Dairy Chitchat 4, an udder new thread.

mahoney_j

Panch18 wrote: »

a 120 cow herd - is it harder calving 12 cows every month for 10 months of the year or calving 70 cows in Feb, 35 in March and 15 in April?

Also far less demand for calving resources such as calving pens, calf sheds etc, 15 calves on hand all the time verus what 100 in March April

I’d much prefer calve from late January to early April calving a number every month is just relentless constant calf rearing ,shed work breeding etc in a compact calving scenarios u can syich your self up for it get sheds ready labour organised and get good routine going

mahoney_j

Panch18 wrote: »

Spring calving here as well for longer than i can remember, and i was born in the 70's.

What is the cost of culling say a 3rd laction cow because she has slipped a few weeks?

Good question ended up with more empties than I’d like and lost 3 of my best cows ,I thought about milking thru ....but I’m too lazy those cows will never be replaced

alps

Buford T. Justice XIX wrote: »

Just did a grass walk now, bloody melting. I don't think I could have drunk the amount of water that's running off me atm:)

Went to Tralee earlier..stopped in Ballyseedy for brunch..

The place was packed...everyone eating outside...its still high summer down your way..

Great part of the world to farm (if you've a nice piece of ground)

Say my name

Panch18 wrote: »

Spring calving here as well for longer than i can remember, and i was born in the 70's.

What is the cost of culling say a 3rd laction cow because she has slipped a few weeks?

Cost nothing.

You'll have the same number of proper culls that you can fatten in a static year on year herd number and you'll have your compact calving with cows reaching up to 12 - 15 years of age.
Culling for fertility in that timeframe covers for a myriad other reasons why that cow never went in calf. So culling is based on those reasons too and out of the herd.

straight

Buford T. Justice XIX wrote: »

Just did a grass walk now, bloody melting. I don't think I could have drunk the amount of water that's running off me atm:)

Same here. Conditions are excellent, it some turnaround from the storms. I love this time of year when the weather is good. Grass is after turning a very dark green around here.

blackdog1

mahoney_j wrote: »

I’d much prefer calve from late January to early April calving a number every month is just relentless constant calf rearing ,shed work breeding etc in a compact calving scenarios u can syich your self up for it get sheds ready labour organised and get good routine going

Can't beat calving in September/October. Cows outside. Calves clean and healthy. No bedding or silage feeding. Just have a well setup paddock or 3 Close to the housing so if you have to bring them in you can. As long as you calve in 2 tight blocks your fine. Scan autumn traditional way and spring calves with milk recording. Breeding season is longer but you get used to it. Biggest problem is milking 365 and feeding diets. They're are plenty of advantages too. Extra cents per litre. Less calving and calf space needed and if something goes wrong your not under too much pressure.

GrasstoMilk

Panch18 wrote: »

a 120 cow herd - is it harder calving 12 cows every month for 10 months of the year or calving 70 cows in Feb, 35 in March and 15 in April?

Also far less demand for calving resources such as calving pens, calf sheds etc, 15 calves on hand all the time verus what 100 in March April

Been there done that, hated it
If things go right for us here next year we'll have what number we're going to milk for the year calved by the last days of March and wont be breeding till the 3rd week of April
We were autumn calving 30 odd cows up till 3 years ago and it was just relentless, no break at all.
It's been nice and easy going here all summer and we've enjoyed it

3 the square

Nothing like a milk cheque every few weeks in fairness..

jaymla627

Panch18 wrote: »

a 120 cow herd - is it harder calving 12 cows every month for 10 months of the year or calving 70 cows in Feb, 35 in March and 15 in April?

Also far less demand for calving resources such as calving pens, calf sheds etc, 15 calves on hand all the time verus what 100 in March April

All depends on the level of help you have, the lads that love spring calving usually still have the ole chap around doing a good days work, take the family labour away and make the show a one man band and the wheels quickly come of the wagon

Say my name

jaymla627 wrote: »

All depends on the level of help you have, the lads that love spring calving usually still have the ole chap around doing a good days work, take the family labour away and make the show a one man band and the wheels quickly come of the wagon

Ah I'd say the lads or lassies with paid help like it too.

