Dairy Chitchat 3

Brown Podzol

ozil10 wrote: »

I have aubrac bulls the last two years.
Fine looking calves but a pain in the hole to rear.
Very poor to drink
What breed aubrac bulls do you have
Mine were off Dolby and Capatain

Mine are twin bulls by a stock bull and the dam is by a stock bull as well. Bizet second bull on the sire side and Monnier Pasatour second bulll on the dams side. I wouldn’t know much about the breeding, were two good looking bulls last year when I bought them but the projected 1.6% calving difficulty was a big plus for me.

Mooooo

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

https://www.farmersjournal.ie/greenfield-farm-where-to-now-459779

What's it say? not signed up to that

GrasstoMilk

Mooooo wrote: »

What's it say? not signed up to that

Just Jack's thoughts on how much the dairy industry has benefited from the Greenfield project and how much more there is to be gotten from it. Thought myself they were good points.
Some wont agree but that's always the case.

I think it was a valid project, some would disagree and that's fine too

ozil10

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

Mooooo wrote: »

What's it say? not signed up to that

Just Jack's thoughts on how much the dairy industry has benefited from the Greenfield project and how much more there is to be gotten from it. Thought myself they were good points.
Some wont agree but that's always the case.

it was a valid project, some would disagree and that's fine too

I agree it was a valid project and they showed total transparency with costs etc

He still didn't know exactly the reason why glanbia have pulled the plug with 5 years still left on the lease

Wildsurfer

Mooooo wrote: »

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

https://www.farmersjournal.ie/greenfield-farm-where-to-now-459779

What's it say? not signed up to that

Can you sign up to see the journal articles for free or is there a charge?

farawaygrass

What will happen with the 5 years lease? Will they pay all rent due for 5 years or if that group of farmers take it over will they just step into their shoes and continue as it?

straight

ozil10 wrote: »

I agree it was a valid project and they showed total transparency with costs etc

He still didn't know exactly the reason why glanbia have pulled the plug with 5 years still left on the lease

I've heard they don't want to be associated with the Bobby calves image.

whelan2

straight wrote: »

I've heard they don't want to be associated with the Bobby calves image.

So will that be a condition of the next msa?

Mooooo

Glanbia have to say why they are pulling out.

mahoney_j

Hopefully the project continues but with changes to more reflect farming in Ireland not New Zealand .likewise is like to know glanbia and farm owner reasons for ending it we can all speculate as to why but no doubt last years events ,cow /calf/calving housing facilities and Bobby calf issues are no doubt behind it due to all the coverage and negative image it gives off .also blew away the myth of low cost dairying here ,it’s a long way from it if everything is costed just ignore the profit monitor figures given out

Timmaay

What weed is this? It's taken over in a strip that was hit very hard by the drought last summer. And will forefront kill it?

Waffletraktor

Timmaay wrote: »

What weed is this? It's taken over in a strip that was hit very hard by the drought last summer. And will forefront kill it?

narrowleaf plantain?

Keepgrowing

Timmaay wrote: »

What weed is this? It's taken over in a strip that was hit very hard by the drought last summer. And will forefront kill it?

Black button. The Kiwis call it Plantain or as one over zealous guy said “envirotain”. That’s when I switched off but it going to restore NZ dairy eco credentials apparently

Pastor Trio or Forefront will kill it

Waffletraktor

Keepgrowing wrote: »

Black button. The Kiwis call it Plantain or as one over zealous guy said “envirotain”. That’s when I switched off but it going to restore NZ dairy eco credentials apparently

Pastor Trio or Forefront will kill it

I might have the wrong plant but, plantain is good at hoovering up some otherwise locked up nutrients and pulling them but to the surface when they are decomposed due to it's long taproot.

whelan2

Calving has finished here -thankfully- until the Autumn. Eldest lad played a blinder while I was away

orm0nd

whelan2 wrote: »

Calving has finished here -thankfully- until the Autumn. Eldest lad played a blinder while I was away

Finished here as well. This auld lad played a blinder while Junior was away. Jaysus I'm wrecked hitting the sack shortly.

