All things Dairy

[pine_guy]

Passed my first Dairy red tractor inspection today with only 3 very minor non compliance’s. Two of which I new about but hadn’t managed to do in time.

 

[Dead Rabbits]

Ah ........ no doubt I will get a raft of them at some point ........ wont be much use though as historical but they might show a trend as we are now out of maize and on to 4th cut silage so i was wondering what effect it was going to have on solids

haven’t had results in a week. This is common practice. You will get used to it.

 

[Homesy]

It's the walking that buggers them and then jumping cows on concrete if you let them in the collecting yard. I've just had a quick measure and my cows were walking 1100m by day and 1400m by night last weekend. They wouldn't normally be going as far as that but that's 5k a day. Average would probably be nearer 2 or 3. I used to run jersey sweepers and even they would struggle a bit some years but nothing like the Herefords.

Can you not split the bulls to do a day and night shift ?

 

[Spudley]

We get about 2/3 of our "daily" tests with nml

 

[Princess Pooper]

Is this genuinely the consensus from dairy guys about beef bulls? Just curious as we're suckler farmers (I'm desperate to become a dairy farmer so watch this thread with great interest). I've never ever had any of our bulls go lame. None of them have ever had their feet trimmed or looked at and id they did we would cull them and any immediate family members. We foot trim maybe a dozen cows tops every year (out of a of 80 breeding cows) and anything that goes lame is either sold or recorded and any offspring from her will never be used for breeding. Our fertility is usually about 95% in 6 weeks with 100% calved in 7-8 weeks for the past 3 years (extra couple of weeks for those that go overdue). I'm just genuinly surprised that this seems to be the general opinion of beef bulls when my experience of my own bulls is very different. Thanks

Taken today, Barndale Benson, his 11th birthday next week.

Been here as our stock bull for over 9 years. Sweeps the heifers in a straw yard from Christmas until end March (not expecting him to find any by end Feb, but he is ''safe' in there while we AI the cows). He has been standing patiently by the gate every day for about a month, he knows where to go next. This photo taken whilst he waited for Prince Pooper to re-fasten the gate before we walked him to the cows.

Now with the milkers on concrete and grass until end May, then out to grass with the i/c heifers / dry cows until next December. He is an absolute star and has sired some lovely calves. Will have his feet trimmed in the next couple of months and did start an inter-digital growth a few years ago and went lame on us but doesn't bother him since we got his feet back in order. Just a bit of a squash getting him in the foot trimming crush. Is not over worked, but does what we want him to.

Previous bull got hit by a Jeep when he got out at night , broke his leg and had to be put down.

 

[som farmer]

as I get older, I know I can't keep up with the younger gen, in more ways than one, probably expect to much from our bulls, 1 or 2 bulls, chasing couple 100 cows...…...

 

[Dead Rabbits]

 

[vantage]

View attachment 869113

A lovely Huckleberry Finn view I presume!

 

[pine_guy]

Cows are starting to calve, but still a lot of heifers as well including this beauty that just popped out a bill calf

 

[vantage]

Cows are starting to calve, but still a lot of heifers as well including this beauty that just popped out a bill calf View attachment 869166

That’s a very nice heifer!

 

[farmboy]

 

[farmboy]

 

[vantage]

View attachment 869191

Good to see the paddock cows observing a bit of social distancing!

 

[som farmer]

even if I could photo of ours grazing, I wouldn't at the moment, they are on some grass, that is best described, as a heavy silage crop, couldn't cut it, to many big stones ! They can take the best, bulling heifers ca n clear up. But, it's great to have them out, milks going up, and is still being picked up.

 

[pine_guy]

That’s a very nice heifer!

Thankyou, Sadly there are some in the heard I bought to offset her ?

 

[buffalo_soldier]

Cows are starting to calve, but still a lot of heifers as well including this beauty that just popped out a bill calf View attachment 869166

Good luck, you certainly picked a heck of a time to start milk production ?

 

[Rossymons]

Good luck, you certainly picked a heck of a time to start milk production ?

Can only go up though...surely?

 

[Beef farmer]

Can only go up though...surely?

Mmmmmmmmm.

 

[coomoo]

Good luck, you certainly picked a heck of a time to start milk production ?

Came in myself just before the last hardship @pine_guy and learned loads from it.

 

[Adam@Rumen]

Be some cheap cows around in a month or 2 for replacements or expansion though