Dairy Chitchat 3

einn32

Gawddawggonnit wrote: »

https://www.independent.ie/business/farming/comment/ann-fitzgerald-we-must-take-steps-to-save-the-future-of-the-family-farm-37852886.html


Can’t fight progress.

I found working on a big operation less stressful, I got paid for every hour I worked and had great time off. I worked hard when on my shift but had time every week to recover. My holidays could be planned and usually I got off what I wanted. A few workers used to run their own farms but found working for a big unit better.


Farming has to adapt. It's nice to think a business is kept in a family but reality is different.

straight

Blizzard here now. Cows won't be going out tomorrow I'd say

straight

einn32 wrote: »

I found working on a big operation less stressful, I got paid for every hour I worked and had great time off. I worked hard when on my shift but had time every week to recover. My holidays could be planned and usually I got off what I wanted. A few workers used to run their own farms but found working for a big unit better.


Farming has to adapt. It's nice to think a business is kept in a family but reality is different.

Tempted to let my own place tax free for 300 an acre and get a job

Keep Sluicing

straight wrote: »

Tempted to let my own place tax free for 300 an acre and get a job

Lease out half of it. I can recommend it.

yosemitesam1

einn32 wrote: »

I found working on a big operation less stressful, I got paid for every hour I worked and had great time off. I worked hard when on my shift but had time every week to recover. My holidays could be planned and usually I got off what I wanted. A few workers used to run their own farms but found working for a big unit better.


Farming has to adapt. It's nice to think a business is kept in a family but reality is different.

+1
Hate working away on my own and the only thing keeping me going the last year is knowing I'm not far off hiring someone fulltime.

straight

yosemitesam1 wrote: »

+1
Hate working away on my own and the only thing keeping me going the last year is knowing I'm not far off hiring someone fulltime.

Family farming was great when it existed. Now the wives are out working, children have better things to be doing and you end up doing it all by yourself.

GrasstoMilk

Picking out some heifer calves to sell here ( first time ever selling dairy stock)
I'm going to use EBI, milk records from its Dam and just the general look of the cow to determine who I'm selling.
Do most do it that way or are ye doing it differently?

straight

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

Picking out some heifer calves to sell here ( first time ever selling dairy stock)
I'm going to use EBI, milk records from its Dam and just the general look of the cow to determine who I'm selling.
Do most do it that way or are ye doing it differently?

I genomic test mine. It's still hard to pick them out though.

Water John

Interesting article here on 80% of NZ water polluted mainly from agriculture.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/mar/04/their-birthright-is-being-lost-new-zealanders-fret-over-polluted-rivers

Bit unfair to be competing on the world market with them. They are being given an economic advantage in lower standards.

Gawddawggonnit

Water John wrote: »

Interesting article here on 80% of NZ water polluted mainly from agriculture.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/mar/04/their-birthright-is-being-lost-new-zealanders-fret-over-polluted-rivers

Bit unfair to be competing on the world market with them. They are being given an economic advantage in lower standards.

+1.
We’d all like a level playing field.

Do they also have Tams99, special tax deals, vat rebates, land rental tax breaks, inheritance tax schemes etc etc etc etc etc? :).

Mooooo

Gawddawggonnit wrote: »

+1.
We’d all like a level playing field.

Do they also have Tams99, special tax deals, vat rebates, land rental tax breaks, inheritance tax schemes etc etc etc etc etc? :).

Or rent and land values controlled

Timmaay

Between the maidens staying out all winter, and milker's out full time early Jan I'm at 60% grazed today, instead of the teagasc 30% target. Whoops. Afc 743 and loads of maize to buffer my way thro March so not going worry.

wrangler

Gawddawggonnit wrote: »

+1.
We’d all like a level playing field.

Do they also have Tams99, special tax deals, vat rebates, land rental tax breaks, inheritance tax schemes etc etc etc etc etc? :).

Yet farm organisations here are accused of doing nothing by people that actually are ''doing nothing''

straight

wrangler wrote: »

Yet farm organisations here are accused of doing nothing by people that actually are ''doing nothing''

It's ok now. We have the beef plan movement. You can see they are already making an impact.

