Dairy Chitchat 3

K.G.

Base price wrote: »

Are you sure that figure is correct?
According to official figures (bord bia) cow slaughter figures are up 12,844 on the same time as last year and are up 1,171 from the same week last year.
https://www.bordbia.ie/industry/farmers/pricetracking/cattle/pages/supplies.aspx

Must admit it was quoted at discusdion group so im not 100% sure of the context .i take it that 13k includes suckler slaughtering.

Base price

K.G. wrote: »

Must admit it was quoted at discusdion group so im not 100% sure of the context .i take it that 13k includes suckler slaughtering.

Yes it would. I don't know if there is a section to see what the split is per grade but it would be a good indicator of dairy cow numbers.

K.G.

Calfscour wrote: »

I think there was more dairy farmers at the time. More or less the same amount of cows now but on farms with higher stocking rate.

If that be the case dosent it make perfect sense that dairy famers buy silage off neighbouring farmers who are now understocked.......only joking.bottom line every one can do whatever suits themselved.by the way , hasnt larry goodman built a system based on people continueing to supply under the cost if production

Water John

I would wish Dairygold well with new products and brands. Hope they don't sell them off again.

Calfscour

Base price wrote: »

Are you sure that figure is correct?
According to official figures (bord bia) cow slaughter figures are up 12,844 on the same time as last year and are up 1,171 from the same week last year.
https://www.bordbia.ie/industry/farmers/pricetracking/cattle/pages/supplies.aspx

2000 cattle a week being killed in the local factory here at the moment

Mooooo

Gawddawggonnit wrote: »

If there’s plenty slurry storage, why were farmers firing slurry over ditches onto saturated ground last Dec/Jan?

If the climate is changing to longer winters, then surely more slurry storage is an absolute necessity?

Tbh it's the inflexibility of some rules is as much an issue. There was a period in November where conditions were fine for slurry spreading and it wasn't allowed. Then in the open period weather initially weather was poor. In the position where I have storage over and above but cut off dates based on the calendar isn't right either. I think most people view slurry as an asset now as oppossed to something to get rid off. Tbh I agree with the majority of your points re having silage and storage i just think a lot it is overplayed. Indeed the dep and teagasc should be suiting things to our own climate as it is different from Europe and nz but inflexibility from European beurocrats doesn't help

orm0nd

Anyone else getting irregular test results from Arrabawn? Even getting results for days we had no collection

freedominacup

Mooooo wrote: »

Tbh it's the inflexibility of some rules is as much an issue. There was a period in November where conditions were fine for slurry spreading and it wasn't allowed. Then in the open period weather initially weather was poor. In the position where I have storage over and above but cut off dates based on the calendar isn't right either. I think most people view slurry as an asset now as oppossed to something to get rid off. Tbh I agree with the majority of your points re having silage and storage i just think a lot it is overplayed. Indeed the dep and teagasc should be suiting things to our own climate as it is different from Europe and nz but inflexibility from European beurocrats doesn't help

Slurry rules are very flexible. It's our interpretation of it that causes the trouble. Irish solution to an Irish problem which as usual is a fudge with predictable disastrous results.

whelan2

In my area you are to have 16 weeks storage. Last winter you really needed 26 weeks storage.

GrasstoMilk

Gawddawggonnit wrote: »

Balansa/Micheli clover is far from ‘monster’ clover. It only grows to about the height of your knees. There’s clovers that’ll grow to the height of your shoulders...and fix N in the soil for at least two years.
Wrote plenty bullcrap about different clovers on here a while back.

I’ll wager a penny to a pound that if you planted a cc, it’s either westershyte or redstart?

Planted none after. Have enough fodder saved for 4 months which is 2 months short than I would like but we should be okay.........



