Dairy Chitchat 4, an udder new thread.

mahoney_j

kevthegaff wrote: »

Rotation very short j, were u taking out paddocks

Yes took 4 on Tuesday growth in excess of 100 day so make hay whilst sun shines will be upping n from 17 to 25 next week .stocked at 3.9 will start to lengthen rotation once current growth rates drop but by looks of weather strong growth rates will continue for next 10 days plus last 2 years havnt started to build autumn covers till September and worked really well no heavy covers to wade thru in October with poor cleanouts and growth remained stronger

K.G.

not 1 blade of grass has been silaged off the milking block this year,2 reasons our place has to get rain once a week and the big one didnt put urea before march due to weather.also resseeds very slow to move this year

straight

mahoney_j wrote: »

Yes took 4 on Tuesday growth in excess of 100 day so make hay whilst sun shines will be upping n from 17 to 25 next week .stocked at 3.9 will start to lengthen rotation once current growth rates drop but by looks of weather strong growth rates will continue for next 10 days plus last 2 years havnt started to build autumn covers till September and worked really well no heavy covers to wade thru in October with poor cleanouts and growth remained stronger

I'd say if you dropped your stocking rate you would have as much out of them and no need to be feeding bales

mahoney_j

straight wrote: »

I'd say if you dropped your stocking rate you would have as much out of them and no need to be feeding bales

Beg to differ ,feeding bales not because I don’t have the grass it’s because grass is wet .my choice to do what I’m doing and I’ve no issue with it .feom what there milking and solids there producing there paying there way handsomely .giving serious consideration to increasing Sr on milk blick further and contract rearing heifers simplifying system further and I’d still be able to make sufficient forage from outblocks to support it

straight

Fair play lad. Whatever works for you. God knows my own system is far from ideal but I'm only still finding my feet farming in my own name. My plan is to buy an outside block for heifers and silage and stock the milking block at about 2.5 to 3. And I want to get 600 kg solids out of the cows from 1 ton of ration. Think I'd like fty too to achieve that.

tismesoitis

mahoney_j wrote: »

Beg to differ ,feeding bales not because I don’t have the grass it’s because grass is wet .my choice to do what I’m doing and I’ve no issue with it .feom what there milking and solids there producing there paying there way handsomely .giving serious consideration to increasing Sr on milk blick further and contract rearing heifers simplifying system further and I’d still be able to make sufficient forage from outblocks to support it

When you say feeding bales to them roughly how many cows/bale/day. Have been pulling rocket fuel bales of the grazing platform all year and maybe its now i should be feeding a touch to keep them goin. This is my first year in milk and lots to learn yet!!

mahoney_j

straight wrote: »

Fair play lad. Whatever works for you. God knows my own system is far from ideal but I'm only still finding my feet farming in my own name. My plan is to buy an outside block for heifers and silage and stock the milking block at about 2.5 to 3. And I want to get 600 kg solids out of the cows from 1 ton of ration. Think I'd like fty too to achieve that.

Best of luck with it but to get that output your going to need a mature herd all pulling there weight and proably another half tonne .depending on how good and fertile your land is u can push Sr a lot further

mahoney_j

tismesoitis wrote: »

When you say feeding bales to them roughly how many cows/bale/day. Have been pulling rocket fuel bales of the grazing platform all year and maybe its now i should be feeding a touch to keep them goin. This is my first year in milk and lots to learn yet!!

I’m only going in on real wet days 2 bales of last years silage at 38% dm going in .i just let them in early before pm milking 2 bales would last 2 days for just over 100 cows also leaving a bit of straw which they just pick at

orm0nd

Cows access to straw for half an hour before evening milking

3.5 kgs nuts

24.8 ltrs.

B.F. 4.30
P. 3.71

2.04 kgs m.s

Castlekeeper

Anyone ever yet herpes poc on cows teats? (Unlike cow pox it can affect the udder too).

It just crept up on me as I never had it before, so I'm drafting out the few cows and milking them last. 2 of them have nasty hard swollen patches on their tits that I've to milk out by hand.

I got no great answer from the vet on it, only "try this expensive cream and the best of luck". Ithas stopped it spreading on the affected cows and stopped the weeping, but it looks like a slow cure and a long month of August.

cosatron

K.G. wrote: »

not 1 blade of grass has been silaged off the milking block this year,2 reasons our place has to get rain once a week and the big one didnt put urea before march due to weather.also resseeds very slow to move this year

Out of curiosity, how did your breeding season go without the urea.

whelan2

Castlekeeper wrote: »

Anyone ever yet herpes poc on cows teats? (Unlike cow pox it can affect the udder too).

It just crept up on me as I never had it before, so I'm drafting out the few cows and milking them last. 2 of them have nasty hard swollen patches on their tits that I've to milk out by hand.

I got no great answer from the vet on it, only "try this expensive cream and the best of luck". Ithas stopped it spreading on the affected cows and stopped the weeping, but it looks like a slow cure and a long month of August.

