Dairy Chitchat 4, an udder new thread.

When grass gets wet while technically the feed value remains the same you have the issue of DM.

Grass that is physically wet will collapse in DM percentage. Grass has been wet this year since July with the exception of 3-4 weeks in August/ September

Even feeding silage will not help as the DM may be in the mid 20's as well. Quality rations while they help may not balance the diet.

Earlier this autumn I saw a lad here post about putting Beet pulp as a fiber source. Soya hulls is always my choice of fiber source it carbohydrate based as opposed to sugar based for citrus or beet pulp.

In really wet weather a sugar based fiber source acts differently to a carbohydrate based on it will not slow down the rumen. Ration probably is not helping much either.

Over the last few weeks wet grass probably means for every Kg of DM cattle are taking in 10+ kgs of water. Cattle stomach work at 40%DM when the diet is very wet they need to get rid of significant amounts of water and fluid leaves the body at approx 39C probably come in at 15-16C.

Drying up the diet is the issue 5+kgs of Soya hulls would have really helped over the last month. Balance it with minerals and soya bean meal

Replacing cheaper feed with more expensive feed and then spending more money to conserve extra grass

doesn’t make sense to me

but as I I said our cows aren’t high yeilders. They’re 6500 -7000l cows. Grass and nuts is fine for them till this time of the year

Relief Milker turned up at 8 this evening to milk cows, power went at 9, end result 40 cows not milked and power not to be back till 12.30, you cant win sometimes, been given this chap 5 evening milkings a week, the last year, he started of grand was in the army and was finished up work at half 3 was in the yard here for 5, started new job as a prison officer in the summer and started turning up at half 7 the past few months, and barley able to do 3 milkings a week, last 3 weeks he was only able to do 2 milkings....

Lesson learnt here the minute time-keeping goes with milkers just show them the door, been accommodating just ends up coming back at yeah

In fairness the man is coming to milk your cows after doing his own day's work, there's worse out there

As in cull cows. They probably will manage away. They are not walking a kilometre+ a day which drags energy away. For the last couple of years finishing cattle 2+year-old have gone into the shed mid September

Not sure if I would do it with cull cows. As well culls are probably on older stemier pasture not on nice leafy grass. Neither are they milking and probably they are not growing either. If they have a bit of cover on them in September it helps as well.

A FS 2=/+ cow milking 15L/day walking 800-1500 meters a day probably chewing the cud for only 4-5hours over the total day is a different matter

A lot of rain here in West cork last night. I think I will bring in the incalf heifers the place is floating. Nearly a month earlier than last year. The calves can sink or swim outside for a while

Had a dairy conversion specialist out earlier in the week to go through the place and see if it's a runner,..all the feed back seems positive from him to my surprise..talking just shy of €3k per cow to get in to 60 middle band cows all on owned ground and no derogation,.€70k on parlour €30k on tank and the remaining on a scraper,roadways,water system and yard modifications,stock would be bought from sale of existing stock and other avaliable money..bit daunting but long term seems to make sense. Whole thing would roughly cost €1600 per month over 10 years..anyone any advice or information on the project worth taking on board?..not looking to rely on it as a sole income as I have other sources but reckon they would tie in well with small herd of cows instead of the beef and sheep game I'm at

More luck to you.

One thing in your last few sentences. I hope your not under estimating the amount of work in 60 cows.

There are a lot of people in farming talking about big numbers and how they have no problems. There usually is some fellow behind the scenes helping out. Spring would test most farmers, cows calving, calves to feed, animals sick, animals to be fed inside and outside. Slurry/fert going out

Once you are going in with your two eyes open. You are fine

A cost of production of sub 20 cent a litre by your maths including debt/capital repayments at current milk prices?

Not including capital repayment.

The average milk price for a glanbia supplier in the top 10% for solids from 2020-2023 on icbf was circa 47.35, if you take out 2022 as a freak event, your back to 41.66 for 20/21/23 as a average, I'd say 40 cent a litre solids included would be a better figure to be working of in all fairness

Considering the investment and the workload you'd want to be banking 80k per year after tax really.

Your referencing top 5% figures re milk solids produced/extremely low cost base which would point to a smaller type grass based cow, and your getting a fortune for your culls and calves aswell....

By the sounds of it the chap is a total green horn and will be learning on the job making lots of f**is ups and will have cost of production figures in the high 30's into the 40's depending on how input prices go...

Spinning fairytales using best case scenario costings given current cost of production isn't fair our giving a realistic picture of what's ahead of him

24 will be starting off a base at 32, hopefully not less, and doubt it will rise too fast, 42 could be optimistic enough thinking as an average for 24