10 in 7 milking + summer diet

Location
southwest
I don't but there's no way to know, it's about managing risk, the biggest way for a calf to get johnes is through sucking her dam

From what I know about johnes it's not the milk that infects the calf but rather dung from the cow so in theory even a positive dams milk could be used to feed a calf as long as you were 100% sure that no dung had contaminated the colostrum but that's too big a risk for me. I only have 2 positive cows on farm and want that number to go down not up!

So all the faffing about with "safe" colostrum is pointless if the calf gets a bit of dung on itself.

Read @som farmer's post and save yourself some time. Striping/milking a cow to bottle feed it's calf is definitely "not necessary, no value added"
 

Jdunn55

Member
I told him not to xome in tomorrow but I haven't told him he won't be coming back at all because I quite frankly couldn't be bothered with a fight tonight but I can guarantee he won't ever touch one of my cows again

I'm feeling pretty sh!t atm, up until now I've always had a plan and never let the cows suffer because of what else is going on but I am genuinely at a loss of what to do now

I've not always listened to the advice given on here but right now I need someone to tell me what on earth I should do, do I carry on 10 in 7 or go back to 2 x a day before it messes my cows up they didn't milk well at all tonight
Don't ask me what's best I don't know the answer but could genuinely do with someone just telling me what to do

I'm going to speak to dad about getting rid of the sheep but last time I broached the subject it ended up badly
 

frederick

Member
Location
south west
I told him not to xome in tomorrow but I haven't told him he won't be coming back at all because I quite frankly couldn't be bothered with a fight tonight but I can guarantee he won't ever touch one of my cows again

I'm feeling pretty sh!t atm, up until now I've always had a plan and never let the cows suffer because of what else is going on but I am genuinely at a loss of what to do now

I've not always listened to the advice given on here but right now I need someone to tell me what on earth I should do, do I carry on 10 in 7 or go back to 2 x a day before it messes my cows up they didn't milk well at all tonight
Don't ask me what's best I don't know the answer but could genuinely do with someone just telling me what to do

I'm going to speak to dad about getting rid of the sheep but last time I broached the subject it ended up badly
I know the home farm features in your future plans.
But right know you need to keep yourself milking and sane.
If they are your sheep sell them. If they are your dad's tell him to look after them himself.

Either way you've bet your current future on cows.
 

som farmer

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
somerset
I massively disagree with any comment suggesting that time getting colostrum into calves is unnecessary. I have spent the majority of my waking hours in the last month pushing colostrum into calves. It pays 100 times over.
we get away with it, but whether they are fed colostrum all the time, may help.
But the tube is there, if needed, calves are born 'lively', and suckle. Mortality rate is very low, 0 if you if you don't count the jer bull calf, we didn't bother with, or the one that just died, on day 2, and it had suckled.
 

Dead Rabbits

Member
Location
'Merica
I told him not to xome in tomorrow but I haven't told him he won't be coming back at all because I quite frankly couldn't be bothered with a fight tonight but I can guarantee he won't ever touch one of my cows again

I'm feeling pretty sh!t atm, up until now I've always had a plan and never let the cows suffer because of what else is going on but I am genuinely at a loss of what to do now

I've not always listened to the advice given on here but right now I need someone to tell me what on earth I should do, do I carry on 10 in 7 or go back to 2 x a day before it messes my cows up they didn't milk well at all tonight
Don't ask me what's best I don't know the answer but could genuinely do with someone just telling me what to do

I'm going to speak to dad about getting rid of the sheep but last time I broached the subject it ended up badly
The ups and downs. Certainty and self assurance followed by doubt and uncertainty. What the f u ck am I doing this for?

Nobody can really tell you what to do, just provide the suggestions that are already on this thread.

I think a lot of the people commenting and reading this see a bit of themselves in you and it makes them reflect on life a bit. It’s rare to have such a candid account of someone’s early times starting and managing a farm. We all experience hard times, some more than others and fundamentally life is suffering. It’s not supposed to be easy.