Gawddawggonnit

Mooooo wrote: »

Or rent and land values controlled

Lol.
Fake news...

Land prices aren’t controlled and never were. Speculation on land was ‘controlled’ by heavy taxation on any capital gains.

Land rents were limited by gov to 3% return on investment. With land values falling rents are now running at between 6 and 7% yield.

For the record like. .

Gawddawggonnit

wrangler wrote: »

Yet farm organisations here are accused of doing nothing by people that actually are ''doing nothing''

Nothing to do with FG and FF buying votes?

In fairness farming unions have been very strong lobby groups over the years...CPO (jackpot!), ownership of ‘assets’ like sfp/milk quota etc. etc.

Buford T. Justice XIX

Gawddawggonnit wrote: »

Nothing to do with FG and FF buying votes?

In fairness farming unions have been very strong lobby groups over the years...CPO (jackpot!), ownership of ‘assets’ like sfp/milk quota etc. etc.

We were denied ownership of milk quota for many many years, Dawg. It was only in the recent past after much lobbying that we were adjudged to have owned the quota and were allowed a write down of purchased quota as would be standard for asset purchases.

wrangler

straight wrote: »

It's ok now. We have the beef plan movement. You can see they are already making an impact.

YEA right, making an impact on keeping prices down

mf240

wrangler wrote: »

YEA right, making an impact on keeping prices down

Change the record

jaymla627

Can’t be a good lavaman heifer definitely the pick of this years lot

Gawddawggonnit

Buford T. Justice V wrote: »

We were denied ownership of milk quota for many many years, Dawg. It was only in the recent past after much lobbying that we were adjudged to have owned the quota and were allowed a write down of purchased quota as would be standard for asset purchases.

These ‘permits/quotas’ should never have become a tradable ‘asset’. Totally skewed the balance sheet of dairy and tillage (beet quota) farmers. Wrong for a whole load of reasons!


**I was thick enough to ‘buy’ sfp when I came here first...it was never an asset that was owned by the farmers but rather attached to every hectare, as it should be.

Why not make the likes of the children’s allowance a tradable asset? That would be just wrong, wouldn’t it?

Panch18

Gawddawggonnit wrote: »

These ‘permits/quotas’ should never have become a tradable ‘asset’. Totally skewed the balance sheet of dairy and tillage (beet quota) farmers. Wrong for a whole load of reasons!


**I was thick enough to ‘buy’ sfp when I came here first...it was never an asset that was owned by the farmers but rather attached to every hectare, as it should be.

Why not make the likes of the children’s allowance a tradable asset? That would be just wrong, wouldn’t it?

Loads of business across the world have assets where they have a right to produce or sell a particular good, quota is no different. Or should I say was

Buford T. Justice XIX

Gawddawggonnit wrote: »

These ‘permits/quotas’ should never have become a tradable ‘asset’. Totally skewed the balance sheet of dairy and tillage (beet quota) farmers. Wrong for a whole load of reasons!


**I was thick enough to ‘buy’ sfp when I came here first...it was never an asset that was owned by the farmers but rather attached to every hectare, as it should be.

Why not make the likes of the children’s allowance a tradable asset? That would be just wrong, wouldn’t it?

Didn't suckler quota do the same?

Childrens allowance has no upper limit on how many quota items you can claim on and it's also time limited to children up to 18, mostly. and even as simple as it is, it's still granted to folk claiming for children who aren't resident in the state.

Tbh, there's little to be gained by complaining about the way things were handled in the past.

Mortelaro

Just leaving this here

https://m.independent.ie/business/farming/news/farming-news/theyre-like-gold-dust-cow-gallstones-fetch-up-to-35000-per-kilo-in-far-east-37879590.html

straight

Mortelaro wrote: »

Just leaving this here

https://m.independent.ie/business/farming/news/farming-news/theyre-like-gold-dust-cow-gallstones-fetch-up-to-35000-per-kilo-in-far-east-37879590.html

This time next year we could all be millionaires

einn32

straight wrote: »

This time next year we could all be millionaires

I'm away to find some now...get ahead of the crowd.

straight

jaymla627 wrote: »

Can’t be a good lavaman heifer definitely the pick of this years lot

Have some very nice heifers off PBM here this year. It makes it all worthwhile to see the quality come through. I've noticed alot of the mothers and daughters often come into the parlour together. Surely that's not just here it happens.

