Dairy Chitchat 3

visatorro

First year measuring here. Mowing surplus tomorrow. Be brave apparently! But if I don't get rain I'm fecked.

visatorro

whelan2 wrote:

Bitter out earlier on

Still bitter here!

Buford T. Justice XIX

visatorro wrote: »

First year measuring here. Mowing surplus tomorrow. Be brave apparently! But if I don't get rain I'm fecked.

Are you on pasturebase? What's you cover per cow at when the paddocks are taken out?

Grueller

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

30% grazing area out here atm between reseeds and taking out paddocks for bales. Stocked at 5.5. Rain would also be welcome.
Very harsh wind there today

Overall or on grazing block?

whelan2

visatorro wrote: »

Still bitter here!

I was picking stones so was well warmed up

GrasstoMilk

Grueller wrote: »

Overall or on grazing block?

Grazing block

visatorro

Buford T. Justice VI wrote:

Are you on pasturebase? What's you cover per cow at when the paddocks are taken out?

165
716 farm cover
4.6 lu/hect apparently!

Buford T. Justice XIX

visatorro wrote: »

165
716 farm cover
4.6 lu/hect apparently!

If growth is around or above demand, you should be fine, I reckon. Once you keep the N at around a unit/day, growth should catch up and take you to excess again.

visatorro

Buford T. Justice VI wrote:

If growth is around or above demand, you should be fine, I reckon. Once you keep the N at around a unit/day, growth should catch up and take you to excess again.

Just add water

straight

visatorro wrote: »

Just add water

Careful what you wish for. Measuring here too but couldn't be bothered taking out the strong paddocks. Too much hassle for wet pancake bales. Don't have the time or machinery for that craic.

Timmaay

straight wrote: »

Careful what you wish for. Measuring here too but couldn't be bothered taking out the strong paddocks. Too much hassle for wet pancake bales. Don't have the time or machinery for that craic.

I couldn't disagree more. I wish I had the grass to take out the likes of 30% of the milking block as 4 or 5 pancake bales per ac right now and have them there as rocket fuel for the milkers either during a summer drought or the winter.

GrasstoMilk

Timmaay wrote: »

I couldn't disagree more. I wish I had the grass to take out the likes of 30% of the milking block as 4 or 5 pancake bales per ac right now and have them there as rocket fuel for the milkers either during a summer drought or the winter.

And correcting a few paddocks early to reduce any topping that might happen later in the year. Grazing high covers is a false economy
We made 100 bales yesterday. They'll come in handy even if I do run tight in the short term

straight

Timmaay wrote: »

I couldn't disagree more. I wish I had the grass to take out the likes of 30% of the milking block as 4 or 5 pancake bales per ac right now and have them there as rocket fuel for the milkers either during a summer drought or the winter.

Its largely laziness on my behalf plus a lack of mower or tractor to stack bales. Maybe next year. The aftergrass would be nice alright.

older by the day

FFS one of my best cows upside down in a dyke this evening dead. Cows in heat pushed her. The worst thing about it is I passed earlier and saw a cow looking in but I didn't want to disturb them . F this for a job

tanko

That's a sickner, when something like that happens you wonder why you bother.

older by the day

tanko wrote: »

That's a sickner, when something like that happens you wonder why you bother.

Sickening

wrangler

older by the day wrote: »

FFS one of my best cows upside down in a dyke this evening dead. Cows in heat pushed her. The worst thing about it is I passed earlier and saw a cow looking in but I didn't want to disturb them . F this for a job

Similar happened here years ago. I was watching a cow to calve and working nearby and then she disappeared. she must've laid out flat calving and rolled out through the ditch into a dyke in the neighbours. I got her out quick and alright and people say sheep die for no reason

Mooooo

Weather pure ****e down here since yday morning. Cold and damp or wet depending on rain variation. Have a few paddocks skipped and fert to get out, rain not heavy enough to stop spreading urea but it's p& k with sulphur I want to put out and sulphur don't like the damp conditions for spreading

Buford T. Justice XIX

Mooooo wrote: »

Weather pure ****e down here since yday morning. Cold and damp or wet depending on rain variation. Have a few paddocks skipped and fert to get out, rain not heavy enough to stop spreading urea but it's p& k with sulphur I want to put out and sulphur don't like the damp conditions for spreading

I could barely see the cows on the roadway this morning with the dust being tracked up.