We have very little to no control over what happens to us or why. We can only control our reaction and nothing more. What will yours be to this current adversity?
 

frederick

Member
Location
south west
I told him not to xome in tomorrow but I haven't told him he won't be coming back at all because I quite frankly couldn't be bothered with a fight tonight but I can guarantee he won't ever touch one of my cows again

I'm feeling pretty sh!t atm, up until now I've always had a plan and never let the cows suffer because of what else is going on but I am genuinely at a loss of what to do now

I've not always listened to the advice given on here but right now I need someone to tell me what on earth I should do, do I carry on 10 in 7 or go back to 2 x a day before it messes my cows up they didn't milk well at all tonight
Don't ask me what's best I don't know the answer but could genuinely do with someone just telling me what to do

I'm going to speak to dad about getting rid of the sheep but last time I broached the subject it ended up badly
I'm not sure we are helping you at the moment. You are getting advice across the spectrum but it's not resulting in a consensus.
The plus is you are writing the questions down which has got to help.
It might help this week to write your thoughts down but just for yourself.

You might have a good friend that can discuss the personal side of it rather than the farm.

I think you are unlucky because you don't have the support network to help with these decisions and so quite naturally you've found us.

I fortunately have a wife I can discuss things with. The discussion is probably more important than the answers.

I also have a father to sound off but again he is very much on side and has no real requirements of his own. I'm not sure your father is quite as supportive he still has his own agenda that uses you.

A brother or a sister?. I just think you need to pick the phone up and talk life to someone for an hour.

Don't keep confusing yourself with our comments
 

More to life

Member
Location
Somerset
I told him not to xome in tomorrow but I haven't told him he won't be coming back at all because I quite frankly couldn't be bothered with a fight tonight but I can guarantee he won't ever touch one of my cows again

I'm feeling pretty sh!t atm, up until now I've always had a plan and never let the cows suffer because of what else is going on but I am genuinely at a loss of what to do now

I've not always listened to the advice given on here but right now I need someone to tell me what on earth I should do, do I carry on 10 in 7 or go back to 2 x a day before it messes my cows up they didn't milk well at all tonight
Don't ask me what's best I don't know the answer but could genuinely do with someone just telling me what to do

I'm going to speak to dad about getting rid of the sheep but last time I broached the subject it ended up badly
Re 10/7 I don't think anyone on here has tried it so we're all struggling to advise.
 

MrA.G.

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Northern Ireland
I told him not to xome in tomorrow but I haven't told him he won't be coming back at all because I quite frankly couldn't be bothered with a fight tonight but I can guarantee he won't ever touch one of my cows again

I'm feeling pretty sh!t atm, up until now I've always had a plan and never let the cows suffer because of what else is going on but I am genuinely at a loss of what to do now

I've not always listened to the advice given on here but right now I need someone to tell me what on earth I should do, do I carry on 10 in 7 or go back to 2 x a day before it messes my cows up they didn't milk well at all tonight
Don't ask me what's best I don't know the answer but could genuinely do with someone just telling me what to do

I'm going to speak to dad about getting rid of the sheep but last time I broached the subject it ended up badly
If I was you and given your enthusiasm for pedigrees and a slightly higher yield I would Milk twice a day and consider once on a Sunday later in the season.
- Prioritise everything in this order:
Sleep/time off- set a time you want to finish by and try and stick to it
- milk cows and keep them healthy
- feed calves and keep them healthy
- manage grass
list your other priorities and do them in order until you run out of time. Anything else get a contractor to do.

You regularly mention about spending time with your dad’s sucklers and sheep and that they can’t be sold. But you also suggest the lack of interest your dad shows in farming which is all a bit confusing. Have a honest discussion with your dad, if you don’t have time for them and he isn’t interested then they should go.
 