Mooooo

4 fleckveih calved here, 3 are nice heifers one so so, will see in the recording how they'll do.

This is one

GrasstoMilk

Looking for a few opinions here.
One if my outblocks that has been used for heifers is going to be a dedicated silage block this year, this is my 6 year on this land and I have a lease for 4 more on it (on our second 5 year lease)
The plan was to let it up for silage and cut it mid may alongside another block- but this land has very old grass it wont give much yield in a silage crop till late may and it wont be great quality, I was going to over seed it after the first cut with a hybrid grass using our own harrow but now I'm thinking I might be aswell burn it off around paddy's day and do a full reseed 2 weeks later with a hybrid grass seed, it's not going to cost me a whole tonne more only for the round up and the owner will possibly contribute to some of the cost for reseeding it. She has already paid for half of the lime when we put 2t per acre on it a month ago.
Should I just go for a full reseed even though I've no guarantee I'll have it at the end of this 5 years? I can't approach her asking if we'll have it for longer as she's in her 80s and her grandson says he's interested in farming.

It's great land to grow grass mid season- have often got 12t TDM per ha off it in 2 cuts if silage, I should get an awful lot more if it has a new grass that will use N alot better!

GrasstoMilk

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

Looking for a few opinions here.
One if my outblocks that has been used for heifers is going to be a dedicated silage block this year, this is my 6 year on this land and I have a lease for 4 more on it (on our second 5 year lease)
The plan was to let it up for silage and cut it mid may alongside another block- but this land has very old grass it wont give much yield in a silage crop till late may and it wont be great quality, I was going to over seed it after the first cut with a hybrid grass using our own harrow but now I'm thinking I might be aswell burn it off around paddy's day and do a full reseed 2 weeks later with a hybrid grass seed, it's not going to cost me a whole tonne more only for the round up and the owner will possibly contribute to some of the cost for reseeding it. She has already paid for half of the lime when we put 2t per acre on it a month ago.
Should I just go for a full reseed even though I've no guarantee I'll have it at the end of this 5 years? I can't approach her asking if we'll have it for longer as she's in her 80s and her grandson says he's interested in farming.

It's great land to grow grass mid season- have often got 12t TDM per ha off it in 2 cuts if silage, I should get an awful lot more if it has a new grass that will use N alot better!

Our heifers are going to a contract rearer this year, the incalf heifers will be coming back to us in early November and they would possibly get 3 weeks grazing on this land after 4 cuts if it was reseeded, I couldn't see us getting that off it if it was just left as is and over sown.

wrangler

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

Looking for a few opinions here.
One if my outblocks that has been used for heifers is going to be a dedicated silage block this year, this is my 6 year on this land and I have a lease for 4 more on it (on our second 5 year lease)
The plan was to let it up for silage and cut it mid may alongside another block- but this land has very old grass it wont give much yield in a silage crop till late may and it wont be great quality, I was going to over seed it after the first cut with a hybrid grass using our own harrow but now I'm thinking I might be aswell burn it off around paddy's day and do a full reseed 2 weeks later with a hybrid grass seed, it's not going to cost me a whole tonne more only for the round up and the owner will possibly contribute to some of the cost for reseeding it. She has already paid for half of the lime when we put 2t per acre on it a month ago.
Should I just go for a full reseed even though I've no guarantee I'll have it at the end of this 5 years? I can't approach her asking if we'll have it for longer as she's in her 80s and her grandson says he's interested in farming.

It's great land to grow grass mid season- have often got 12t TDM per ha off it in 2 cuts if silage, I should get an awful lot more if it has a new grass that will use N alot better!