.............waits for the replays of how my business is absolutely wanked........

mahoney_j

orm0nd wrote: »

Anyone else getting irregular test results from Arrabawn? Even getting results for days we had no collection

Yes and I’ve gotten one yesterday with off the chart low results for fat and protein ,neighbour is same ,phone call in am

Timmaay

My main relief milker, a young lad with no farming background, he rocked up to the farm here just over a yr ago having never milked a cow before, with no idea if he was even gonna stick out ag sci, he's off to NZ tomorrow for 6months anyways on a dairyfarm, great to see someone progress along like that. Back to doing most the milkings myself now ha.

visatorro

Timmaay wrote:

My main relief milker, a young lad with no farming background, he rocked up to the farm here just over a yr ago having never milked a cow before, with no idea if he was even gonna stick out ag sci, he's off to NZ tomorrow for 6months anyways on a dairyfarm, great to see someone progress along like that. Back to doing most the milkings myself now ha.

You trained him well!!

orm0nd

mahoney_j wrote: »

Yes and I’ve gotten one yesterday with off the chart low results for fat and protein ,neighbour is same ,phone call in am

J. must be on the sauce !!!!

mahoney_j

orm0nd wrote: »

J. must be on the sauce !!!!

I wish !!

whelan2

Any idea what second calved autumn calving cows are making?

freedominacup

whelan2 wrote: »

In my area you are to have 16 weeks storage. Last winter you really needed 26 weeks storage.

Storage isn't really the issue. Being able to spread the stuff when you'll get the best response is. Passed an agri contractors yard last night. He was featured on the journal last year. Specialises in a couple of jobs. Baling and slurry would be his mainstays. Three 2.5k tankers in the yard. All now fitted with trailing shoes. In the journal piece he didn't think he'd be fitting them for quite a few years as farmers weren't willing to pay for the extra time involved in using them. Things move on fairly fast at times.

visatorro

whelan2 wrote:

Any idea what second calved autumn calving cows are making?

No idea but its hard to see a massive demand unless milk comes up a few cent.

Base price

Water John wrote: »

I would wish Dairygold well with new products and brands. Hope they don't sell them off again.

Sorta seems ironic that vegans would buy Veganarella cheese from a dairy co-op.

Keepgrowing

whelan2 wrote: »

Any idea what second calved autumn calving cows are making?

€1300

Wildsurfer

Gawddawggonnit wrote: »

If there’s plenty slurry storage, why were farmers firing slurry over ditches onto saturated ground last Dec/Jan?

If the climate is changing to longer winters, then surely more slurry storage is an absolute necessity?

Ill admit to being one of those farmers who was short of storage last winter and had to break a few rules to keep slurry levels down. Still in expansion phase here and funds are tight as a result. It's not that I didn't have enough storage because I like the hardship of going out every day seeing tanks full, I was just tring to get cows on the ground first to pay for it. I built tanks this year and now have enough storage but with the year that came it will put cashflow under pressure for rest of year but at least its done now. I see a lot of tanks being constructed around me at the moment so a lot in the same boat. Dawg you might remember that quotas are only gone a few years and we are still finding our feet, have a little compassion, we are trying, honestly!

Injuryprone

freedominacup wrote: »

Storage isn't really the issue. Being able to spread the stuff when you'll get the best response is. Passed an agri contractors yard last night. He was featured on the journal last year. Specialises in a couple of jobs. Baling and slurry would be his mainstays. Three 2.5k tankers in the yard. All now fitted with trailing shoes. In the journal piece he didn't think he'd be fitting them for quite a few years as farmers weren't willing to pay for the extra time involved in using them. Things move on fairly fast at times.

New derogation rules are probably forcing people's hands

Gawddawggonnit

Timmaay wrote: »

My main relief milker, a young lad with no farming background, he rocked up to the farm here just over a yr ago having never milked a cow before, with no idea if he was even gonna stick out ag sci, he's off to NZ tomorrow for 6months anyways on a dairyfarm, great to see someone progress along like that. Back to doing most the milkings myself now ha.

I’ve had several Irish lads here that claim to ‘love’ milking cows...works fine until they see others off doing tillage work. Doesn’t be long before they start using words like hate, detest etc.