Buford T. Justice XIX

alps wrote: »

Went to Tralee earlier..stopped in Ballyseedy for brunch..

The place was packed...everyone eating outside...its still high summer down your way..

Great part of the world to farm (if you've a nice piece of ground)

There's some tough ground either side of the road there once it rains. And over the hill on your right as you go into town is heavy ground and takes its time drying out. I worked on a dairy farm there for a few months and we weren't allowed take the tractor into the paddocks to bring in the cows. Out and walk all round the field waking the cows in the morning and get them moving on the way back. And ground was dry then.

whelan2

blackdog1 wrote: »

Can't beat calving in September/October. Cows outside. Calves clean and healthy. No bedding or silage feeding. Just have a well setup paddock or 3 Close to the housing so if you have to bring them in you can. As long as you calve in 2 tight blocks your fine. Scan autumn traditional way and spring calves with milk recording. Breeding season is longer but you get used to it. Biggest problem is milking 365 and feeding diets. They're are plenty of advantages too. Extra cents per litre. Less calving and calf space needed and if something goes wrong your not under too much pressure.

All is good when things go ok. Had a cow calved in calving paddock last night. She point blank refused to come out of the paddock this evening, I had brought calf in first. Was a calf with colic also. Young lad went for cows at 3pm and first cow arrived at parlour at 4.25. I was to be at football at 5.30 which didnt happen

blackdog1

jaymla627 wrote: »

All depends on the level of help you have, the lads that love spring calving usually still have the ole chap around doing a good days work, take the family labour away and make the show a one man band and the wheels quickly come of the wagon

I think that applies to all systems Jay labour is a huge problem. Only difference is it tends to be easier to get help in the winter months as demand isn't they're. Everyone wants help from Jan-April.

blackdog1

whelan2 wrote: »

All is good when things go ok. Had a cow calved in calving paddock last night. She point blank refused to come out of the paddock this evening, I had brought calf in first. Was a calf with colic also. Young lad went for cows at 3pm and first cow arrived at parlour at 4.25. I was to be at football at 5.30 which didnt happen

Your always going to have trouble cows. What I'm saying is calves and cows are much healthier calving outside... Weather permitting.

jaymla627

blackdog1 wrote: »

I think that applies to all systems Jay labour is a huge problem. Only difference is it tends to be easier to get help in the winter months as demand isn't they're. Everyone wants help from Jan-April.

It's the sheer hours required in them few months that's my issue, I can work away perfect calving around 30 cows a month here on my own, anymore and the workload with calves becomes to much instead of a 12 hour workday your into a 16 hour day and then fatigue becomes a major issue you just end up burning yourself out

straight

You can do whatever system you want but none of them will make you rich so just do whatever suits you. I have to have 6 weeks around Christmas without milking if only for the sake of my marriage

Castlekeeper

Buford T. Justice XIX wrote: »

There's some tough ground either side of the road there once it rains. And over the hill on your right as you go into town is heavy ground and takes its time drying out. I worked on a dairy farm there for a few months and we weren't allowed take the tractor into the paddocks to bring in the cows. Out and walk all round the field waking the cows in the morning and get them moving on the way back. And ground was dry then.

That'd be normal around our area too. Never heard of anyone in these parishes taking the tractor for the cows, you'd wreck fields barring a heatwave. It's a bad old habit anyway for man and beast.

tismesoitis

How are cows performing? 18.3litres @ 4.24fat and 3.63 protein 3.5kgs meal being fed. All heifers.

straight

jaymla627 wrote: »

It's the sheer hours required in them few months that's my issue, I can work away perfect calving around 30 cows a month here on my own, anymore and the workload with calves becomes to much instead of a 12 hour workday your into a 16 hour day and then fatigue becomes a major issue you just end up burning yourself out

The co-ops are running Lean courses now. I'd say you'd get all that work done in about 24 hours a week. You'd probably have to take on a full time job to cope with the boredom. And then you could accept even less money for your milk.

GrasstoMilk

tismesoitis wrote: »

How are cows performing? 18.3litres @ 4.24fat and 3.63 protein 3.5kgs meal being fed. All heifers.