Keepgrowing

Waffletraktor wrote: »

I might have the wrong plant but, plantain is good at hoovering up some otherwise locked up nutrients and pulling them but to the surface when they are decomposed due to it's long taproot.

It is and super at hoovering urea deposited through bovine urine. Really heavily populated stand required to be effective.

Used heavily in organic pastures to do exactly as you say

Birdnuts

Waffletraktor wrote: »

I might have the wrong plant but, plantain is good at hoovering up some otherwise locked up nutrients and pulling them but to the surface when they are decomposed due to it's long taproot.

Also known to prevent worm issues in Cattle that graze on swards with it. A friend of mine who has SAC land near Hollymount in Mayo told me last year that his yearlings never need drenching when they spend the summer on the part of the farm were this plant is in the sward.

alps

Timmaay wrote: »

What weed is this? It's taken over in a strip that was hit very hard by the drought last summer. And will forefront kill it?

Easy Timmaay, if it has proven itself in a drought, should you not play the percentage game and leave it there for this summer at least...?

wrangler

Keepgrowing wrote: »

It is and super at hoovering urea deposited through bovine urine. Really heavily populated stand required to be effective.

Used heavily in organic pastures to do exactly as you say

The plantain that we saw last October is very different to whats's wild in the fields now, Would the wild stuff have the same qualities, With Timaays mangement it'll probably die off naturally anyway,

Timmaay

alps wrote: »

Easy Timmaay, if it has proven itself in a drought, should you not play the percentage game and leave it there for this summer at least...?

This is an outside block that I can only cut silage off, I reseeded it last May, which was the worst possible time given the drought, it just about struck, didn't get any post emergence spray, all I could do was top the weeds in August, and thankfully mostly just grass came back. I got a reasonable crop of bales in both October and early April off it, but there was a strip where the grass is alot thinner with mostly that weed in, this weed was only 5/6 inches high against a foot high of good grass, so there is no real option to leave it there now. The plan is to go with forefront ASAP while the weeds (plenty docks also) are getting going, so hopefully this will solve my problems now. If I was to do anything with it I'd stitch in some clover to reduce the nitrogen I need to spread on it, I'd happily take the early and late season reduction in grass growth, because its hard to preserve early and late cuts of silage.

yosemitesam1

wrangler wrote: »

The plantain that we saw last October is very different to whats's wild in the fields now, Would the wild stuff have the same qualities, With Timaays mangement it'll probably die off naturally anyway,

Only difference with the wild stuff is it's lower growing and much more prostrate so suppresses grass more

Say my name

This forecast stuff on the milk statement is lovely.
You're supposed to contact your milk manager if the supply is 10% below the forecast.

I'm on a par with last year's supply but I'm 23% below the forecast set for me for the month. I don't see the point of this crap bar to push you to produce more at all costs.
I suppose it keeps someone in a job.

Timmaay

Say my name wrote: »

This forecast stuff on the milk statement is lovely.
You're supposed to contact your milk manager if the supply is 10% below the forecast.

I'm on a par with last year's supply but I'm 23% below the forecast set for me for the month. I don't see the point of this crap bar to push you to produce more at all costs.
I suppose it keeps someone in a job.

Hahah nearly every forecast survey I've sent in I've wildly overestimated, like back 5yrs ago when I was totally green and singing purely off the teagasc post quota hymnsheet I thought I'd be ramping up 100kl at least every year ha.

Say my name

Timmaay wrote: »

Hahah nearly every forecast survey I've sent in I've wildly overestimated, like back 5yrs ago when I was totally green and singing purely off the teagasc post quota hymnsheet I thought I'd be ramping up 100kl at least every year ha.

