Dairy Chitchat 4, an udder new thread.

roosterman71

Has anyone got a link to a more up to date eProfit book than the 2018 one?
https://www.teagasc.ie/media/website/publications/2019/eProfit-Book-2018.pdf

Mf310

Mooooo wrote: »

Have ye started breeding? will start the cows Monday, have the heifers coiled will fix time on thurs. Will scan any cows that haven't been in heat next week as well

tanko wrote: »

Are you going to Ai the heifers yourself or get a tech to do them seeing as it's your first year at it?
They can be tricky enough to do.

Yeah have tech booked for an hour tomorrow have done 2 for another lad and found them alright but getting tech to help me regardless

straight

Timmaay wrote: »

34 heifer's in that group, getting them incalf over the next few weeks is the much more immediate task. The rough aim would be to sell theses ones off the stock bulls, however if I'm short I'll keep them. Does genotyping help tell me their sire? I'm not going to hugely overthink it all, they will represent a small enough fraction of my herd if they do end up as milkers.

You could genotype the heifer calves alright.

straight

I've been planning on getting a heat detection system and getting rid of the bulls for a while. They're some pain around the place for 40+ weeks of the year doing nothing. I actually only leave mine with the cows for 8 weeks which could easily be 2. This evening leaving out the cows (3 in heat), the bull had enough and came charging through 3 wires to get his hole. I understand his pain but there was no way I was going to be calving in January. There i was standing with no stick and it was me or him. 75 cows behind me and the wire open and a big 1 ton angus in front of me frothing at the mouth. Luckily I won the duel this time but who knows next time. When you reflect after it's not really on to be standing in front of a bull like that and kicking and punching him. 4 young kids and a middle aged wife in the house waiting for me to come in. Heat time tags I'd say or whatever they're called.

Freejin

Mind yourself number 1! Similar situation here, although no incidents like you're describing touch wood. Bull with the cows for 7weeks and a nuisance around the place for the other 45. Have a younger and older generation around the farm also, so would love to go all AI. Something to aim for over the next few years.

whelan2

Alot of lads just buy a few bulls and sell them as soon as breeding is over, why keep them if you're not using them ?

kevthegaff

I'm renting the bulls off alad this year, feck this parting with 10k for 4 bulls

whelan2

kevthegaff wrote: »

I'm renting the bulls off alad this year, feck this parting with 10k for 4 bulls

How much does it cost to rent them? What happens if one gets injured?

kevthegaff

whelan2 wrote: »

How much does it cost to rent them? What happens if one gets injured?

6-700 each, not sure about the second question

Morris Moss

kevthegaff wrote: »

I'm renting the bulls off alad this year, feck this parting with 10k for 4 bulls

I wouldn't be telling anyone that Kev, department caught a neighbour last year, some nosey fcuker obviously reported him.

GrasstoMilk

straight wrote: »

I've been planning on getting a heat detection system and getting rid of the bulls for a while. They're some pain around the place for 40+ weeks of the year doing nothing. I actually only leave mine with the cows for 8 weeks which could easily be 2. This evening leaving out the cows (3 in heat), the bull had enough and came charging through 3 wires to get his hole. I understand his pain but there was no way I was going to be calving in January. There i was standing with no stick and it was me or him. 75 cows behind me and the wire open and a big 1 ton angus in front of me frothing at the mouth. Luckily I won the duel this time but who knows next time. When you reflect after it's not really on to be standing in front of a bull like that and kicking and punching him. 4 young kids and a middle aged wife in the house waiting for me to come in. Heat time tags I'd say or whatever they're called.

Just bite the bullet and do it, it's only dear the day you buy it

We fitted sensehub collars here 2 weeks ago tonight
It was giving me heat info after 5 days, delighted with it
Using no tail paint at all, has made the job very simple
We were all ai here any way and using teaser bulls to pick up repeats but they still get narky when cows go quiet
Young kids here too and can bring them to get the cows with no worries and they can go for the cows on the future with no worries either

kevthegaff

Morris Moss wrote: »

I wouldn't be telling anyone that Kev, department caught a neighbour last year, some nosey fcuker obviously reported him.

Their transferred to the herd for a few months

Green&Red

Green&Red wrote: »

Are there any heat detection systems which don’t require a vasectomised bull?

Anyone?

tismesoitis

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

Just bite the bullet and do it, it's only dear the day you buy it

We fitted sensehub collars here 2 weeks ago tonight
It was giving me heat info after 5 days, delighted with it
Using no tail paint at all, has made the job very simple
We were all ai here any way and using teaser bulls to pick up repeats but they still get narky when cows go quiet
Young kids here too and can bring them to get the cows with no worries and they can go for the cows on the future with no worries either

Do you mind me asking how much does it cost?

alps

Morris Moss wrote: »

I wouldn't be telling anyone that Kev, department caught a neighbour last year, some nosey fcuker obviously reported him.

Quiet legitimate.....

GrasstoMilk

tismesoitis wrote: »

Do you mind me asking how much does it cost?

140e a collar for sensehub .
They do tags which are a bit cheaper but lifetime of them is about 4 years
Collars sold as lasting 7 years - could get longer out of them. 5 year warranty with collars
Should be a great addition around calving when fresh cows are more at risk of getting sick and will be picked up earlier

green daries

Green&Red wrote: »

Anyone?

Loads of them they've been mentioned multiple times on here alone just Google it and you'll be drowning in them

dar31

Green&Red wrote: »

Anyone?