18.3l 5.25bf 4.08pr 3kg meal

whelan2

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

18.3l 5.25bf 4.08pr 3kg meal

Do you still have the pb jerseys?

Grueller

All heifers
17 litres 3.63 protein 4.47 bf 3.5kgs meal

GrasstoMilk

whelan2 wrote: »

Do you still have the pb jerseys?

Yeah. 9 pure bred heifers coming in in the spring, I can usually train the heifers in on my own but I think I'll need help for these!

whelan2

17.5 litres 4.2 bf 3.84 pr. Autumn calvers just starting to come in now

straight

20 litres, 3.78 pr, 4.25 fat. Just increased the meal from 2kg to 3kg.

Mooooo

19.5L, no results for a couple of collections last one was at 4.1bf and 3.76p on 2500 covers, back to 1800 covers with 5 days now so hopefully solids have improved, was at 3.85p at the start of the month before the heavy covers. 4kgs meal

whelan2

Mooooo wrote: »

19.5L, no results for a couple of collections last one was at 4.1bf and 3.76p on 2500 covers, back to 1800 covers with 5 days now so hopefully solids have improved, was at 3.85p at the start of the month before the heavy covers. 4kgs meal

Do you not get results for every collection?

Say my name

Bf 4.43. Pr 3.72. Litres 17.8. Scc 103.
Butterfat is doing better than other years here. Must be new genetics coming in with good clean outs.
Topper not needed this year bar one paddock with thistles.

Mooooo

whelan2 wrote: »

Do you not get results for every collection?

Normally do but apparently some issue with comp on truck.....

Say my name

Mooooo wrote: »

Normally do but apparently some issue with comp on truck.....

What about text message by phone?

Mooooo

Say my name wrote: »

What about text message by phone?

Truck leaves docket with litres on it, it's the other side that's the problem, will see what comes back from em

Say my name

Mooooo wrote: »

Truck leaves docket with litres on it, it's the other side that's the problem, will see what comes back from em

Yea but do you get a text message from Dairygold of every collection?
In Glanbia you get the litres amount, fat, protein, MU, lactose, solids, scc, on every collection via a text message.
I've gotten one tonight and the lorry will have it on paper tomorrow with the next collection.

mahoney_j

22.6 Ltrs 4.37 fat 3.88 p just over 4 kg meal

mahoney_j

Say my name wrote: »

Yea but do you get a text message from Dairygold of every collection?
In Glanbia you get the litres amount, fat, protein, MU, lactose, solids, scc, on every collection via a text message.
I've gotten one tonight and the lorry will have it on paper tomorrow with the next collection.

Arrabawn simillar results of today’s collection go out as text tomorrow tbc and thermo at start and end of month

Mooooo

Say my name wrote: »

Yea but do you get a text message from Dairygold of every collection?
In Glanbia you get the litres amount, fat, protein, MU, lactose, solids, scc, on every collection via a text message.
I've gotten one tonight and the lorry will have it on paper tomorrow with the next collection.

Printout only leaves litres from that collection. Normally get results via txt and on the app but none up. Some issue with data transfer on their side

GrasstoMilk

https://youtu.be/T97mHP7700Q

Target weights based on maintenance sub index
ours is 24€ but they were well over 400kg when I saw them 3 weeks ago

Mooooo

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

https://youtu.be/T97mHP7700Q

Target weights based on maintenance sub index
ours is 24€ but they were well over 400kg when I saw them 3 weeks ago

Did ye or will ye weigh young stock? Weighed calves here Sep 1st, weighed 175kgs average a tad hungry at time of weighing as should have been moved a day earlier. No meal in July and August back on a kg now. Will split out smaller ones this week at dosing and put in a separate group

GrasstoMilk

Mooooo wrote: »

Did ye or will ye weigh young stock? Weighed calves here Sep 1st, weighed 175kgs average a tad hungry at time of weighing as should have been moved a day earlier. No meal in July and August back on a kg now. Will split out smaller ones this week at dosing and put in a separate group

They'll be weighed before housing to split off any lighter ones but I think they're spot on atm just looking at them
Guy rearing them has 10 lighter ones in a group all summer and they've came on well too, I wouldnt have any fear of them

alps

Rotation speed here up from 19 to 23 days...Struggling with PGY at 1900. That's too high for improved regrowth after grazing, and is 300 higher than anything we've grazed all year.