How much of the reseed will be left after 5 years if it's being cut 3/4 times year, what amount of fertiliser would it need to ensure that you don't ''mine'' the land, there won't be much of the lime left either...... as you say you'll be pulling a lot more out of the land

GrasstoMilk

wrangler wrote: »

How much of the reseed will be left after 5 years if it's being cut 3/4 times year, what amount of fertiliser would it need to ensure that you don't ''mine'' the land, there won't be much of the lime left either...... as you say you'll be pulling a lot more out of the land

Well considering in was Index one when we got it and ph 5.5 and is now index 3 and ph should be about 6.5 now, were looking after it alot better than the last lads. I can't see an issue with us keeping the indexs right.
Part of my reason for using a hybrid is the fact it will be wore out of in 5 years and I wont be making up the next lad if I don't have it

jaymla627

wrangler wrote: »

How much of the reseed will be left after 5 years if it's being cut 3/4 times year, what amount of fertiliser would it need to ensure that you don't ''mine'' the land, there won't be much of the lime left either...... as you say you'll be pulling a lot more out of the land

Giving up making 3rd/4th cuts here the return you get for the fert and tying up ground just isn’t worth it, a lot cheaper to buffer with meal/beet from running the maths here

Mooooo

Would it be worth doing wholecrop on part of it and red clover mix on another. See if you can produce as good a feed as possible.

GrasstoMilk

Mooooo wrote: »

Would it be worth doing wholecrop on part of it and red clover mix on another. See if you can produce as good a feed as possible.

Its peaty type soil and absolutely full of stones, I'd be picking stones for weeks off it aswell as probably breaking the contractors plough. Some red clover might be an option though

GrasstoMilk

jaymla627 wrote: »

Giving up making 3rd/4th cuts here the return you get for the fert and tying up ground just isn’t worth it, a lot cheaper to buffer with meal/beet from running the maths here

I've no I interest in beet, not set up for it. Contractor grows us 200t of maize each year and I want to compliment that with good silage and nuts in the parlour. Herd here is capable of 550kgs solids when it matures and I want to do as much of it off grazed grass as possible and keep the whole thing simple

wrangler

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

Well considering in was Index one when we got it and ph 5.5 and is now index 3 and ph should be about 6.5 now, were looking after it alot better than the last lads. I can't see an issue with us keeping the indexs right.
Part of my reason for using a hybrid is the fact it will be wore out of in 5 years and I wont be making up the next lad if I don't have it

Just surprised at her contributing to lime and reseeding

Say my name

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

Looking for a few opinions here.
One if my outblocks that has been used for heifers is going to be a dedicated silage block this year, this is my 6 year on this land and I have a lease for 4 more on it (on our second 5 year lease)
The plan was to let it up for silage and cut it mid may alongside another block- but this land has very old grass it wont give much yield in a silage crop till late may and it wont be great quality, I was going to over seed it after the first cut with a hybrid grass using our own harrow but now I'm thinking I might be aswell burn it off around paddy's day and do a full reseed 2 weeks later with a hybrid grass seed, it's not going to cost me a whole tonne more only for the round up and the owner will possibly contribute to some of the cost for reseeding it. She has already paid for half of the lime when we put 2t per acre on it a month ago.
Should I just go for a full reseed even though I've no guarantee I'll have it at the end of this 5 years? I can't approach her asking if we'll have it for longer as she's in her 80s and her grandson says he's interested in farming.

It's great land to grow grass mid season- have often got 12t TDM per ha off it in 2 cuts if silage, I should get an awful lot more if it has a new grass that will use N alot better!

I reseeded leased land there last year.
The land that I had pictures up on here of resembling a desert and then I got 2 cuts of silage after with 15 bales/acre in total or could have been more ( it was heavy anyway considering the year and conditions).
I aim to be getting a cut of silage at the start of May going on the growth so far.
It wasn't a fancy grass seed just a standard silage mix.
I spread ground basalt on this at 5t/acre at reseeding and tilled it in.
I'm not sure how that would work if you're not going for a plough and till?

But if you want to see the ground or directions or information about the basalt, send me a pm.

I'm aiming to reseed more land this way this year and might even up the rates more. On my own ground this year though.