Seems the narrative ‘cows are the only show in town’ wears thin fairly lively.
Labor is becoming almost impossible to find. Tractor jockeys are freely available..,

Gawddawggonnit

whelan2 wrote: »

In my area you are to have 16 weeks storage. Last winter you really needed 26 weeks storage.

No getting away from that.
Thanks for your honesty.

Gawddawggonnit

freedominacup wrote: »

Storage isn't really the issue. Being able to spread the stuff when you'll get the best response is. Passed an agri contractors yard last night. He was featured on the journal last year. Specialises in a couple of jobs. Baling and slurry would be his mainstays. Three 2.5k tankers in the yard. All now fitted with trailing shoes. In the journal piece he didn't think he'd be fitting them for quite a few years as farmers weren't willing to pay for the extra time involved in using them. Things move on fairly fast at times.

Storage is an issue.


Stop digging.

Gawddawggonnit

Wildsurfer wrote: »

Ill admit to being one of those farmers who was short of storage last winter and had to break a few rules to keep slurry levels down. Still in expansion phase here and funds are tight as a result. It's not that I didn't have enough storage because I like the hardship of going out every day seeing tanks full, I was just tring to get cows on the ground first to pay for it. I built tanks this year and now have enough storage but with the year that came it will put cashflow under pressure for rest of year but at least its done now. I see a lot of tanks being constructed around me at the moment so a lot in the same boat. Dawg you might remember that quotas are only gone a few years and we are still finding our feet, have a little compassion, we are trying, honestly!

Thanks for your honesty.

To quote Pat McCormack of the ICMSA “we had 30 years of quota restrictions, there can’t be environmental restrictions just lumped on the sector now”,....says it all really.

Something to read...


http://greennews.ie/time-state-put-ireland-forefront-climate-action-committee/

alps

The warning went out loud and clear from the department at the start of the year about slurry storage capacity. Derogation will be pulled from anyone who does not have enough, and correctly so...it was a requirement anyway in the first place. It was an intrinsic cost to expansion, the same as the cow, milking units, cubicle space, calving space, calf accommodation, but of course it was the final piece to be considered on most farm's.

Most farmers, even those with the required storage, had capacity issues last winter. Many dealt with the issue responsibly, but the carry on of more was outrageous...an attack on the environment, and an attack on farmings good standing.

I'm sorry, but I lost patience with it last winter, as someone in derogation since its inception, our business will only stay in existence with its continuation, and the carry on of a few makes it an ever more likely conclusion.

simx

Anyone buy an auto calf feeder lately? Thinking strongly of it here, any prices?

Gawddawggonnit

alps wrote: »

The warning went out loud and clear from the department at the start of the year about slurry storage capacity. Derogation will be pulled from anyone who does not have enough, and correctly so...it was a requirement anyway in the first place. It was an intrinsic cost to expansion, the same as the cow, milking units, cubicle space, calving space, calf accommodation, but of course it was the final piece to be considered on most farm's.

Most farmers, even those with the required storage, had capacity issues last winter. Many dealt with the issue responsibly, but the carry on of more was outrageous...an attack on the environment, and an attack on farmings good standing.

I'm sorry, but I lost patience with it last winter, as someone in derogation since its inception, our business will only stay in existence with its continuation, and the carry on of a few makes it an ever more likely conclusion.

+1.

GrasstoMilk

Anyone watching the thatsfarming Snapchat account yesterday ? 260 cows and he used one AI bull exclusively across the whole herd. Do lads not take any advice on board? That's just pure reckless.

whelan2

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

Anyone watching the thatsfarming Snapchat account yesterday ? 260 cows and he used one AI bull exclusively across the whole herd. Do lads not take any advice on board? That's just pure reckless.

What happened? Was it a proven bull at least

mahoney_j

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

Anyone watching the thatsfarming Snapchat account yesterday ? 260 cows and he used one AI bull exclusively across the whole herd. Do lads not take any advice on board? That's just pure reckless.

