@Agrispeed why not oad all season?
Once a day milking
- Thread starter Stinker
- Start date
Mainly yield. I can get 25-30% more milk TAD, and with a decent parlour its only an hour standing in the pit. I'm still planing on OAD in the future, hopefully breeding to keep the yield the same, If I could get a solids contract...
Have a couple of cows giving 24l OAD at the moment so its possible to get reasonable yields.
When you go oad in the back end, what reduction do you see in yield?
It was our monties that performed best.
Baling Hay
Member
You still milking OAD?
simplesimon
Member
- Location
- north cornwall
Currently doing just over 1.3kg/ms. 12.5 litres @6.0 fat and 4.6 protein. Feeding 2 kg wheat gluten.
What would your annual average solids per cow be?
Or more to the point if Im doing 550kg solids per cow now on tad could I hit 360kg's on oad first year or is that being over optimistic. I've got scope to make up lost production by increasing cow numbers but ultimately I want a better life style whilst maintaining similar financial performance. I'm trying pull together a realistic first year conversion oad budget so any input much appreciated.
When I looked at doing it I based my numbers at 350kg then almost add 50 each year. Looking at other people figures that seemed to stack up. After 3 years you should be near enough where you started from.
550kgms on oad would not be achievable
@Manney CK would have had very similar cows to you last year before he went OAD
simplesimon
Member
- Location
- north cornwall
My cows would be over 400m/s if you went by 305 day lactations but because I dry off before Christmas and calve late Feb onwards and get rid of some culls around this time of year my milk solids per cow is usually around 380 kg when divided by peak cows milked. The amount of corn you need to feed would be more to do with stocking rate than actually milking oad.
I would think you would have a good chance of doing 360kg with your cows and then around 400 after a couple years. I haven't really seen any figures much over that to be honest. At the end of the day you shouldn't need any more milk than that to make a good profit. No way will I ever milk TAD again.
simplesimon
Member
- Location
- north cornwall
Proper OAD cows
- Location
- God's side of the border.
We should achieve 380 kg MS this season with an average 265/270 day lactation, feeding around 250 kg of Palm Kernal. Best cows pushing up to 500 kg with some heifers struggling to reach 200 kg.
- Location
- somerset
near beginning of post, comment about OAD holstiens, when selling our aut calvers, a chap was brought round for cows, he picked out 15 hols, all giving over 30 litres, genuinely turned them down, because they weren't giving enough milk, auctioneer couldn't believe it, chap said they had to be up around 40 litres, and that was for OAD. Perhap's he was right, nothing wrong with the cows, they went elsewhere. for slightly more money ! £1250, which was pretty good seeing as most of them were 2 or 3 months I/c, and some oldish cows, and only commission to pay, no haulage either.
- Location
- somerset
went to a meeting, about feeding cows, and the actual value of straights to the cow, talking about PK, he said the stated value protien was correct, but it took longer for the cow to break down and utilise the protien, than the pk took to pass through the digestive system, thereby meaning you could not get the full value out, presumably this is why it is cheaper, anyone else heard about this ? He went on to say spend a bit more, on a 'quicker' breakdown protien, and you would be better off. The b##r is, I cannot remember the chaps name, or who sponsored him (a fault of getting older), and think it could be interesting to check out.
Just worked it out. This year I've done about 315-320kg/MS with no cake, and summer calving here.
Want to do 350kg+ next year. I said that last year though!
Everyone hates on PK, but it's surprising how many rations it end up in quietly. Sometimes I wonder if they don't like it because its cheap. One nutritionist was telling me its hard on feet as its gritty?!
Want to do 350kg+ next year. I said that last year though!
Everyone hates on PK, but it's surprising how many rations it end up in quietly. Sometimes I wonder if they don't like it because its cheap. One nutritionist was telling me its hard on feet as its gritty?!
More to life
Member
- Location
- Somerset
Pke is what it is,it’s not a fluke it’s cheap you get what you pay for
Cows 'n grass
Member
- Location
- Modbury, South Devon
I would consider PKE to be equivalent to a reasonable quality forage. You will get intake and yield increases from feeding it to a lower yielding cows in the same was you would feeding a secondary forage.
It was a complete life saver for me in last year's drought. I think I fed about 400t because I had bugger all else and it helped turn what could have been a disastrous year into quite a profitable one.
It was a complete life saver for me in last year's drought. I think I fed about 400t because I had bugger all else and it helped turn what could have been a disastrous year into quite a profitable one.
- Location
- God's side of the border.
I should add that we are 9 years OAD, 1st year did around 330 most years since 350-360 plus.
1st year culled 8% of herd as unsuitable i.e. dried themselves off and went fat or were too slow milking.
- Location
- God's side of the border.
Good looking cows eating good looking grass, what more do you need