All things Dairy

[frederick]

Yours linked to a draft gate?
Tags reusable?

Yes
And yes.

 

[I thats it]

Just a few pictures for the picture thread

 

[Jdunn55]

It already has.
Don't think it will quite pay the five year cost in year one but definitely year 2.
Tighter block
Improved conceptionn rate
Culls being sold as pregnant cows not barreners
9 aberdeen angus bulls off farm and no more needed.
Dropped a routine vet fertility visit.
Dropped pd visit
Kept 3 toxic cows in milk as treated earlier because of tags.

Have an excellent herdsman that would agree that the tags have allowed him to achieve all the above.

Reduced the risk that the business would be exposed to should I loose my current herdsman.

What system have you got? Sounds really good, always nice to hear from someone who's not selling them!

Any negatives?

 

[Jdunn55]

So my bactoscan has been steadily creeping up and thought I'd best get in the tank as everyone on here always says to check the tank first, found this on both paddles and where the milk exits the tank, this likely to be the cause or should I keep looking? I've scrubbed this clean with Vatkleen and did the rest of the tank too whilst I was in there

 

[Tirglas]

So my bactoscan has been steadily creeping up and thought I'd best get in the tank as everyone on here always says to check the tank first, found this on both paddles and where the milk exits the tank, this likely to be the cause or should I keep looking? I've scrubbed this clean with Vatkleen and did the rest of the tank too whilst I was in there

Hell yes you found it!! Why the tank wash doesn't do it next thing to figure out? Carefull with chemicals and going in the tank had a few scares over the years

 

[Cowmansam]

Check there’s not a tiny pebble or something in the tank jetter thing usually what causes ours

 

[LTH]

More bull calves an umpire out of a Joseph second calver, currently 2 heifers 4 bulls and the next heifer to calve sexed seems to be going over! Although they are fair units and will make good stores but would be even nicer cows

 

[Bogeyman]

I’m not of suitable proportions to get into tank ,or else tank not big enough.

 

[TheRanger]

More bull calves an umpire out of a Joseph second calver, currently 2 heifers 4 bulls and the next heifer to calve sexed seems to be going over! Although they are fair units and will make good stores but would be even nicer cows

Looking good

Hopefully the store trade stays up. Sold a pen of Fresian stores out of Holstein cows the other day, grass fed 580kg £1200 23/24 months, best we’ve ever had. Don’t mind the odd Fresian bull calf.

 

[LTH]

Looking good

Hopefully the store trade stays up. Sold a pen of Fresian stores out of Holstein cows the other day, grass fed 580kg £1200 23/24 months, best we’ve ever had. Don’t mind the odd Fresian bull calf.

We had some 18month ones to £1030 earlier on in the year but they weren’t grass fed.

 

[borderterribles]

had the misfortune to go to exeter mkt today, herd dispersal, started badly, traffic lights on the A303, that added 1/2 hr on traveling time, cows sold extremely well, not giving a lot, and a far few sold as running with bull, would have averaged nudging towards £1100, age, cell count, low yields, didn't matter, very little difference in price, vendor turned them out, looking good, and must be extremely pleased, so, not even a bid. Then to cap it off, 2 accidents on the A30/303, 5 1/4 hours to get back, we farm next to the A303, and got home, via Lyme Regis. A friend, left at 12.00, we passed him, heading back to exeter, after we had queued for 2 hrs, he lives a Shaftsbury, and we beat him home. We have decided to treat exeter, as a winter only mkt ################################ !

Averaged £1075 according to MD. I thought the cows looked great. Why so little milk though?

 

[som farmer]

Averaged £1075 according to MD. I thought the cows looked great. Why so little milk though?

yes, the cows were well turned out, and were a credit. I know the farm they came from, and it would be a very awkward farm to manage, it's in a hole, with steep banks all around, river pollution must be a nightmare to stop, it's right by the stream, like 3m. Without knowing all the facts, perhaps it was a to difficult farm to manage, short of conc, might explain the lower yields. Perhaps to much spent on the pedigree cows, it's difficult to say exactly when things start to go astray, and when they start, it quickly speeds up. No-one likes to see young farmers selling their herds, it's a real pity, and this was definitely not a welfare issue, the cows really looked good, and he had a good sale. From the other side of the fence, it was an awful sale, the prices being given for the cows, took some believing, the only 'cheap' cow l saw, was rather on the wild side, other than her, didn't seem to make any difference, to any faults. The 'empty' ones at the end, we were told a lot went into 4 figures, thankfully we left before them, otherwise we might still be down there, a normal time would be 1.30 hrs, max, it took 5 1/4, by taking a 70 mile detour, and roads were still busy, just thankful we didn't buy any, real shite journey back for them.
Envelope estimation, for av, pretty pleased with my figure, shows lock down hasn't killed all the brain cells off !

 

[borderterribles]

Yes, the black cross breds at the end certainly looked expensive, I thought. The red and white cow was properly wound up,wasn't she? My near neighbour bought a load of what I thought were lovely young pedigree cows at sensible money.

 

[pappuller]

We had some 18month ones to £1030 earlier on in the year but they weren’t grass fed.

Would you have them housed for the 18 months ?

 

[LTH]

Would you have them housed for the 18 months ?

Did this year took grass off the field they normally go to for summer as we were short with the crap spring. On straw or old silage that wanted eating up and cake

 

[bigw]

How successful have people been with using a hex roller or texture float to leave a grooved finish on concrete or am i better just to get it grooved when its finished.

 

[farmboy]

How successful have people been with using a hex roller or texture float to leave a grooved finish on concrete or am i better just to get it grooved when its finished.

I didn’t really like the hex we had on one place, didn’t think it was very grippy and soon got blocked up. Had grooves put in some more with a float at 90degrees to cow travel, thought that was a lot more grippy and if you emptied water trough and scraped it seemed to clean the grooves out well

 

[Spudley]

We have hex on the slope going up into the collecting yard from the lane, it's ok because it's not a high traffic area but it does clog up in the dry weather. I don't think it's as good as proper grooving.

 

[som farmer]

we have perfectly good grooves in concrete, made by using a four prong fork, that concrete, was laid in the '50s, 3ins thick, and still supports modern machinery, silage trailers, and lorries. Other than that, straight grooving, in concrete, laid 6ins thick, that doesn't stand todays modern ag gear. Progress ?

 

[pappuller]

we have perfectly good grooves in concrete, made by using a four prong fork, that concrete, was laid in the '50s, 3ins thick, and still supports modern machinery, silage trailers, and lorries. Other than that, straight grooving, in concrete, laid 6ins thick, that doesn't stand todays modern ag gear. Progress ?

What sort of modern machinery ? Britain's toys