- Location
- Wormingford, Essex
17 total, which is where we've been for a while, culled a few out so these are replacements as such, but more productive.How many cows are you up to now ?
17 total, which is where we've been for a while, culled a few out so these are replacements as such, but more productive.How many cows are you up to now ?
I've forgotten, do you supplement feed much ? Or mainly forage based no push diet17 total, which is where we've been for a while, culled a few out so these are replacements as such, but more productive.
I've for
I've forgotten, do you supplement feed much ? Or mainly forage based no push diet
if the silage makes cold and goes butyric the cows will often lap it up but it is not good news to handle or drink the milkAd lib baled silage in a ring feeder and 18% cake in the parlour. The silage probably not the best, we made what looks good stuff but it tainted the milk so they're on more haylage type stuff.
Yea it's a bugger ,our milk seems to be fine this year although like yourself wasn't great. We did have a taint with what looked the best silage we ever made one year so I reckon middle of the road silage is the best way forward. Bit of stem , a bit of moisture but no extremes if possible however this year was one to forgetAd lib baled silage in a ring feeder and 18% cake in the parlour. The silage probably not the best, we made what looks good stuff but it tainted the milk so they're on more haylage type stuff.
Yes, I think we'll be doing the same. Two years ago we had a terrible dry summer, silage was made in June, by July we were feeding bales in the field so we were tight all winter for forage. Last year we tried to cut the grass a bit earlier to give it more chance to come back and get a second cut, with hindsight I should have just let it bulk up and cut in June as normal.Yea it's a bugger ,our milk seems to be fine this year although like yourself wasn't great. We did have a taint with what looked the best silage we ever made one year so I reckon middle of the road silage is the best way forward. Bit of stem , a bit of moisture but no extremes if possible however this year was one to forget
Suppose the other question is could there be a difference between baled silage and pit silage? (I have no evidence other than it was bales)Yes, I think we'll be doing the same. Two years ago we had a terrible dry summer, silage was made in June, by July we were feeding bales in the field so we were tight all winter for forage. Last year we tried to cut the grass a bit earlier to give it more chance to come back and get a second cut, with hindsight I should have just let it bulk up and cut in June as normal.
We just taken on 20 acres in the village to put down to a herbal ley so the plan is to cut that for winter feed, and free up a bit more grazing at home.
To an extent it's fortunate that they haven't started giving bulling results quite yet. You will see what a good heat looks like but that might have generated some poor heats.View attachment 1167684
View attachment 1167685
Tags all fitted and working!
I woke up at 1.30 this morning and could hear the cows being noisy. Went out to investigate and found they had broken their yard latch and were out exploring. Every cow shows a spike of high activity between 1 and 2am so they must be reasonable accurate.
Is this device for bulling AI / calving and cow health pointer ?View attachment 1167684
View attachment 1167685
Tags all fitted and working!
I woke up at 1.30 this morning and could hear the cows being noisy. Went out to investigate and found they had broken their yard latch and were out exploring. Every cow shows a spike of high activity between 1 and 2am so they must be reasonable accurate.
Glad to hear you like them, it amazes me how much they can tell you from the tags. The rate the rain is falling here, I don't think I'll be worrying about turn out yet though!To an extent it's fortunate that they haven't started giving bulling results quite yet. You will see what a good heat looks like but that might have generated some poor heats.
You will also get some false heats when you turn them out to grass.
But they are brilliant.
Yes, heat cycles (or lack of) and health from activity and ear temperature. I was told that they can tell if a cow was calving but it's not an alert yet as they are refining it to give a difference between 'the cow's calving but getting on with it fine' or that 'the cow was calving, you need to go and check her.'Is this device for bulling AI / calving and cow health pointer ?
Don`t think that is the recomended method of testing the systemView attachment 1167684
View attachment 1167685
Tags all fitted and working!
I woke up at 1.30 this morning and could hear the cows being noisy. Went out to investigate and found they had broken their yard latch and were out exploring. Every cow shows a spike of high activity between 1 and 2am so they must be reasonable accurate.
Similar things were muttered here, in the dark, in the early hours......Don`t think that is the recomended method of testing the system
Look great !
Interesting to know what sort of cost per cow they have worked out at on your scale if your happy to share ?
I’m looking forward to this, it cant be far away technology wise on a collar / tag system.I was told that they can tell if a cow was calving but it's not an alert yet as they are refining it to give a difference between 'the cow's calving but getting on with it fine' or that 'the cow was calving, you need to go and check her.'
Thanks, nice to hear of them taking you seriously,The cost of the tags and the ongoing subscription to the service, per cow, are the same whether you have one cow or one thousand cows. It's just the cost of the box to read the tags that has to be covered by fewer cows, but if you had more you might need and extra box or two anyway.
The monthly cost for 17 cows is , my relief milker tells me, less than her mobile phone bill.
I enquired about a similar system a few years ago and the rep then pretty much laughed at me and said I'd never justify it. To be fair, I probably wouldn't have because it was thousands. Cowmanager weren't like that at all, they came out last week and gave a run through of the system and software, emailed a quote that night, I thought it through over the weekend, gave them the yes on the Monday and it was up and running by the Friday evening.