All things Dairy

[pappuller]

Have you got the option of running all robots together down the line? What’s the reason for running late lactation cows on the new separate unit when TMR and nut through the robot is the same?

All bots will be linked through t4c but physically it will be separate.
Training fresh heifers/cows is a doddle in existing shed plus we have a pen for fresh cows 24hrs post calving in existing shed. New shed will be no frills or fancy gate systems, just a crush for treating/dry offs.
Hopefully with it being staler cows it will require less labour to manage.
Didnt want 2 sheds that both needed fresh cows or training heifers.
It may be a disaster, time will tell

 

[kp_n_plghng]

All bots will be linked through t4c but physically it will be separate.
Training fresh heifers/cows is a doddle in existing shed plus we have a pen for fresh cows 24hrs post calving in existing shed. New shed will be no frills or fancy gate systems, just a crush for treating/dry offs.
Hopefully with it being staler cows it will require less labour to manage.
Didnt want 2 sheds that both needed fresh cows or training heifers.
It may be a disaster, time will tell

That sounds great

 

[Headless chicken]

Can anyone recommend the best place to get a captive bolt gun from? And best storage method. Assume a locked container is needed? Not wanting to create its own thread for obvious reasons.

 

[Happy hillbily]

Can anyone recommend the best place to get a captive bolt gun from? And best storage method. Assume a locked container is needed? Not wanting to create its own thread for obvious reasons.

Local gun shop
this is mine https://www.valleyarms.co.uk/
I ended up buying a single shot .410, slightly cheaper and I can use it for vermin.

 

[pappuller]

Local gun shop
this is mine https://www.valleyarms.co.uk/
I ended up buying a single shot .410, slightly cheaper and I can use it for vermin.

Rats move slower in the hills ?

 

[vantage]

Can anyone recommend the best place to get a captive bolt gun from? And best storage method. Assume a locked container is needed? Not wanting to create its own thread for obvious reasons.

Got mine from Brno Guns, helpful and get the red top blanks there too.

 

[Princess Pooper]

Local gun shop
this is mine https://www.valleyarms.co.uk/
I ended up buying a single shot .410, slightly cheaper and I can use it for vermin.

At one time Ian Potter was advertising cheap captive bolt killers. We asked our deadstock collector about them, said they are a complete waste of time, not man enough for the job especially for cattle, the one he uses cost into the thousands, although obviously he does need a reliable one for the job he does. We told him we use a .410 and he said that is absolutely fine (I think it is officially OK as well, whereas a 12 bore is not).

 

[vantage]

At one time Ian Potter was advertising cheap captive bolt killers. We asked our deadstock collector about them, said they are a complete waste of time, not man enough for the job especially for cattle, the one he uses cost into the thousands, although obviously he does need a reliable one for the job he does. We told him we use a .410 and he said that is absolutely fine (I think it is officially OK as well, whereas a 12 bore is not).

If you have the red spot blanks, they’ll be fine for cows and young bulls.

 

[Wesley]

At one time Ian Potter was advertising cheap captive bolt killers. We asked our deadstock collector about them, said they are a complete waste of time, not man enough for the job especially for cattle, the one he uses cost into the thousands, although obviously he does need a reliable one for the job he does. We told him we use a .410 and he said that is absolutely fine (I think it is officially OK as well, whereas a 12 bore is not).

Whats the reasoning for a 12 bore not being ok? Asking for a friend...

 

[frederick]

Whats the reasoning for a 12 bore not being ok? Asking for a friend...

The humane slaughter association approves a 12bore. I was checking for a friend.

 

[easy farming]

The humane slaughter association approves a 12bore. I was checking for a friend.

During the OTM scheme we had a lame bull that had to sent off, the slaughter man asked us to use a 12 bore as his captive bolt would not work on it.

 

[Wesley]

@Princess Pooper a bit of bedtime reading for you. Page 7 is the relevant bit. They only advise a .410 if nothing larger is available. Fine for calves & smaller/younger animals but I’d rather use something bigger on more mature cattle.
https://www.hsa.org.uk/downloads/publications/hsa-humane-killing-of-livestock-using-firearms.pdf

 

[Happy hillbily]

I got the .410 after dispatching a sheep with a 12 bore, never again .
Much cleaner with the .410.
My vet said use the .410 on sheep . calves and heifers up to 12 months old. Any cattle over 12 months use the 12 bore.
I think the captive bolt was about £250-300 from the local place but that was going bach quite a few years. Also the captive bolt only stuns the animal, up to you how you dispatch it after.

 

[Jdunn55]

Well, I think the phrase is, "if it doesn't rain it pours"!
Dad's gone down with covid and isn't very well, his cows were coming off test today so it was down to me to sort, luckily the vets managed to send out 2 of them who worked the front and did the paperwork while I loaded the crush - and as a silver lining all clear!

I'm now on cow and sheep duty for him as well as mine now
Spoke to roddas who have managed to postpone my red tractor inspection until next month for me as there's zero chance of me getting all that done as well on my own!

Dry cows are starting to bag up - and no I am most certainly not ready to go

 

[Spudley]

I hope your dad is better soon.

 

[Princess Pooper]

The humane slaughter association approves a 12bore. I was checking for a friend.

Sorry, wrote that from memory, 12 bore OK with larger pellets but not your standard birdshot. We have never had a problem with .410 on a cow but on the one occasion we had to put a bull down in a hurry (2 am in the morning, hit by Jeep after getting on road and ended up in a half dry pond up to his belly in mud with a probable broken leg), our neighbour did it as we had nothing we were happy with.

 

[Jdunn55]

Is 100' of feed barrier space enough for 50 milkers? I need to give my dry cows more room but don't want to compromise the milkers in doing so! 100' works well logistically

 

[som farmer]

Is 100' of feed barrier space enough for 50 milkers? I need to give my dry cows more room but don't want to compromise the milkers in doing so! 100' works well logistically

they reckon 2ft/cow spacing, dry cows, esp big fat ones ! need a bit more.
got your work cut out for a day or two, hope your dad gets better soon.
great - clear test
we read this morning, the injector, was rushed to hosp this morning, before he got here, so fuss and bother, before they found some one else, whose method was different to mondays, but we passed getting cagey, lots of lumps, but all in the right place, thank goodness.
extra bonus, vet techs came out and dehorned 50 as well. Great day.

 

[som farmer]

as grazing grass by sheep, seems to be frowned upon by some, 1st pic, with crap in the bottom, the least worse, which the sheep should graze, but not enough time for them, second and third, grass getting ready for early first cut, not grazed grazed by sheep, nor by cattle last year, then grass ready to turn out on, we can't get out properly till mid/late april.

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and the ditch/pipes, that won't delete, but answered a question, our old spring reservoir system has been failing for a long time, and has been replaced by a bore hole pressurised system. Having done some digger work, near the spring, wet spot appeared, investigated, 4inch glazed pipe, running full bore, but not heading to the old spring and catchment pit, put in 100 yrs ago, but why, and where it runs to, a mystery, so now, reservoir should fill up.

 

[cull cows]

Can anyone recommend the best place to get a captive bolt gun from? And best storage method. Assume a locked container is needed? Not wanting to create its own thread for obvious reasons.

I have only for sale
Pm me please