All things Dairy

jimmer

Member
Location
East Devon
I can see it being doable, just not sure I could do it! Arduino/raspberry pi type thing, dosing pump, water solenoids etc.
My head hurts from trying to wire in the bulk tank control box that the previous owner helpfully remove but only labelled some of the connections.
200l barrel with ball cock and a submersible pump in it
30minute timer on plug so when tanker driver turns it on it will run a few times before timer runs down
Put a splash of chem in barrel each night before lorry comes
 

Jdunn55

Member
Had one break it on a concrete block has it had pins and plates or just a cast if it’s a cast they’ve had your pants down if pins and plates that’s fairly reasonable
It was 290 today for putting him under, an xray, and cast plus painkillers etc which I didn't think was too bad
Then they've got to order in plates or pins depending on what I want to do, 700-1000 for pins and 1500 for plates, no risk of infection with pins but not guaranteed to work whereas they'll guarantee plates will work but they're more expensive but if I do pins I could end up needing plates anyway if they don't work 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️
Alternatively they said I could just leave it in a splint and see what happens but if that doesnt work itll cost me a lot more down the road...

This is why I like cows better 😂

Didn't realise they sent him home with bloody oral metacam, bloody expensive stuff, he will not be having anymore of that as the stuff in my medicine cupboard is much cheaper 😂
 

Cowmansam

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Shropshire
It was 290 today for putting him under, an xray, and cast plus painkillers etc which I didn't think was too bad
Then they've got to order in plates or pins depending on what I want to do, 700-1000 for pins and 1500 for plates, no risk of infection with pins but not guaranteed to work whereas they'll guarantee plates will work but they're more expensive but if I do pins I could end up needing plates anyway if they don't work 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️
Alternatively they said I could just leave it in a splint and see what happens but if that doesnt work itll cost me a lot more down the road...

This is why I like cows better 😂

Didn't realise they sent him home with bloody oral metacam, bloody expensive stuff, he will not be having anymore of that as the stuff in my medicine cupboard is much cheaper 😂
Stuff in your medicine cubard is a lot stronger so be careful I had one plated it healed perfectly after a small infection dogs 8 now and you wouldn’t know Mates bitch has broken both front legs over the last five years he just casted it looks an awful mess healed with a big dirty calous on it both times but the bitch runs perfectly and that’s a very fine boned lurcher and so was mine So after spending the money I was happy but his is just as functional
 

jimmer

Member
Location
East Devon
Stuff in your medicine cubard is a lot stronger so be careful I had one plated it healed perfectly after a small infection dogs 8 now and you wouldn’t know Mates bitch has broken both front legs over the last five years he just casted it looks an awful mess healed with a big dirty calous on it both times but the bitch runs perfectly and that’s a very fine boned lurcher and so was mine So after spending the money I was happy but his is just as functional
Pen strep is quite a bit stronger than tablets from the doctor 👀
3ml is plenty for a 15 stone person apparently 👀
 

sjt01

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
North Norfolk
Stuff in your medicine cubard is a lot stronger so be careful I had one plated it healed perfectly after a small infection dogs 8 now and you wouldn’t know Mates bitch has broken both front legs over the last five years he just casted it looks an awful mess healed with a big dirty calous on it both times but the bitch runs perfectly and that’s a very fine boned lurcher and so was mine So after spending the money I was happy but his is just as functional
My pharmacist wife calculated that our 18 kg dog needs 0.2 ml injectable metacam as an oral dose, we give it in milk.
 

Full of bull(s)

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
North Yorkshire
Pen strep is quite a bit stronger than tablets from the doctor 👀
3ml is plenty for a 15 stone person apparently 👀
Be very careful a guy not too far from me killed him self accidentally I might add treating himself using cattle drugs. At college we sprayed a mates balls with green spray for his birthday think that did more good than harm 🤣
 

Ducati899

Member
Location
north dorset
It was 290 today for putting him under, an xray, and cast plus painkillers etc which I didn't think was too bad
Then they've got to order in plates or pins depending on what I want to do, 700-1000 for pins and 1500 for plates, no risk of infection with pins but not guaranteed to work whereas they'll guarantee plates will work but they're more expensive but if I do pins I could end up needing plates anyway if they don't work 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️
Alternatively they said I could just leave it in a splint and see what happens but if that doesnt work itll cost me a lot more down the road...