It twas proven bull no issue

yosemitesam1

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

Anyone watching the thatsfarming Snapchat account yesterday ? 260 cows and he used one AI bull exclusively across the whole herd. Do lads not take any advice on board? That's just pure reckless.

But do large proportions with a single grass variety and you're progressive...

Wildsurfer

mahoney_j wrote: »

It twas proven bull no issue

He must have really liked that bull, do you know what bull it was? Or did he just want uniformity in herd? I have the opposite problem, see so many bulls I'd like to try I find it difficult to stay below 7 different ones!

mahoney_j

Wildsurfer wrote: »

He must have really liked that bull, do you know what bull it was? Or did he just want uniformity in herd? I have the opposite problem, see so many bulls I'd like to try I find it difficult to stay below 7 different ones!

No idea as don’t bother with Snapchat ,I’d be same 6/7 bulls but I use mostly genomic sires

Mooooo

6 or 7 here as well, a lot of genomics. Sfz was the bull I think, 165 ebi 10 yr old good milk figures but fert at 20 euro. Each to their own shir. That figure may have gone up or down on latest run I dunno

simx

Mooooo wrote: »

6 or 7 here as well, a lot of genomics. Sfz was the bull I think, 165 ebi 10 yr old good milk figures but fert at 20 euro. Each to their own shir. That figure may have gone up or down on latest run I dunno

Fert still the same, going by milk recording figures he’s nothing to boast about tbh, figures that some br Fr would match and top too

Timmaay

Gawddawggonnit wrote: »

I’ve had several Irish lads here that claim to ‘love’ milking cows...works fine until they see others off doing tillage work. Doesn’t be long before they start using words like hate, detest etc.

Seems the narrative ‘cows are the only show in town’ wears thin fairly lively.
Labor is becoming almost impossible to find. Tractor jockeys are freely available..,

Did you not admit straight out you yourself had to do the hateful, detesting job of milking in the 40degrees heat afew weeks back when a milker didn't show? At least the tractor has a/c ha. Did you put in a fan of some sort in the parlour after? Any other reasonably easy to fix complaints from milkers to help improve morale?

straight

Gawddawggonnit wrote: »

I’ve had several Irish lads here that claim to ‘love’ milking cows...works fine until they see others off doing tillage work. Doesn’t be long before they start using words like hate, detest etc.

Seems the narrative ‘cows are the only show in town’ wears thin fairly lively.
Labor is becoming almost impossible to find. Tractor jockeys are freely available..,

Just get robots. Simples...

MF290

Gawddawggonnit wrote: »

I’ve had several Irish lads here that claim to ‘love’ milking cows...works fine until they see others off doing tillage work. Doesn’t be long before they start using words like hate, detest etc.

Seems the narrative ‘cows are the only show in town’ wears thin fairly lively.
Labor is becoming almost impossible to find. Tractor jockeys are freely available..,

If you’re stuck doing the same thing it gets boring. Could they not do a bit of both. After a couple of days stuck in a tractor even painting bitumen on old sheds is a break

Gawddawggonnit

simx wrote: »

Anyone buy an auto calf feeder lately? Thinking strongly of it here, any prices?

Thinking on buying another to stop having to truck horseboxs full of calves between farms.
I’ll start pricing around when I’ve time. It’d be interesting to compare notes.

Gawddawggonnit

Timmaay wrote: »

Did you not admit straight out you yourself had to do the hateful, detesting job of milking in the 40degrees heat afew weeks back when a milker didn't show? At least the tractor has a/c ha. Did you put in a fan of some sort in the parlour after? Any other reasonably easy to fix complaints from milkers to help improve morale?

I put two fans in the parlor. They were left going all day so that anyone near the yard could pop in for a shower and then cool down in front of the fans.

Nobody wants to be working in the ‘sh1t pit’ when there’s much easier work available...and could you blame them?

Gawddawggonnit

straight wrote: »

Just get robots. Simples...

