Repeats

[Spudley]

Is that the Holstein or AHDB?

Either/or!!

 

[Homesy]

thinking on that, despite all that is bad about a holstien, if she doesn't get in calf, she will milk on and on and on, perhaps ahdb ought to be looking into that !

Nooo. That would mean reduced semen sales, lower vet bills, fewer registration fees and less fairy dust being sold. What would all the consultants say ? They've been telling you for years you must serve your cows earlier or you will go bust. What would all the leaches (sorry salesmen) and other hangers on do for a living ?

I know a man selling 12000 litres per cow per year. Serves nothing until 90 days calved, some 150. Has been known to serve a good cow 20 times. Calving index 450+. No TMR cake in the parlour only. Cows are buffered during the summer but still graze for over 6 months. If you listened to all the stuff you read and hear he would be bust. He makes a good living and enjoys his farming and life more than most.

 

[thewalrus]

i had a cow recently held to 11th service. I generally stop ai’ing black and white and go to beef after 3. The above cow was ai’d a number of times then ran with Hereford bull and eventually held! When do others go to serving beef? In cows that are repeating a high number of times?

 

[More to life]

Nooo. That would mean reduced semen sales, lower vet bills, fewer registration fees and less fairy dust being sold. What would all the consultants say ? They've been telling you for years you must serve your cows earlier or you will go bust. What would all the leaches (sorry salesmen) and other hangers on do for a living ?

I know a man selling 12000 litres per cow per year. Serves nothing until 90 days calved, some 150. Has been known to serve a good cow 20 times. Calving index 450+. No TMR cake in the parlour only. Cows are buffered during the summer but still graze for over 6 months. If you listened to all the stuff you read and hear he would be bust. He makes a good living and enjoys his farming and life more than most.

How can a cow be any good if she requires 20 services

 

[Rossymons]

If an Arable farmer harvested his fields once every 18 months he would go bust. Its the same for dairy. There are very few farms that actually benefit from an extended lactation. Even those that do do so knowingly from the start and the extra milk sold covers it.

They feed the cows well and milk production levels are very high during the first 100d. Yes milk will tail off but its falling from a higher peak.

500 days with 100d at peak and 400d at medium to low yields

Or 600d with 2 calves, 2 x 100d peak yield and 2x200d at medium to low yields with the 2nd lot of 200d being about 10-15% higher than the first.

 

[Homesy]

Cow can a cow be any good if she requires 20 services

If a cow is still giving 50+ litres why wouldn't you serve her ? Aside from the extra semen at say £150 what is the alternative ? sell her in the barrens for £500 and replace her with a heifer giving 40 litres at a cost of £1500. How does that make sense ? Show me some costings to say it does.

 

[Homesy]

If an Arable farmer harvested his fields once every 18 months he would go bust. Its the same for dairy. There are very few farms that actually benefit from an extended lactation. Even those that do do so knowingly from the start and the extra milk sold covers it.

They feed the cows well and milk production levels are very high during the first 100d. Yes milk will tail off but its falling from a higher peak.

500 days with 100d at peak and 400d at medium to low yields

Or 600d with 2 calves, 2 x 100d peak yield and 2x200d at medium to low yields with the 2nd lot of 200d being about 10-15% higher than the first.

Depends on the cow. And since when has yield been the defining factor in profit ? How do graziers on under 6000 litres make a living ?

 

[Rossymons]

Depends on the cow. And since when has yield been the defining factor in profit ? How do graziers on under 6000 litres make a living ?

They get their cows in calf on a regular basis.

My point was that the only reason I can see for NOT getting a cow in calf on time is if you're high yielding herd and have planned from the outset that you're not getting them in calf until a set date.

I can't see any reason why keeping an infertile is good for business.

 

[pappuller]

If a cow is still giving 50+ litres why wouldn't you serve her ? Aside from the extra semen at say £150 what is the alternative ? sell her in the barrens for £500 and replace her with a heifer giving 40 litres at a cost of £1500. How does that make sense ? Show me some costings to say it does.

But the point is you just put your 50 litre cow on the cull list and milk her on until her milk drops below your cut off point, no one in there right mind would serve a cow 20 times, it's more to do with the fact she is more than likely a poor breeder rather than a poor yielder, extended lactations of 5 and 600 days will not out yield sub 400 day lactations over time. Fact

 

[More to life]

If a cow is still giving 50+ litres why wouldn't you serve her ? Aside from the extra semen at say £150 what is the alternative ? sell her in the barrens for £500 and replace her with a heifer giving 40 litres at a cost of £1500. How does that make sense ? Show me some costings to say it does.

