if not burgers you will miss a start or another problem looking after her. The thoughts of milking her will eventually put you off milking, seriously vice grip let me know how it goes

Manoffeeling

Juniorhurler wrote: »

Nobody wants the likes of you to give up your sfp delaval. You earn it by working. It is the ones who earned it ten years ago and do nothing but submit maps now are the problem.

That could be you when you hit 50 and the chaps all gone, and you sick to the hole of lambing ewes with that German virus thing or maybe you bought a hard calving bull and can't face anymore, or maybe bad sowing and harvest conditions. Yeah maybe when you get enough hardship you might say to yourself, "I'll have more out of it if I lodge the maps and spend nothing".

No point in being a busy fool.

farmerjack

delaval wrote: »

Vice grip high and tight on tail if not burgers you will miss a start or another problem looking after her. The thoughts of milking her will eventually put you off milking, seriously vice grip let me know how it goes

+1 on the vice grips only job, clamp it on leave her for a minute and then attach the cluster, it's saving me a lot of hassle this year.

moy83

Manoffeeling wrote: »

That could be you when you hit 50 and the chaps all gone, and you sick to the hole of lambing ewes with that German virus thing or maybe you bought a hard calving bull and can't face anymore, or maybe bad sowing and harvest conditions. Yeah maybe when you get enough hardship you might say to yourself, "I'll have more out of it if I lodge the maps and spend nothing".

No point in being a busy fool.

You have a good point there , its hard to blame anyone that has a good sfp for not wanting to give it up when they worked to get it in the first place .
Its also hard to blame new comers to farming , that want the old system taken apart and give them a fair chance at making a go of it themselves .
Two different people trying to look out for themselves , it wont be an easy fix to keep everyone happy no matter what we are given .