All things Dairy

[pappuller]

know who you are on snap now

Too much social media gives things away

 

[Princess Pooper]

I’d say calving outside is better for the cows and calves less mis mothering less assisting calvings and milk fevers far less chance off calves pickin up bugs in the field than a shed

The one that calved early outside (2nd calver) was immediately adopted by the wrong cow and if we have a mismothering in the yard, at the very least I can hoick the calf out quick on my own, as they all get bottle fed colostrum anyway. Far easier for me to take colostrum into a yard 100 yards away than 400 yards down the field in the dark. We also have calving cameras so if one is calving at midnight I can at least look at it from the comfort of my bed, as well as being easier to check them as calving progresses.

We haven't lost any calves due to infections for at least 3 years and minimal scours so that doesn't really seem to be an issue.

 

[Cowmansam]

Having seen how some dry cows are kept on standing hay I would say the last point may not always be true!

Depends how it’s done be no different than someone calving inside and not bedding

 

[pine_guy]

Pre milking rush, there was another one in the far offs, all well though, just cow not bagged up much. 3 cows 4 calves.

 

[Princess Pooper]

Depends how it’s done be no different than someone calving inside and not bedding

Perhaps this explains why some people have so much mastitis - we hardly get any!

 

[Cowmansam]

Can be depends how many you need to be dealing with we can loose house probably 120 cows at a push if needed too but then I’d be incroaching into beef calf sheds I’ll have 180 odd cows through my calving field in the first 3 weeks it would be constant bedding up in a shed

 

[frederick]

Can be depends how many you need to be dealing with we can loose house probably 120 cows at a push if needed too but then I’d be incroaching into beef calf sheds I’ll have 180 odd cows through my calving field in the first 3 weeks it would be constant bedding up in a shed

We will pull some cubicles in for dry cows. Can house 70 loose. Will draft once a week at 14-21 days precalving which is a bit tight. Will be about 160 in 3 weeks

 

[frederick]

Pre milking rush, there was another one in the far offs, all well though, just cow not bagged up much. 3 cows 4 calves. View attachment 978211

Time for calving bingo.
A line is a calf born in every group of dry cows.
A full house is one in the milking herd as well.
We've achieved a full house 2 times in the last 3 years.
Hopefully heat eartags might remove the bull inaccuracy but I'm still sure we'll get 1or 2 we pull out wrong.

 

[Cowmansam]

I’ve had the line a few times never a full house yet

 

[Princess Pooper]

We will pull some cubicles in for dry cows. Can house 70 loose. Will draft once a week at 14-21 days precalving which is a bit tight. Will be about 160 in 3 weeks

We have only 88 to calve, 27 in first 2 weeks, then the rest at roughly 12 per month to end Feb. In early October we have to use the bigger yard for the bulling heifers for the winter and so we can only calve in a smaller yard adjacent that can only take about 6 at a time.

Gets a bit hairy sometimes if they calve out of sequence especially as the tail-end far-off dries are usually still out in December. If the weather is too bad they have to go in the cubicle house which is always bad news because they get out of parlour straights and silage which is not what we want old dry cows to be eating!

 

[Princess Pooper]

I’ve had the line a few times never a full house yet

Same here, never a full house although we have had one only dry a week. Bloody old Angus was a discrete little chap..

 

[RJ1]

Is anybody else falling out with their platemaker these last couple of weeks?
It seems to be over reading or it may be that the cows have upped their appetite!

Could I ask what allocations of DMI spring calvers are giving at the minute?

 

[Beef farmer]

Full House most weeks here.

 

[Cowmansam]

That’s why I only run bulls for 4 weeks everything in calf dried off at the end some might be dry a bit long but better then too short

 

[lazy farmer]

Perhaps this explains why some people have so much mastitis - we hardly get any!

Is anybody else falling out with their platemaker these last couple of weeks?
It seems to be over reading or it may be that the cows have upped their appetite!

Could I ask what allocations of DMI spring calvers are giving at the minute?

Dry matters are low. Plate meter says we are growing 80-90. Demand is only 50ish. Yet the grass is only just keeping up. So to answer your question nearly twice as much as you think.

 

[Princess Pooper]

Hey ho, just went to see that everything is OK and that no-one had got cast whilst the straw is settling etc and I spotted two little green eyes with my headlamp and yes someone has popped a calf out! Not sure who, yet, just waiting for colostrum to defrost and no doubt Mum will make herself known. Been busy ironing all evening!

 

[pine_guy]

Time for calving bingo.
A line is a calf born in every group of dry cows.
A full house is one in the milking herd as well.
We've achieved a full house 2 times in the last 3 years.
Hopefully heat eartags might remove the bull inaccuracy but I'm still sure we'll get 1or 2 we pull out wrong.

A line would be going some today as currently have 4 groups of dry cows (including a batch of beef) . but an unintentional beef heifer popped this out as I was heading out to pick Friday night super up. Got back and milkers through electric fence So was dark when I got back to it. Mother last seen creeping a barb wire into an adjacent barley field Calf adopted itself onto this dairy bred bullock that is with them as cut its leg

 

[Dead Rabbits]

Full steam ahead

 

[RJ1]

Dry matters are low. Plate meter says we are growing 80-90. Demand is only 50ish. Yet the grass is only just keeping up. So to answer your question nearly twice as much as you think.

My wedge is showing the same - should be taking many fields out but there's no chance it's anywhere near right.

That makes sense. I should test the grass. That said, with the very dry weather I would have expected dry matter to be fairly high?

 

[lazy farmer]

My wedge is showing the same - should be taking many fields out but there's no chance it's anywhere near right.

That makes sense. I should test the grass. That said, with the very dry weather I would have expected dry matter to be fairly high?

Can’t say that here. Currently weather reminds me of a cooler Florida.. humid and 10ml of rain in a shower every afternoon.!