This is why I like cows better 😂

Didn't realise they sent him home with bloody oral metacam, bloody expensive stuff, he will not be having anymore of that as the stuff in my medicine cupboard is much cheaper 😂


be careful,my OH Is a vet nurse and is always banging on about the difference in strength between the metacam they use in dogs/cats and the stuff we use on farm
 

jimmer

Member
Location
East Devon
Be very careful a guy not too far from me killed him self accidentally I might add treating himself using cattle drugs. At college we sprayed a mates balls with green spray for his birthday think that did more good than harm 🤣
There's a pic somewhere of myself in the same predicament the night before my wedding, trouble is I was cable tied to a bus stop
 

Jdunn55

Member
be careful,my OH Is a vet nurse and is always banging on about the difference in strength between the metacam they use in dogs/cats and the stuff we use on farm
As long as you get the mg the same itll be fine, I think the injectable is 20mg/ml whereas the oral stuff is 1.5mg/ml so MUCH stronger like you say, but I'll check before I give him any anyway
 

cows sh#t me to tears

Member
Livestock Farmer
Do you use syphon or sluice gates to flood?
An example of the outlets I use. I have something like 220 different bay outlets and channel stops across the 4 farms.
20210916_094255.jpg
 

cows sh#t me to tears

Member
Livestock Farmer
A "chatterbox" or bay sensor.
16317502469453173743874646641985.jpg

You place these down the bay where you would like to shut the water off. (You never water right to the bottom before shutting an outlet as the water runs on a fair distance. So it's a waste. And where you put them is determined by soil moisture...if its damp it runs on further. And plant biomass. I.e. a lot of grass holds the water back so it will run on for ages.) As I dont have the accompanying actuators for them yet , they just act as chatterboxs and send a text and an alarm to my phone. These are the 2k dudes I mentioned previously. Hence I only have 2 at the moment. To do a proper upgrade of my gear will mean another 8 of these, plus the actuators to suit.... Big reason I need to do an upgrade? Well, apart from new stuff being more user friendly and reliable. My old timers are around 15 years old now and they cant get the circuit boards and electronics to fix them anymore. In fact I am there only customer still using their 27mh radio gear. And even now I have one team of 3 that is useless due to a board failure. So inevitably I will have to lash out. Just not at the moment as the purchase of another 323ac this time last year is stretching the finances.....despite needing them more than before due to the increased work....
Anyway. That's life.
 

frederick

Member
Location
south west
A "chatterbox" or bay sensor.View attachment 985988
You place these down the bay where you would like to shut the water off. (You never water right to the bottom before shutting an outlet as the water runs on a fair distance. So it's a waste. And where you put them is determined by soil moisture...if its damp it runs on further. And plant biomass. I.e. a lot of grass holds the water back so it will run on for ages.) As I dont have the accompanying actuators for them yet , they just act as chatterboxs and send a text and an alarm to my phone. These are the 2k dudes I mentioned previously. Hence I only have 2 at the moment. To do a proper upgrade of my gear will mean another 8 of these, plus the actuators to suit.... Big reason I need to do an upgrade? Well, apart from new stuff being more user friendly and reliable. My old timers are around 15 years old now and they cant get the circuit boards and electronics to fix them anymore. In fact I am there only customer still using their 27mh radio gear. And even now I have one team of 3 that is useless due to a board failure. So inevitably I will have to lash out. Just not at the moment as the purchase of another 323ac this time last year is stretching the finances.....despite needing them more than before due to the increased work....
Anyway. That's life.
You just need to get them bought.
Your going to buy it all anyhow and they will probably go up in cost next year.
Your continuosly chasing irrigation all hours of the day.
Irrigation water isn't cheap and these would improve your efficiency.
I just can't see the justification in killing yourself at the moment compared to setting it up once maybe twice a day.

