Dairy Chitchat 3

Timmaay

Mooooo wrote: »

Ah yeah but very much a dry ground / lower rainfall area operation, had to bring in stock here and straw bed in December who were outwintering in a field as I got cubicles ready. It was just too wet. Field wasn't for grazing either earmarked for work this year

Yeh agreed, this winter was just too wet fullstop in much of the country. Still tricky here in comparison to a normal winter, I'd expect to be able to let heifers graze at least 11 months of the year most years (ie usually only in during exceptionally wet or poor growth times) this winter they were in all of nov and dec tho. As well as ground conditions I judged letting them out on the farm afc and spring rotation plan, Back in mid Jan the afc was high enough because nearly everything had been houses early nov, and ground still wet enough, so I knew the odds of getting a clear run at the 30% in Feb using cows only was very low this year so I fired ahead with the heifers while the ground was ok. Cows out full time now, but heifers still in and will be for next 2wks or so because I need to keep rest of round1 for the cows.

K.G.

I suppose the next thing is they ll start raiding detergents and sterilising product s for milking machines to fight coviod 19-- have i just started panicbuying��

Mortelaro

Cows out by day here
Back in this morning after 2 hours out as it is lashing
I'm not confident that ground conditions would stay ok in this
Plus mucking covers today is just robbing next week's grass on me

Panch18

Can anyone tell me where you can get the red plastic guns for the drop down hoses in the milking parlour?

Not the metal ones now, the plastic with a rubber end. I think it says power stream on them

Those big metal ones are useless, and it seems near impossible to get the lighter ones

Mortelaro

You might get them in lidl or aldi
Or in a topline hardware store

Wildsurfer

Panch18 wrote: »

Can anyone tell me where you can get the red plastic guns for the drop down hoses in the milking parlour?

Not the metal ones now, the plastic with a rubber end. I think it says power stream on them

Those big metal ones are useless, and it seems near impossible to get the lighter ones

Have you tried the Anka guns? No jubilee clips, nice jet and virtually unbreakable! Haven't seen those red ones in awhile.

Keepgrowing

That was some bustard of a day ffs

Buford T. Justice XIX

Keepgrowing wrote: »

That was some bustard of a day ffs

How's the spreader going?

Keepgrowing

Buford T. Justice VI wrote: »

How's the spreader going?

:) be a few days before it’s outa the shed again

Birdnuts

How closely are Dairy prices likely to follow current trends on the oil markets??

mahoney_j

Anyone chancing stopping vaccinating for bvd now ??,talked to my vet last week and he sees no reason as to why I should continue ,practically closed herd ,neve had a pi neighbours all clear .lepto salmonella and ibr will def be continued

Mortelaro

Birdnuts wrote: »

How closely are Dairy prices likely to follow current trends on the oil markets??

Current trends on the oil market are a spat between Saudi and Russia
That won't last, how could it, they'll go back to talks,Saudi already has a budget defecit whilst Russia's coffers are banjaxxed

Mooooo

mahoney_j wrote: »

Anyone chancing stopping vaccinating for bvd now ??,talked to my vet last week and he sees no reason as to why I should continue ,practically closed herd ,neve had a pi neighbours all clear .lepto salmonella and ibr will def be continued

Not vaccinating here edit for bvd, still do for lepto salmonella and rotavec on incalf cows

ted_182

mahoney_j wrote: »

Anyone chancing stopping vaccinating for bvd now ??,talked to my vet last week and he sees no reason as to why I should continue ,practically closed herd ,neve had a pi neighbours all clear .lepto salmonella and ibr will def be continued

Packed it in here about three years ago, no regrets

jaymla627

mahoney_j wrote: »

Anyone chancing stopping vaccinating for bvd now ??,talked to my vet last week and he sees no reason as to why I should continue ,practically closed herd ,neve had a pi neighbours all clear .lepto salmonella and ibr will def be continued

Stopped doing cows, still do heifers, slurry contractor brining it in would be your biggest threat, do all slurry in house here so non-issue....
If you got a bvd outbreak in a naive herd it would be devasting if it spread at breeding time

Gawddawggonnit

ted_182 wrote: »

Packed it in here about three years ago, no regrets

Vaccinate incalf cows with Rotavec, but that’s all. Nothing else.

