Dairy Chitchat 3

straight

Grueller wrote: »

I have a first cousin that has two blocks of land and is going to put up a second very basic parlour on the out block, 80 acres or so. He is then going once a day and going to milk in one parlour in the morning and one in the evening.
He will keep all housing at home and close down the outside parlour earlier and open it up later. I think it is an expensive way to be a busy fool. Opinions?

Hardship. Double the amount of fences to change, double the time spreading fertilizer, on the road all day, 2 parlours to maintain/service, etc. Less cows and more milk is the best way to make money but it's not all about making money of course. It must cost nearly 2k per year to keep a dairy cow?

alps

straight wrote: »

Hardship. Double the amount of fences to change, double the time spreading fertilizer, on the road all day, 2 parlours to maintain/service, etc. Less cows and more milk is the best way to make money but it's not all about making money of course. It must cost nearly 2k per year to keep a dairy cow?

Only 20% of the herds in Ireland selling more €2000 worth of milk per annum..

Average at somewhere around €1600..

straight

alps wrote: »

Only 20% of the herds in Ireland selling more €2000 worth of milk per annum..

Average at somewhere around €1600..

Was just thinking about how much it costs. Its bloody expensive to have them anyway and my aim is to get as much as I can out of each one. The way things are going every calving is now a cost as opposed to a benefit. Every calving is also a risk as we all know. Less cows - more milk is my plan anyway. In a bad year the all still have to feed and looked after.

Castlekeeper

Panch18 wrote: »

Super stuff

Do you mind me asking keeper what is your cow type and do you find the breeding going in a certain direction? ie towards jersey

For better or worse I use a low input system, that can catch me out on a bad year, as we wouldnt have the driest land or early springs, and on a bad year and can lose a lot of days a grass, but that's another story
I've four breeds of cow on the farm, roughly 20% HoFr, 5% Jex, 40% Nrx, and 30% Kiwi x off those. It can be hard to tell which is which sometimes
Because of our traditional system, we would never have bred or pushed for high yielding cows and any that came in inadvertently, fell out of the system quick enough. For that reason, I stopped using Jersey straws years ago as barring the odd cow I wouldn't have had the most suitable herd to get the best JEX, coupled with the poor bull calf and cull cow prices, which I traditionally would have done well out of.

My best cows every year from every cohort are one of each breed type.
Most OAD farmers are going towards the JEX with one man I know favouring the pure Jersey.
I know of some great results being got with high yielding holsteins too.
A lot of the reason for the Jersey preference are the solids plus low maintenance but it is also cultural. OAD farmers would traditional have been sympathetic to NZ systems and a lot of the data from the past came from there.
Some if my best cows are descended from a few Brown Swiss crosses I had years ago and I know of a few British farmers using Montbeliardes.
A lot depends on individual cows and bulls imho, but at the moment I'm tending towards using some sexed semen Kiwi X on my cross bred cows. I might try a few more Brown Swiss x on my smaller crossbreds and bring in a few as I really liked the old cows. I've had very average results with genomic bulls so I'm stopping using them and will either use NZ Fr or NR on my Fr cows.
Another shortcut on the breeding is to buy some replacements off a good OAD herd.

Castlekeeper

straight wrote: »

Was just thinking about how much it costs. Its bloody expensive to have them anyway and my aim is to get as much as I can out of each one. The way things are going every calving is now a cost as opposed to a benefit. Every calving is also a risk as we all know. Less cows - more milk is my plan anyway. In a bad year the all still have to feed and looked after.

You can make good money out if any system but it's much harder and riskier out of a high input one.

Castlekeeper

hildywildy wrote: »

I was at the conference, it was pretty relevant to me as I'm starting to calf heifers in two weeks and plan to go oad.
I only have a small herd and am transitioning from beef.

I have done the maths, milking 100% heifers twice a dayit wouldn't pay me, get a man to do all the evening milkings, especially when you include extra, meal etc.

I will be OAD milking this year regardless, as i am working off farm. Next year i'm not so sure as my work contract finishes in December 20.

OAD will not suit everyone, but it has to be a lot better than losing your hole on beef.

You won't have much milk out of all heifers on OAD, esp if not from aOAD herd, so just don't budget on a big margin. The plus side is that, given a fair chance, they'll all go back in-calf in good time, be in good condition and rearing to go in their second lactation without any special treatment. Best of luck with it.

Whatever about counting the pennies, OAD is profitable and turns dairy farming into one of the best jobs going, very few downsides.

mahoney_j

Castlekeeper wrote: »

You won't have much milk out of all heifers on OAD, esp if not from aOAD herd, so just don't budget on a big margin. The plus side is that, given a fair chance, they'll all go back in-calf in good time, be in good condition and rearing to go in their second lactation without any special treatment. Best of luck with it.

Whatever about counting the pennies, OAD is profitable and turns dairy farming into one of the best jobs going, very few downsides.

