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Dairy Chitchat 4, an udder new thread.

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  • Registered Users Posts: 6,683 ✭✭✭jaymla627



    Precedant been set in america, Lely are on the block to

    https://edairynews.com/en/robotic-milker-failure-lawsuit-filed-against-lely-north-america-inc/

    Spent a hour reading some of the affected farmers stories re their robots issues at the time, and delavel railroading them with callout fees and for parts that didn't solve their issues, all on robots less then 2 years old and under 12 months in some cases

    https://casetext.com/case/kruger-v-lely-n-am-inc

    Reading the above it seems lely are trying to absolve themselves of any responsibility for a dodgy robot and put liability back on the dealer, scummy behaviour and not a company I'd be to keen on dealing with



  • Registered Users Posts: 5,218 ✭✭✭Grueller


    I got it approved into an existing shed anyway in 2019.



  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 3,193 Mod ✭✭✭✭K.G.


    One robot broke their heart which meant there was too many cows waiting to be milked on the other all the time.this crowd would be well able to make things work if it was any way right.know another fella who is dead happy with them.from what I can see you dont put them to save labour you put them in to get more milk out of cows



  • Registered Users Posts: 8,611 ✭✭✭Mooooo


    Have a dairymaster dx tank here, it's grand so far 6 years in I guess. Cover for wash can pop off but a small thing really. Takes a while to wash but water flow rate prob didn't help and does a couple of rinses before and after.

    Make sure to have a decent flow of water to parlour would help improve washtimes.

    Have the txt setup which is handy bar coverage coming and going. If power goes, tank not on, etc it'll txt you and a second number.

    Had a packo ice Bank for years before that which was fine, and ice Bank and 2 stage plate cooler good for cooling milk.

    Auto washer for plant prob worth it, would put in one if I was upgrading.

    Saw one lad had a wash down hose mounted on a swinging arm up high for drafting area etc, thought it was tasty enough

    Aside from whatever bollixing is going on with carbon credits prob worth checking out solar or heat recovery systems as well for some bit of energy savings.

    Connecting the volume washer tank up to a big trough for cows might be handy too, would take the pressure off the field but would try to keep it for exit use if possible as if its there at entry they'll only be scratching off it and slowing the herd down on the way in.



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




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  • Registered Users Posts: 3,247 ✭✭✭visatorro


    Put in robot here. Wouldnt go back to parlour. They are no silver bullet but certainly suit what goes on farm here. Dont really agree that people dont put them in to save labour. They do save labour, but this can be exaggerated depending on who you talk to, but the flexible aspect is what suits me. Running costs similar to old parlour i had. Service contract extra alright. Wouldnt fault service tbf. Like that know people that threw them out aswell. Im a fair clown at times and its working here.



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,257 ✭✭✭weatherbyfoxer


    Would 30k sound right for buying removing and fitting a 12 unit secondhand parlour?



  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 3,193 Mod ✭✭✭✭K.G.


    Ah yeah things work for for some people and not others.but if something is giving constant trouble in its first year it would get the better of you.with robots you re kind of on call whereas with the parlour you re on a schedule. Might be a little less hours in the year with robots and the big plus you have massive info on your cows



  • Registered Users Posts: 6,683 ✭✭✭jaymla627


    You'd be aswell go new at that money it's very strong unless your getting a nice few extras like air gates, good feeders, stalls and Troughs in really good nick etc plus acrs/auto wash



  • Registered Users Posts: 676 ✭✭✭farmertipp


    is tams still available for new parlours?



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  • Registered Users Posts: 11,513 ✭✭✭✭Say my name


    Milk urea last test gone to 50!!

    Now they're getting 3kgs of 14% pr meal. But zero fertiliser or foliar minerals these past few rounds. Still at 44 units so far on the grazing ground.

    The milk urea is 100% the result of soil nitrogen mineralisation or another way of putting it is soil biology exploding with the heat and with the bit of rain it's the nitrogen from their dead bodies being released in the soil and being taken up by the grass roots.

    Solution.. this evening I'm going in with humic powder (carbon) in their troughs to soak up any excess nitrates in their system and bring down the milk urea.

    I had this bought before now and I was lazy in not going yet. Truth though I thought it'd do harm before now. But my hand is forced now.



  • Registered Users Posts: 993 ✭✭✭greenfield21


    Have you had a real dry spell this year? Doesn't seem like I have seen the same amount of whinging on twitter compared to other years with lads looking for rain in July. One of the best years for grass here anyway and no urea spikes.



  • Registered Users Posts: 11,513 ✭✭✭✭Say my name


    It's dry but it's not drought dry. Grass never stopped growing. No silage fed. But it's still flying on the edge.

    I might as well go further with my biological hat. I've a big feeling protected urea is forcing people into drought faster. I've seen it here in 2018 after I spread basalt dust I went into drought faster than my neighbours. That was because of any imbalance from sodium chloride in the soil. That harms the biology. But it is flushable.



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,417 ✭✭✭Wildsurfer


    Does that mean you wouldn't recommend spreading basalt dust?



  • Registered Users Posts: 11,513 ✭✭✭✭Say my name


    No but I wouldn't advise spreading on it's own. Mix with compost or fym.

