Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Dairy Chitchat 4, an udder new thread.

Options
1…159160162164165…793

Comments

  • Options
    #4832
    Mooooo
    Registered Users Posts: 8,611 ✭✭✭Mooooo


    straight wrote: »
    Went up to 265. Back to 240 now. Cows were doing very well until I pushed them to clean out a bit better the last day or 2. I was busy at pit silage, slurry, etc. Could have closed off 6 acres and got about 20 bales off them and feed them back now.

    Dropped mine to 132 last week


  • Options
    #4833
    Green&Red
    Registered Users Posts: 11,393 ✭✭✭✭Green&Red


    Mooooo wrote: »
    Dropped mine to 132 last week

    150 odd for the last two weeks here, I’d have thought at 265 half the farm would be suitable for taking out in bales?


  • Options
    #4834
    straight
    Registered Users Posts: 4,826 ✭✭✭straight


    Green&Red wrote: »
    150 odd for the last two weeks here, I’d have thought at 265 half the farm would be suitable for taking out in bales?

    I have calves and heifers grazing heavy covers at the moment which would probably be increasing it a good bit. Cows are in 1400 covers for the week but could start to drop after that if we don't get rain. I'd prefer the dust to the mess anyway.


  • Options
    #4835
    green daries
    Registered Users Posts: 2,243 ✭✭✭green daries


    K9 wrote: »
    Not much point in measuring if your not going to react to theresults of it. If so little gain is achieved, why bother?

    But he did react quite well actually when you consider the pressure being applied to lads to mow the first bit of strong grass in the yard


  • Options
    #4836
    mahoney_j
    Registered Users Posts: 11,207 ✭✭✭✭mahoney_j


    K9 wrote: »
    You may stop measuring so, save you the effort of doing so

    Farming isn’t text book stuff like some have us believe …..powers that be tell us silage bad ,meal bad …..but silage ,even very suspect silage from paddocks that was gone strong to graze will have dung and high levels of n is then rocket fuel this time of year ……got to farm what’s in front of you looking forward last week u could see growth was dropping ,weather getting dry


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #4837
    K9
    Registered Users Posts: 126 ✭✭K9


    mahoney_j wrote: »
    Farming isn’t text book stuff like some have us believe …..powers that be tell us silage bad ,meal bad …..but silage ,even very suspect silage from paddocks that was gone strong to graze will have dung and high levels of n is then rocket fuel this time of year ……got to farm what’s in front of you looking forward last week u could see growth was dropping ,weather getting dry

    So if you had paddocks that were gone too strong to graze two weeks ago would you of left them for grazing until now?


  • Options
    #4838
    mahoney_j
    Registered Users Posts: 11,207 ✭✭✭✭mahoney_j


    K9 wrote: »
    So if you had paddocks that were gone too strong to graze two weeks ago would you of left them for grazing until now?

    2 weeks ago no last week I’d of been way more conservative because v obvious growth had dropped and weather started to dry up ….point I’m making farming isn’t text book u farm what’s in front of you ….would of made no sense to take out slightly strong paddocks last week just to have to feed them back this week I’d of jumped ahead last week snd any one of grazed ,pre mowed or god forbid topped those paddocks


  • Options
    #4839
    mahoney_j
    Registered Users Posts: 11,207 ✭✭✭✭mahoney_j


    K9 wrote: »
    Not much point in measuring if your not going to react to the results of it. If so little gain is achieved, why bother?

    The results are only one part much bigger picture at play ,growth rates current weather and looking ahead at weather for 5 days every bit as important


  • Options
    #4840
    K9
    Registered Users Posts: 126 ✭✭K9


    mahoney_j wrote: »
    The results are only one part much bigger picture at play ,growth rates current weather and looking ahead at weather for 5 days every bit as important

    Growth rates are part of the results. My point was that the poster had grass to takeout 2 weeks ago and IMO he would of been better to do that. Of course weather plays apart but forecasts are chopping and changing daily. Even with a growth rate of 45 it’s probably not far off demand with meal.


  • Options
    #4841
    Green&Red
    Registered Users Posts: 11,393 ✭✭✭✭Green&Red


    Without knowing the details of anyone else's farm if I had cover of 250/LU here it would be way too strong

    Straight said it was too little gain and too much cost to take out a couple of paddocks but is the point of taking out paddocks not to keep your grass in check and have nice fresh stuff coming after, as opposed to getting 10 bales/acre

    Its grassland management not fodder stockpiling


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #4842
    straight
    Registered Users Posts: 4,826 ✭✭✭straight


    I should have taken out them 2 paddocks alright. They were stemmy and dirty but they had nice grass and clover underneath. I'd like to have pre mowed them but I don't have a mower or topper. My grass walk says growth of 45 for the past week but I think it has slowed alot since so I'm going to keep the cover that I have. Those 2 paddocks are dirty after the cows. I'll either leave the cows back into them in 12 days or leave them for bales next time. I'm not farming long and I prioritised investment in infrastructure and automation, etc. I'm getting there though. And don't get me wrong, my grass management is far from ideal but the cows are content and milking well. Sometimes I also leave heifers into a paddock after the cows to clean them.