No doubt it’s profitable ,not convinced more profitable than tad tho and I certainly see it as an option later in life If help scarce or no successor or if bills /drawings are low

Mooooo

kevthegaff wrote: »

Body condition, lameness, l
Better health I'd imagine would bring down the difference, would u hold 10%extra oad on the same milking block?

Culling is used to get the correct oad cow, if the same level of culling was used to to get the correct tad cow the first points would be more. If nitrates levels are changing stocking 10% extra may not be possible. It's a solution perhaps for lifestyle reasons but don't think it would be more profitable. Overall

Injuryprone

https://youtu.be/U1Z3KTFn2fw

Buford T. Justice XIX

Mooooo wrote: »

Culling is used to get the correct oad cow, if the same level of culling was used to to get the correct tad cow the first points would be more. If nitrates levels are changing stocking 10% extra may not be possible. It's a solution perhaps for lifestyle reasons but don't think it would be more profitable. Overall

I think it all depends on what the limiting input is. Once you try to maximise the limiting input, you're onto a winner.

For a lot of lads on OAD, time is their limiting input. Different strokes for different folks, I think.

Keepgrowing

Injuryprone wrote: »

https://youtu.be/U1Z3KTFn2fw

Enjoyed that

kevthegaff

Reminds of dairy farm in Michigan state university, I visited a few years ago.

Gawddawggonnit

At this time of year wildlife love the new clover shoots. I was kinda hoping there would be more of them around...

Mooooo

Gawddawggonnit wrote: »

At this time of year wildlife love the new clover shoots. I was kinda hoping there would be more of them around...

Wouldn't be seeing clover here for a while

hildywildy

Castlekeeper wrote: »

You won't have much milk out of all heifers on OAD, esp if not from aOAD herd, so just don't budget on a big margin. The plus side is that, given a fair chance, they'll all go back in-calf in good time, be in good condition and rearing to go in their second lactation without any special treatment. Best of luck with it.

Whatever about counting the pennies, OAD is profitable and turns dairy farming into one of the best jobs going, very few downsides.

I cant wait to get going, I tried to buy the best heifers I could, average EBI is €185, the guy I bought them off was doing 530kg milk solids and 5,500l. I'm very happy with them, so far.

My plan is to have a mature herd doing about 400kg of milk solids.
I am lucky enough to have a good job, OAD milking suits me as it allows me work off farm.

Panch18

Mooooo wrote: »

Wouldn't be seeing clover here for a while

Cracking photo Moooo

Contender for Jan photo of the month if it was in there!!

Panch18

hildywildy wrote: »

I cant wait to get going, I tried to buy the best heifers I could, average EBI is €185, the guy I bought them off was doing 530kg milk solids and 5,500l. I'm very happy with them, so far.

My plan is to have a mature herd doing about 400kg of milk solids.
I am lucky enough to have a good job, OAD milking suits me as it allows me work off farm.

Best of luck with it

Keep us updated on your progress

degetme

Anyone going spreading urea? Would it be better hold off till end of week for the rain?

mahoney_j

degetme wrote: »

Anyone going spreading urea? Would it be better hold off till end of week for the rain?

No too cold and ground temps sub 6 degrees ,hard frost last few nights as well.

degetme

mahoney_j wrote: »

No too cold and ground temps sub 6 degrees ,hard frost last few nights as well.

Doesn't urea take 10 days for it to start working? Back to rain next week

Timmaay

I'm looking for 20 to 25 feb/march calving heifers, ideally vaccinated for salmonella/rotavirus, high ebi, ideally no more than 1/4 je grass based, if anyone knows a farmer with that sort of group for sale drop me a pm plz.

Mooooo

Panch18 wrote: »

Cracking photo Moooo

Contender for Jan photo of the month if it was in there!!

Have a better photo but it is over the size limit thing.
Temps measured at 1.2 degrees at 1 o'clock not far from cork city so wouldn't be spreading any fert. Any shelterers parts here still frozen. Slurry perhaps if ground is ok but there would be less use of N in it.

Mooooo

Timmaay wrote: »

I'm looking for 20 to 25 feb/march calving heifers, ideally vaccinated for salmonella/rotavirus, high ebi, ideally no more than 1/4 je grass based, if anyone knows a farmer with that sort of group for sale drop me a pm plz.

May not be the way you want to buy as prices can go high but see from twitter there are a few clearance sales on this week, one in cashel on Thurs, there is another up in carnew I think on Fri maybe? Was considering some myself and perhaps offloading the late calvers to counter it but cash flow wise it may leave things a bit tight plus testing this week so will have to see how that goes first

stanflt

Timmaay wrote: »

I'm looking for 20 to 25 feb/march calving heifers, ideally vaccinated for salmonella/rotavirus, high ebi, ideally no more than 1/4 je grass based, if anyone knows a farmer with that sort of group for sale drop me a pm plz.

I know someone but there’s no jersey blood and there all pedigree- avg ebi of them would be over 200

Wildsurfer

stanflt wrote: »

I know someone but there’s no jersey blood and there all pedigree- avg ebi of them would be over 200

You're keeping a low profile around these parts lately!

stanflt

Wildsurfer wrote: »

You're keeping a low profile around these parts lately!

