All things Dairy

[Friesianfan]

Crikey I’ve missed a lot in the last couple of days! First I would have culled her. But in defence of @Jdunn55 ... her daughter is his favourite cow. 90 has had 4 lactations. Her family have averaged 9 so if he does get her in calf he could quite possibly get another 5 from her. Would all the criticisers on here be happy with 5 lactations from a heifer they bought for £700? if so what’s the difference? I’ve done a similar thing before. I’m still here milking cows, but perhaps I’m wrong

 

[Friesianfan]

What length was the service period? Of course if some ran over 2 years, but you would be the best block calving herd in the world at a guess.

As I said before on this thread 16 weeks, with the odd 3 or 4 after that which could have been culled but @Jdunn55 wanted some cheap cows

 

[Sid]

Crikey I’ve missed a lot in the last couple of days! First I would have culled her. But in defence of @Jdunn55 ... her daughter is his favourite cow. 90 has had 4 lactations. Her family have averaged 9 so if he does get her in calf he could quite possibly get another 5 from her. Would all the criticisers on here be happy with 5 lactations from a heifer they bought for £700? if so what’s the difference? I’ve done a similar thing before. I’m still here milking cows, but perhaps I’m wrong

Average is just that, some have more some have less.
She maybe the less side of average

 

[mixed farm]

A bit of an observation from an outsider.
I understand you're just starting out on your own, which is great and I hope it works out for you but you do seem a bit green in some areas. That's not a bad thing but you have a lot of experienced operators with different systems all pretty much agreeing on something here, which is rare.
I don't think it's the one cow that's the worry, more the mindset. The only thing that matters is how much milk you sell, the price you get and the cost of producing it. I think you might need to adjust your way of thinking a bit. It's a business now.

No offence.
I'm enjoying reading about your journey

Surely "the only thing that matters" is being content and happy. One cow isn't going to break him, he likes the cow, he's giving her a good chance. Yes it isn't the smartest idea financially but a cost of £500 is small money for a bit of enjoyment.

 

[coomoo]

10 dairy related pictures All things dairy

 

[Friesianfan]

10 dairy related pictures All things dairyView attachment 955587View attachment 955588View attachment 955589View attachment 955590View attachment 955591View attachment 955592View attachment 955593View attachment 955594View attachment 955595View attachment 955596

Smart cubicle shed!

 

[Sylution]

If there is a this is my fat cow competition, here is my entry. A 5th calver, calved in September and nearly dry again. Giving around 10lts a day. Did the same last lactation. Likes a 4 month holiday

 

[Kiss]

Got to remember as well, it's not just the milk side of things from me, her genetics are very valuable, her granddaughter is top 10 on the pli for friesians, a heifer calf from her could join her up there

Says a lot about how much we should be breeding towards pli

 

[Mr Jones]

View attachment 955602
If there is a this is my fat cow competition, here is my entry. A 5th calver, calved in September and nearly dry again. Giving around 10lts a day. Did the same last lactation. Likes a 4 month holiday

Ayrshire or Ds?

 

[som farmer]

Crikey I’ve missed a lot in the last couple of days! First I would have culled her. But in defence of @Jdunn55 ... her daughter is his favourite cow. 90 has had 4 lactations. Her family have averaged 9 so if he does get her in calf he could quite possibly get another 5 from her. Would all the criticisers on here be happy with 5 lactations from a heifer they bought for £700? if so what’s the difference? I’ve done a similar thing before. I’m still here milking cows, but perhaps I’m wrong

l know a few cows, bought for considerably less than £700, making considerably more than £700 to kill, and having sold some milkers recently, bought in the £400 -600 bracket, a few years ago, have gone out at £1100 -1200. All our cows we buy in, put the purchase price, alongside, with where and when bought, it makes very interesting reading. Watched some of kivells sale today, they were going extremely well, and yet some young heifers looked cheap, nearly got tempted.

 

[Sylution]

Ayrshire or Ds?

Dairy shorthorn

 

[Mr Jones]

Dairy shorthorn

Tried a ds on a cow last week. Llandeilo Viper. If she holds to first service, may use it on 3/4.

 

[kiwi pom]

Anyone short of straw?
Spotted these today, thought it was one bale and a high grass bank on the side of the road but it's a whole row of bales
Don't know how long they've been there but the centres were quite dry, if you can get them out.

 

[Jdunn55]

Anyone short of straw?
Spotted these today, thought it was one bale and a high grass bank on the side of the road but it's a whole row of bales
Don't know how long they've been there but the centres were quite dry, if you can get them out.
View attachment 955640

One slight snag for me...
You're in New Zealand!
Straws expensive but I'm not convinced it's cheaper to ship it in from over there even if the straw is free!

 

[pine_guy]

Thats not been grazed for 5.5 months?

There you go, not grazed since end of nov. Now go sheet your silage pit

 

[TheRanger]

Prince Philip: Farmer recalls royal inspection after cow sale

A farmer who bought 186 cows from the Windsor Estate recalls the duke eating scones in his kitchen.

www.bbc.com

Nice article about the DoE and a herd of Ayrshire cows

 

[Farmermatty]

View attachment 955339View attachment 955341
Three of my favourites, 90 is 147's mother, unfortunately not in-calf but will hopefully be put in-calf again this year (I know the low-cost grazing police are going to tell me off but my mind is made up and I dont care I like her too much )
147 and 156 are arguably my best cows and are very much my pets

I would keep her. The joy you will get from showing her pictures in here for the next 5 or 6 years far out weights the chance of losing a few hundred on her now. Far better to make your own mistakes than somebody else’s

 

[Rossymons]

Prince Philip: Farmer recalls royal inspection after cow sale

A farmer who bought 186 cows from the Windsor Estate recalls the duke eating scones in his kitchen.

www.bbc.com

Nice article about the DoE and a herd of Ayrshire cows

Did they really need to say that the cows have all died since?

 

[Beef farmer]

There you go, not grazed since end of nov. Now go sheet your silage pit
View attachment 955645

sheeted down last night. Back mowing again now.

 

[HasthorpeGrange]

One of our better conditioned cows at the minute for the competition. She is barren, 6 months calved doing 22liters from 2kg cake