Dairy Chitchat 3

alps

Timmaay wrote: »

In my case it's linking straight up with the existing silage pit effluent system, that goes into the main tank here. My concrete lad was telling me he sometimes puts in a barrel with a sump pump to push the effluent into a slatted tank if they can't get the levels right, in my case that would of been a much cheaper option than drawing in the stone, however I'd be making a bollox of the slab to the the old silage pit and having an unnecessary ramp.

Small sump would be no harm also. Put a sump pump in ours and fill a concrete water trough that the cows have access to before and after milking...they absolutely love it..

Gillespy

cosatron wrote: »

He has 2 trailers that can bring 15 bales each, a lad with a loader in the field and a lad in the yard with another loader to stack. In all fairness he has savage gear.

That's how we do it. Two 14 bale bale trailers, a 50hx and a 50b at either end. Load and unload ourselves. Can clear fields quickly. Key to bales I think. A lot of the hate of bales stems from drawing bales in one at a time. I can understand why. Any time I ever had to paddle them to the gap in wet weather wasn't fun.

straight

Do any of ye use the zill net silage pit cover. Thinking of buying it. I think you put it on top of the black plastic and you don't need many tyres on it then. Would cut down on waste and make covering and opening easier.

Buford T. Justice XIX

Buford T. Justice VI wrote: »

Vet just gone from a cow that calved last night. Chewing the cud in the morning, calved around 10 last night, small calf so no pressure and when I checked her at 5 she had gone downhill.

Probably foreign body so she got magnets but I'm not hopeful of her atm.

She's much happier in herself this evening, looking for silage and water and the panting has stopped. Her eyes have filled out a good bit and even went in for milking which surprised me.

Is it too early to be hopeful, never had one of these before so have no idea what to expect?

Mooooo

straight wrote: »

Do any of ye use the zill net silage pit cover. Thinking of buying it. I think you put it on top of the black plastic and you don't need many tyres on it then. Would cut down on waste and make covering and opening easier.

Not heavy enough, still need tyre coverage to prevent waste imo. Had a crow go thru ours but we seem to have a special breed of bastard crows here

straight

Mooooo wrote: »

Not heavy enough, still need tyre coverage to prevent waste imo. Had a crow go thru ours but we seem to have a special breed of bastard crows here

I have them grey crows here too. They make holes in my black plastic cover. Might chance getting a few zill covers and see how they work out.

straight

Buford T. Justice VI wrote: »

She's much happier in herself this evening, looking for silage and water and the panting has stopped. Her eyes have filled out a good bit and even went in for milking which surprised me.

Is it too early to be hopeful, never had one of these before so have no idea what to expect?

Where there's life there is hope

alps

straight wrote: »

Do any of ye use the zill net silage pit cover. Thinking of buying it. I think you put it on top of the black plastic and you don't need many tyres on it then. Would cut down on waste and make covering and opening easier.

Dont cut back on the tyres too much. You still need the weight to keep that top 9 inches compressed. Great job for protecting the plastic though, from dogs and heafty humans throwing and lugging tyres. Bit of work in folding it back at feedout time as you have to remove the tyres over the face, roll the zill, and put some tyres back up on the rolled part again..

kevthegaff

Two quick questions alda, what paint do ye get for tail painting and how much are ye feeding atm.to the cows?

Mooooo

Dulux tail paint normally works away grand. Feeding 4kg at the minute. 14%

jd_12345

We Find a lot of the bother with put silage is the short chop length. Very bad for cows stomachs imo. The way new harvesters are set up generally it’s for short chop as the high input lads on the continent want the consistent 4cm chop length. The bother is when the silage isn’t going in a TMR and if it’s not perfectly dry it’s notGreat feed. Gone all bales last year and there’s a good bit of work with feeding out etc but happy with the results. Also a long draw here and fed up of paying €50 per hour for trailers and tractors when the draw is an hour and a half round trip. As mentioned before 7-8 bales per acre seems the optimum. Roughly €10/bale mowed baled and wrapped. €3 for plastic. Assuming diesel, time and wear and tear on your tractor is free €104 per acre in the yard. €20 per bale would cover most of those costs. Don’t think self propelled would work out much better when you take into account the added waste of a pit. Looking into wagon silage here as it seems the optimum compromise between chop length and work load.