Been really busy with work and family- took on too much the past 2 years and we’re going to drop overall numbers by 150 this year- sold all autumn born bull calves and beef calves- 40 beef cattle going this week also

farisfat

stanflt wrote: »

Been really busy with work and family- took on too much the past 2 years and we’re going to drop overall numbers by 150 this year- sold all autumn born bull calves and beef calves- 40 beef cattle going this week also

Was their much margin in the beef.

stanflt

farisfat wrote: »

Was their much margin in the beef.

It only held money together tbh- it would be better off in the bank account

GrasstoMilk

stanflt wrote: »

I know someone but there’s no jersey blood and there all pedigree- avg ebi of them would be over 200

How much?.

Timmaay

stanflt wrote: »

I know someone but there’s no jersey blood and there all pedigree- avg ebi of them would be over 200

I assume a ballpark figure of 1300e won't cut it lol. I'd stretch to 1500 at a push ha.

Reggie.

Wildsurfer wrote: »

You're keeping a low profile around these parts lately!

Thankfully

stanflt

Timmaay wrote: »

I assume a ballpark figure of 1300e won't cut it lol. I'd stretch to 1500 at a push ha.

Fresh cows are averaging 2k around here

mahoney_j

stanflt wrote: »

Fresh cows are averaging 2k around here

In calf (February calvers)with lots of records and papers ,good ebi etc making 1500 to 2200 .trade is hot

stanflt

mahoney_j wrote: »

In calf (February calvers)with lots of records and papers ,good ebi etc making 1500 to 2200 .trade is hot

Can’t understand why it’s so hot- I actually thought it would be back this year

mahoney_j

stanflt wrote: »

Can’t understand why it’s so hot- I actually thought it would be back this year

New entrants ,milk price for year looking v hot ,lads not breeding enough replacements to cover expansion ,flying herds .ling may it continue ....

straight

mahoney_j wrote: »

In calf (February calvers)with lots of records and papers ,good ebi etc making 1500 to 2200 .trade is hot

I sold surplus pedigree maiden heifers last April for 650 euro. Good EBI and records.

Snowfire

straight wrote: »

I sold surplus pedigree maiden heifers last April for 650 euro. Good EBI and records.

You sold them cheap, they were generally making around the €850 mark

straight

Snowfire wrote: »

You sold them cheap, they were generally making around the €850 mark

I hit a bad day in the mart. I think most people had them bought in Feb/March.

Panch18

mahoney_j wrote: »

In calf (February calvers)with lots of records and papers ,good ebi etc making 1500 to 2200 .trade is hot

Was at a clearance sale of a 100 herd before Christmas that averaged over 1900

Had records and papers etc and good farmer but didn’t think they were exceptional by any means

Thought it was mental money

orm0nd

mahoney_j wrote: »

New entrants ,milk price for year looking v hot ,lads not breeding enough replacements to cover expansion ,flying herds .ling may it continue ....

Much like the beef.. Factories raise 5c, stores go up 150.

Co ops give 1c/ltr.. milkers go crazy

Gawddawggonnit

Mooooo wrote: »

Wouldn't be seeing clover here for a while

Nice photo!

Red or white clover won’t move until much later.
It’s Michili clover and it’ll grow once soil temps are 6*+.
Minus 5* yesterday morning and -8* this am, so growth will stop now until heat returns.

K.G.

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

How much?.

The phrase that springs to mind is if you have to ask the question you cant affors them

Gawddawggonnit

stanflt wrote: »

Can’t understand why it’s so hot- I actually thought it would be back this year

Got a call from a fellow expat that has a top herd of cows. 200 milkers and he wants rid of 10-20.
€1250 and I can take my pick. Price is steep, but then they are a top herd.

mahoney_j

straight wrote: »

I hit a bad day in the mart. I think most people had them bought in Feb/March.

Down these parts the better stock usually sell out of yard ,

Mooooo

Gawddawggonnit wrote: »

Nice photo!

Red or white clover won’t move until much later.
It’s Michili clover and it’ll grow once soil temps are 6*+.
Minus 5* yesterday morning and -8* this am, so growth will stop now until heat returns.

Is that a grazeable clover?

straight

mahoney_j wrote: »

Down these parts the better stock usually sell out of yard ,

Easier take them to the mart than to be dealing with people.

mahoney_j

straight wrote: »

Easier take them to the mart than to be dealing with people.

I sell bulls,maidens and some milkers ,no way I’d take them to Mart ,very rare you’d get better price there than in yard especially if you’ve a stack of records and stock turned out well

GrasstoMilk

K.G. wrote: »

The phrase that springs to mind is if you have to ask the question you cant affors them

You're probably right. I stick with the bog standard cows

Gawddawggonnit

Mooooo wrote: »

Is that a grazeable clover?

Yes but hard to control. It grows quite agressively.

Gawddawggonnit

An email from the Coop this morning saying that it’s imperative to attend a demonstration on acupuncture and aromatherapy for cows...wtf do they think I do with my time?