Days like These ...

[O'Reilly]

We read yesterday and have 7 positive and 4 inconclusives under a severe reading and with what the took in the last test that's 20% of my herd gone and I await my Gama blood test results now to see if I have any left.
Have worked day and night virtually for the last 10 days training my cow's in the robots with too many 20/ 24hr days.
Only been milking a few months and have spent mega money to get it all together for DEFRA to F__ k me over. Won't consider a movement on license yet for more cows and cow numbers were short on where had planned and now milk buyers working on allocations.
Cows come in so called completely clean of disease. Tank test confirmed high BVD, IBR and Lepto and had never had Digi. Well I am fecked that turned up as well a few days later.
Were promised to be milking well ( well lite up, ( farmers excact words) as virtually all calved July 18 and came in at 7 litres were crap ( pulled totally off cow cake and feed the worst of everything he had got with no minerals etc. Virtually doubled that now but Baldy your life is positively joyous
Sorry for the rant but I feel about the same shock as losing a very close relative currently.

And kids have kindly passed me on their cold/virus

Do you have anyone you can call on for some help? Even if it costs you money. Working those hours will do you no good, and you will find it easier to cope with stress if you are not knackered. There are plenty of people on here from the south west, surely someone knows somebody who could help?

 

[kill]

Do you have anyone you can call on for some help? Even if it costs you money. Working those hours will do you no good, and you will find it easier to cope with stress if you are not knackered. There are plenty of people on here from the south west, surely someone knows somebody who could help?

I think the worst is over as cows getting better. Didn't start until 6 am smorning instead of yesterday's and Mondays 2 am and in a 9.30 instead of multiple midnight's.
Early on we had some help but robot training is just the case of being with cows for as many hours as can be stuck.

 

[The Agrarian]

@Bald Rick et al, hope this helps - slightly!

 

[Ducati899]

I think by law you have to tell your milk buyer if you are shut down with TB anyway. We have an 'allocation' system (have had for 3 years now) which is essentially an unofficial quota, with a B (spot) price for a certain % over quota and possibility of losing quota if we do not fulfil within 10% of monthly profile in half the months. But factors out of control eg TB they make allowances.

Yeah you do,but the amount I lost in one hit seriously hit the milk ticket,38 minute milkings at one point!!!!

 

[Razzmatazz]

Thats right, animal health dont call on saturdays.

Animal Health might not call on Saturdays, but they make sure you receive negative letters from them on Saturdays!!

 

[kill]

Animal Health might not call on Saturdays, but they make sure you receive negative letters from them on Saturdays!!

Sounds very much like my local planning office that post decision's on Friday afternoon as they leg it out the door for a long weekend and hoping that the applicant is calmed by Monday morning

 

[Bald Rick]

I think the worst is over as cows getting better. Didn't start until 6 am smorning instead of yesterday's and Mondays 2 am and in a 9.30 instead of multiple midnight's.
Early on we had some help but robot training is just the case of being with cows for as many hours as can be stuck.

You will have days on robots when you think “What the f**k have I done?” and the suddenly you find that there are only two or three cows to collect and you can breathe.
Reading some of your posts puts a lot of my stress in to a much lower context. The only problem this morning (apart from the fact it is pissing down and blowing a hooley) is that a cow escaped overnight and walked several times through the fresh concrete signing it with hoof prints

 

[lazy farmer]

You will have days on robots when you think “What the fudge have I done?” and the suddenly you find that there are only two or three cows to collect and you can breathe.
Reading some of your posts puts a lot of my stress in to a much lower context. The only problem this morning (apart from the fact it is pissing down and blowing a hooley) is that a cow escaped overnight and walked several times through the fresh concrete signing it with hoof prints

With all my track concreting getting wildlife prints was an occupational hazard and that pxxxed me off enough but something larger wandering about would have sent me over the edge

 

[Fraserb]

You will have days on robots when you think “What the fudge have I done?” and the suddenly you find that there are only two or three cows to collect and you can breathe.
Reading some of your posts puts a lot of my stress in to a much lower context. The only problem this morning (apart from the fact it is pissing down and blowing a hooley) is that a cow escaped overnight and walked several times through the fresh concrete signing it with hoof prints

We've had a salesman walk through fresh concrete and best one was postvan driving into it.

