Drought for cows

[Cows 'n grass]

In a normal year I'd not be too worried because I'd just dry the whole lot off early and feed them barley straw all winter, but with barley at £130/140 that doesn't really work.

I'll carry on feeding as little silage as possible and stuffing them full of cake and any cheapish byproducts now to save silage for spring. Doing 70ac WC tomorrow.

 

[Crusty]

Are many people booking concentrates through till April now? We've booked some but not all and price has gone up 15quid/ton in the last 10days

 

[cattow]

and ad plants can afford to out bid cows.

Some of these AD plants are slow payers cows could be a safer bet

 

[Rossymons]

28 culls booked to go this week. TB test next week. Let's get through that first and I'll take it from.

Measuring up youngstock sheds to fill with sand rather than straw.

Desperately short on grazing.

 

[jimmer]

Considering the prospect of feeding sub quality forage and propping it up with concentrate , my cows are milking well on a good slug of barley/w.dist at present , but when fresh in September I am worried about the lack of affordable starch

 

[jimmer]

I can keep half decent quality grazing in front of them for another six weeks during the day , with bales at night , by then I will be calving and need to open the pit , then it might be a race to the back of the pit !!!

 

[Agrispeed]

Measuring up youngstock sheds to fill with sand rather than straw.

Sand works ok for a while - I did it last year, but unless your shed is very free draining it will get quite sloppy very quickly. I did it in a quite steep old self feed silage pit last year and it lasted about 10 days.

Sand with straw on top works very well and does reduce usage. Woodchip - even the green shredded crap SWEB give you for free works very well - I'm hoping to do it again this year.

 

[happycows]

Considering the prospect of feeding sub quality forage and propping it up with concentrate , my cows are milking well on a good slug of barley/w.dist at present , but when fresh in September I am worried about the lack of affordable starch

Crushed/rolled grain maize at £192 ex mill or £200 delivered must be a real contender for quality and price.

 

[vantage]

Crushed/rolled grain maize at £192 ex mill or £200 delivered must be a real contender for quality and price.

That's a good price.Just shows not every where in the world is droughted.

 

[cowgirl95]

I can keep half decent quality grazing in front of them for another six weeks during the day , with bales at night , by then I will be calving and need to open the pit , then it might be a race to the back of the pit !!!

you have got 6 weeks grazing left !!!!!! ours ran out 6 weeks ago had half a mm of rain today the first for over month

 

[jackrussell101]

Soya has collapsed 20% because of US tariffs

 

[jimmer]

you have got 6 weeks grazing left !!!!!! ours ran out 6 weeks ago had half a mm of rain today the first for over month

Yeah but it's what ought to be my third cut ,and a field of ropey looking turnips

 

[jerseycowsman]

Watched the long range forecast last night, basically no rain until at least the end of the month. I had a very bad nights sleep, seriously worried now

 

[cowgirl95]

Watched the long range forecast last night, basically no rain until at least the end of the month. I had a very bad nights sleep, seriously worried now

did the same me too

 

[Sid]

28 culls booked to go this week. TB test next week. Let's get through that first and I'll take it from.

Measuring up youngstock sheds to fill with sand rather than straw.

Desperately short on grazing.

Are you shut down atm?
If one of culls comes back as lesions then that test becomes a check test and doesn't count as a clear test if no IRs or reactors.

 

[Friesianfan]

Are you shut down atm?
If one of culls comes back as lesions then that test becomes a check test and doesn't count as a clear test if no IRs or reactors.

There’s nothing like being positive Sidney!

 

[sidjon]

Are you shut down atm?
If one of culls comes back as lesions then that test becomes a check test and doesn't count as a clear test if no IRs or reactors.

Shouldn't do, as I have found out ,can test until reactor has left the farm for 60days ,so test get moved. But under current dry conditions I would be removing cows as quickly as possible, culls are dropping and their eating someone else's food.

 

[Beef farmer]

Are you shut down atm?
If one of culls comes back as lesions then that test becomes a check test and doesn't count as a clear test if no IRs or reactors.

If by some miracle we go clear of tb this week, my mt cows will stay until we finish calving. I've got 8 acres of turnips and plenty of cake. Its sods law that one would go down in the ab.

I also believe that the end of September cull price will be right back up to its previous highs. Lot of cows will he shifted bu mid aug.

 

[Sid]

There’s nothing like being positive Sidney!

Well I can't say it was a positive experience here having had reactors....sent barrener that had lesions and then being told that I had to now have 3 clear tests instead of 2. Our check test was clear!

We now shift culls directly after a test not before.

Shouldn't do, as I have found out ,can test until reactor has left the farm for 60days ,so test get moved. But under current dry conditions I would be removing cows as quickly as possible, culls are dropping and their eating someone else's food.

Culls sent x days after a test don't make the next test a check test. After that number of days lesions in cull will mean 3 clear tests.

I don't disagree with shifting culls asap if needs be but other factors may cause overstocking later.
I would sooner keep 28 culls for a week then 28 stores for 90 days due to having to wait for another clear test.

 

[sidjon]

Well I can't say it was a positive experience here having had reactors....sent barrener that had lesions and then being told that I had to now have 3 clear tests instead of 2. Our check test was clear!

We now shift culls directly after a test not before.

Culls sent x days after a test don't make the next test a check test. After that number of days lesions in cull will mean 3 clear tests.

I don't disagree with shifting culls asap if needs be but other factors may cause overstocking later.
I would sooner keep 28 culls for a week then 28 stores for 90 days due to having to wait for another clear test.

If it going to react anyways it's not going to make bugger all difference.