Amazed at this 30/35 day advise. If we set for that from mid august, and the growth rates we have achieved, we would be looking at PGY of 2700. Growth is good, but not abnormal. Will push for 30 days for next rotation and another 30 for last (not full rotation)

mahoney_j

alps wrote: »

Rotation speed here up from 19 to 23 days...Struggling with PGY at 1900. That's too high for improved regrowth after grazing, and is 300 higher than anything we've grazed all year.

Amazed at this 30/35 day advise. If we set for that from mid august, and the growth rates we have achieved, we would be looking at PGY of 2700. Growth is good, but not abnormal. Will push for 30 days for next rotation and another 30 for last (not full rotation)

Big advocate of @graisecinsultibg approach on spring and back end Fertliser and grazing management .makes so much more sense than the advice tegasc have thee out and still are for years .currently grazing 1600 covers serioys regrowths snd cleanouts and cows still on near 2 kgms last full rotation followed cows with 30 units urea ,good bit parlour washings stored and will be spreading that away behind cows currently on 26 day round will stretch it to 30 silage will be going in here from early October to stretch grass and because of high sr and also to keep dm intakes up.will house at afc of 600 some time around 10/15 November

Buford T. Justice XIX

alps wrote: »

Rotation speed here up from 19 to 23 days...Struggling with PGY at 1900. That's too high for improved regrowth after grazing, and is 300 higher than anything we've grazed all year.

Amazed at this 30/35 day advise. If we set for that from mid august, and the growth rates we have achieved, we would be looking at PGY of 2700. Growth is good, but not abnormal. Will push for 30 days for next rotation and another 30 for last (not full rotation)

Hit another burst of growth here this week, up in the 80s with a demand of 44 so I'm close to peak covers about 2 weeks ahead of schedule. I'll have to bring back the dry stock to increase demand for a week or two.

Only have one paddock over 1800 but a good few at 1600. Good to have it but will we be able to get a good clean out when the weather turns?

mahoney_j

Buford T. Justice XIX wrote: »

Hit another burst of growth here this week, up in the 80s with a demand of 44 so I'm close to peak covers about 2 weeks ahead of schedule. I'll have to bring back the dry stock to increase demand for a week or two.

Only have one paddock over 1800 but a good few at 1600. Good to have it but will we be able to get a good clean out when the weather turns?

That’s the problem with heavy covers from now on when weather turns utilisation and clean outs will suffer as will cow performance not building covers as early and grazing 14/1600’covers as per what grade consulting advises on paper (and in reality to me)is a far sounder approach

Buford T. Justice XIX

mahoney_j wrote: »

That’s the problem with heavy covers from now on when weather turns utilisation and clean outs will suffer as will cow performance not building covers as early and grazing 14/1600’covers as per what grade consulting advises on paper (and in reality to me)is a far sounder approach

We were growing in and around 60 for a good while and looked like we were going to be a good bit behind target. Went out with about 20 units of urea on the ground 10+ days ahead of the cows and that ground just exploded. I'll probably graze the heaviest ground next week just in case, it'll be around 1500 by then and maybe split back and forth between heavy and light covers for a while.

Ground is holding up well here so we'll be able for a good bit of rain before it starts becoming troublesome.

GrasstoMilk

No massive growth here -60 kg . Silage in to build covers
The wet weather brought on a burst of growth and used up any N that was in reserve and I didnt get more out when It was due. Suffering it now, will have to keep silage in by the looks and about to start a big slatted tank aswell as concreteing a yard

Still maintain I'd prefer covers over 2000 now

Timmaay

Fairly crazy growth here still. Put out a mix of urea and 18 6 12 last week, to grass that was still green and seemed to have abit of nitrogen left in it, so clean outs not great this week, I'm certainly not pushing the cows to clean out and just topped afterwards anyways. We never build up an autumn wedge on purpose here, we are lucky that growth usually continues into the back end, and as others said, no point trying having 2k+ covers in wet weather, however this year I'm heading towards that as is, I'll take the risk right now because ground conditions are exceptional for late September, if it gets wet in oct/Nov but drys back up the heifers/dry cows can clean out any heavy covers I don't get to cleanout. At the minute my biggest worry is what the hell I'm gonna do with all this fodder in the yard this winter (famous last words in autumn 2017...)