Put in the censortec (nedap) system at Xmas for the same reasons as GrasstoMilk. Don't expect a hige rise in fertility as we have fairly good performance. Saftey is the main benefit to me. With the added herd health monitoring. It also links to my drafting gate and anything bulling is automatically in pen after milking.

farisfat

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

140e a collar for sensehub .
They do tags which are a bit cheaper but lifetime of them is about 4 years
Collars sold as lasting 7 years - could get longer out of them. 5 year warranty with collars
Should be a great addition around calving when fresh cows are more at risk of getting sick and will be picked up earlier

What is the cost of the base station, do u need internet for it to work.

GrasstoMilk

farisfat wrote: »

What is the cost of the base station, do u need internet for it to work.

That price is all inclusive, base station, collars
No yearly subscription fee

Yes need Internet. I bought a sim card router, works the finest

Mf310

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

140e a collar for sensehub .
They do tags which are a bit cheaper but lifetime of them is about 4 years
Collars sold as lasting 7 years - could get longer out of them. 5 year warranty with collars
Should be a great addition around calving when fresh cows are more at risk of getting sick and will be picked up earlier

They seem a great job , a nice few after going into herds this year great sales approach when they do their own finance. I rang a month ago think it was working out at 360€/month for the tags for 36months for 100 cows or 420€ /month for the collars. Will bite the bullet at end of this year for next year hopefully.
AI is a doddle for the lads with collars and the drafter linked

blackdog1

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

That price is all inclusive, base station, collars
No yearly subscription fee

Yes need Internet. I bought a sim card router, works the finest

Have the original heatime. Great system but need to change now, won't be going back to collars. They break before 5 years especially if you have locking barriers, collars go hard and are a nightmare to adjust, takeoff and put on a new cow. I like the word wide sires system but I haven't looked fully into costs yet. Wonder could you right off subscription fee because of the health monitoring aspect?.

GrasstoMilk

blackdog1 wrote: »

Have the original heatime. Great system but need to change now, won't be going back to collars. They break before 5 years especially if you have locking barriers, collars go hard and are a nightmare to adjust, takeoff and put on a new cow. I like the word wide sires system but I haven't looked fully into costs yet. Wonder could you right off subscription fee because of the health monitoring aspect?.

I think the way they're put on has changed recently
Ours has a belt buckle and then a slider over it

Neighbour has an older heat time system and said same as you that it's very hard to take collars off one cow and put on another cow do to the type of buckle that's on it
Thr girl who helped us fit them previously worked for lely ( same collars, just put buckled on different) are a nightmare too

Castlekeeper

straight wrote: »

I've been planning on getting a heat detection system and getting rid of the bulls for a while. They're some pain around the place for 40+ weeks of the year doing nothing. I actually only leave mine with the cows for 8 weeks which could easily be 2. This evening leaving out the cows (3 in heat), the bull had enough and came charging through 3 wires to get his hole. I understand his pain but there was no way I was going to be calving in January. There i was standing with no stick and it was me or him. 75 cows behind me and the wire open and a big 1 ton angus in front of me frothing at the mouth. Luckily I won the duel this time but who knows next time. When you reflect after it's not really on to be standing in front of a bull like that and kicking and punching him. 4 young kids and a middle aged wife in the house waiting for me to come in. Heat time tags I'd say or whatever they're called.

Youre right, theres no point in putting yourself in danger in the meantime though.
First off leave him work away, an injection next week would sort the cow he'd bull. In the meantime could you put him back in a shed for the next month or so and give him a bale of hay 'til he's needed?

Timmaay

A bull that charged through 3 difference fence's is absolutely not a bull that I'd keep. Has he ever done similar before? I'm lucky in the 6 or 7 different bulls we've had over the years, only one we had to get rid of (an fr bull who in fairness had been fine for breeding,but only went mad when he was left in with afew autumn cavlers, whenever a cow would calf he wouldn't let you into the Field, took the mirror off the jeep one day lol), anyways the rest of the bulls have been very placed, to the point I usually leave 2 together with the drys all winter, and we treat them no differently to cows (some of the freshly calved cow would be alot more a risk lol). So I'd just say get rid of that Bull asap and replace him if needs be.

Freejin

Anybody setup a header tank to speed up washing their milk tank? Milk usually collected here around 4 in the evening, would like to be started milking for 4.30, but tank takes about 50mins to wash. Not sure if it would be worth having a tank in the dairy attic to feed the cold water?

Castlekeeper

Freejin wrote: »

Anybody setup a header tank to speed up washing their milk tank? Milk usually collected here around 4 in the evening, would like to be started milking for 4.30, but tank takes about 50mins to wash. Not sure if it would be worth having a tank in the dairy attic to feed the cold water?

I'd be concerned about water hygiene quality issues.

whelan2

Freejin wrote: »

Anybody setup a header tank to speed up washing their milk tank? Milk usually collected here around 4 in the evening, would like to be started milking for 4.30, but tank takes about 50mins to wash. Not sure if it would be worth having a tank in the dairy attic to feed the cold water?

Can the wash cycle be shortened?

Madisonmenece

Freejin wrote: »

Anybody setup a header tank to speed up washing their milk tank? Milk usually collected here around 4 in the evening, would like to be started milking for 4.30, but tank takes about 50mins to wash. Not sure if it would be worth having a tank in the dairy attic to feed the cold water?

Done something similar to speed up filling wash tanks, just put in a 750 litre drinking water tank with wash down pump and pressure vessel.

Supplying parlour and fields above our yard, well pump tops it up.

Freejin

No i dont thinks so unfortunately