I didn't fill out the forecast survey that came out in the post. Truth be told I lost the form. But the manager was badgering me with text messages non stop to get it in. So he finally phoned me up and we did it over the phone. I told him I couldn't expand anymore as I'm landlocked so to put down the same as last year. Then the question came up about would I get a zero grazer? I've no interest in that rooting so that box was ticked.

whelan2

Say my name wrote: »

This forecast stuff on the milk statement is lovely.
You're supposed to contact your milk manager if the supply is 10% below the forecast.

I'm on a par with last year's supply but I'm 23% below the forecast set for me for the month. I don't see the point of this crap bar to push you to produce more at all costs.
I suppose it keeps someone in a job.

I supplied 20% more litres than last April. The weather last April was brutal. You can't plan for the weather.

Say my name

whelan2 wrote: »

I supplied 20% more litres than last April. The weather last April was brutal. You can't plan for the weather.

The only good thing I suppose is they can say (in my case anyway) that production is less than forecast so we'll have to increase prices..

Mooooo

The main idea of forecasting is for processing capacity at peak and if there is enough there. Planned to be a good bit ahead of where I am 're supply but tb fcuked that out of the water. Still tho year on year from jan to end of this month I am the same as last year but just for April i am up 30k litres, just had no supply in Jan this year.

straight

Do any of ye give the cows extra phosphorous this time of the year. Alot of cows eating stones here

Timmaay

Anyone see the figures for a drystock farmer converting into a 70cow dairyfarm in the farming indo today. Drawings of 30k/yr, and the whole thing barely broke even!! Why would you bother...

whelan2

Ai man was saying this morning he hasn't used one jersey straw this year yet.

Reggie.

whelan2 wrote: »

Ai man was saying this morning he hasn't used one jersey straw this year yet.

Fun gone outta them

Mortelaro

whelan2 wrote: »

I supplied 20% more litres than last April. The weather last April was brutal. You can't plan for the weather.

Lorry driver here says people are way up on last year
It's making their calculations on filling the lorry difficult
Quite a bit of milk left by one lorry and collected by another the same day or left to an overnight or next day

Reggie.

Mortelaro wrote: »

Lorry driver here says people are way up on last year
It's making their calculations on filling the lorry difficult
Quite a bit of milk left by one lorry and collected by another the same day or left to an overnight or next day

Same happening to the BIL. His milk jumped 50% nearly overnight with the good weather and knocked the lorry drivers calculations off

Mooooo

whelan2 wrote: »

Ai man was saying this morning he hasn't used one jersey straw this year yet.

Rep here said same amount of straws gone out here not up or down a whole pile. Extra beef straws going out tho

kevthegaff

Usin fr 2213 and beechwood I think, some eik. Lim and hex for not so sures

straight

I see we're in for another great summer. Spanish plume on the way.

jaymla627

Timmaay wrote: »

Anyone see the figures for a drystock farmer converting into a 70cow dairyfarm in the farming indo today. Drawings of 30k/yr, and the whole thing barely broke even!! Why would you bother...

Zero difference if you went and done the same figures for a 300 cow start-up given once you go past 100 cow mark, additional labour units are needed and probably a bigger investment per cow where new sheds and a rotary/ large herringbone Parlour need to be put in, the surge of lads thinking of getting in now simply because they see dairying as the only form of farming that will return a income and not because they have a genuine intrest in going milking cows and enjoying it, won’t stick it out going forward, it’s a pretty poor lifestyle choice of your sole reason for switching is monetary driven

straight

Timmaay wrote: »

Anyone see the figures for a drystock farmer converting into a 70cow dairyfarm in the farming indo today. Drawings of 30k/yr, and the whole thing barely broke even!! Why would you bother...

30k wouldn't get you far with a young family. You'd have to like it because you certainly wouldn't be doing it for the money.

yewtree

Timmaay wrote: »

Anyone see the figures for a drystock farmer converting into a 70cow dairyfarm in the farming indo today. Drawings of 30k/yr, and the whole thing barely broke even!! Why would you bother...

