All things Dairy

[O'Reilly]

We have a week of dry weather in this country and people are saying we’re in a drought

Aren't you in Wales? You might not understand

 

[pappuller]

Having a problem with grazing 2800- 3000
Litres are very slightly up. Bf down from 4.6 to 4.15. Protein unchanged. Very sub optimal.

Comparable margin per cow with previous performance vs now ?

 

[lazy farmer]

Comparable margin per cow with previous performance vs now ?

Total solids is lower. Simples.

 

[Princess Pooper]

Changes to our milk quality over the years.. the butterfat and protein is the result of breeding (and a bit of feeding) but the FPD and urea are interesting. It certainly backs up the study that NMR did which concluded that FPDs are lower nowadays (and resulted in the changes to penalties). Proteins last winter were the worst we have had for several years as we were struggling to get energy into the cows on the back of poor silage taken late last Spring.

 

[som farmer]

Ryegrass roots will go down along way unless you’ve got something stopping them , absolute crap that there shallow rooting and die off

well that snippet of info, came from the seed houses, not reps. And when l have cocksfoot growing in a prg mix, and its green, while the prg is brown, and you put your spade in, and the prg roots go down 5/6 ins, and c/foot goes deeper, sort of tells you.
But pretty certain the older varieties were better, they keep breeding new varieties, that yield better, but at a cost. They may well out do old varieties, in yield, in a perfect lab/trial patch, but the general aim, is to utilise N, straight into the leaf, more leaf, = more yield. And we know prg needs regular reseeding. The root structure, is equally important, the better that is, the better the plant lasts, and performs. Here, its fine, until it dries up, and then it shoots to head, and if it stays dry, that's it. Whereas now, using other types of grass, we can keep something growing, herbs are great, soon as grass slows, they pick up, and the cows love them.

 

[Holsteinfriesian90]

Changes to our milk quality over the years.. the butterfat and protein is the result of breeding (and a bit of feeding) but the FPD and urea are interesting. It certainly backs up the study that NMR did which concluded that FPDs are lower nowadays (and resulted in the changes to penalties). Proteins last winter were the worst we have had for several years as we were struggling to get energy into the cows on the back of poor silage taken late last Spring.

That’s really interesting. What sort of cows did you have back in the 90s?

 

[som farmer]

Changes to our milk quality over the years.. the butterfat and protein is the result of breeding (and a bit of feeding) but the FPD and urea are interesting. It certainly backs up the study that NMR did which concluded that FPDs are lower nowadays (and resulted in the changes to penalties). Proteins last winter were the worst we have had for several years as we were struggling to get energy into the cows on the back of poor silage taken late last Spring.

good set of results.
sometimes l wonder how accurate the testing is, we have had 2 tests, bf 4.4 water 505, then the next test, bf 3.8, and water 518.
protein runs pretty level at 3.4, one thing l have noticed, cows with good protein, get in calf quicker, those with low, are the difficult ones.
On syncing, we have had the bulls out for 5/6 weeks, pd session last week, the spring calvers, not many, and any good cow, -ve, jabbed with prelim, 13, served 7 today, and at least 3 for tomorrow, and 3/4 not jabbed, but coming on.

 

[Cowwilf]

Need a couple of days of

 

[Princess Pooper]

Holstein Friesian then too but a few 50% or 25% British Friesian still kicking around, (Masbury Rio Grande, Maybar Juniper, Castlerhydd Galleon), First Holsteins were Pittendreich Baron (1991), Osdel Endeavour Cuties-Mark (1992), O-E Bova Cubby (1993), Juniper Cleitus Jag (1994), Aerostar (1995). Apart from 2 years (around 2000 and 2015) when we had to buy in, closed throughout so still got some of the cow families.

 

[In the pit]

Aren't you in Wales? You might not understand

Ran a herd in Dorset for 10 years on soils 6 inches deep so know all about drought
Wales and Dorset like chalk and cheese and it was easier managing in a drought than it is managing a farm when it rains all the time.dry matter is a huge issue in the wet but not a issue when it’s dry
Was always told when you’re in dry weather and running short of grazing you should feed silage when it rains
A silage drought is what a lot of people are experiencing at the moment, acres of ground shut up for silage while the grass in front of the cows starts running out

 

[Scholsey]

Holstein Friesian then too but a few 50% or 25% British Friesian still kicking around, (Masbury Rio Grande, Maybar Juniper, Castlerhydd Galleon), First Holsteins were Pittendreich Baron (1991), Osdel Endeavour Cuties-Mark (1992), O-E Bova Cubby (1993), Juniper Cleitus Jag (1994), Aerostar (1995). Apart from 2 years (around 2000 and 2015) when we had to buy in, closed throughout so still got some of the cow families.

was urea measured in the same way then as now? Thought anything over 0.3 was too high, never seen ureas over 0.5!

 

[Rossymons]

Ran a herd in Dorset for 10 years on soils 6 inches deep so know all about drought
Wales and Dorset like chalk and cheese and it was easier managing in a drought than it is managing a farm when it rains all the time.dry matter is a huge issue in the wet but not a issue when it’s dry
Was always told when you’re in dry weather and running short of grazing you should feed silage when it rains
A silage drought is what a lot of people are experiencing at the moment, acres of ground shut up for silage while the grass in front of the cows starts running out

Always easier in a drought. At least the cows can still go out.

 

[In the pit]

Always easier in a drought. At least the cows can still go out.

And because the grass is so dry there’s actually more feed there than you think

 

[Rossymons]

And because the grass is so dry there’s actually more feed there than you think

Dry ground recovers a lot easier than sodden ground too.

 

[Jamer]

Dry ground recovers a lot easier than sodden ground too.

We’re on mainly Evesham clays and treading sodden ground is the fastest way to thin out a ley.

 

[Cowwilf]

Ran a herd in Dorset for 10 years on soils 6 inches deep so know all about drought
Wales and Dorset like chalk and cheese and it was easier managing in a drought than it is managing a farm when it rains all the time.dry matter is a huge issue in the wet but not a issue when it’s dry
Was always told when you’re in dry weather and running short of grazing you should feed silage when it rains
A silage drought is what a lot of people are experiencing at the moment, acres of ground shut up for silage while the grass in front of the cows starts running out

Not so simple when silage ground is a couple of miles away.

 

[pine_guy]

Cows on a 4 acre silage fog last night, thought they’d be happy on that. But no, made a break for it. Electric alongside a knackered wire fence, there was a casualty

Hoping it will stitch and dry off early.

 

[In the pit]

Not so simple when silage ground is a couple of miles away.

I’ve walked cows 1.5 miles before but depends on layout .not for everyone

 

[Jdunn55]

View attachment 1042601Cows on a 4 acre silage fog last night, thought they’d be happy on that. But no, made a break for it. Electric alongside a knackered wire fence, there was a casualty
View attachment 1042600
Hoping it will stitch and dry off early.

If it makes you feel any better, I had the exact same about 45 days ago, stitched, canula in for the first week, antibiotics and she's been fine ever since, she is slow in that quarter now but nothing a bit of fore milking doesn't fix

 

[In the pit]

Just dug down to what I think is the end of roots of a prg plant and what a surprise 17 inches long .if I were you @som farmer i would get your cake rep ( sorry grass specialist) out to dig a few holes cos 5/6 inches ain’t cutting it