Would you just dry them off , or is that not possible?

GrasstoMilk

straight wrote: »

Fair play lad. Whatever works for you. God knows my own system is far from ideal but I'm only still finding my feet farming in my own name. My plan is to buy an outside block for heifers and silage and stock the milking block at about 2.5 to 3. And I want to get 600 kg solids out of the cows from 1 ton of ration. Think I'd like fty too to achieve that.

I would say from my own experience 2 5 to 3 is too low for cows from april to September, you'll be taking bales out all the time if you're grass measuring too keep it right and if you aren't grass measuring you covers will always be too strong and you wont get to your 600kg on 1 tonne meal them.

We're at 4.6 on mp atm for another few weeks ( land out for reseed and 2 paddocks taken out last week)
much easier keep the grass right at a high sr ive found

Cows milking really well at 1.95 kgs about 44% 1st and 2nd lactation.
On track to do 540 kgs

Mooooo

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

I would say from my own experience 2 5 to 3 is too low for cows from april to September, you'll be taking bales out all the time if you're grass measuring too keep it right and if you aren't grass measuring you covers will always be too strong and you wont get to your 600kg on 1 tonne meal them.

We're at 4.6 on mp atm for another few weeks ( land out for reseed and 2 paddocks taken out last week)
much easier keep the grass right at a high sr ive found

Cows milking really well at 1.95 kgs about 44% 1st and 2nd lactation.
On track to do 540 kgs

If making silage at home as no land elsewhere sr between 2.5 and 3 for the year would be right, can be pushed up to 4 for the summer to make silage then,

mahoney_j

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

I would say from my own experience 2 5 to 3 is too low for cows from april to September, you'll be taking bales out all the time if you're grass measuring too keep it right and if you aren't grass measuring you covers will always be too strong and you wont get to your 600kg on 1 tonne meal them.

We're at 4.6 on mp atm for another few weeks ( land out for reseed and 2 paddocks taken out last week)
much easier keep the grass right at a high sr ive found

Cows milking really well at 1.95 kgs about 44% 1st and 2nd lactation.
On track to do 540 kgs

Tbh think too much is made off grass measuring knowing the difference beteween a 12/14000 cover and 2 plus is cruical as well as knowing your paddocks .i do maby 6/8’ walks in a year where I’d do it as per what lads measuring do outside of that use my eye and own judgement based on weather and how I see growth rates .days ahead and weather is what I watch only cruical figure as regards grass covers for me is closing cover in November .10/15 November latest closing dates at afc of 600’.that sets farm up to open at over 1000in February .some of best lads I’d know as to how they manage there farm and grass would never grass measure but would go to lots of different farm walks and rather than soak up any figures involved would have most interest in a lads cows and grassland and how they manage both

Castlekeeper

Castlekeeper wrote: »

Anyone ever yet herpes poc on cows teats? (Unlike cow pox it can affect the udder too).

It just crept up on me as I never had it before, so I'm drafting out the few cows and milking them last. 2 of them have nasty hard swollen patches on their tits that I've to milk out by hand.

I got no great answer from the vet on it, only "try this expensive cream and the best of luck". Ithas stopped it spreading on the affected cows and stopped the weeping, but it looks like a slow cure and a long month of August.

whelan2 wrote: »

Would you just dry them off , or is that not possible?

I'd be hoping to cure it rather than dry off, this time of the year it'd be almost a death sentence for the cow.
Unless you mean to dry off the quarter?
I did that a few times and it always flared up with bad mastitis, and I'd also be wary because of the lesions that it would be very prone to flies and cross infection.

tismesoitis

Castlekeeper wrote: »

I'd be hoping to cure it rather than dry off, this time of the year it'd be almost a death sentence for the cow.
Unless you mean to dry off the quarter?
I did that a few times and it always flared up with bad mastitis, and I'd also be wary because of the lesions that it would be very prone to flies and cross infection.

I had a few cows with bovine herpes( at least thats what the vet told me). Big sores on spins that began as a blister. In the end due to desperation i tried alymicn spray and normal moistureising udder cream alternated ie one in the evening other in morning and after 4 or 5 weeks they were almost perfect. Spotless after 10 weeks

GrasstoMilk

mahoney_j wrote: »

Tbh think too much is made off grass measuring knowing the difference beteween a 12/14000 cover and 2 plus is cruical as well as knowing your paddocks .i do maby 6/8’ walks in a year where I’d do it as per what lads measuring do outside of that use my eye and own judgement based on weather and how I see growth rates .days ahead and weather is what I watch only cruical figure as regards grass covers for me is closing cover in November .10/15 November latest closing dates at afc of 600’.that sets farm up to open at over 1000in February .some of best lads I’d know as to how they manage there farm and grass would never grass measure but would go to lots of different farm walks and rather than soak up any figures involved would have most interest in a lads cows and grassland and how they manage both

Agree but that's still a form of grass measuring though, just not putting a figure on it.