Is this still the standard irrigation method in your area. It's what I saw in New Zealand in the 90s but a lot has been replaced by pivots at huge costs to improve efficiency.
 

jondear

Member
Location
Devon
The other question is am I paying enough for milking? Its £25 a milking and like I say I can do it in an hour and a half easily including wash down, which makes it over £16/hour but even if it takes 2 hours that's 12.5/hour 2which seems fine to me?
I pay £10/hour if they have to get cows in, sort anything freshly calved out, move fences etc but that's very very rare as I usually do all that myself
That's a 20;year old price .Won't get anyone much for that !
 

Sid

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
South Molton
now that is not joined up thinking, from our top fields, b-all between us, and the bristol channel, people say, what a lovely place to put a house, on a nice day, yes, mid-winter, not a chance. Had some tyres catch alight, on a quiet summers day, furthest 999 came from 24 miles away.
Will agree, watching cattle actively graze, is worth watching, you can see a few actually seek out, and graze, the chicory, some, at least, like it. Both chicory and plantain, seriously growing now, as grass eases back, just as required.
Hopefully the contents of the hole, will help it on it's way, just a few more loads tomorrow, and empty, and the last day of the nvz 'open' period.
View attachment 985715
NVZ open period?

You on light sandy tillage land soils?
 

cows sh#t me to tears

Member
Livestock Farmer
You just need to get them bought.
Your going to buy it all anyhow and they will probably go up in cost next year.
Your continuosly chasing irrigation all hours of the day.
Irrigation water isn't cheap and these would improve your efficiency.
I just can't see the justification in killing yourself at the moment compared to setting it up once maybe twice a day.

Is this still the standard irrigation method in your area. It's what I saw in New Zealand in the 90s but a lot has been replaced by pivots at huge costs to improve efficiency.
Its predominantly flood irrigation. As its cheaper to set up with little ongoing costs. Plenty have converted to pivots or laterals. But as you say they are damn expensive. The new farm came with 2 pivots. One was only 15 months old and was around $2000/ac just for the pivot. As the pump and piping was already in place.

I spoke to the automation supplier recently, they are alluding too a hopeful subsidy from the NSW government hopefully next year. The Victorian government gave their farmers a subsidy for "the internet of things" thos entitled them to a 2 for 1 subsidy on new tech. Up to 25k. Meaning the farmer only had to tip in 12.5k to get 37.5k ...... bàstards across the river get everything...... been 33 years now. I can wait a little longer... bit of luck my 18yr old decides to come home after finishing school. He could share the load.
 

som farmer

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
somerset
NVZ open period?

You on light sandy tillage land soils?
yes
and go by the nvz rule book, have had enough of the EA twit, popping out of the woodwork, not to stick to them. He hasn't 'popped' up recently, he's either muzzled, or burn't himself out, hopefully the latter, not worried about the rules, we are fully compliant, to his disgust, just don't trust him.
 

Sid

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
South Molton
Its predominantly flood irrigation. As its cheaper to set up with little ongoing costs. Plenty have converted to pivots or laterals. But as you say they are damn expensive. The new farm came with 2 pivots. One was only 15 months old and was around $2000/ac just for the pivot. As the pump and piping was already in place.

I spoke to the automation supplier recently, they are alluding too a hopeful subsidy from the NSW government hopefully next year. The Victorian government gave their farmers a subsidy for "the internet of things" thos entitled them to a 2 for 1 subsidy on new tech. Up to 25k. Meaning the farmer only had to tip in 12.5k to get 37.5k ...... bàstards across the river get everything...... been 33 years now. I can wait a little longer... bit of luck my 18yr old decides to come home after finishing school. He could share the load.
So even some Australian farmers get hand outs 🤔
 

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