Flying herd with cows imported from Holland, Germany, UK and France...no problems yet. (Touch Wood!).

Buford T. Justice XIX

Gawddawggonnit wrote: »

Vaccinate incalf cows with Rotavec, but that’s all. Nothing else.

Flying herd with cows imported from Holland, Germany, UK and France...no problems yet. (Touch Wood!).

Where do you sell the culls? Is there an issue getting foreign cows killed in French factories?

Gawddawggonnit

Buford T. Justice VI wrote: »

Where do you sell the culls? Is there an issue getting foreign cows killed in French factories?

Every factory takes them...at a Euro/kg discount.

Fcukin disgrâce that factories are allowed get away with such blackguarding.
It’s up there with mobile phone roaming charges...

visatorro

mahoney_j wrote:

Anyone chancing stopping vaccinating for bvd now ??,talked to my vet last week and he sees no reason as to why I should continue ,practically closed herd ,neve had a pi neighbours all clear .lepto salmonella and ibr will def be continued

Never did. Had two pi's when testing started. None since.
Vaccinating for irb and rotavirus.

Panch18

Wildsurfer wrote: »

Have you tried the Anka guns? No jubilee clips, nice jet and virtually unbreakable! Haven't seen those red ones in awhile.

I think those red ones aren't being produced anymore - i've been doing some searching and no luck so far anyway

Haven't tried those Anka guns, are they heavy?

older by the day

I suppose this has been discussed before but I use the volume washer for the parlour but I have to go away one a week and connect water and a lead for a power washer to give the clusters a good clean. I would ideally like a power washer with a long lead full-time connected as well as a volume washer . What's the best system to use ? What do ye use

Buford T. Justice XIX

The Kerry statement on Coronavirus and deliveries and collections during the period.

I think Glanbia have similar procedures in place.

Gillespy

older by the day wrote: »

I suppose this has been discussed before but I use the volume washer for the parlour but I have to go away one a week and connect water and a lead for a power washer to give the clusters a good clean. I would ideally like a power washer with a long lead full-time connected as well as a volume washer . What's the best system to use ? What do ye use

We put in a socket(the blue three pin type) above the washer and shortened the lead to suit. It's at the end of the parlour and stays there. It takes the water from the volume washer so have a length of the yellow hose with a fitting to connect to that. The lance and hose it thrown over the collection yard wall along with the yellow water hose. That part could be refined a bit but it works.

Buford T. Justice XIX

https://twitter.com/daireobradaigh/status/1238154396489461761?s=19

jd_12345

I know its been discussed before but what would ye reckon is the best value heat detection system out there.
Had a look at Nedap, CowManager, HerdInsights and Heatime.
So far
Nedap is the most expensive by a good bit but HerdInsights and Heatime are a good bit cheaper. (So far)
Cow Manager different price wise with standing charge every year per cow.

Not interested in MooCall as if we wanted a bull we'd have a full one.
Any thoughts?

whelan2

In all the doom and gloom I have a good news story. Last Saturday night I set my alarm for midnight to check a heifer calving. I fell back asleep and woke at 4 . Heifer fooked and calf half out dead. Got vet on Monday and lifted her every day since. This morning she was standing when I went out. Felt crap about sleeping through the alarm

Reggie.

whelan2 wrote: »

In all the doom and gloom I have a good news story. Last Saturday night I set my alarm for midnight to check a heifer calving. I fell back asleep and woke at 4 . Heifer fooked and calf half out dead. Got vet on Monday and lifted her every day since. This morning she was standing when I went out. Felt crap about sleeping through the alarm

Oh them sheds

whelan2

Reggie. wrote: »

Oh them sheds

Your race horses are in training at the moment

Timmaay

whelan2 wrote: »