Location
Devon
I told him not to xome in tomorrow but I haven't told him he won't be coming back at all because I quite frankly couldn't be bothered with a fight tonight but I can guarantee he won't ever touch one of my cows again

I'm feeling pretty sh!t atm, up until now I've always had a plan and never let the cows suffer because of what else is going on but I am genuinely at a loss of what to do now

I've not always listened to the advice given on here but right now I need someone to tell me what on earth I should do, do I carry on 10 in 7 or go back to 2 x a day before it messes my cows up they didn't milk well at all tonight
Don't ask me what's best I don't know the answer but could genuinely do with someone just telling me what to do

I'm going to speak to dad about getting rid of the sheep but last time I broached the subject it ended up badly
Nothing in livestock farming ever goes to plan ( regardless of which sector you are in ) there are alway's problems that crop up, quite often you solve one issue today just to get another one tomorrow and everyone makes mistakes so stop being so hard on yourself.

From reading your posts on here its clear that you have achieved a hell of a lot for someone of any age let alone your young years in the last few months.

For the current situation and in the short term.

You need to cut out any jobs that take up time but which are not critical to be done for a few weeks ( ie the calves for example, just tube/ bottle feed the ones that are not smart/do not suckle, let the rest suck the cow, yes you are concerned with Jhones ( or whatever the spelling is ) but for now forget about that issue untill you get back on track!

Call the FCN, they will be able to listen and maybe get you help/ point you in the right direction to find a decent relief milker or may even know of a retired dairy farmer/worker who would love to do a few hours a week relief milking etc.

Also ref your dads sheep etc, tell him that either he sells them or gets someone in to do the work looking after them, tell him that from the end of this month you cannot help him unless a one off emergency!

Go back to milking the cows 2x day but milk at sensible times, ie say 6 am and 4 pm, make sure you have done all the jobs by milking time other than milking the cows and feeding the calves so you can be done by 6 pm ish, then go out and check for calving cows at 9 pm then go to bed.

Also find a hobby @Jdunn55 that will take you off farm a few hours a week be that playing golf/ going to the gym or whatever, time spent off farm for yourself a few hours a week is worth 2x the hours you are not at home working!
 
Its so hard to give advice that will actually help you, but a lot of good points have already been made.

I think some of your problem might be staying up too late and not having consistent sensible milking times.. 5 hours is not a lot. Yes it can be done but its not great for your health long term. You want to be in bed by 10pm then up by 5am and milking. That's 7 hours, that's much better. You want all your morning routine work done and dusted by 8:30, earlier maybe, as you don't have big numbers. In the afternoon you can start at 2:30 pm, that's fine for your yield level, more than fine in fact i'm sure you could start at 2pm if you wanted. You should stick to your milking times don't let other things mess your times up, stop what your doing milk then carry on with what you were doing if needs be. You must eat 3 meals every day, very few exceptions. I am stumped as to why you try to do the sheep, that is a distraction, but i'm sure you have your reasons. Just my thoughts.........
 

Whitewalker

Member
Its so hard to give advice that will actually help you, but a lot of good points have already been made.

I think some of your problem might be staying up too late and not having consistent sensible milking times.. 5 hours is not a lot. Yes it can be done but its not great for your health long term. You want to be in bed by 10pm then up by 5am and milking. That's 7 hours, that's much better. You want all your morning routine work done and dusted by 8:30, earlier maybe, as you don't have big numbers. In the afternoon you can start at 2:30 pm, that's fine for your yield level, more than fine in fact i'm sure you could start at 2pm if you wanted. You should stick to your milking times don't let other things mess your times up, stop what your doing milk then carry on with what you were doing if needs be. You must eat 3 meals every day, very few exceptions. I am stumped as to why you try to do the sheep, that is a distraction, but i'm sure you have your reasons. Just my thoughts.........
And whatever you do ………. Don’t forget the sunscreen
 

som farmer

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
somerset
@Jdunn55 how many head of stock, do you have to look after ?
how many of those, are actually yours, and how many are your dads ?
how much contract bale/wrapping, do you intend to do this year ?
 

Jdunn55

Member
Thanks everyone for the messages and advice, just going a bit quiet today and thinking things through

Trying to work out what I can realistically cope with on my own and what I can't. So far I've decided on 3 categories,
things I need to do,
things I want to do but could pay someone else to do
and things I can't do so need to pay someone else to do (includes things I won't have time for as well as jobs I don't have the ability to do wether that's through lack of skill or equipment eg: forage harvesting)
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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