GrasstoMilk

wrangler wrote: »

Just surprised at her contributing to lime and reseeding

Her husband was sick for a long time and died 6 years ago she passed no interest in the land at the time till we took it, she is happy to spend some money on the land because she knows we're looking after it

GrasstoMilk

Say my name wrote: »

I reseeded leased land there last year.
The land that I had pictures up on here of resembling a desert and then I got 2 cuts of silage after with 15 bales/acre in total or could have been more ( it was heavy anyway considering the year and conditions).
I aim to be getting a cut of silage at the start of May going on the growth so far.
It wasn't a fancy grass seed just a standard silage mix.
I spread ground basalt on this at 5t/acre at reseeding and tilled it in.
I'm not sure how that would work if you're not going for a plough and till?

But if you want to see the ground or directions or information about the basalt, send me a pm.

I'm aiming to reseed more land this way this year and might even up the rates more. On my own ground this year though.

What did the basalt do for the ground? This ground would be well capable of growing 20t of grass if it just got a fresh sow down and the right management. We'll either graze it bare now, burn off and reseed with the springtine harrow of take a cut of silage in may and over sow then eith the springtine harrow.

Say my name

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

What did the basalt do for the ground? This ground would be well capable of growing 20t of grass if it just got a fresh sow down and the right management. We'll either graze it bare now, burn off and reseed with the springtine harrow of take a cut of silage in may and over sow then eith the springtine harrow.

I'm getting greater use out of nitrogen applied than before, more grass tonnage per units applied.
The ground is way richer than before. That's on all my ground. It works really well if there's dung or slurry applied too and you're getting better utilization of those than before too.
Whether it's something to do with carbonates leaching from the basalt and holding onto the nitrogen applied or what but it's a positive effect imo.
But I wouldn't use the stuff in an organic situation but in a conventional nitrogen spreading farming system drive on I say.

(I'm not affiliated to any company or a salesman. Just that's my experience so far. ).

GrasstoMilk

Say my name wrote: »

I'm getting greater use out of nitrogen applied than before, more grass tonnage per units applied.
The ground is way richer than before. That's on all my ground. It works really well if there's dung or slurry applied too and you're getting better utilization of those than before too.
Whether it's something to do with carbonates leaching from the basalt and holding onto the nitrogen applied or what but it's a positive effect imo.
But I wouldn't use the stuff in an organic situation but in a conventional nitrogen spreading farming system drive on I say.

(I'm not affiliated to any company or a salesman. Just that's my experience so far. ).

Ah I'd say I'm doing the same thing with the phisolith we use.
I reckon its growing an extra tonne of grass for us through higher utilisation/better graze outs

Mooooo

Have ye control paddocks to check against?

Say my name

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

Ah I'd say I'm doing the same thing with the phisolith we use.
I reckon its growing an extra tonne of grass for us through higher utilisation/better graze outs

Well the offer stands.

GrasstoMilk

Say my name wrote: »

Well the offer stands.

Can ye ye put some figures on it?

Say my name

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

Can ye ye put some figures on it?

Nope afraid not.

Edit: it's 15 minutes in a car away from you and you can throw an eyeball on it if you wish.

Keepgrowing

wrangler wrote: »

Just surprised at her contributing to lime and reseeding

Landlord of ours contributes spray, lime and grass seed. Depends on land lord and the deal struck

GrasstoMilk

25 mm of rain here since the rain started at 7pm. Cows in tonight and doubt they'll be out tomorrow.
50% grazed and delighted I grazed as much as I did when I had the chance.

Gawddawggonnit

Buford T. Justice V wrote: »

Didn't suckler quota do the same?

Childrens allowance has no upper limit on how many quota items you can claim on and it's also time limited to children up to 18, mostly. and even as simple as it is, it's still granted to folk claiming for children who aren't resident in the state.

Tbh, there's little to be gained by complaining about the way things were handled in the past.

Get to own your nitrate derogation now...for future trading opportunities.
Same thing really.

*Are you sure about non residents claiming the children’s allowance?
The first letter we received after emigrating was to inform that the payment was lost.

Gawddawggonnit

wrangler wrote: »

Just surprised at her contributing to lime and reseeding

Same.
Sweet old dear...