Northern Ireland Milk Price Tracker

[The Agrarian]

Just been out trimming the lawn. Very uneven, with some browning patches starting to become noticable, especially near trees. And a few trees dropping leaves.

Was at Montalto yesterday, and young oak saplings were dieing at the new growth, hydrangea wilting all over the place, and lawns in poor condition. I'd say the number of large trees sucking up water there was a big problem.

 

[Davy]

Did anyone catch any of the thunder showers that were forecast today? Not a sniff here

 

[Aircooled]

Doing ok without them so far.

 

[it's not over]

Anyone hooked off the fert sower for the last time this year,may sow to next Monday,hang up the gloves

 

[Wee Willy]

Out sowing today. If it keeps raining,I'll sow up to the end of August .
Bought some of next year's fertiliser today. Madness.

 

[The Agrarian]

Any prices?

 

[Happy at it]

Quotes last week, £680 for 27n and £700 with S. Had secretly hoped to avoid the sower, but it's not going to work, grazing needs a bag along with a bit for silage that never got any and isn't coming that well, .....

 

[yin ewe]

Anyone hooked off the fert sower for the last time this year,may sow to next Monday,hang up the gloves

Hooked it off in the middle of May and been using strategically placed slurry since, working OK but will sow a bit before the end of the month.
Heavy shower on Sunday evening but nothing since, not looking for anymore for a while.

 

[Wee Willy]

I agree with @Happy at it .I have read on here about growing grass with only dirty water or thin slurry. I have tried it and the results are very poor. Fields that got slightly less than a bag to the acre of CAN would have twice as much grass as those with just watery slurry. At my stocking rate, fertiliser is a necessary evil.

 

[Conrod96]

Have sowed less this year than other years but agree definitely can’t do without it only been sowing behind the cows for the last 2 months probably will continue to sow behind them for the next week and that’ll be her for this year

 

[yin ewe]

Can't get away without it for a full season, silage ground has got no artificial since before 1st cut and it's showing it now. Thankfully not needing any 3rd cut have spread out stock over silage ground. Getting rid of anything iffy early on in the year has helped cut down cow numbers so less to graze all summer.

 

[it's not over]

I think when you realise you've no grass because no fertiliser was sown,it's too late, no point sowing fert in Sept,simply too late, I've kept sowing behind cows all year,no fert 1st grazing on cow platform,reduced silage fert by half a bag at 1st and 2nd cut, maybe used 20% less this year at best
Cow+loadsa grass+loadsa meal= loadsa milk =loadsa money, its that simple

 

[Wee Willy]

I think when you realise you've no grass because no fertiliser was sown,it's too late, no point sowing fert in Sept,simply too late, I've kept sowing behind cows all year,no fert 1st grazing on cow platform,reduced silage fert by half a bag at 1st and 2nd cut, maybe used 20% less this year at best
Cow+loadsa grass+loadsa meal= loadsa milk =loadsa money, its that simple

You're getting wiser in your old age.

 

[Down farmer]

You're getting wiser in your old age.

And craftier

 

[it's not over]

Aurivo up 2p to 46p

 

[jamc]

Sadly it doesn't suit the aspirations of the youth of today. Plenty of farmers son's & daughters are prepared to milk but it's getting the staff that you need is the real problem.

I think we are all guilty of assuming that people will work 13/14 hrs a day with every other weekend off for a "Lock of Pound" but those days are long over.

A lot of the big herds who have approached the shift pattern work style seem to be doing ok though with staff. 4 on 4 off could work for managing staff on the smaller herds but just means the owner will probably be working 8 days a week managing the whole thing.

And craftier

K

Aurivo up 2p to 46p

 

[yoki]

Can't get away without it for a full season, silage ground has got no artificial since before 1st cut and it's showing it now. Thankfully not needing any 3rd cut have spread out stock over silage ground. Getting rid of anything iffy early on in the year has helped cut down cow numbers so less to graze all summer.

No artificial for over 10yrs now so I can say first hand that the two year organic conversion thing is nonsense.

It's at least 5 or 6 years before the ground gets back to any sort of respectable productivity when left to it's own devices, and even after double that the ground is still improving.

So In the short term, stop sowing artificial, be prepared for things to look poor.

 

[Wee Willy]

No artificial for over 10yrs now so I can say first hand that the two year organic conversion thing is nonsense.

It's at least 5 or 6 years before the ground gets back to any sort of respectable productivity when left to it's own devices, and even after double that the ground is still improving.

So In the short term, stop sowing artificial, be prepared for things to look poor.

Do I sell half the cows in those 5 to 6 years? I'll be called "Tiny Willy" if I did that.

 

[daveydiesel1]

Do I sell half the cows in those 5 to 6 years? I'll be called "Tiny Willy" if I did that.

Just sow away at fert. Theres no other way of gettin the litres

 

[Whitewalker]

No artificial for over 10yrs now so I can say first hand that the two year organic conversion thing is nonsense.

It's at least 5 or 6 years before the ground gets back to any sort of respectable productivity when left to it's own devices, and even after double that the ground is still improving.

So In the short term, stop sowing artificial, be prepared for things to look poor.

Are you dairy farming?