  • Options
    #4843
    straight
    Registered Users Posts: 4,826 ✭✭✭straight


    18.45 for electricity incl vat. I'm out of contract and looking around for a better deal. One supplier told me most suppliers are raising their rates soon. Any recommendations?


  • Options
    #4844
    whelan2
    Registered Users Posts: 29,542 ✭✭✭✭whelan2


    straight wrote: »
    18.45 for electricity incl vat. I'm out of contract and looking around for a better deal. One supplier told me most suppliers are raising their rates soon. Any recommendations?

    Go onto bonkers.ie input your details


  • Options
    #4845
    straight
    Registered Users Posts: 4,826 ✭✭✭straight


    whelan2 wrote: »
    Go onto bonkers.ie input your details

    I've found that to be out of date in the past. Rang around a few places. Talk about an ordeal to get the actual unit price incl vat off them.


  • Options
    #4846
    mahoney_j
    Registered Users Posts: 11,207 ✭✭✭✭mahoney_j


    straight wrote: »
    18.45 for electricity incl vat. I'm out of contract and looking around for a better deal. One supplier told me most suppliers are raising their rates soon. Any recommendations?

    13.70 day date 6.55 night on farm 12.45 for house .Cormac Killeen utility solutions tried bonkers etc not even close.renewed 2weeks ago


  • Options
    #4847
    Injuryprone
    Registered Users Posts: 1,040 ✭✭✭Injuryprone


    mahoney_j wrote: »
    13.70 day date 6.55 night on farm 12.45 for house .Cormac Killeen utility solutions tried bonkers etc not even close.renewed 2weeks ago

    I just looked up bonkers there, as you mentioned them, because I found them the best place to go in the past. I could get 13.70/6.57 from energia through them today.excl vat


  • Options
    #4848
    whelan2
    Registered Users Posts: 29,542 ✭✭✭✭whelan2


    Injuryprone wrote: »
    I just looked up bonkers there, as you mentioned them, because I found them the best place to go in the past. I could get 13.70/6.57 from energia through them today.excl vat

    Energia have a cap on units used at the reduced rate so be careful


  • Options
    #4849
    whelan2
    Registered Users Posts: 29,542 ✭✭✭✭whelan2


    Had a cow not eating on Thursday. Young Vet came out, no temperature, no pings, a few stones in her dung. Treated her with marbocyl, flunixin and phosphorus. He said she was covered for Friday. On Saturday morning she still wasn't eating and was throwing up loads of cud. Another vet came out, cows belly was full. Low temperature. Gave her epsom salts and glycerine. Sunday morning she was the same. Came back from football yesterday evening and she was up eating big belly gone. Vet very surprised when I texted to tell her. I was sure I'd be getting the knackery to take her


  • Options
    #4850
    JustJoe7240
    Registered Users Posts: 1,471 ✭✭✭JustJoe7240


    whelan2 wrote: »
    Had a cow not eating on Thursday. Young Vet came out, no temperature, no pings, a few stones in her dung. Treated her with marbocyl, flunixin and phosphorus. He said she was covered for Friday. On Saturday morning she still wasn't eating and was throwing up loads of cud. Another vet came out, cows belly was full. Low temperature. Gave her epsom salts and glycerine. Sunday morning she was the same. Came back from football yesterday evening and she was up eating big belly gone. Vet very surprised when I texted to tell her. I was sure I'd be getting the knackery to take her

    Super result, All too often they go the other way.

    ICBF released average solids for 2020 424kg at 4.16F 3.53P and SCC of 187


  • Options
    #4851
    straight
    Registered Users Posts: 4,826 ✭✭✭straight


    JustJoe7240 wrote: »
    Super result, All too often they go the other way.

    ICBF released average solids for 2020 424kg at 4.16F 3.53P and SCC of 187

    It doesn't say much for EBI.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #4852
    Injuryprone
    Registered Users Posts: 1,040 ✭✭✭Injuryprone


    whelan2 wrote: »
    Energia have a cap on units used at the reduced rate so be careful

    I know. Been down that road when they underestimated one bill which meant the next bill with the actual readings was way over


  • Options
    #4853
    GrasstoMilk
    Registered Users Posts: 4,004 ✭✭✭GrasstoMilk


    straight wrote: »
    It doesn't say much for EBI.