Morris Moss

jd_12345 wrote: »

We Find a lot of the bother with put silage is the short chop length. Very bad for cows stomachs imo. The way new harvesters are set up generally it’s for short chop as the high input lads on the continent want the consistent 4cm chop length. The bother is when the silage isn’t going in a TMR and if it’s not perfectly dry it’s notGreat feed. Gone all bales last year and there’s a good bit of work with feeding out etc but happy with the results. Also a long draw here and fed up of paying €50 per hour for trailers and tractors when the draw is an hour and a half round trip. As mentioned before 7-8 bales per acre seems the optimum. Roughly €10/bale mowed baled and wrapped. €3 for plastic. Assuming diesel, time and wear and tear on your tractor is free €104 per acre in the yard. €20 per bale would cover most of those costs. Don’t think self propelled would work out much better when you take into account the added waste of a pit. Looking into wagon silage here as it seems the optimum compromise between chop length and work load.

Assuming anything is free is only codding yourself, each to their own though

Just on the waste from the pit, in reality you should have very little, rolling it for an hour or so and it should be perfect.

Wagon is the only option for longer chop length, but you won't fit as much in the pit and cows will fly through it, they love the stuff.

Mooooo

Pit waste comes from the covering or if not rolled well. Overfilling them can cause issues as hard to keep weight on the plastic at the face then. Crows are the main issue here and they can do fair wreck on bales as well. Have made 80dmd pit silage as well. Main advantage of bales is taking small cuts more often so less risk of getting caught with weather and aftergrass spread out thru the rotation if land is grazeable

straight

jd_12345 wrote: »

We Find a lot of the bother with put silage is the short chop length. Very bad for cows stomachs imo. The way new harvesters are set up generally it’s for short chop as the high input lads on the continent want the consistent 4cm chop length. The bother is when the silage isn’t going in a TMR and if it’s not perfectly dry it’s notGreat feed. Gone all bales last year and there’s a good bit of work with feeding out etc but happy with the results. Also a long draw here and fed up of paying €50 per hour for trailers and tractors when the draw is an hour and a half round trip. As mentioned before 7-8 bales per acre seems the optimum. Roughly €10/bale mowed baled and wrapped. €3 for plastic. Assuming diesel, time and wear and tear on your tractor is free €104 per acre in the yard. €20 per bale would cover most of those costs. Don’t think self propelled would work out much better when you take into account the added waste of a pit. Looking into wagon silage here as it seems the optimum compromise between chop length and work load.

No free labour or machinery here unfortunately. I'd nearly get more waste from bales than pit

Gillespy

Crows are a big problem here, not so much in the field but in the yard. They land on the bales waiting to get at feed. Have to net stacks or the top layer of bales is destroyed. Had rats cause some damage from time to time too. Other than that, little to no waste. Pit waste is minimal too if things done right. Maybe issues start at this time of year when it's warm and small numbers being fed.

Buford T. Justice XIX

Silage pit construction and repairs are permitted activities during the lockdown.
https://twitter.com/IFAmedia/status/1251176269435285510?s=19

whelan2

Had a cow with an RDA today. Will be touch and go

whelan2

Buford T. Justice VI wrote: »

She's much happier in herself this evening, looking for silage and water and the panting has stopped. Her eyes have filled out a good bit and even went in for milking which surprised me.

Is it too early to be hopeful, never had one of these before so have no idea what to expect?

Hows she doing?

Buford T. Justice XIX

whelan2 wrote: »

Hows she doing?

I left her off this morning with the rest of the cows after she got her injections. She came up fine and milked, not a whole lot, but something anyway and ate her ration so she's holding her own today.

I may have to go for more antibiotics tomorrow but she has a chance now anyway.

Base price

furandfeather wrote: »

No other symptoms at all. It's strange.

How is the little heifer today. Is she still shivering after feeding.

jd_12345

Morris Moss wrote: »

Assuming anything is free is only codding yourself, each to their own though

Just on the waste from the pit, in reality you should have very little, rolling it for an hour or so and it should be perfect.

Wagon is the only option for longer chop length, but you won't fit as much in the pit and cows will fly through it, they love the stuff.

I get your point totally about nothing for nothing and I clarified with the twenty euro per bale later on but how many fellas take into account the price of two sheets of plastic, the time taken to cover a pit, diesel burned drawing tires, cost of sandbags, drainage pipe for effluent, side sheets, time taken to clean a slab, etc. Yes pit is definitely a cheaper option but if you have a slab instead of pits with walls your waste will be greater.

Another small (probably obvious) point to be made is fella’s with older uncomfortable tractors take a lot more notice than those with more ergonomic machinery. That makes a big difference in the pit v bales decision.

Wagon silage not fitting it in is very valid and would lead be to question compact-ability and oxygen expulsion.