Grueller

Have an absolute blast of fodder here too. If I get my normal winter I reckon that I will be using bales until February 1st. I have 3 months in the pit too so I would think over half of my pit silage should be left at the end of the winter,barring 2018 like conditions.
I tested the silage here yesterday.
Pit tested at 77 did, 25 dm, 15.6 crude protein and 11.51 ME.
Bales tested at 77 DMD, 39 dm, 15.98 crude protein and 11.55 ME
I also have a few bales of auld glas meadows that I turned 5 times and wilted 4 days. 72 DMD, 53 DM, 12.15 Crude protein and 11.06 ME. Sucklers will get these. Apartheid is not dead here.

Mooooo

Grueller wrote: »

Have an absolute blast of fodder here too. If I get my normal winter I reckon that I will be using bales until February 1st. I have 3 months in the pit too so I would think over half of my pit silage should be left at the end of the winter,barring 2018 like conditions.
I tested the silage here yesterday.
Pit tested at 77 did, 25 dm, 15.6 crude protein and 11.51 ME.
Bales tested at 77 DMD, 39 dm, 15.98 crude protein and 11.55 ME
I also have a few bales of auld glas meadows that I turned 5 times and wilted 4 days. 72 DMD, 53 DM, 12.15 Crude protein and 11.06 ME. Sucklers will get these. Apartheid is not dead here.

Great silage there, fairplay.

GrasstoMilk

Grueller wrote: »

Have an absolute blast of fodder here too. If I get my normal winter I reckon that I will be using bales until February 1st. I have 3 months in the pit too so I would think over half of my pit silage should be left at the end of the winter,barring 2018 like conditions.
I tested the silage here yesterday.
Pit tested at 77 did, 25 dm, 15.6 crude protein and 11.51 ME.
Bales tested at 77 DMD, 39 dm, 15.98 crude protein and 11.55 ME
I also have a few bales of auld glas meadows that I turned 5 times and wilted 4 days. 72 DMD, 53 DM, 12.15 Crude protein and 11.06 ME. Sucklers will get these. Apartheid is not dead here.

That's great silage, you'll probably have to feed straw to stop cows going over condition
How old are the swards?

Buford T. Justice XIX

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

No massive growth here -60 kg . Silage in to build covers
The wet weather brought on a burst of growth and used up any N that was in reserve and I didnt get more out when It was due. Suffering it now, will have to keep silage in by the looks and about to start a big slatted tank aswell as concreteing a yard

Still maintain I'd prefer covers over 2000 now

Our DG went to William Dennihy on our day out yesterday, he's one of the Monitor Farms down here. Growing 16T on heavy enough ground but doesn't get the cold temperatures, very sheltered farm. He wouldn't come anywhere near 2000 covers as he reckons he would have difficulty grazing out any swards properly when the wet weather comes.

Some operator in fairness to him.
Cows always come in the gap farthest from the yard and leave from the nearest.
24 hour paddocks for another while before he goes 12 hour strips.
A gap in the middle of each paddock so the umbilical can get the pipe through the whole farm so the slurry gets spread in spring.
He's put in a spur roadway to the back of paddocks that would already have good access. He ran it up from the farm road to the back of a paddock and then along the boundary for a couple of hundred meters so he can graze the front half of his paddocks from the farm road and the back with access from the spur road. Dug out the top soil and laid pencil to the surface of the ground. Cuts silage straight over the roadway.
All water pipes are underground and two water troughs in the middle of each paddock so he can strip/block/paddock graze easily.
Won't cut bales off paddocks with low Ps as he struggles to replace the P afterwards.

Well worth seeing the farm and talking to the man if any of you get a chance.

Grueller

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

That's great silage, you'll probably have to feed straw to stop cows going over condition
How old are the swards?

Pit silage was all reseeded in 2011 & 2012
Good bales were in 2014
Glas bales in 1971 ha.