Question For block calvers

[lazy farmer]

As per my name I try to do as little as possible with the best outcomes.
next weekend is my weekend off however through the first three weeks of service I like( control freak) to observe cows for bulling before morning milking. So normally we would start service on the 13th which is Thursday. So my question is how much will it cost me if I delay the start until the 17th. Can I negate this slightly byputting the bulls in with the heifers earlier. And finally how much earlier do people put bulls in with heifers before starting the cows. my end date of service will not be changing.

 

[Rossymons]

As per my name I try to do as little as possible with the best outcomes.
next weekend is my weekend off however through the first three weeks of service I like( control freak) to observe cows for bulling before morning milking. So normally we would start service on the 13th which is Thursday. So my question is how much will it cost me if I delay the start until the 17th. Can I negate this slightly byputting the bulls in with the heifers earlier. And finally how much earlier do people put bulls in with heifers before starting the cows. my end date of service will not be changing.

Have you done anything to front load the block?

 

[sidjon]

4 days will make bugger all difference, use SG bull for first week if you like, but we're having 10% calf before start date and questioning weather to delay for 5 days at the moment.

 

[frederick]

As per my name I try to do as little as possible with the best outcomes.
next weekend is my weekend off however through the first three weeks of service I like( control freak) to observe cows for bulling before morning milking. So normally we would start service on the 13th which is Thursday. So my question is how much will it cost me if I delay the start until the 17th. Can I negate this slightly byputting the bulls in with the heifers earlier. And finally how much earlier do people put bulls in with heifers before starting the cows. my end date of service will not be changing.

It will cost you 10500 litres per 100 cows so nearly 9grand in your case and will result in about 3extra empties per 100

 

[frederick]

20% if your cows will calve 3 weeks later. 20*21days*25litres equals 10500.

20% of your cows will miss a third service opportunity so at 60%conception rate 3.6% of cows wiill fail to get a third service opportunity. Sorry got it wrong that's a 2% increase in empty rate not 3.

Take another weekend off or leave the team to do it themselves. Even if they were only half as good as you you would be 4.5k better off and have 3less empties

 

[lazy farmer]

Have you done anything to front load the block?

Have asked for gestations on the bulls we have chosen

 

[Beef farmer]

The question is....whats so important that you can't serve cows lazy?

 

[lazy farmer]

The question is....whats so important that you can't serve cows lazy?

Very much the first one

 

[frederick]

No the correct question is what so important about @lazyfarmer that the team can't serve cow without him

The question is....whats so important that you can't serve cows lazy?

 

[Rossymons]

Have asked for gestations on the bulls we have chosen

I forget how many cows you have but lets say you're expecting 15 every day for service. Of those 15 about 10-12 will be no brainers. So that leaves between 3 - 5 cows that may be missed and theres no guarantee that you would have spotted them either.

You would expect to get half those in calf so that leaves a couple to slip from the first 3 weeks into you second 3 weeks. One of those should get in calf so you're (potentially) increasing you're empty rate by 1 cow who probably wouldn't have got in calf anyway.

I would say crack on and enjoy your weekend off personally.

 

[frederick]

The best way to have more time for is not to remain indespensible and change when, it is to delegate and remove your control freakery. Pot kettle black

 

[sidjon]

The best way to have more time for is not to remain indespensible and change when, it is to delegate and remove your control freakery. Pot kettle black

Are not all dairy farmers control freaks

 

[dinderleat]

Are not all dairy farmers control freaks

Depends how fast the women are you need to learn to juggle

 

[More to life]

Have you got enough bulls for them to do a 48 hour shift ?

 

[Farmer Keith]

Bull went with the heifers on Thursday, will start serving cows in the next few days, started on the 10th last year but feel a few days later will do no harm whatsoever, two slow springs on the bounce here have dampened my appetite for calving in February.

 

[buffalo_soldier]

If the end date is fixed, the start date should be also.

 

[Cows 'n grass]

I always used to start on the 1st but wife didn't do a very good job pushing out our first born so we were in and out of hospital for a week before she had a c section. Daughter eventually appeared on the 8th and I've started service on the 10th ever since. I'd quite like to go a bit earlier because we are a very early farm but while she's young having a day off on daughters birthday takes priority.

 

[Ducati899]

Have you got enough bulls for them to do a 48 hour shift ?

Lazy or actual bulls?

 

[Dead Rabbits]

If it’s your farm and you want to do something, just do it.

What Is your process for heat detection and breeding? How can you simplify it?
We went to estrotects from paint so that there is very little interpretation skill. Shiny color=pull rope and catch. Also only breed once per day. If the estrotect is shiny again the next day, she gets bred again.

I really prefer my heifers to calve first. Nobody else does but I find I can give them better attention and train them as a calved herd so much better than mixed in with cows. So they get bred 10 days before cows.

Maybe I’m totally wrong but this is what I’ve come up with to get cows bred in a limited labor and especially skilled labor situation.

 

[lazy farmer]

If it’s your farm and you want to do something, just do it.

What Is your process for heat detection and breeding? How can you simplify it?
We went to estrotects from paint so that there is very little interpretation skill. Shiny color=pull rope and catch. Also only breed once per day. If the estrotect is shiny again the next day, she gets bred again.

I really prefer my heifers to calve first. Nobody else does but I find I can give them better attention and train them as a calved herd so much better than mixed in with cows. So they get bred 10 days before cows.

Maybe I’m totally wrong but this is what I’ve come up with to get cows bred in a limited labor and especially skilled labor situation.

Cows cross a road in the afternoons so we observe then and in the mornings we either watch them out of the paddock if they are close or if on a longer walk so they get spread out we let them in on the batt latch and just observe on the entrance to the yard.