I'd do 40 walks a year here and I've gotten it wrong lately, cows been going into too heavy covers for about 10 days, have it rectified now I think

Mooooo

We'll all have to put figures on it soon anyway just to keep pen pushers happy

Buford T. Justice XIX

Mooooo wrote: »

We'll all have to put figures on it soon anyway just to keep pen pushers happy

Tbh, it's like the soil test results. People can use the results to improve or they can see it like just doing the paperwork is all that's required.

mahoney_j

Buford T. Justice XIX wrote: »

Tbh, it's like the soil test results. People can use the results to improve or they can see it like just doing the paperwork is all that's required.

I fully use the soil test results as every paddock tested yearly but grass measuring as regards figures for me anyway will just be a box ticking exercise more important to know your paddocks walk thru them reguraly and react to what’s in front of you

GrasstoMilk

Looking at putting a tank inside in an existing shed here atm.

The options are

double 10ft
12ft + 10ft slat - double tank
Or 20 ft slat with no wall in the middle

The 20ft with no wall in the middle is same price as the double 10ft but I'll have 1ft more storage with that due to no wall

So its either a full 20ft or a 12ft plus 10ft slatted tank.

My question is would the 20ft tank be hard agitate with thick slurry?
We have a double 12 ft tank as is and that's handy enough mix up - its outside atm though

Theres 25e per ft difference in the full 20 ft tank vs the 12+10ft tank
I'll most likely be going with the 12+10 ft tank to maximize storage but it all depends on what we meet when digging

mr.stonewall

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

Looking at putting a tank inside in an existing shed here atm.

The options are

double 10ft
12ft + 10ft slat - double tank
Or 20 ft slat with no wall in the middle

The 20ft with no wall in the middle is same price as the double 10ft but I'll have 1ft more storage with that due to no wall

So its either a full 20ft or a 12ft plus 10ft slatted tank.

My question is would the 20ft tank be hard agitate with thick slurry?
We have a double 12 ft tank as is and that's handy enough mix up - its outside atm though

Theres 25e per ft difference in the full 20 ft tank vs the 12+10ft tank
I'll most likely be going with the 12+10 ft tank to maximize storage but it all depends on what we meet when digging

The span and longevity of 20 ft slat would turn me off them. Serious weight and moving load on it. Will the 20ft need extra endbearing and or wall thickness. Small cost extra for the 12ft and 10 ft would lean me towards them for peace of mind

Wildsurfer

Never even knew you could get a 20' slat, thought 16'6" was the longest, but I presume if they're selling them they are willing to stand over them and are engineered to last. Probably a serious amount of rebar in them. Will you ever need to drive on them? Wouldn't see an issue agitating anyways

GrasstoMilk

Wildsurfer wrote: »

Never even knew you could get a 20' slat, thought 16'6" was the longest, but I presume if they're selling them they are willing to stand over them and are engineered to last. Probably a serious amount of rebar in them. Will you ever need to drive on them? Wouldn't see an issue agitating anyways

Drumderry make them. Rated for 8t per slat.
With the double 12 +' 10ft tank I'm only really gaining 1ft extra due to the wall.

Could go and put pillars and beams in but that would be more expensive again

mf240

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

Drumderry make them. Rated for 8t per slat.
With the double 12 +' 10ft tank I'm only really gaining 1ft extra due to the wall.

Could go and put pillars and beams in but that would be more expensive again

You'll need a beam at each end on the centre wall either ways.

If you can get down put in 9 foot deep. Will cost very little extra.

Timmaay

10ft deep seems to be fairly normal these days in tanks. If its grant spec though the 10ft deep requires a crazy extra amount of steel, but if not grant spec it's a cheap extra ft of slurry storage.

GrasstoMilk

mf240 wrote: »

You'll need a beam at each end on the centre wall either ways.

If you can get down put in 9 foot deep. Will cost very little extra.

1ft wall the length of the tank with a gap left at either end for slurry to move around
Outside slats sit on the outside wall and 1ft or so on the internal wall at the corner.
That's the way the last tank is done.

Fall on the shed it's going in so itll be 9ft one end and 7.5ft the other

K.G.

if tanks are up over 60 70 ft in lenght is it an idea to let them separate.i have 3 90 ft tanks beside each other and find it handy as you only agitate what you are going to spread and i find that usually thats what ground i have to spread.also i can pump water back and forth -i might steal watery stuff from one tank and pump in dairy washing later.

Wildsurfer

K.G. wrote: »

if tanks are up over 60 70 ft in lenght is it an idea to let them separate.i have 3 90 ft tanks beside each other and find it handy as you only agitate what you are going to spread and i find that usually thats what ground i have to spread.also i can pump water back and forth -i might steal watery stuff from one tank and pump in dairy washing later.

Is it not an extra job transferring from one tank to another during the winter and a busy spring when one starts overflowing and another is half empty? Could you have left a door at the very top of tank to overcome this?