Dairy Chitchat 3

Timmaay

mahoney_j wrote: »

Is that not a crazy move Tim considering your drought probe all for helping a neighbour out but why sell at a loss either way I’d of sealed up pit great insurance policy to have

Not enough left to bother trying to hold onto what's left in it, and I'm only wasting grass at the minute by buffering maize also. 11ac of pure leafy stuff that is growing since last Oct is ready to be cut in afew weeks, that's gonna be alot more useful during the summer than trying to open a pit of maize (which in any case will be filled with grass silage come late May). 12ac of maize been sown this year also, growing maize myself comes in at roughly 37e/ton, what feed I'm letting go of now for 50e/ton I'm gonna be replacing it with cheaper feed next Oct. I got no regrets about the 60e/ton maize last Oct BTW, we were in a totally different scenario then. I'm still aiming to hold over a bigger silage reserve across future winters, I still got 30ft of 1st cut behind the maize that I'll definitely be holding onto until next winter.

Timmaay

straight wrote: »

Springs, reservoirs, etc. must be very low still. If we get another scorcher there'll be bigger problems this year.

I don't think so, local reservoirs are all largely back full here now. But agreed, who knows what will happen this summer again, as I said last year however I think whole crop the most versatile insurance crop you can have, you carry on through into late June as normal, and see how your 1st cuts and any potential 2nd cuts are coming along, and only then do you need to take emergency action if your pits are nowhere near full enough. Against maize/beet etc all of which you need to commit to alot earlier in the year, with the risk that you will not need them.

Last yr the drought came off the back of extremely late closed off 1st cuts also, which were well back in area.

visatorro

Anyone synchronize cow's for AI?

Never wrestle with pigs

Have 15 acres of grass, about 12 inches very thick sward and green to the but. Was grazed clean last October and got nothing since. It's usually my grazing ground away from the home place. I'm not going to get to it in time before I get the silage ground grazed. I'm not sure about putting out any fert as I want to take it out asap. I probably should have zero grazed it.

I know it's not going to be savage feeding or anything but it'll do dry suckler cows pre calving to keep them trim. Question is how early can I take it out to have something reasonable? I'm afraid if I take it out next week the sugar will be zero and it may not ferment. Thanks

Timmaay

Never wrestle with pigs wrote: »

Have 15 acres of grass, about 12 inches very thick sward and green to the but. Was grazed clean last October and got nothing since. It's usually my grazing ground away from the home place. I'm not going to get to it in time before I get the silage ground grazed. I'm not sure about putting out any fert as I want to take it out asap. I probably should have zero grazed it.

I know it's not going to be savage feeding or anything but it'll do dry suckler cows pre calving to keep them trim. Question is how early can I take it out to have something reasonable? I'm afraid if I take it out next week the sugar will be zero and it may not ferment. Thanks

If the weather is there take it out. I got 11ac of similar stuff, growing since last Oct, and I'd hooe it will be very good quality stuff.

Mooooo

Never wrestle with pigs wrote: »

Have 15 acres of grass, about 12 inches very thick sward and green to the but. Was grazed clean last October and got nothing since. It's usually my grazing ground away from the home place. I'm not going to get to it in time before I get the silage ground grazed. I'm not sure about putting out any fert as I want to take it out asap. I probably should have zero grazed it.

I know it's not going to be savage feeding or anything but it'll do dry suckler cows pre calving to keep them trim. Question is how early can I take it out to have something reasonable? I'm afraid if I take it out next week the sugar will be zero and it may not ferment. Thanks

Could take a sample of fresh grass to coop or teagasc office and they'll test the sugars for you. Aim to mow around midday and ted it, drying it will help increase the concentration of sugars

Never wrestle with pigs

Mooooo wrote: »

Could take a sample of fresh grass to coop or teagasc office and they'll test the sugars for you. Aim to mow around midday and ted it, drying it will help increase the concentration of sugars

Thanks I'll do that Monday. Giving it dry all next week so might go mad, lol.

mahoney_j

Never wrestle with pigs wrote: »

Have 15 acres of grass, about 12 inches very thick sward and green to the but. Was grazed clean last October and got nothing since. It's usually my grazing ground away from the home place. I'm not going to get to it in time before I get the silage ground grazed. I'm not sure about putting out any fert as I want to take it out asap. I probably should have zero grazed it.

I know it's not going to be savage feeding or anything but it'll do dry suckler cows pre calving to keep them trim. Question is how early can I take it out to have something reasonable? I'm afraid if I take it out next week the sugar will be zero and it may not ferment. Thanks

If there’s a z graze contractor in your area get in touch with him re selling the grass 2 or 3 contractors at it round here and big demand for it from dairy farmers mostly nice clean base to start from then slurry fertliser and cut mid May .making silage this time of year and expecting any sort decent quality will be very hard due to lack of sun and low sugars

Say my name

Never wrestle with pigs wrote: »

Thanks I'll do that Monday. Giving it dry all next week so might go mad, lol.