This

But the point is you just put your 50 litre cow on the cull list and milk her on until her milk drops below your cut off point, no one in there right mind would serve a cow 20 times, it's more to do with the fact she is more than likely a poor breeder rather than a poor yielder, extended lactations of 5 and 600 days will not out yield sub 400 day lactations over time. Fact

Extended lactation are an excuse for poor fertility I’m afraid.

 

[dinderleat]

This

Extended lactation are an excuse for poor fertility I’m afraid.

It’s a fair effort to get a ci over 420 people must just walk around ignoring bulling cows.

 

[pappuller]

It’s a fair effort to get a ci over 420 people must just walk around ignoring bulling cows.

Or serving them 20 times

 

[Stuart1]

Anything not in calf by 200 days goes on the cull list. Can’t afford to have a non fertile cow taking up a cubicle space.

 

[som farmer]

every year at Exeter, there are cows from surrey/ Sussex way brought down to sell, these are mainly out of sync cows, either sold pd+ warrented, or pd+ not, running with bull, or pd_-ve, these sell for a lot more than barren, we have bought, to calve and sell fresh, or going to calve in our block, good cows, but they are problem breeders, and at the price of some, you would be better putting a bit more in and buy a fresh cow, or hfr, so the argument re repeat breeders, and not to keep serving, doesn't seem to make any odds to some farmers ! this year, having been shut down, for the 1st time, we have left the bull in, we have no idea when we will go clear, nor how many will go down, so, working on the basis a young cow will make £1449 comp, they are better kept and served, plus we will have a milker, to keep cash flow going ! whether we have done right or wrong remains to be seen.

 

[Beef farmer]

every year at Exeter, there are cows from surrey/ Sussex way brought down to sell, these are mainly out of sync cows, either sold pd+ warrented, or pd+ not, running with bull, or pd_-ve, these sell for a lot more than barren, we have bought, to calve and sell fresh, or going to calve in our block, good cows, but they are problem breeders, and at the price of some, you would be better putting a bit more in and buy a fresh cow, or hfr, so the argument re repeat breeders, and not to keep serving, doesn't seem to make any odds to some farmers ! this year, having been shut down, for the 1st time, we have left the bull in, we have no idea when we will go clear, nor how many will go down, so, working on the basis a young cow will make £1449 comp, they are better kept and served, plus we will have a milker, to keep cash flow going ! whether we have done right or wrong remains to be seen.

Most out of block cows have fallen out of block due to farmers wrong doings. Case of MF, lack of feed, missed heats, only a 9 week block. A lot of the sussex gang rear plenty of replacments and only calve for 6 weeks, so sell the surplus. Oh to not have to worry about tb..

 

[som farmer]

Most out of block cows have fallen out of block due to farmers wrong doings. Case of MF, lack of feed, missed heats, only a 9 week block. A lot of the sussex gang rear plenty of replacments and only calve for 6 weeks, so sell the surplus. Oh to not have to worry about tb..

love not to worry about tb, we are just about to learn, last ir gone this week, will test as soon as 60days we hope if clear, another 60 days, should work out for spring calving, we hope, if not the calf issue raises its head, our buyer is saying their customers don't want calves shot at birth, voluntary ban for now, but...
quite agree with your comments above, but I still don't reckon they should make the prices they do. But they are good cows, but some we have kept have been difficult to get back in calf.

 

[Beef farmer]

love not to worry about tb, we are just about to learn, last ir gone this week, will test as soon as 60days we hope if clear, another 60 days, should work out for spring calving, we hope, if not the calf issue raises its head, our buyer is saying their customers don't want calves shot at birth, voluntary ban for now, but...
quite agree with your comments above, but I still don't reckon they should make the prices they do. But they are good cows, but some we have kept have been difficult to get back in calf.

I bred for 12 weeks when we where tb clear, now got 35 cows that cant be sold due to tb and an elongated calving window. The model they run is very good, the cows being sold will more than cover rearing a heifer

 

[More to life]

Most out of block cows have fallen out of block due to farmers wrong doings. Case of MF, lack of feed, missed heats, only a 9 week block. A lot of the sussex gang rear plenty of replacments and only calve for 6 weeks, so sell the surplus. Oh to not have to worry about tb..

The irony of it. These cows are reared and sold by farmers who won’t tolerate poor fertility. Then bought by farmers who in general won’t tolerate poor fertility.

 

[buffalo_soldier]

If a cow is still giving 50+ litres why wouldn't you serve her ? Aside from the extra semen at say £150 what is the alternative ? sell her in the barrens for £500 and replace her with a heifer giving 40 litres at a cost of £1500. How does that make sense ? Show me some costings to say it does.

I've run these sort of figures on here before.
In general the lower the herd dim the more milk you will sell per cow per annum.
So less cows are needed for the same output, the 20 service cow wouldn't need to be in the herd, nor would a replacement be required.

As always though, looking at a kpi in isolation isn't recommended.
It's how it's arrived at that matters.