Dairy Chitchat 4, an udder new thread.

Pinsnbushings

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121250721#Comment_121250721

Do you need to get an agent to go through your herd and score your cows or is there a way to make a stab at scoring the gers yourself. If so any idea on costs to get it done?

green daries

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121250958#Comment_121250958

Hi pins ya a lad comes and grades the cows (it's not the same as linear scoring)your herd is assessed and the aaa numbers that is needed to improve certain traits will be given on a score sheet you then select bulls with these score numbers can be used on any breed of stock as ur just trying to get a balanced cow. There's an app and all the jazz

Edit just to say the app is super handy 👌

green daries

Cost wise it's around 8 per cow once off and then score your heifers annually or bi Annually

Pinsnbushings

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121251475#Comment_121251475

Thanks for your response, it looks like a nice simple way of trying to get a balanced cow. Much easier than going through all the linear traits individually..I tried to use it a bit last year to pick bulls with a bit of strength. I might look into it a bit more. Not that expensive then either

green daries

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121252257#Comment_121252257

No I actually think it's dirt cheap if it's used correctly and if your happy with it....... your just shooting in the dark without your base score of your herd you could be using the completely wrong score bull

green daries

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121252614#Comment_121252614

I think there's a few lads on here using it .....🤔

sandman30

I was wondering how much people were paying for hoof trimming, and how easy you were finding it to get a hoof trimmer?

I was considering buying my own crate and becoming self employed. Have some experience with feet, currently working on a dairy farm, milking near a 1000 cows and am doing most of the trimming here. Not so much experience being self employed and getting customers.

alps

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121252620#Comment_121252620

Probably 6/7 yesrs here. Simple, cheap, effective.

K.G.

After the last 24 hours I m thinking of drying earlier this year.in recent years I would milk up to week before Christmas but ration/milk price ratio is not good and despite having good silage it's not holding them. The collection was up Monday purely down to dry weather but they are in yesterday and today as we had shocking rain and it looks bad for the foreseeable future.we were up about 5 % in volume but I expect now to finish under last year-the first year on year drop in a long time.unless weather settles I reckon we could pull last week in November or even earlier.

kevthegaff

Good few empties and late calvers so I'll milk through, incorporation and tax bill require abit more work...

kevthegaff

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121252828#Comment_121252828

Lots of money in it, but hard job. One that turns over way easier on Hoffman and less cleaning afterwards

Coolcormack1979

Always shut down here on December 1st here and I reckon it could happen sooner this time.challenging yr all the way from the word go and the cows never got going right milk volume wise.normally send over 500,000 litres but I’m going to be back about 35000 by yr end milking 80.

a good break for myself won’t do an harm as I seemed to struggle at times to get going doing simple jobs that I kept putting off till tomorrow type of thing.

roll on 2024 and a clean slate.

Danny healy ray

your right too lad they don't treat the farmer very well in this country.

straight

Opened my first bales yesterday and left the cows inside for the night. Left them out this morning in the monsoon. Not sure it was such a good idea but just trying to keep them going as best I can. Usually milk up to mid December but they will be dried off in November this year. Have hols in Rome and Lanzarote booked.

Have about 6% empty this year. They kinda went really well early on and started repeating in late June or early July. I extended the breeding season by about a week to try and pick up a few more as I'm trying to build up numbers a bit.

sandman30

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121253192#Comment_121253192

Thanks. Well used to using a turnover crush, but happy enough using a standard one either. Would there be much demand for teat sealing heifers with a turnover crush?

How often would most people have a hoofman call and how many cows would they usually have for him? Thanks.

kevthegaff

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121253563#Comment_121253563

Once people know about u, you'll get lots of work. Higher output eith turnover crush. What part of de country are u in?

Wildsurfer

You're watching too much hoof gp! I never get a hoof trimmer in as would manage the few myself. I wonder is a lad coming in doing big numbers routinely more usual on indoor systems?

cute geoge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121253563#Comment_121253563

If they only have 1 cow ,you can hardly refuse that is why there is at least a 50 euro call out charge ,if you are any bit good at all your biggest problem will be turning down work .It Is a tough job so only take on so much per week if you wanted to kill yourself 3k/week income.You might need good insurance for yourself ,easy enough garter yourself not to mention loading up lunatic cows

White Clover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121252828#Comment_121252828

You’re probably seeing much more lameness this year due to the weather. A dry year would be bit quieter.

Grueller

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121252828#Comment_121252828

One word of advice. Avoid doing it on sucklers if possible.

Say my name

Don't you have to do an apprenticeship to be a hoof trimmer?

Or maybe one can operate outside the system.

Local business man started relief milking and then went to hoof trimming. He's now a Master trimmer with the association and grades apprentices. He's retired from active trimming but he's still over apprentices.

It allowed him to accumulate cash to build up other businesses.

blackdog1

Just bought milk replacer for the year. Same product I normally get 12.5% skim. 2400 a tonne, from my usual supplier, works out about 48 euro per 20kg bag. Coop currently charging 60-62 . Markets are picking up so I think now is the right time.

ginger22

Watching the dairy sale there in Listowel. Feb/March calvers 1100 to 1200 each. This time last year they were fighting over them. Amazing how short sighted lads are.

Jack98

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121254918#Comment_121254918

Will the land market soften too the way dairy stock are going

Farney Farmer

What milk replacer did ya buy?

ginger22

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121254958#Comment_121254958

Well I suppose if the tillage lads have another bad year there might be more available. But then when did economics ever come into it.

blackdog1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121255024#Comment_121255024

Elvor off small supplier. Fresh stock in at todays prices. Said skim went up 100 tonne last week. He had no old stock so price was very good. He's bringing it in from France in 2 weeks time. Gonna take big suppliers a good bit to clear expensive stock and by that time I'd say market will have recovered a bit.

Jack98

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121255051#Comment_121255051

possibly in the east basically no tillage land in our side of the country dairy is the only thing driving the market down around here. Last spring was crazy around here but a lot of deals fell through as the spring progressed.

K.G.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121254958#Comment_121254958

Well all I know is there s a big wad of cash missing out of the current account this year that was there this time last year so I presume everyone else is the same

GrasstoMilk

25 acres in north Wexford made 440k today. In to fields. Nice land. Good to see prices come back but I’d say interest rates are dictating land purchase prices