Dairy Chitchat 4, an udder new thread.

cosatron

make the tank as big as physically possible.

mr.stonewall

Would you consider a spine wall in middle of the tank and go with 2 rows of 14'6" slats.

Whatever the plan make sure to put more than enough storage.

+1 for a min of 8ft deep.9ft is now the norm around here. Very little extra in concrete to add an extra foot in-depth unless you hit rock

Siamsa Sessions

Thanks for all the ideas and comments lads.

I'm not sure but there appears to be rock in the ground so that's why I was thinking 7ft might do. But I guess if I've to get a rock breaker, then busting down an extra foot (or 2) won't add much to the cost overall.

The agitation points would be outside based on how we measured it out, which is kinda pushing me towards 110ft. And the longer feed face makes sense in that regard too.

I'm a little unsure of the parlour washings requirement. I think it's 30L/day per cow for a month. Google tells me that's roughly 1m3 so that'd be 60m3 for 60 cows.

Is that right?

Does this have to be separate from the main storage tank? Or can it be added to the main tank and you just can't spread it as washings?

Thanks again.

K.G.

Go for 9ft anyway but have separate capacity for dairy washings otherwise you have to store the 16 weeks of that too.the best move I ever made was to build slurry storage I didn't need in the early days of developing there is no such thing as too much slurry storage in milking cows

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121072126#Comment_121072126

Mooooo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121072126#Comment_121072126

The rock can always be used for farm tracks as well, go the 9ft imo. As said regs are only going the one way so ideally put in more than you need storage wise. If you can keep a separate tank for parlour washings do, but if not as said the closed period storage required will be increased by that figure per day.

jaymla627

Had a unauthorized dd taken this morning for 3k from aviva l and p for pension contributions, changed to bank of Ireland this spring and sent the dd mandate form to aviva that march, but they decided to only resume the policy now and backdate the payments to February, wasnt informed of this our asked to give my consent which you'd think was obviously needed....

Bank of Ireland wont cancel the transaction on my side, as I signed a direct debit mandate with said company, the company have to ring bank of Ireland and cancel the request for above amount, its crazy carry-on, with Ulster bank they would of cancelled the request and refunded the money into your account no hassle, the fraud implications alone if this is bank of Ireland policy are serious

older by the day

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121071587#Comment_121071587

I suppose if you are going building I would go as deep and wide as you can. And do it once. The last tank I did was a 16ft slat by 9ft deep. Great capacity. I add a lot of water from march onwards and I spread the watery slurry all summer. But of course it all depends on the budget and price.

7ft is madness. If it's very hard rock ask about going a couple of feet above ground. You can rise it up around it with the stuff that comes out or if you have some filling somewhere. But the rock is always handy for soft patch's somewhere. There will be a big heap with that size tank.

older by the day

By the way, is the rest of the country getting the dust these days. A fine layer on everything around here.

https://www.corkbeo.ie/news/local-news/rare-blood-rain-weather-event-27653120

Siamsa Sessions

This is where the tank would go. It’s an old dung stead I got cleaned out a few weeks ago. The cleared hole is about 3-4 feet below the yard already. The tank would run the length of the wall. The feed rail would go above where the bank of clay is.

Same thing from the other side below

Pinsnbushings

Don't know if you are going for a grant, but there is about 40percent steel required in a 9ft deep grant spec tank versus an 8ft deep one.

I got caught with that one, I built a 9ft with 16ft 6 slats 18 months ago, great capacity in it though.

whelan2

This is ours

20230905_182106.jpg

orm0nd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121062221#Comment_121062221

I see Farmer Phil has issues with misuse of mectin dosing, cringed when I saw him using cydectin last june, not thinking he'd have losses this year but what resistance would they have next year? I think his vet is more to blame here than the product itself.

JustJoe7240

@Siamsa Sessions Have you decided to go at the cows?

Bass Reeves

@Siamsa Sessions unless you are going into cows do not worry about feedface. Dry silage bales solves any issue with feed face. Anyway depending on shed design you can feed at the back. 96' is approximately 6 bays long. That shed sounds like it will exceed TAMS costings

Go 8' minimum deep and 9' if you can afford it. Get you grant application specifications right from the start. I remember getting 16'6'' slats from Creagh conc in NI for one of my tanks they were tractor rated to UK specifications but not to Irish Spec's. They were a fabulous choice at the time and I am still delighted with them. Just a little trick when putting concrete around slats get 4-6'' strip's of 3 or 4'' Kingspan ( this will depend on the slope and height of your slats ( you want it 1'' outside your slats and 3'' below the top of them). If the slats ever have to be replaced it's makes it real easy for a road saw to cut to that depth. Leave at least 2-3'' of tow room at front and back of pens slope it and cattle will push dung back down into the tank

Remember face the open side of your shed North East ideally, if not North and finally East as the last option. While the dungstead may seem the cheapest option an extra half day digging on a track machine might be better value to get placing of tank right. However you probably have to follow present planning choices.

Consider going 10' deep if it's only for a beef systems and 5 bays, put a sloped concrete floor behind 1-2 pens. You can put a lot of runners or light stores in such a set up. If you can face the shed North you can have an Eastern feed face opening for more room to that pen or feed I side I'm the shed if needed.