I bet you'll be surprised (in a good way) by the result.

GrasstoMilk

Pit mats....
Who makes the best ones?
Would bolting down some old mayo mats I have be totally mad idea?

visatorro

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

Pit mats....
Who makes the best ones?
Would bolting down some old mayo mats I have be totally mad idea?

I wouldn't trust mayo mats when wet.

Keepgrowing

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

Pit mats....
Who makes the best ones?
Would bolting down some old mayo mats I have be totally mad idea?

Cubicle mats bolted on here, grand job

stretch film

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

Pit mats....
Who makes the best ones?
Would bolting down some old mayo mats I have be totally mad idea?

Scholl .

charolais0153

Never wrestle with pigs wrote: »

Have 15 acres of grass, about 12 inches very thick sward and green to the but. Was grazed clean last October and got nothing since. It's usually my grazing ground away from the home place. I'm not going to get to it in time before I get the silage ground grazed. I'm not sure about putting out any fert as I want to take it out asap. I probably should have zero grazed it.

I know it's not going to be savage feeding or anything but it'll do dry suckler cows pre calving to keep them trim. Question is how early can I take it out to have something reasonable? I'm afraid if I take it out next week the sugar will be zero and it may not ferment. Thanks

12 inches? Or 12cm?

Timmaay

Typical Sunday morning fun! Suppose I can't blame them for wanting to get some sunbathing in given the day we had though!

visatorro

Timmaay wrote: »

Typical Sunday morning fun! Suppose I can't blame them for wanting to get some sunbathing in given the day we had though!

Realeased from a nearby mart after no bids I'd imagine!

Never wrestle with pigs

charolais0153 wrote: »

12 inches? Or 12cm?

12 inches

freedominacup

Never wrestle with pigs wrote: »

12 inches

Cut it this week. Re apply fert for first cut. You should have top quality stuff. Ted it if N is a concern.

degetme

Going with more fertiliser today. Would ordinary urea be ok in this dry weather? No rain forecast.

oxjkqg

stretch film wrote: »

Scholl .

Put EasyFix in last week a good job, interlock no need for bolting down

Buford T. Justice XIX

That nice warm feeling when a cow that's down for a week after a hard calving gets up and walks over to you for ration.

GrasstoMilk

Never wrestle with pigs wrote: »

12 inches

12 inches would mean theres a cover of 7500kgs /ha on it. Not really possible to my mind.
Now if it was 12 cm it would be 3500 kgDM/ha on it.
That is more likely.
I'd cut that some time this week

GrasstoMilk

oxjkqg wrote: »

Put EasyFix in last week a good job, interlock no need for bolting down

Did they cost much?

C4d78

degetme wrote: »

Going with more fertiliser today. Would ordinary urea be ok in this dry weather? No rain forecast.

That’s what I went with this morning anyhow. These were on fields with a good cover of grass on them thou. I’d be slow putting it out in bare fields.
What are others thoughts? Is UREA safe this week?

uck51js9zml2yt

Finally it's happening. My contractor called me about spreading slurry on the field this week.

If I can get that done and the veggie garden ploughed while I'm away I'll be happy.

Keepgrowing

degetme wrote: »

Going with more fertiliser today. Would ordinary urea be ok in this dry weather? No rain forecast.

Perfect urea weather

uck51js9zml2yt

How soon after slurry should I look at fertiliser?
I've urea, 18-12-6 and gran lime sitting on a pallet in the shed?

Never wrestle with pigs

freedominacup wrote: »

Cut it this week. Re apply fert for first cut. You should have top quality stuff. Ted it if N is a concern.

Ya cutting it Wednesday and tedding Thursday and Friday and baleing Saturday all going well. Another lad down the road knocking Today so im not the only lunatic, lol.

degetme

How soon can you graze a cover of grass with cows ie 1500 after it getting a bag of protected urea per acre?

Say my name

Never wrestle with pigs wrote: »

Ya cutting it Wednesday and tedding Thursday and Friday and baleing Saturday all going well. Another lad down the road knocking Today so im not the only lunatic, lol.

I see someone else cutting two fields near Camolin today.

Any other year this would be unusual carry on.

Did you test the sugars in it after?

Keepgrowing

degetme wrote: »

How soon can you graze a cover of grass with cows ie 1500 after it getting a bag of protected urea per acre?

Within 10 minutes

Never wrestle with pigs

Say my name wrote: »

I see someone else cutting two fields near Camolin today.

Any other year this would be unusual carry on.

Did you test the sugars in it after?

Getting tested tomorrow or Wednesday, what ever day I get a chance to get in. Didn't get in today with work. I'll definitely do it and post up results for the crack.

Never wrestle with pigs

Never wrestle with pigs wrote: »

Getting tested tomorrow or Wednesday, what ever day I get a chance to get in. Didn't get in today with work. I'll definitely do it and post up results for the crack.