    It was after that I was able drop minerals.



  • Registered Users Posts: 4,001 ✭✭✭GrasstoMilk


    Using all P urea here from grassland and not in drought yet but ground does need a fair shot of rain, farm is still green and growing a bit. We’re stocked fairly high too, will be feeding silage this week. Know others with cows less per ha feeding for the last week or so



  • Registered Users Posts: 11,513 ✭✭✭✭Say my name


    Heard second hand of others further east have been feeding silage for the past six weeks. That'd be some kicker.

    I think I must be getting more rain than you but the ground would be deeper here too.

    Although the father tells me a few fields away it looks like someone has stopped spreading fert and growth has stopped dead and gone yellow. I'm not praising myself but the farm used to be in that position here if I did the same. These oul quare ways of years ago must be having some effect here now.

    If you're passing have a look over the hedge at that field with the thistles before the village. There's been no fert nor foliar feed on that for about 40 days. Grazed every 15 days or so. By right and it would have been years ago by now it would be yellow.



  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 3,795 Mod ✭✭✭✭Siamsa Sessions


    I can't get cows out of my head again (must be the good weather making me optimistic) and I've been going thru the calculations I had in 2021 when I looked into it previously. I had bought the first heifers but sold them in-calf in Oct last year.

    I put in the updated milk price and obviously the increased fertiliser, feed, contractor, etc. costs as well. The bottom line looks better now than in 2021, and while the other pros/cons are the same, this increased margin means I would be closer to full-time TAD rather than part-time OAD, which is what I would have had to do in 2021.

    Can I ask is anyone expanding their current numbers? Or do you know if there are many new entrants still coming thru?

    Thanks.

    Trading as Sullivan’s Farm on YouTube



  • Registered Users Posts: 8,611 ✭✭✭Mooooo


    Plans to expand here, have to invest here regardless of cows increasing or not but extra cows will be needed to pay for it as there is existing debt. How this pans out re these new emission targets for the sector will have to see yet. Most I now are or have been consolidating, a couple leasing blocks but would be in the minority.



  • Registered Users Posts: 4,001 ✭✭✭GrasstoMilk


    have you just done the figures for milk in year one or done it for a couple of consecutive years?

    year one will always be tight for cash, so I wouldn’t be rulling it out if that’s what’s concerning you

    I’d milk twice the number of cows in the morning if the land came available tbh. I



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  • Registered Users Posts: 8,611 ✭✭✭Mooooo


    Just on the figures, the main issue can be not when things are in the way up, but in the way down. The price of milk will most likely head south faster than any costs and its at that point the show need to be able to survive



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,471 ✭✭✭JustJoe7240


    The brakes seem to be on regarding expansion from what I can see, Intending to enter in 2025/2026. Would be Lakeland country which is closed to new entrants until 2024



  • Registered Users Posts: 2,092 ✭✭✭cosatron


    quality over quantity here. keeping the same number maybe even dropping a row depending on the fall out from the emissions. I wouldn't make any judgements based on this years figures before the quotas went the price of milk fell from 38 cent to 25 cent in one year.



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,471 ✭✭✭JustJoe7240


    3x 2017 Delaval Robots on Donedeal. Expansion is down as reason for sale



  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 3,193 Mod ✭✭✭✭K.G.


    Wouldn't base any decision on this year's figures.by right you should be using a 10 year average figure.



  • Registered Users Posts: 4,812 ✭✭✭straight


    Who knows what's going to happen with the 25%. I was laughed at here last year for saying that the price should be 50 cent and people said no way. Maybe 50 is the new 30 with the supply pressures glabally caused by environmental regulations.



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,257 ✭✭✭weatherbyfoxer


    Looking at becoming a new entrant for springs 2024 with glanbia,hope to have shares to get me in but rep tells me it looks like they will be looking for more producers once the cheese plant is finished



  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 3,795 Mod ✭✭✭✭Siamsa Sessions


    Thanks for the replies.

    If I'm reading the room right, things are somewhat optimistic but cautious in equal measure.

    I'd be in the Glanbia catchment area and have some shares in them since my father's time. But I spoke to the rep in Arrabawn in 2021 too, and a few lads around me have switched to them from Glanbia.

    Thanks again.

    Trading as Sullivan’s Farm on YouTube



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,928 ✭✭✭farawaygrass


    I’m in the same boat as you, we both even talking about switching a few years ago. It’s niggling away at me 80% of the time! Couple of projects on at the moment that would need to finish before I’d be in a position to approach a bank, so that’s at least a couple of years away. God knows how things will be then. Like now, I’ll probably be thinking why didn’t I make the change a few years ago!



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  • Registered Users Posts: 11,203 ✭✭✭✭mahoney_j


    Fair play ….I’d of been all for that few years ago now couldn’t think of worse …at current nos I’m in control …not heavily reliant on labour etc what I would love is to have majority of my land in one block serious time lost every week going to/from different blocks at different jobs …looking forward envirnomental restriction and all that shite is going to force a big change in how we all operate ….I’d think long and hard about starting a dairy unit now



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