All things Dairy

[Cows 'n grass]

i'll calve 2-3 heifers a year at 21 months once there big enough there served regardless of age.

My criteria for service is animals that are alive on May 10th.

When we were building the herd we would have been calving into May and keeping the offspring to breed the following year but now all replacements are born in the first 3 weeks

 

[Spudley]

Same here, we use plenty of sexed semen and have all replacements born in the first 3 weeks.

 

[crashbox]

Could do a bit of both, weigh them and make a decision. The slower growers can be held back, and the stronger ones pushed forward.

 

[Rossymons]

i'll calve 2-3 heifers a year at 21 months once there big enough there served regardless of age.

There's a lot to be said for that. What I'm doing now compared to the crap job I did of growing my own heifers has been pretty eye opening.

General consensus is that if they're in good condition, looking well and bulling strong then serve them - age and size don't matter.

 

[More to life]

There's a lot to be said for that. What I'm doing now compared to the crap job I did of growing my own heifers has been pretty eye opening.

General consensus is that if they're in good condition, looking well and bulling strong then serve them - age and size don't matter.

I think it's pretty cool to get a second calf out of a 2yr old.

 

[Rossymons]

I think it's pretty cool to get a second calf out of a 2yr old.

Best I've got so far is 2yr old 3 months PD+ with her second.

I'm pleasantly surprised at how well these younger animals just melt into the rest of the herd and go largely unnoticed.

 

[Princess Pooper]

Same here, we use plenty of sexed semen and have all replacements born in the first 3 weeks.

Yup, 3-4 weeks for us. Since we tightened that up, of course, unless you change your system then by default you are breeding to calve at 2 years. When we had replacements born over 12 weeks we could calve some at 22 months if they were large enough to serve, but now if we do that we will be bringing the calving period forward which we do not want. So our average age at first calving has gone up from about 713 days to 735.

 

[crashbox]

What are people's experiences with applying well rotted manure to grazing platform during the season?

Got a low potash field here (1+ to 2-), thought a light flick of very black stuff might give it a boost and add organics...

But will it bugger up the grass?

Extending rotation out to 30 days there as dry as a chip already...

 

[In the pit]

What are people's experiences with applying well rotted manure to grazing platform during the season?

Got a low potash field here (1+ to 2-), thought a light flick of very black stuff might give it a boost and add organics...

But will it bugger up the grass?

Extending rotation out to 30 days there as dry as a chip already...

I’ve always done it through July /aug and covered as much of the grazing area as possible
Biggest thing is getting the right bloke on the spreader

 

[lazy farmer]

20 days to the start of service

 

[Rossymons]

Knocked off the first 100 heifers on synch today. Its begun!

 

[lazy farmer]

Knocked off the first 100 heifers on synch today. Its begun!

Not when you like 6 weeks off it hasn’t.

 

[Farm X]

Put simply, yes. The plough is the devil. We’re on our last round with the plough following the trencher to put water mains in then will reserve ploughing only for fields that are stagnant and stinking ( normally ones we’ve taken on in rent)

How much drainage did you put in with the trencher?

 

[Jdunn55]

Had 4 cows and 4 heifers bulling at midday today, will they be alright if I leave them and serve in the morning rather than after milking tonight?

 

[In the pit]

Had 4 cows and 4 heifers bulling at midday today, will they be alright if I leave them and serve in the morning rather than after milking tonight?

Fine

 

[sidjon]

We serve once a day, once the tech has left its not going to be AI'ed until tomorrow =5%MT rate, but no Holstein blood.

 

[mixed farm]

What would people do? We are changing from Autumn to May/June these will calving in at 30months+ to fit that block, would you sell them and buy again the right age or keep and risk large heifers entering the herd? View attachment 1031574

Keep. No meal for them and away you go.

 

[Rossymons]

Had 4 cows and 4 heifers bulling at midday today, will they be alright if I leave them and serve in the morning rather than after milking tonight?

Serve them tomorrow. Go to the pub tonight.

 

[In the pit]

Serve them tomorrow. Go to the pub tonight.

Last orders called before hes started milking

 

[Jdunn55]

Serve them tomorrow. Go to the pub tonight.

Last orders called before hes started milking

2 sides left no chance of pub though, silly season starts tomorrow!