Rang me back there now and said that they were 6 for sugar. Didn't get a slip off him yet or anything. That would be fairly good for now I think?

Say my name

Never wrestle with pigs wrote: »

Rang me back there now and said that they were 6 for sugar. Didn't get a slip off him yet or anything. That would be fairly good for now I think?

Not an expert but isn't it anything above 4 is suitable for silage without inoculant.
Got my own grass tested for sugar in Feb and it came back as 6 too. Which came as a shock to the tester for the time of year.
But 6 is excellent for silage I was told.

We've had no frost this year of any note and seemingly the sugars have stayed high with the fresh growing grass and available nitrogen.

Mooooo

Milk back up and protein creeping up now that cow's are back on grass full time again. Protein went back to 3.1 and is back up to 3.33 with last result altho that is from 2 collections ago. Dairygold slow at the moment with results. Got no text on the collections when they were inside fulltime then 3 the one day as cow were on the way back out by day. Hoping protein will go a bit higher. On grass and 5 to 6 kgs ration, doing over 27 litres on average which I'm happy with as 45% heifers milking at the minute. 15 left to calve.

whelan2

Dosed here this morning, last thing I want to do is to milk cows. Phone didn't charge last night either...

Dakota Dan

Mooooo wrote: »

Milk back up and protein creeping up now that cow's are back on grass full time again. Protein went back to 3.1 and is back up to 3.33 with last result altho that is from 2 collections ago. Dairygold slow at the moment with results. Got no text on the collections when they were inside fulltime then 3 the one day as cow were on the way back out by day. Hoping protein will go a bit higher. On grass and 5 to 6 kgs ration, doing over 27 litres on average which I'm happy with as 45% heifers milking at the minute. 15 left to calve.

Yeah, dairygold are dead slow with the results. I see they are cracking down on chlorates on milk this year.

Mooooo

Dakota Dan wrote: »

Yeah, dairygold are dead slow with the results. I see they are cracking down on chlorates on milk this year.

Looking to remove any chlorine products from washing afaik. Haven't got a tcm result

alps

Are they just asking nicely, or imposing fines?

visatorro

Mooooo wrote: »

Looking to remove any chlorine products from washing afaik. Haven't got a tcm result

That's the story with glanbia this while, no chlorine or iodine products used.

Mooooo

alps wrote: »

Are they just asking nicely, or imposing fines?

Tcm used to just say high or ok, no fine as such. Haven't had a txt result with months

Dakota Dan

Mooooo wrote: »

Looking to remove any chlorine products from washing afaik. Haven't got a tcm result

I think they only test once a year but if it’s high they will retest and advise you to use something chlorine free.

visatorro

Fert spread today by contractor . 4eur/acre regardless of application rate. He'd do more in the few hours than I would in the week.
What are people paying for bulk spreading?

408eur for 18-6-12 btw, glanbia.

tanko

€375 for 18-6-12 here for small amounts.

visatorro

tanko wrote: »

€375 for 18-6-12 here for small amounts.

Doh!

Timmaay

Hmmm that late march/early April madness, today going on here we have had vet out to a sick cow, calves with scour, hard enough heifer calved, selling calves at the mart, contractor agitating and spreading slurry, spreading fertiliser (alongside having to fix the spreader), organising for bales to be made, planting some trees, moving stock, I duno what they do be dreaming when they say dairying can be a one man show, must be 10 different lads involved here today.

Romaine

Timmaay wrote: »

Hmmm that late march/early April madness, today going on here we have had vet out to a sick cow, calves with scour, hard enough heifer calved, selling calves at the mart, contractor agitating and spreading slurry, spreading fertiliser (alongside having to fix the spreader), organising for bales to be made, planting some trees, moving stock, I duno what they do be dreaming when they say dairying can be a one man show, must be 10 different lads involved here today.

Got up at six, had a coffee, checked the last few stragglers to calve, took another coffee on the quad down to the milkers, moved the fence and froze solid for a bit, milked them, fed the calves and went to 'work', came home at 2 fed the calves that are OAD, sat on a bale of straw for half an hour reading a book, currently doing some largely unnecessary pipe work.

It's all relative.

visatorro

How do I calculate my milk solids?

Dairy farmer 101 I'd imagine but I'm a bit slow!

trixi2011

visatorro wrote: »

How do I calculate my milk solids?

Dairy farmer 101 I'd imagine but I'm a bit slow!

Litres per cow * 1.03 to covert to kg
Fat + protien added together then divide by 100
Multiply answer by kg milk

Mooooo

Multiply your litres by 1.03.
Divide by 100 and multiply by the combination of your solids then
27x1.03=27.81
27.81/100 = 0.2781
0.2781x 7.4 =2.0579kgms
Edit to be correct multiply before division but in this case same difference