Absolutely!!

...just the €1+ million investment wouldn’t sit well with me.

Gawddawggonnit

MF290 wrote: »

If you’re stuck doing the same thing it gets boring. Could they not do a bit of both. After a couple of days stuck in a tractor even painting bitumen on old sheds is a break

Dairy men/women shouldn’t be left anywhere near kit.

A recent dairy hand was telling me he was an accomplished hedgecutter driver...he somehow managed to do €6k damage to the cab after an hours hedgecutting.
I then sent him with the lads that were planting. They rang after a couple of hours and pleaded to take him away.

I actually prefer people that have no experience whatsoever in dairy, but the tillage side is quite the opposite. Years of experience is always a plus for drivers, and being born into a tillage farm is even better.

jaymla627

Gawddawggonnit wrote: »

Absolutely!!

...just the €1+ million investment wouldn’t sit well with me.

You’d have to question running costs too, when delaval maintaince contracts are starting at 1 cent a litre of total milk produced, having to shell out 10 grand plus a year on top of paying for the things is fairly off-putting

Gawddawggonnit

jaymla627 wrote: »

You’d have to question running costs too, when delaval maintaince contracts are starting at 1 cent a litre of total milk produced, having to shell out 10 grand plus a year on top of paying for the things is fairly off-putting

It wouldn’t even cross my mind. I’m way too old to invest in machines that are worthless after a few months work...

Timmaay

Gawddawggonnit wrote: »

Dairy men/women shouldn’t be left anywhere near kit.

A recent dairy hand was telling me he was an accomplished hedgecutter driver...he somehow managed to do €6k damage to the cab after an hours hedgecutting.
I then sent him with the lads that were planting. They rang after a couple of hours and pleaded to take him away.

I actually prefer people that have no experience whatsoever in dairy, but the tillage side is quite the opposite. Years of experience is always a plus for drivers, and being born into a tillage farm is even better.

Agreed fully. One total milking newbie I left him on his own after 3 milkings, no major bother on him, he took his time and followed the reasonably well laid out instructions. Being a skilled tractor driver takes years of experience, especially things like loader work etc. The only real tractor work I bother letting inexperienced employees on with here are things like topping, slurry spreading etc. Loader work is generally kept to the minimum, and I've every laid out easy for them, it's where I like still using ring feeders ha, hard to fook up putting afew grabs or bale into a feeder, feed face fookups involve putting wayyy too much on one side, then driving over feed (with dirty tires if they really wanna annoy me ha) to try drag it back, reversing into stuff in the feed passage etc.

simx

Gawddawggonnit wrote: »

Thinking on buying another to stop having to truck horseboxs full of calves between farms.
I’ll start pricing around when I’ve time. It’d be interesting to compare notes.

Prob price some at ploughing if I go

Gawddawggonnit

Timmaay wrote: »

Agreed fully. One total milking newbie I left him on his own after 3 milkings, no major bother on him, he took his time and followed the reasonably well laid out instructions. Being a skilled tractor driver takes years of experience, especially things like loader work etc. The only real tractor work I bother letting inexperienced employees on with here are things like topping, slurry spreading etc. Loader work is generally kept to the minimum, and I've every laid out easy for them, it's where I like still using ring feeders ha, hard to fook up putting afew grabs or bale into a feeder, feed face fookups involve putting wayyy too much on one side, then driving over feed (with dirty tires if they really wanna annoy me ha) to try drag it back, reversing into stuff in the feed passage etc.

Lol.
That’s exactly the type of individual you never ever let loose in a field.

Gawddawggonnit

Gawddawggonnit wrote: »

Something to read...


http://greennews.ie/time-state-put-ireland-forefront-climate-action-committee/

Just for balance here’s Mr McCormack (ICMSA) views on the Citizens’ Assembly...

http://icmsa.ie/2018/07/mccormack-lashes-unquestioning-acceptance-granted-to-citizens-assembly-by-oireachtas-climate-change-report/