Once a day milking
- Thread starter Baling Hay
- Start date
Cows 'n grass
Member
- Location
- Modbury, South Devon
Lincoln university dairy farm either do or did just milk OAD for the first 3 weeks of calving.
If you've got a few hours then there'll be something about it on the siddc .org.nz website.
If you've got a few hours then there'll be something about it on the siddc .org.nz website.
simplesimon
Member
- Location
- north cornwall
Walwyn
Member
- Location
- West Wales
I was looking for some advice perhaps @simplesimon, @onesiedale or anyone else could help me with. I was going to start a new thread but this one has already answered many of my questions. Seriously considering milking OAD through til about august.
Bit of background, 230 spring calving cows all b & w. Last few years fed 1.1 - 1.4t conc and produced 480-500 kg MS , 6400-6700l. Milk buyer implemented an AB pricing structure last year which gives a daily a allowance, this is to be cut by 20% from April 1st along with what looks like a very measly b price. Simply put anything over 15l a cow will receive a b price. Initial thoughts were to sell cows but I've spent the last 5 years building numbers as a closed herd and improving the farm as we went plus you can only sell them once. In addition, chap that was doing half the milking turned up Monday lunchtime to say he didn't want the work any more.
I've read a lot of papers on OAD this past week and come to conclusion that if we lost 30% production, cut feed from 4 kg to 1kg, didn't replace the labour and b price was 9ppl we'd be in the same place before any savings in parlour running costs etc.
Disadvantages I've identified are
1. SCC is likely to double initially, last 2 tests 85 and 73, milk recording on Tuesday so could identify possible problems and keep them out the tank in transition
2. Milk contract is capped on constituents hence why I think revert to TAD from august.
3. Negative carryover effect on production when reverting to TAD.
My questions are
1. How to mitigate disadvantages set out.
2. Is it best to move now while yield is still rising or wait til cows fully out as still housed majority of day due to ground conditions.
3. Any reasons I should forget the idea and carry on as we are.
Sorry for the long winded post but it's been going round and round my head all week, it's been good to write it down.
Bit of background, 230 spring calving cows all b & w. Last few years fed 1.1 - 1.4t conc and produced 480-500 kg MS , 6400-6700l. Milk buyer implemented an AB pricing structure last year which gives a daily a allowance, this is to be cut by 20% from April 1st along with what looks like a very measly b price. Simply put anything over 15l a cow will receive a b price. Initial thoughts were to sell cows but I've spent the last 5 years building numbers as a closed herd and improving the farm as we went plus you can only sell them once. In addition, chap that was doing half the milking turned up Monday lunchtime to say he didn't want the work any more.
I've read a lot of papers on OAD this past week and come to conclusion that if we lost 30% production, cut feed from 4 kg to 1kg, didn't replace the labour and b price was 9ppl we'd be in the same place before any savings in parlour running costs etc.
Disadvantages I've identified are
1. SCC is likely to double initially, last 2 tests 85 and 73, milk recording on Tuesday so could identify possible problems and keep them out the tank in transition
2. Milk contract is capped on constituents hence why I think revert to TAD from august.
3. Negative carryover effect on production when reverting to TAD.
My questions are
1. How to mitigate disadvantages set out.
2. Is it best to move now while yield is still rising or wait til cows fully out as still housed majority of day due to ground conditions.
3. Any reasons I should forget the idea and carry on as we are.
Sorry for the long winded post but it's been going round and round my head all week, it's been good to write it down.
Cows 'n grass
Member
- Location
- Modbury, South Devon
Sounds like a good plan to me.
What are the constituent caps on your contract?
I'm not sure how much the cows would pick up after 4 months on OAD and I am sure you wouldn't want to go back to TAD after a lenghly period on OAD
What are the constituent caps on your contract?
I'm not sure how much the cows would pick up after 4 months on OAD and I am sure you wouldn't want to go back to TAD after a lenghly period on OAD
Walwyn
Member
- Location
- West Wales
Payment caps are 4.5 3.5. That time of year on TAD we'd be 4 and below BF and around 3.3 P.
Ideal situation would be find a cheese contract by autumn I suppose, but don't know how likely that is.
More to life
Member
- Location
- Somerset
Will it mean more b liters the following year
More to life
Member
- Location
- Somerset
Or rather less a liters
Walwyn
Member
- Location
- West Wales
No, a litres are set.
Walwyn
Member
- Location
- West Wales
I agree, was cut from 4.6 and 3.6 last year
This last month, we are 4.65 and 3.58.
would not want a cap on it
Walwyn
Member
- Location
- West Wales
Our constituents are improving year on year so have an extra month above the cap each year it seems. Will have to seriously look to move when the market opens up again but not a lot of choice down this corner.
jimmer
Member
- Location
- East Devon
http://www.processplantandmachinery...-milk-processing-plants/separators-clarifiers
i think this is the way forward
imagine phoning a creamery/dairy and saying do you fancy coming and getting my 1000l of pure cream
i think this is the way forward
imagine phoning a creamery/dairy and saying do you fancy coming and getting my 1000l of pure cream
simplesimon
Member
- Location
- north cornwall
Hi @Walwyn , I normally don't like to give advise to people and be too pushy encouraging people to go OAD in case something goes wrong. But I think it could work very well for you in your situation (would be perfect if contract wasn't capped).
When I changed to OAD it felt very wrong and took a few days for both me and the cows to settle to the new system. I knew a few people doing it already so I had to keep the faith it was the right thing long term.
I changed at the end of May when the cows were near peak because of a labour shortage (i already knew my sister was going on maternity leave but my other milker wanted to leave as well). The cows fussed like hell the first evening but by the second night there was a lot less fuss and by a week, i'm sure they had forgotten about afternoon milking.
I wouldn't be too worried about your scc, you will have a lift at first but I would expect it to come back down again when the cows have settled to the system. I have never had issues with scc. We average less than 100 for several months each season.
You will probably get a few extra mastitis cases at first when you change but again when the cows have settled it should return to your normal levels.
I would change to OAD when the cows are out to grass and well settled with no rubbish weather in the forecast.
Its a shame your contract is capped because if it wasn't i would advise you to stay on OAD full season. I can't really comment on returning to TAD cos I haven't milked TAD since.
I'm sure you won't see a negative impact on yields the following season.
Clay52
Member
- Location
- Outer Space
What's the yield limit of once a day.
Walwyn
Member
- Location
- West Wales
Thank you for your reply, it's looking more and more like the way to go. Couple more questions ... How do you supplement with minerals at such low feed rates? Guessing trace elements could easily be covered by a bolus but what about mag, phos, Cal etc? Do you target concentrate feeding to later in the season to keep them going?
What about using a dosatron and inject minerals into your water system?
Walwyn
Member
- Location
- West Wales
Only problem is our water system is split in 2, which I suppose we could overcome but one line also spurs to the garden. Would a few extra minerals be good for mothers flowers?