I had a quick look online at the article. I actually thought it wasn't too bad for the scale of the operation. I thought the capital spend was very high aswell considering you are converting existing buildings. Also they assumed no grants were available which seems a bit daft.
On the 30k drawing if that's going into your personal account its not to bad, what Is the net figure on a 50k a year PAYE job? In terms of what goes into your personal account each month it wouldn't be much more than 30k a year.
Also no commute to work around to pick up kids from school, flexible hours.

Timmaay

Yeh, criminal only putting in a 30k wage. Should be 40k. And in fairness then, 12 or 15 more cows (let's call it 85 cows) would be alot more realistic minimum herd size for someone converting over from beef. And Jay I personally think the sweet spot is the one main man, with plenty of part time labour during the spring, and then load on as many cows as he is comfortable with, for some lads this is 90, for others this is 160!

Mortelaro

straight wrote: »

I see we're in for another great summer. Spanish plume on the way.

Not next week anyway, anything else is speculative
From MT on weather forum based on latest guidance not tabloid headlines


"
NEXT WEEK will begin to turn very cool and at times rather wet as colder air moves in from the north while the storm track drops to the south of Munster, sometimes providing moderate northeast winds and rain. Highs most days will only be around 10 to 12 C and could be even cooler in some places."

Not stellar news for mine and Timmays location

Mortelaro

My own rule of thumb is 1.5 acres per milking cow,rearing your own replacements etc.
Going beyond that is just not worth it if every 3 years the extra profits are wiped out with either bad weather or bad prices

straight

Mortelaro wrote: »

My own rule of thumb is 1.5 acres per milking cow,rearing your own replacements etc.
Going beyond that is just not worth it if every 3 years the extra profits are wiped out with either bad weather or bad prices

I'd say your not too far wrong there. Alot less pressure on the system.

GrasstoMilk

Mortelaro wrote: »

My own rule of thumb is 1.5 acres per milking cow,rearing your own replacements etc.
Going beyond that is just not worth it if every 3 years the extra profits are wiped out with either bad weather or bad prices

Does that not work out at a LU/ac?

Buford T. Justice XIX

An Australian company has proven new technology that claims to keep milk fresh for 60 days without pasteurisation and opens up the possibility of exports of fresh milk by sea to China and other foreign markets.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2019-05-01/fresh-milk-breakthrough-offers-60-day-fridge-shelf-life/11062284

GrasstoMilk

yewtree wrote: »

I had a quick look online at the article. I actually thought it wasn't too bad for the scale of the operation. I thought the capital spend was very high aswell considering you are converting existing buildings. Also they assumed no grants were available which seems a bit daft.
On the 30k drawing if that's going into your personal account its not to bad, what Is the net figure on a 50k a year PAYE job? In terms of what goes into your personal account each month it wouldn't be much more than 30k a year.
Also no commute to work around to pick up kids from school, flexible hours.

I would see nothing wrong with 30k wage being pulled out from a newly converted operation.
The 30k drawings is only an issue if your spouse isnt working, then its definitely not enough. Most spouses these days are working and mine says she thinks she'll always work (might change sometime)

wouldn't it be an alright living till you got the herd matured and humming? And as you say yew, haven't you your own hours and your own boss

Mortelaro

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

Does that not work out at a LU/ac?

Close enough and still probably tight on nitrates at that

GrasstoMilk

Mortelaro wrote: »

Close enough and still probably tight on nitrates at that

That's 2.5/ha that should be fine tbh. Derogation allows you go to 2.9lu
If all your ground was in good heart and good grass you should make ample silage at 2.5 lu

Mooooo

Buford T. Justice V wrote: »

An Australian company has proven new technology that claims to keep milk fresh for 60 days without pasteurisation and opens up the possibility of exports of fresh milk by sea to China and other foreign markets.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2019-05-01/fresh-milk-breakthrough-offers-60-day-fridge-shelf-life/11062284

The way they're going they may be short of lads to produce the milk for em