All things Dairy

[Wesley]

Now that would be interesting

Got your backup milking stools on order?

 

[crashbox]

Or we run out of gas and the power is turned off for 12 hours a day.

You won't mind, will give you that nudge to go OAD

 

[pine_guy]

The fresh are doing 30-35 litres but milking of there backs graze on a block but we dried out and it’s never really recovered and probably prefer to make the silage than strip graze because of the layout with roads

30-35 is easily doable with parlour cake as long as there is good grass in front of them. We have plenty of cows doing over 35 and parlour cake tops out at 9kg I think, they cycled well this last month, we start serving today. But, they get two fresh brakes of grass every day. The other quest for you if you feed more cake, do the five you more milk and still milk off their backs.

 

[pine_guy]

I must admit I’m Leaning to bringing them in the shed has auto scrapers so only need to bed the cubicles twice a day and I’m gonna have to fill the feeder and feed them which ever option I choose, by not feeding my lows that cheap milk will pay my extra costs of my highs hopefully ah farming just when you think your motoring on something crops up but as I have leant the hard way if I sit back and do nothing it’s 6 - 12 months down the line you will pay! There honestly is no other industry that has such a delayed reaction to decisions made today!

Other option, lay in the high yielders graze the low yielders and milk once a day. We did that later on last year when we were buying in any grass we could find to feed cows due to the drought.

 

[som farmer]

Got your backup milking stools on order?

l still have our last milking stool, nicely sanded down, and varnished, makes a very nice piece of furniture.
Age, uncertain, but h/bone went in, in 66, so pre that, l started milking 65, but no recollection of it.

 

[pine_guy]

View attachment 1046384Don’t know but I feel flush enough to stop for a Costa and millionaire shortbread after dropping 4 cows at the abattoir.

Be careful showing some of them this rain we are getting.

 

[coomoo]

It’s biblical here the now. No showing off tho desperately want to get second cut off.

 

[early riser]

It’s biblical here the now. No showing off tho desperately want to get second cut off.

Be thankful you’ve got a 2nd cut, it’s burnt off here

Desperately need some proper rain

 

[yin ewe]

View attachment 1046407 Be careful showing some of them this rain we are getting.

I wouldn't worry about it, they're good at showing us pictures of cows grazing lush grass at the start of February when us boys have snow on the ground.

 

[Headless chicken]

Has anyone got any experience of using wire rope in a collecting yard for cattle? Something tells me @jimmer maybe?
Need a means of changing ours in a cost effective way. Got crash barriers currently but would need more than we’ve got for this change.

 

[sidjon]

Has anyone got any experience of using wire rope in a collecting yard for cattle? Something tells me @jimmer maybe?
Need a means of changing ours in a cost effective way. Got crash barriers currently but would need more than we’ve got for this change.

Lots in Nz would have wire, have seen it here but can't remember where.

 

[som farmer]

we have had a good soaking, thank goodness, should keep us going for a while, last fert will now go on. We start to dry off mid august, so grazing demand, will ease off. Just a shame it didn't come 2 months ago, would have helped to keep the milk up. They have been on 2nd cut, grass/clover ley, very dry, they eat the seed heads and clover, leaving the stalks, but are perfectly happy on it, last night, the first feed back on 'proper' grass.

 

[Rossymons]

Has anyone got any experience of using wire rope in a collecting yard for cattle? Something tells me @jimmer maybe?
Need a means of changing ours in a cost effective way. Got crash barriers currently but would need more than we’ve got for this change.

I've seen it here and can work very well. The wire tape like the horse people use is the best because dozey tractor drivers can't say they couldn't see it! They still will go through it but its definitely visible.

Plus it comes on the retracting wheel so it can be unhooked and out the way easily. Decent power to it, they'll touch it once and leave it alone.

 

[Tim G]

Thought I'd heard most things until I got asked today if someone could bring their own bottles for milk. They didn't like the idea of plastic ones as they were worried about chemicals leaching into the milk. When I pointed out that we used detergents and steriliser to clean our glass bottles they didn't want them either. I asked how they were intending to clean their own bottles and got the reply, 'we won't.'

 

[coomoo]

New blacksmith, slats welded and rails very impressed. Sort of thing that makes my week… sad but it’s ferminnn

 

[Ducati899]

@Ducati899 are you still pleased with your shearbucket? Am about to order one for the winter, 5 6" shelborne one

yeah wouldn’t be without it,current one used every day since 2014,never been sharpened and still cuts like a dream

 

[Martyn]

yeah wouldn’t be without it,current one used every day since 2014,never been sharpened and still cuts like a dream

Good just ordered one, £4600, old stock rep said they have stop making them. Is your ,56"? We only have a small handler and thought the other size would be to big.

 

[Buford T. Justice]

Thought I'd heard most things until I got asked today if someone could bring their own bottles for milk. They didn't like the idea of plastic ones as they were worried about chemicals leaching into the milk. When I pointed out that we used detergents and steriliser to clean our glass bottles they didn't want them either. I asked how they were intending to clean their own bottles and got the reply, 'we won't.'

When you hear reports like this, you can understand the need for enforced hygiene standards in food production and preparation

 

[Ducati899]

Good just ordered one, £4600, old stock rep said they have stop making them. Is your ,56"? We only have a small handler and thought the other size would be to big.

Yeah same as mine,bugger…I should of bought one if they’ve stopped them

 

[crashbox]

we have had a good soaking, thank goodness, should keep us going for a while, last fert will now go on. We start to dry off mid august, so grazing demand, will ease off. Just a shame it didn't come 2 months ago, would have helped to keep the milk up. They have been on 2nd cut, grass/clover ley, very dry, they eat the seed heads and clover, leaving the stalks, but are perfectly happy on it, last night, the first feed back on 'proper' grass.

Still no rain here, dry as a chip.

Cocksfoot, chicory and maize look well. Everything else any good has stopped.