Northern Ireland Milk Price Tracker

[surprisefarmer]

Any of you robot men got "relief milkers", if so, what sort of money do you pay?

I would be looking for somebody to come in in the morning, gather red cows, clean and fill foot bath, clean down robots, feed cows and and do cubicles.

 

[Back Row Man]

Are you calving all year round?

No start end of August stop at the end of March.

 

[thewalrus]

No start end of August stop at the end of March.

much like myself. Although Full time grazing.
Find the February March calved suffer a bit after turn out, but reducing The numbers calving after Christmas.

this year because of conditions cows came in at around 9pm. April and most of may. February/March calvers held or even increased yield during April and may. Extra work though!

 

[Wee Willy]

I keep the cows in at night all summer, so do all my neighbours, best thing I've done in years!

Why is it the best thing you've done?

 

[thewalrus]

Why is it the best thing you've done?

Heard one man say he kept cows in and night so he didn’t have to fetch them in morning!

 

[Wee Willy]

I wish I could say it's only a lazy farmer keeps his cows in at night but it's the reverse is true. So much extra work for a wee bit of extra milk.

 

[Back Row Man]

Why is it the best thing you've done?

Cows much more content, if you get a wet spell they just stay in through the day until it's dried up. 2017 did it for me partially out in 2018 but since then housed at night all year. Make 3rd cut bales and that is the night feed, leaving the clamp unaffected by the change. In the morning they go out after milking and just lie down as they'll have the passage cleared, only thing is I have to get them up in the morning!

 

[Wee Willy]

I see this with all my neighbours cows,go out in the morning and lie down. Personally I think they should be grazing but everybody is different.

 

[it's not over]

A buffer fed cow won't graze after 3PM.

 

[jay]

A buffer fed cow won't graze after 3PM.

A lot of them don't graze before 11 or if it's raining either.

 

[yin ewe]

If you've got half bred donkeys then grass night and day is fine, if it's a proper thoroughbred milker then she needs some proper grub.

 

[yin ewe]

I'll put on my tin hat

 

[it's not over]

What price export bull calves

 

[Aircooled]

In early out early......

 

[thewalrus]

If you've got half bred donkeys then grass night and day is fine, if it's a proper thoroughbred milker then she needs some proper grub.

depends when they calf.if she’s past her peak no need to be in. You robot men are too keen to throw meal at them!

 

[AndooMooMoo]

Full time grazers here, feeding silage and scraping dung during the summer months just sounds like unnecessary headaches. However, last I had heard, the most profitable benchmarked farm only grazes by day, feeds plenty of meal too.

 

[Back Row Man]

Full time grazers here, feeding silage and scraping dung during the summer months just sounds like unnecessary headaches. However, last I had heard, the most profitable benchmarked farm only grazes by day, feeds plenty of meal too.

Seems to be that 'most' of those grazing full time are not in North Antrim, I've been trying to think of a local herd in a 5 or 6 mile radius from here (a couple of miles from Mosside) and I sure there are ones but in a very strong dairy area they would be the exception

 

[Bogeyman]

. ....I do

 

[yin ewe]

Ground conditions plays a big part too, most years our ground is just too wet to graze far into October. A few heavy showers yesterday so cows will be in today. I like getting them in and settled and into the winter routine.

 

[Alan88]

This is the first year we put the cows out at night in a long time. Was nice not having to scrape and bed cubicles all through the summer and a lot less slurry to get rid of now.