    All down to management imo, could be 50 kgs of solids there easily got if a few things were improved
    6 week calving and grassland management being the 2 big ones for spring calving herds
    Made a big difference to our herd


  • Options
    #4854
    Mf310
    Registered Users Posts: 321 ✭✭Mf310


    GrasstoMilk wrote: »
    All down to management imo, could be 50 kgs of solids there easily got if a few things were improved
    6 week calving and grassland management being the 2 big ones for spring calving herds
    Made a big difference to our herd

    Definately alot to do with management some lads wouldnt consider putting cows into a cover of less than 2000 or even think about mowing a paddock thats a 1400 cover the same boys then using stripwires all year round and running cows the whole time and thinking that theyr doing a great job at grass management then Amazing when you think about it say the average 100 cow herd at that 425kgs milk solids vs a well managed 100 cow herd 520kgs milk solids would be got handy enough with the right management and cow on less than a tonne of meal theres 100kg solids in the difference 5€/solid 50000€ between the 2 herds the average herd would have to milk a nice few more cows to get up to the well managed herds money


  • Options
    #4855
    straight
    Registered Users Posts: 4,826 ✭✭✭straight


    Mf310 wrote: »
    Definately alot to do with management some lads wouldnt consider putting cows into a cover of less than 2000 or even think about mowing a paddock thats a 1400 cover the same boys then using stripwires all year round and running cows the whole time and thinking that theyr doing a great job at grass management then Amazing when you think about it say the average 100 cow herd at that 425kgs milk solids vs a well managed 100 cow herd 520kgs milk solids would be got handy enough with the right management and cow on less than a tonne of meal theres 100kg solids in the difference 5€/solid 50000€ between the 2 herds the average herd would have to milk a nice few more cows to get up to the well managed herds money

    If the average is 424 there must be plenty lads supplying 300 kg. Hard to believe I think. What's running cows?


  • Options
    #4856
    Say my name
    Registered Users Posts: 11,527 ✭✭✭✭Say my name


    straight wrote: »
    If the average is 424 there must be plenty lads supplying 300 kg. Hard to believe I think. What's running cows?

    Farmers fattening dried off cows where they're still on the icbf system as milking in the herd has a bit to do with it too.


  • Options
    #4857
    mahoney_j
    Registered Users Posts: 11,207 ✭✭✭✭mahoney_j


    Say my name wrote: »
    Farmers fattening dried off cows where they're still on the icbf system as milking in the herd has a bit to do with it too.

    Think most lads have coped on by now that u change these cows to beef once dried off …..lots doing it with some cows still milking as well to inflate figures …


  • Options
    #4858
    Mooooo
    Registered Users Posts: 8,611 ✭✭✭Mooooo


    Dunno why really. Feed calves all whole milk here, last ones prob on it longer than they should have been. Have a couple of rollovers milking as well. The figures are what they are can only improve your own really. Young herd can really drop the averages too. Agree with calving spreads also, interval is good but not enough calving earlier in the spring if I want to dry off. Looks like its improving so far this year, if land situation stays where it is for next year I'll be at numbers that will allow me to sell a few late calvers also, should tidy things up


  • Options
    #4859
    straight
    Registered Users Posts: 4,826 ✭✭✭straight


    Had to leave my calves back in today with scour. They just can't take the grass I'd say. They were nearly 4 months going out and good and strong. Cow with an ulcer, another cow with mastitis. Feck sake like.


  • Options
    #4860
    cosatron
    Registered Users Posts: 2,097 ✭✭✭cosatron


    straight wrote: »
    Had to leave my calves back in today with scour. They just can't take the grass I'd say. They were nearly 4 months going out and good and strong. Cow with an ulcer, another cow with mastitis. Feck sake like.

    was there much nitrogen on it. I've come to the conclusion that no nitrogen should be put on calf paddocks until at least august and let the grass go stemmy for fibre. lush green leafy grass is a disaster for calves until they are at least 7 or 8 months when there rumens are used to grass


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #4861
    straight
    Registered Users Posts: 4,826 ✭✭✭straight


    cosatron wrote: »
    was there much nitrogen on it. I've come to the conclusion that no nitrogen should be put on calf paddocks until at least august and let the grass go stemmy for fibre. lush green leafy grass is a disaster for calves until they are at least 7 or 8 months when there rumens are used to grass

    Cows grazed it twice and it got no nitrogen after the last grazing. Strong stemmy grass. Dosed them with noromectin today and have them inside now on hay.


Advertisement