 

[kill]

You will have days on robots when you think “What the fudge have I done?” and the suddenly you find that there are only two or three cows to collect and you can breathe.
Reading some of your posts puts a lot of my stress in to a much lower context. The only problem this morning (apart from the fact it is pissing down and blowing a hooley) is that a cow escaped overnight and walked several times through the fresh concrete signing it with hoof prints

We have around 10 cows with totally unsuitable udders for robots with crossed rear teats or teats that are almost hidden within the rear of the udder and one that's so nervous of the robot arm she physically shakes like a leaf at the site of the robot arm and then tries her best to leave via the hole in the roof but is coping just fine if we manually attach. Another I have had to hold her rear leg this morning as she kicks the robot similar to playing jungle drums and had kicked both myself and the wife yesterday. These problem cows need to go into Happy meals but we just can't cull a thing currently untill we can replace.
Trouble is virtually all TB cows are first calvers with no issues with robots or udders.
Wanta also start a vaccination program for lepto, BVD and IBR but can't organise that until I know what's left.

One of the robot techs told me yesterday "That the best veiw of a Cliff is on the Edge" .

 

[The Agrarian]

If it's any comfort to you, if you persevere with the robot plan, it will come good. It may take many years, as it did for me, but you will end up eventually with a herd that is genetically bred for the system, and psychologically knows no other way. We are 16 years going last week, and I have to say I cannot recall when I last picked up a cow, on three machines. It comes good. But it's half a dozen years of getting into shape.

 

[Headless chicken]

We have around 10 cows with totally unsuitable udders for robots with crossed rear teats or teats that are almost hidden within the rear of the udder and one that's so nervous of the robot arm she physically shakes like a leaf at the site of the robot arm and then tries her best to leave via the hole in the roof but is coping just fine if we manually attach. Another I have had to hold her rear leg this morning as she kicks the robot similar to playing jungle drums and had kicked both myself and the wife yesterday. These problem cows need to go into Happy meals but we just can't cull a thing currently untill we can replace.
Trouble is virtually all TB cows are first calvers with no issues with robots or udders.
Wanta also start a vaccination program for lepto, BVD and IBR but can't organise that until I know what's left.

One of the robot techs told me yesterday "That the best veiw of a Cliff is on the Edge" .

I love that quote

 

[jimmer]

After this last couple of weeks , I shan't be keen on buying non herringbone cows , were I on robots I would be of similar mindset especially after reading your nightmares

 

[Bald Rick]

Probably easiest just to put heifers through robots.

 

[Rossymons]

Even if doesnt feel like it, talkimg helps so keep doing it.

I stopped talking abput 9 months ago. It very nearly ended in disaster.

Talk to FCN, they were very good when I spoke to them.

 

[ollie989898]

We've had a salesman walk through fresh concrete and best one was postvan driving into it.

You are kidding me?

 

[ollie989898]

... make me look forward to retiring.

05.15 Text message from son. Dead heifer and borehole failing so no water to wash parlour
05.20 start reading TB skin test under “severe interpretation”
06.00 heavy rain shower
08.30 Andy the pump turns up to investigate
09.00-10.00 boys have to power wash parlour rather than volume wash
10.00 ministry turn up
10.30 ministry are satisfied but tell us we have to test again in 60 days despite having tested in early January also under severe interpretation. Bright spot is the test is clear with no IRs
11.00 Andy finds problem. Joint is bunged solid with hard water deposit and grit from when the builder “found” the pipe. However Andy tells us our system is not fit for purpose any longer and urgently needs upgrading
Midday paperwork
13.00-15.30 terrier is missing and there is fresh newly laid concrete
13.30 postie brings mail. Bills mainly but also a disappointing milk cheque as it is a short month
14.30 email from Ian Potter suggesting further price cuts in the offing because UK is producing too much milk.
16.00 cow dies of ecoli mastitis
16.50 in for a brew to build strength before baby sitting grandchildren as missus has done a runner

No doubt there will be something else before sleep

All this and then that twit employed by the BBC reckons you need to shed the underpaid and overworked image!

 

[Fraserb]

You are kidding me?

No deadly serious, post van dropped off the 6" step from the existing concrete onto hardcore and drove into the concrete.

 

[ollie989898]

No deadly serious, post van dropped off the 6" step from the existing concrete onto hardcore and drove into the concrete.

Fudge sake..

 

[Fraserb]

Fudge sake..

Pity it was before camera phones.