SCWS

reilig

Our suckler discussion group leader sent around a note to all members to go online and ensure that all calves for the last few years have been paid on. I had 1 calf that I had forgotten to put down a weining date for on the first year and I got a cheque for EUR82 a few weeks ago. So it might be worth everyone checking on agfood.ie or on icbf (whatever you use).

Anyway, I was telling an elderly neighbour about it and he asked me to sign him up to ICBF for the reports and to check all of his calves. Low and behold, he has a few calves from every year that he forgot to send in details for. So he's going to get a few pound from it.

Now he has asked me to do all of his SCWS stuff online for him. I don't mind. He'll help me in other ways. This evening, he came to me with numbers of a couple of calves that he wants to sell in 4 weeks time and asked me to put them down for starting meal feeding for 3 weeks ago.
He was with his farm planner today and asked if you had to inform the dep within 7 days if you were doing it online as opposed to on paper. Personally I always follow the 7 day rule even when I am doing it online, but he is adamant that when you are doing it online, it doesn't matter how long after you start meal feeding to when you inform them. We called the planner while we were doing it, he he is adamant that it doesn't matter. I asked him to check it out and to let him know tomorrow before we send the information through. Can anyone tell me from their experience if the planner is right or not????

Dozer1

I've often added the details online like this, not following the 7 day rule, and I've never had any queries from the Dept yet anyway and all have been paid for in full.
Only issue I've had with the SCWS is once they said I had weaned two batches of calves too close together, rang them up and they changed the date of weaning and I got paid with no further questions.

Fair play for doing the online stuff for the neighbour, will you be charging the extra 2euro online payment as commission;)

reilig

Dozer1 wrote: »

Fair play for doing the online stuff for the neighbour, will you be charging the extra 2euro online payment as commission;)

I doubt it. Sure its only a half an hours work every couple of months for him.

pakalasa

I know on-line you can backdate the 'disbudding date'. I've often gone back a month from the date I put in the data, without having any problems.

reilig

pakalasa wrote: »

I know on-line you can backdate the 'disbudding date'. I've often gone back a month from the date I put in the data, without having any problems.

Yes, I know that. howerer, even on paper, there is no number of days specified that you have to inform them of having disbudded a calf as opposed to meal feeding where they specify on paper that you have to inform them within 7 days of beginning meal feeding. Its feckin confusing, and probably deliberately confusing.

Bitten & Hisses

Has anyone had issues with disbudded calves, which subsequently grew butts of horns? I have some yearlings at home which were disbudded at the right time, but a few have grown stumps of horns. Nothing major, but still visible. Am I likely to get into trouble over this even though technically I have done everything by the book?

Tora Bora

reilig wrote: »

Yes, I know that. howerer, even on paper, there is no number of days specified that you have to inform them of having disbudded a calf as opposed to meal feeding where they specify on paper that you have to inform them within 7 days of beginning meal feeding. Its feckin confusing, and probably deliberately confusing.

What I can say, is that two years ago, I forgot to add the date for meal introduction, when I actually did start the feeding. I did it more than a month later, and put down the actual date I started.
I had no questions from the dept.
What I would say however, is to ensure your neighbour has an invoice for the meal, dated on or a few days before the date you input as meal introduction date.
That way, he has at least some piece of paper to back up the story.
You know, what pieces of paper mean to a dept guy! Makes them happy:P

Western Pomise

A neighbour had hassle last year where he registered twins and it was a few days
later than the 28 day period....they threatened not to pay him on the one twin who would have been entitled to payment.I think he registers thru paper route...in end DEPT had to back down cos they only recommend you reg within 28 days.

Kovu

Bitten & Hisses wrote: »

Has anyone had issues with disbudded calves, which subsequently grew butts of horns? I have some yearlings at home which were disbudded at the right time, but a few have grown stumps of horns. Nothing major, but still visible. Am I likely to get into trouble over this even though technically I have done everything by the book?

Yup, often seen it on my farm.It's simply a case of saying they're a late developer, which they are, I think this is even mentioned on the hard copy form for registering.:)

Bodacious

Bitten & Hisses wrote: »

Has anyone had issues with disbudded calves, which subsequently grew butts of horns? I have some yearlings at home which were disbudded at the right time, but a few have grown stumps of horns. Nothing major, but still visible. Am I likely to get into trouble over this even though technically I have done everything by the book?

Iron might not have been hot enough or go in a bit deeper... Nice good copper burnt ring around the bud and they'll fall out like pollys!

Only time I had a bit of regrowth was when a calf was way too strong and on gouging it out I must have missed a corner which continued to grow but not alot... That was 2 years ago

John_F

just see this on the dept website http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/press/pressreleases/2011/july/title,56820,en.html

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney TD, today urged all farmers who are participating in the Suckler Cow Welfare Scheme to reply as soon as possible to outstanding letters from his Department. "I am particularly anxious that all outstanding issues, which are preventing payment, be resolved without further delay" the Minister said. "The Suckler Cow Welfare Scheme has been very effective in helping promote improved animal husbandry in the national herd, to the benefit of all concerned, and I am very keen that everything necessary be done to help ensure its smoother operation" he added.
The Minister explained that, following a review of procedures, he had decided to introduce a new requirement on the submission of data under the Scheme. "I have decided that, with effect from 1 September 2011, all information required under the Suckler Cow Welfare Scheme must be submitted to the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) within one year of the date of birth of each calf participating in the Scheme" the Minister explained, adding that "a grace period until the 31 August 2011 will be allowed for the submission of data for any participants currently with animals older than 11 months".
Concluding, the Minister emphasised that this change is designed to improve the flow of payments to farmers under the Scheme. "There is no benefit to anyone involved, farmers or Department officials, in having to engage in lengthy correspondence in order to resolve minor issues" the Minister said "and I would urge all farmers in the Scheme to make the effort to keep accurate records and make the necessary returns, thereby avoiding unnecessary delays in payments".


Failure to provide the required information within this timeframe will result in payment not being made.

not in the scheme but hope it helps