Imo in milking cows, cows loving it has to be a good thing which pays for itself.

jd_12345

Gillespy wrote: »

Crows are a big problem here, not so much in the field but in the yard. They land on the bales waiting to get at feed. Have to net stacks or the top layer of bales is destroyed. Had rats cause some damage from time to time too. Other than that, little to no waste. Pit waste is minimal too if things done right. Maybe issues start at this time of year when it's warm and small numbers being fed.

Lucky enough not to have crow problems here thankfully. The problem with the pit is if you’re short of help and the silage men are racing against time you’ll often take the assistance in covering the pit instead of extra rolling. If there’s pressure on shortcuts can be taken and rolling the pit seems to get neglected (here anyway).

Btw I’m not anti pit silage just making my point that lads can get very one sided when it suits.

The rats is a very fair point too. Have it here some years and it’d sicken you!

Buford T. Justice XIX

With breeding started or close to starting on a lot of farms, this might be of interest to some.
https://twitter.com/MunsterBovine/status/1250807213540728833?s=19

Timmaay

Jezz this pit v bales argument is worst than ho v jex ha. You can make a bollox of both methods, I've seen pits with a ft of waste, and had to cut the wrap off bales that are going into the dung heap.

Bales have worked reasonably well here the last few years while we still supplied a decent amount of winter milk and while there were better investments than a new silage slab, however by now I've got stung too many times with very heavy silage cuts during wet conditions (almost always during June, wet June's around here means growth rates of 100+ and suddenly ending up with 10+bales/ac and pits already largely full from 1st cut). If you can be guaranteed of good dry conditions for the harvest bales are grand, but that is a pure lottery in my view.

furandfeather

Base price wrote: »

How is the little heifer today. Is she still shivering after feeding.

A slight short shiver but not near as bad. Shes feeding well but shes just not as bright as the other two. It's a funny one

Say my name

There should be a cell count bonus for being less than 100k.!!

36 here now from 70 the last test.

I must draw up a predictive graph. :pac:

#ifonlyitwerethatsimple

Say my name

furandfeather wrote: »

A slight short shiver but not near as bad. Shes feeding well but shes just not as bright as the other two. It's a funny one

Stick a jacket on her if you have one.
It won't do any harm anyways.

Morris Moss

jd_12345 wrote: »

I get your point totally about nothing for nothing and I clarified with the twenty euro per bale later on but how many fellas take into account the price of two sheets of plastic, the time taken to cover a pit, diesel burned drawing tires, cost of sandbags, drainage pipe for effluent, side sheets, time taken to clean a slab, etc. Yes pit is definitely a cheaper option but if you have a slab instead of pits with walls your waste will be greater.

Another small (probably obvious) point to be made is fella’s with older uncomfortable tractors take a lot more notice than those with more ergonomic machinery. That makes a big difference in the pit v bales decision.

Wagon silage not fitting it in is very valid and would lead be to question compact-ability and oxygen expulsion.

Imo in milking cows, cows loving it has to be a good thing which pays for itself.

Ah as I said to each their own, I've a neighbor who does only bales and he thinks we're mad for hardship with pit silage

It's not a bad thing that cows love the wagon silage, the problem I found was that you'd think you have a mighty pit of silage,but in reality it wouldn't be in it, you'd nearly need a tractor rolling it as it's being put in to get it anyway compact.

whelan2

whelan2 wrote: »

Had a cow with an RDA today. Will be touch and go

My cow is eating a bit of baled silage this morning. Will I just give her little and often?

brownswiss

Hi. Not sure where to post this ?

A Female 22 yr old Australian Veterinary student has been helping us with lambing for about a month . She is now looking for work on a dairy farm . She is a good worker and leaves nothing undone . She has had about 2 weeks placement on a dairy farm and is a quick learner.

If any of you are in need of help please pm me.

Thanks

Castlekeeper

Say my name wrote: »

There should be a cell count bonus for being less than 100k.!!

36 here now from 70 the last test.

I must draw up a predictive graph. :pac:

#ifonlyitwerethatsimple

One man's bonus is another man's penalty.

Say my name

Castlekeeper wrote: »

One man's bonus is another man's penalty.

It's easy know where all the bonuses go in Glanbia.

Mooooo

Wet since Fri afternoon and the cow's are fierce unsettled on second round grass, is it just us?

whelan2

Mooooo wrote: »

Wet since Fri afternoon and the cow's are fierce unsettled on second round grass, is it just us?