In all the doom and gloom I have a good news story. Last Saturday night I set my alarm for midnight to check a heifer calving. I fell back asleep and woke at 4 . Heifer fooked and calf half out dead. Got vet on Monday and lifted her every day since. This morning she was standing when I went out. Felt crap about sleeping through the alarm

Exact same thing happened me 3yrs ago, heifer I'd bought in, dead calf and heifer thrown out, I spent 3wks with the lifter wasting time every day before I called the knackery, you put yourself through hell for missing that alarm but on hindsight I was totally burning the candle both ends that spring, with alot of heifers and hard calvings, life is way too short and the only solution then is more labour, regardless of the cost.

ozil10

Milked on empty cows over the winter
Trying to build numbers
I know not the right way to go about it and in hindsight I should have culled them
Won't be doing it again
Have 52 heifers coming into the herd next year of my own stock
I know they say empties will have 25 to 30 % reduced production over the season but have few of them there barely doing over 7 liters if even and they are on grass diet with 4kgs nuts in parlour

My question is
Now that I have endured with them over the winter
Will their production eventually lift?

Timmaay

Fairly unlikely 2bh, won't be much more than 2l increase, bar they are milky cows. However they should of put good condition on their backs and be worth alot more now, especially if they are anywhere near finishing.

Obviously a freshly calved cow instead of fattening a cull will leave more profit, but if you have the shedspace and feed and cull price crap in the winter it's not the worst idea hanging onto them.

ozil10

Timmaay wrote: »

Fairly unlikely 2bh, won't be much more than 2l increase, bar they are milky cows. However they should of put good condition on their backs and be worth alot more now, especially if they are anywhere near finishing.

Obviously a freshly calved cow instead of fattening a cull will leave more profit, but if you have the shedspace and feed and cull price crap in the winter it's not the worst idea hanging onto them.

Cheers
Ya I had the feed and headspace so was no inconvenience bar milking them of course


I just thought they would pick up somebit
Anyways I'll know for future reference

straight

I've calved 60 cows on my own in the past 4 weeks and I think it's more than enough work for anyone. In fact I would say it's a young man's sport. The bigger guys might laugh at me or the journalists tell me I should be able to manage 100+ but I think that's overdoing it for 1 person. Just my 2 cents. Now to give away the fr Bull's is the next task. Thankfully I've about 10 surplus fr heifers this year which should make up for the loss on the bulls.

Panch18

straight wrote: »

I've calved 60 cows on my own in the past 4 weeks and I think it's more than enough work for anyone. In fact I would say it's a young man's sport. The bigger guys might laugh at me or the journalists tell me I should be able to manage 100+ but I think that's overdoing it for 1 person. Just my 2 cents. Now to give away the fr Bull's is the next task. Thankfully I've about 10 surplus fr heifers this year which should make up for the loss on the bulls.

There is only a certain amount a fella can do. And over time that amount decreases as you get older. Sustainability is something that I think is sorely missing in Irish dairy farming. Nobody is thinking of the damage it is doing to fellas

60-70 cows is enough work for 1 fella, that’s for sure

whelan2

Panch18 wrote: »

There is only a certain amount a fella can do. And over time that amount decreases as you get older. Sustainability is something that I think is sorely missing in Irish dairy farming. Nobody is thinking of the damage it is doing to fellas

60-70 cows is enough work for 1 fella, that’s for sure

No point killing yourself working either

Timmaay

It depends on alot of factors, I've calved 90 so fair this spring, and not one nighttime assistance, very little calving difficulties to the point that I barely stress about them, quick check before I go to bed, and my Milker checks them at 7am. Very little scour also. I'd calf 200 myself at that going, but I've absolutely been there done that, with difficult calvings and dozens of sick calves and in that case 30 would be too many for one person!