Gman1987

Smashing day here today but rain given for tonight. Waiting on a guy here to come sow grass seed, hope he gets to me before the rain.

Wildsurfer

straight wrote: »

Careful what you wish for. Measuring here too but couldn't be bothered taking out the strong paddocks. Too much hassle for wet pancake bales. Don't have the time or machinery for that craic.

Kind of pointless measuring if you don't take action afterwards

Mooooo

Buford T. Justice VI wrote: »

I could barely see the cows on the roadway this morning with the dust being tracked up.

Feck off

DukeCaboom

https://www.thejournal.ie/liquid-nitrogen-stolen-5092352-May2020/

Some sickener this time of year.

Buford T. Justice XIX

Mooooo wrote: »

Feck off

Fancy a weather swap for a few days?:pac:

Mooooo

Buford T. Justice VI wrote: »

Fancy a weather swap for a few days?:pac:

Would love it. Had plenty rain sat night here as well

straight

Is sulphur a new phenomenon the last few years. I don't remember it before. Teagasc are really pushing it anyway

straight

Wildsurfer wrote: »

Kind of pointless measuring if you don't take action afterwards

Ya, I don't trust the figures. That might come with time. I'll keep up the measuring anyway.

mf240

straight wrote: »

Is sulphur a new phenomenon the last few years. I don't remember it before. Teagasc are really pushing it anyway

It's good stuff. Ive noticed a difference with it on silage ground

Mooooo

Helps the plant convert nitrogen to available protein, or something along those lines. Bar the first round of urea generally get most fert with it for the rest of the year. Little and often on grazing ground, can go out with asn on silage ground if you want

straight

Mooooo wrote: »

Helps the plant convert nitrogen to available protein, or something along those lines. Bar the first round of urea generally get most fert with it for the rest of the year. Little and often on grazing ground, can go out with asn on silage ground if you want

Out before June is the advice. Makes one wonder what else are we missing out on

Buford T. Justice XIX

straight wrote: »

Is sulphur a new phenomenon the last few years. I don't remember it before. Teagasc are really pushing it anyway

The reduction in pollution has meant that sulphur doesn't fall in rain anymore so grassland, especially lighter soils, need about 20kgs/ha/year.
https://twitter.com/TeagascEnviron/status/1257993530041131010?s=20

Gawddawggonnit

alps wrote: »

https://www.icis.com/explore/resources/news/2020/04/28/10501454/topic-page-fertilizers-navigating-the-global-downturn

For fert gurus

Offered Lithan 34.4%N today for €176.5/t for 2021 delivery...fert is in freefall.

Gawddawggonnit

Buford T. Justice VI wrote: »

The reduction in pollution has meant that sulphur doesn't fall in rain anymore so grassland, especially lighter soils, need about 20kgs/ha/year.
https://twitter.com/TeagascEnviron/status/1257993530041131010?s=20

If you’re using plenty fym no need for SO3..

Keepgrowing

straight wrote: »

Out before June is the advice. Makes one wonder what else are we missing out on

The old rule was 20 units before June the problem is it’s very mobile so runs out fast. Latest thinking is S every second round. Changed to P out in spring using pU for season and K in back end. S every second round. There’s one round of 18’s as well

atlantic mist

when ye are ploughing do you normally leave the furrow in the middle of the filed or out at the edge?

Gman1987

atlantic mist wrote: »

when ye are ploughing do you normally leave the furrow in the middle of the filed or out at the edge?

At the edge, then a run of power harrow over it to level it in.

Buford T. Justice XIX

First paddock coming out today, cover of 1600 and brings cover per cow back to 194. I'd say I'll be taking another out early next week but I'm not going to take it yet. Be a nice one to take out as there's a few rushes there to take out as well.

dmakc

IFJ saying in terms of stocking rates dairy cows will go from 85N to 89N in 2021.

That's regardless of derogation

straight

dmakc wrote: »

IFJ saying in terms of stocking rates dairy cows will go from 85N to 89N in 2021.

That's regardless of derogation

High stocking rates are not going to be acceptable much longer. Need to get more from each individual cow.

dmakc

Yes but throw in this 4 unit increase along with shouts for derogation disbanding, would be very worrying for the sector's high debts.

I did a quick excel so take a man with 100ac, 90 cows, 2 bulls, 40 calves for example. That's a very manageable 216N/Ha with 85N for dairy cows, or 225N/Ha with the proposed 89N.