We got nearly no rain
Slurry out on silage ground yesterday. Cows had been grazing there for the last 3 weeks. Just starting grazing grazing platform now. My neighbour made bales the other day but says growth is very slow. His ground would be very dry.

straight

<edit>deleted spam

Cant be any worse than milking cows. Haha

whelan2

straight wrote: »

Cant be any worse than milking cows. Haha

Milking cows isn't too bad in this pandemic. Imagine sitting in your house all day every day. I might be forced to start cleaning it .....

straight

whelan2 wrote: »

Milking cows isn't too bad in this pandemic. Imagine sitting in your house all day every day. I might be forced to start cleaning it .....

Tis grand. It's like there's no pandemic here really. Am so busy every day going about my jobs and happy out getting so much done. I feel for all those people out of work at the moment and all the people that are stuck in apartments with children and other halves.

straight

I'm following the cows here with 30 units of Urea. I wonder is that enough or should I increase it. I usually spread compounds but I've 2 more ton of urea in the yard to use up.

Timmaay

straight wrote: »

Tis grand. It's like there's no pandemic here really. Am so busy every day going about my jobs and happy out getting so much done. I feel for all those people out of work at the moment and all the people that are stuck in apartments with children and other halves.

That's what I tell everyone, very little changed inside the gate. My 83yr old dad has rolled the whole farm and still going around doing his few bits, against many other o70s who have to cocoon in their homes. He did say isn't the local shop open, I'll slip back there for potatoes or something ha, I had to remind him about the o70s then ha. We are lucky in agriculture though, social distancing is alot easier to implement for us.

mahoney_j

straight wrote: »

I'm following the cows here with 30 units of Urea. I wonder is that enough or should I increase it. I usually spread compounds but I've 2 more ton of urea in the yard to use up.

If on 20/25 day round too much following with 20 here (unit per day of round)too much n going out causes high milk urea which can cause early embryonic death .also the cow has to burn energy to burn off that excess n

Injuryprone

straight wrote: »

I'm following the cows here with 30 units of Urea. I wonder is that enough or should I increase it. I usually spread compounds but I've 2 more ton of urea in the yard to use up.

It would depend on how much you've out already as well. 100 units by the first of may is the Teagasc guide I think, plus a unit a day thereafter.

Henwin

does anyone know how many calves were slaughtered in ireland this year, was listening to sean moncreff on newstalk today and a guest said there were 20,000 calves put down this year and didnt know wat happened to the meat.

Buford T. Justice XIX

I see milk recording changes have gone up due to a change in the VAT rate charged. Munster minimum is now €12.50/cow and a €65 herd fee.

alps

Buford T. Justice VI wrote: »

I see milk recording changes have gone up due to a change in the VAT rate charged. Munster minimum is now €12.50/cow and a €65 herd fee.

Any details on what it was before the rise?

The rise should equal 9.5%...if more, it would mean they went for a slice themselves as well...

Buford T. Justice XIX

alps wrote: »

Any details on what it was before the rise?

The rise should equal 9.5%...if more, it would mean they went for a slice themselves as well...

I have 11.50 in my head for the cost but that was what I used on cashflows at the start of the year so I wouldn't be 100% on that.

Mooooo

They'd want to start getting the test results right with the price of the fecking thing. More or less have to do it these days as well

visatorro

Anyone with a slatted tank infront of a silage pit that you have to cross when filling the pit?
Or any idea how it could be done?

Mooooo

Does the area in front of the pit need to remain slatted? If not could you replace the slats there with a precast slab rated for whatever it needs to be? Or can you open the pit from the other side. We load our pit from the rear, trailer tips and loader pushes in, pit is about 4 feet below that point. Neighbour has a similar pit but prob 6 feet below where lorries tip. Feed out from the other side then where it's at pit floor level

alps

Buford T. Justice VI wrote: »

I have 11.50 in my head for the cost but that was what I used on cashflows at the start of the year so I wouldn't be 100% on that.

That would mean they have increased it by 1.5c per cow on top of the vat increase...so nothing really.

Progressive increased their charges earlies in the year if I recall...wonder if it was the same reason?

visatorro

Mooooo wrote:

Does the area in front of the pit need to remain slatted? If not could you replace the slats there with a precast slab rated for whatever it needs to be? Or can you open the pit from the other side. We load our pit from the rear, trailer tips and loader pushes in, pit is about 4 feet below that point. Neighbour has a similar pit but prob 6 feet below where lorries tip. Feed out from the other side then where it's at pit floor level

No only have access from the front. It's a shed I have that has a clay floor, was going to concrete floor and put in precast cubicles when silage was gone. Wanted somewhere for the slurry to go. Have no space either side of the shed.