Timmaay

Hit almost 80% grazed here. Main problem now is of the final 20%, at least half of it is either autumn reseed or pure heavy wet land, so time to hit the brakes, properly budget out what dry ground is left, and bump up the meal and maize. Plenty of silage left but I'd rather not hit the solids too much. Probably skip the reseeds/wet ground and jump into rd2 in 10days.

straight

Timmaay wrote: »

It depends on alot of factors, I've calved 90 so fair this spring, and not one nighttime assistance, very little calving difficulties to the point that I barely stress about them, quick check before I go to bed, and my Milker checks them at 7am. Very little scour also. I'd calf 200 myself at that going, but I've absolutely been there done that, with difficult calvings and dozens of sick calves and in that case 30 would be too many for one person!

But you have a Milker. When I say on my own that's what I mean. 20 more to go but they'll slow down from here on

Mooooo

Timmaay wrote: »

Hit almost 80% grazed here. Main problem now is of the final 20%, at least half of it is either autumn reseed or pure heavy wet land, so time to hit the brakes, properly budget out what dry ground is left, and bump up the meal and maize. Plenty of silage left but I'd rather not hit the solids too much. Probably skip the reseeds/wet ground and jump into rd2 in 10days.

Like a different world. 9% here and made a mess of part of that. No fert out and pumping slurry between tanks to make space

straight

Mooooo wrote: »

Like a different world. 9% here and made a mess of part of that. No fert out and pumping slurry between tanks to make space

Same as you just 0% grazed. Hoping for second half of next week

Gillespy

Nothing grazed here. Calving a bit later so missed the opportunities in early Feb. No chance since.

Just thankful we have silage as this time last year we had nothing. Last spring was a dream, ground was dry and decent weather and it saved us

Say my name

Timmaay wrote: »

It depends on alot of factors, I've calved 90 so fair this spring, and not one nighttime assistance, very little calving difficulties to the point that I barely stress about them, quick check before I go to bed, and my Milker checks them at 7am. Very little scour also. I'd calf 200 myself at that going, but I've absolutely been there done that, with difficult calvings and dozens of sick calves and in that case 30 would be too many for one person!

What do you attribute the change to in this year over other years?
If you say "luck" I'll murder ya!!
Because it's always always management..

Panch18

Timmaay wrote: »

It depends on alot of factors, I've calved 90 so fair this spring, and not one nighttime assistance, very little calving difficulties to the point that I barely stress about them, quick check before I go to bed, and my Milker checks them at 7am. Very little scour also. I'd calf 200 myself at that going, but I've absolutely been there done that, with difficult calvings and dozens of sick calves and in that case 30 would be too many for one person!

Ah Timmay Are you having a laugh

How are you on your own when your milker is there at 7 in the morning

You stated last year that you were only doing something like 5-7 milkings a week during the summer

Panch18

Nothing grazed here either

Have moved the calving back a couple weeks in last few years to starting around Feb 7 so didn’t really have any volume of cows to go out before the weather went crazy

That and the fact that 30% of the cows block would be liable to flooding means that we always have to be careful in Spring and would aim to have them out by March 1

GrasstoMilk

straight wrote: »

But you have a Milker. When I say on my own that's what I mean. 20 more to go but they'll slow down from here on

Would you consider getting an autofeeder? Put the calves on at 3 days old?
We got one this year and I think it's an absolute gift. Definitely saving me 2hrs a day I think.
Maybe look to see is there any other labour saving technology out there for you. Despite the weather we're having a relatively straight forward spring here. No major health issues to date thankfully

whelan2

straight wrote: »

Same as you just 0% grazed. Hoping for second half of next week

Nothing grazed here. Silage running out. 90 calved 35 left.

Castlekeeper

We're zero grazing here all spring...
As in 0% grazed! Another week in it by the looks of things, land is at it's wettest these days.

GrasstoMilk

What are you all feeding milkers?
Were feeding 4kg 16% nut
3kg dm maize and the rest is either grazed grass when we can or baled silage.
Milk protein ranging from 3.3 to 3.5 depending on when they get grass or not

Sacrolyte

Castlekeeper wrote: »

We're zero grazing here all spring...
As in 0% grazed! Another week in it by the looks of things, land is at it's wettest these days.

The darkest hour is just before the dawn.

Reggie.

whelan2 wrote: »

Your race horses are in training at the moment

That's what worries me