If derogation were to go on top of this cow unit increase that's an extra 9 units N/Ha he'd have to come down by to go under 170. To keep the same stock he'd have to rent a further 27 acres on 85N per dairy cow which equates to 33 acres on 89N per dairy cow. This land wont be available and he'll be down 22 cows assuming the same proportion of stock maintained

Mooooo

It will be serious enough if it goes. The man working between me and my neighbour would be gone along with plenty more. Plenty well run smaller farms run at high stocking rates to make viable would become unviable if it goes, particularly around west cork.

straight

dmakc wrote: »

Yes but throw in this 4 unit increase along with shouts for derogation disbanding, would be very worrying for the sector's high debts.

I did a quick excel so take a man with 100ac, 90 cows, 2 bulls, 40 calves for example. That's a very manageable 216N/Ha with 85N for dairy cows, or 225N/Ha with the proposed 89N.

If derogation were to go on top of this cow unit increase that's an extra 9 units N/Ha he'd have to come down by to go under 170. To keep the same stock he'd have to rent a further 27 acres on 85N per dairy cow which equates to 33 acres on 89N per dairy cow. This land wont be available and he'll be down 22 cows assuming the same proportion of stock maintained

And if he feeds his 70 cows well he'll be as well off with less work. Nobody should have borrowed money banking on keeping high stocking rates. Lads will be making alot of round bales.

Mooooo

straight wrote: »

And if he feeds his 70 cows well he'll be as well off with less work. Nobody should have borrowed money banking on keeping high stocking rates. Lads will be making alot of round bales.

I don't think people borrowed money banking on keeping higher stocking rates, it was in order to get to a level that would provide a proper income. If it comes to a point where the farm can't pay down debt and take a wage then imo it starts to turn unviable. I'm at the stage where I have to upgrade the yard as a lot of buildings are old and going off possible rumours any open tank will have to be covered along with improving facilities for the workload. In order to do that investment I'll have to borrow and the cow's will have to pay for it. I already have existing debt as well so clarity is needed for me to plan the next 20+ years now. If I am going to be hamstrung by regulations and not be able to increase my income some bit as time goes on as well as be able to service debt what the fcuk am I at? Or any of us? Would be better off going working elsewhere if that's the case

mf240

If cow numbers had to be reduced would farm gate prices rise or does it not work like that.

Mooooo

mf240 wrote: »

If cow numbers had to be reduced would farm gate prices rise or does it not work like that.

Production outside the EU would counter it so prices wouldn't rise imo. They'd be the same as they are. EU talk that imports will have to be at the same standards as European farms is bull****

straight

mf240 wrote: »

If cow numbers had to be reduced would farm gate prices rise or does it not work like that.

Just look at mercosur as an example. Top standards for irish farmers, then import inferior product from abroad.

kevthegaff

Mooooo wrote: »

I don't think people borrowed money banking on keeping higher stocking rates, it was in order to get to a level that would provide a proper income. If it comes to a point where the farm can't pay down debt and take a wage then imo it starts to turn unviable. I'm at the stage where I have to upgrade the yard as a lot of buildings are old and going off possible rumours any open tank will have to be covered along with improving facilities for the workload. In order to do that investment I'll have to borrow and the cow's will have to pay for it. I already have existing debt as well so clarity is needed for me to plan the next 20+ years now. If I am going to be hamstrung by regulations and not be able to increase my income some bit as time goes on as well as be able to service debt what the fcuk am I at? Or any of us? Would be better off going working elsewhere if that's the case

There might be no jobs elsewhere..

Gawddawggonnit

Mooooo wrote: »

Production outside the EU would counter it so prices wouldn't rise imo. They'd be the same as they are. EU talk that imports will have to be at the same standards as European farms is bull****

Gmo maize and soya?

.

mahoney_j

There’s always options
Contract rearing
Cull the crap
Use less better use slurry
Soil test yearly ,act on results
Stop chasing the lad next door or lads u read and hear about

Mooooo

Gawddawggonnit wrote: »

Gmo maize and soya?

.

Exactly there already at it, a lot of hypocrisy in Europe restricting use of technology, etc here but no problem importing it from elsewhere. Twill be a gas case in the future, partially already the case depending on Russia and south America for fuel and food and China for everything else. Grand stable world about twill be