The stone that comes out can be used to backfill around tank, it can be used under silage slabs or under the floor of sheds. I know it's an extra cost but you will always used that stone.

If going for cows somebody else advise

Good loser

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121073797#Comment_121073797

What is wrong with using Cydectin in June? How did he get to have losses?

Pinsnbushings

@Siamsa Sessions another small thing but is really annoying me about my shed... get slats with big enough agitation points, mine are very small, a right pain for the contractor to get the agitator into the tank.

I believe there are different sizes, I never thought to even ask.

Mooooo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121074150#Comment_121074150

Using it too early can stop calves from developing their own resistance. White dose first works better that way imo

Siamsa Sessions

Thanks again for the insights lads.

There’s a few ifs, buts, and maybes but the situation with me and cows is this:

* I’m pricing a tank at the moment. Grant spec. Slats and shed on top would come later. The tank is needed whether I go milking or start to keep more cattle over winter. If the tank was in place, with security fencing or whatever fencing is needed around it, then I could start milking.

* I’ve a 2nd hand parlour lined up and I’d be putting it into the existing shed (in the pic). Collection yard is already in place. Roadways, paddocks, water troughs, all in place too from my father’s time. Bit of tidying up (ongoing) needed but the layout is there.

* The slurry finances have to add up thou. If the tank is too expensive for the no. of cows I could milk (60-ish on 75 acres), then milking is off the table. I’ll put in a smaller tank and build up cattle numbers slowly instead.

* If the finances add up and I go milking, I’d milk 30 in 2025 on a part-time basis. When 45 acres of leased land reverts to me in 2026, I’d go to 45-50 and then 55-60 in 2027.

* By that stage I’ll either be getting on grand or I’ll hate cows. If I hate them, I’ll sell them, ripe out the parlour, and go back to cattle again. The slats can still go on the tank but it’d be a different type of shed on top.

That’s the loose plan. There’s a dozen little things I’m trying to do to better position myself. Experience last week milking for someone was 1 thing. Getting into Bord Bia yesterday was another. Reseeding a few acres every year. Regular contact with the accountant is ongoing. Etc.

And genuinely - reading this thread is another thing that I think is a great help. So thanks again.

whelan2

No harm to get milk lorry driver to have a look too. Had ours here this morning, he'd be the type who'd complain after about how we did things...

Say my name

A bit of a day out.

Montbeliarde open day.

Siamsa Sessions

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121075675#Comment_121075675

Yeah that’s on the to-do list. There’s plenty room to turn where the bulk tank would be going but it’s the roadway from the road into there that I’m not 100% about. It’s a proper stone/gravel roadway and won’t be used by cows but them lorrys are big wide yokes these days

Wildsurfer

110' of 14'6" tractor slatts with one manhole slat will be €12k inc vat. The 16'6" are only €1500 extra

Edit to add: 110'x9'x16'6" tank cost me 42K last year excluding digging out and slatts. Grant spec.

cosatron

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121076297#Comment_121076297

Have you a co-op who will buy your milk without any ridiculous condition. I heard maybe chinese whispers, that aurivo are asking new entrants to supply 25% of milk over the winter months.

straight

The farmers journal are reporting that the derogation cut has been confirmed. No need for any more denial or wishful thinking. Will there be more cuts is the question now....

jaymla627

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121076385#Comment_121076385

Done a 180x8x16'6 tank here in 2020 for 46k plus the vat including tractor slats fitted and delivered with 4 agitation points non grant spec job, its frightening the escalation in costs since then concrete was 67 euro plus vat for 40n at the time

Say my name

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121076516#Comment_121076516

There will be because every increase in N in the country is being blamed on the cow.

It's not being blamed on rising soil temperature, ground being tilled, more housing, urban/industrial development.

Even if a reduction is shown in a cow area with derogation farmers. That info is disregarded as it doesn't suit the narrative to demonise pasture based farming and the cow.

Edit to add: there's self proclaimed vegans putting the epa's case to eliminate the Irish derogation in Brussels.

green daries

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121076410#Comment_121076410

That would be good 😅😅👏😅😅😅they and the other liquid manufacturers won't pay the suppliers they have

jaymla627

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121076516#Comment_121076516

Not a hope its retained past 2025, we will all be working of 170kgs/n ha from then, tied up enough leased ground last week on a 5 year lease from next year to keep numbers at circa 130-140 going forward at 170kgs, will be interesting to see if the rental market takes off on again our lads just drop numbers

mahoney_j

https://www.independent.ie/farming/dairy/dairy-farmers-face-cuts-to-cow-numbers-as-eu-confirms-nitrates-restrictions/a1427804418.html

going to be a huge blow to large areas of this country ….the huge push of more cows producing less milk and subsequent poorer calf and culls is comming home to roost …traditional ..family farms going to be made unviable with this move

interesting to see where the national herd goes now ….the stupid rents lads bid land to this year won’t be viable …..if lads have to milk less cows it’ll drive intensification to produce more milk per cow

straight

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121076672#Comment_121076672

Sad that the "independent" EPA has been infiltrated by brainwashed vegans.