Time saving ideas for block calvers

[Clay52]

Ayr or block calving both have positives and negatives for work life balance and other stuff. The overall quality of the management of the place is much more important.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Definitely agree on the breakfast thing with all staff together, but I'm not sure how it would work here, I go home for a proper cooked breakfast, the rest of the lads have microwave porridge in the hut in the yard, i point blank refuse to give up my proper fried breakfast, and the state of the mugs in the hut I'd rather starve

I hear you there.
I'd get the bbq hot while washing the plant, give the team a mug of hot coffee and some chips chops and toast..
Have a plan sussed out and deliver it, ask for critique
Then beggar off home with a full belly and see the kids (and see what else is for breakfast)
I have my two travel mugs present at all times

 

[multi power]

Dot system?
Give them a dot their first milking up on the rump where they dont get muck on it
Next day, a dot below it
Next day, one on the other side
Last day, paint all 4 dots again and check her milk properly

Then if you have a random cow show up somewhere silly, you know if she's a milker or not, without writing numbers on boards etc.

I put a tape on the leg , 5 different colours, use in rotation, for the fresh cow's, works well for me, I " imported" the idea from NZ

 

[Kiwi Pete]

I put a tape on the leg , 5 different colours, use in rotation, for the fresh cow's, works well for me, I " imported" the idea from NZ

I'm colourblind so that doesn't really work.
I just used blue and red paint cans as I can see the difference.
Not really missing dairy much yet

 

[multi power]

I hear you there.
I'd get the bbq hot while washing the plant, give the team a mug of hot coffee and some chips chops and toast..
Have a plan sussed out and deliver it, ask for critique
Then beggar off home with a full belly and see the kids (and see what else is for breakfast)
I have my two travel mugs present at all times

I do like that idea, good for team work too, definitely something that needs improvement, trouble is everyone wants different things

 

[Kiwi Pete]

I do like that idea, good for team work too, definitely something that needs improvement, trouble is everyone wants different things

Yes I found that too.
Trouble is, both my last team wanted to go home and smoke hooch for breakfast
I found it was easier to get the plan installed first and thus saving seventy million text messages

 

[Dairyfarmerswife]

We do team breakfast once a week, down at the local transport cafe. People seem more likely to pipe up ideas in a more relaxed environment. Husband and I go armed with a list of jobs and messages for the week and the others add their needs/ideas. We tried fish and chip Friday but Monday works best for us.

Another timesaver for me, alongside using collars on newborn calves, is a Google keep list, ongoing all season. Calvings get added each day by whoever checks the sheds and collars calves, and notes are made about difficult calvings, milk fever etc, to add to the pre mating at risk list. We have about 30 odd collars, so there is a pile at each calving shed. When I start to run out of collars it's time to start tagging calves!

 

[worker]

May sound niave, but why don't you eartag the calves when they are born. With our block calving herds an eartag means she has had her colostrum and naval clipped

 

[Dairyfarmerswife]

May sound niave, but why don't you eartag the calves when they are born. With our block calving herds an eartag means she has had her colostrum and naval clipped

We calve cows in four different sheds, two of which are across the road at another farm. They are not that well lit and I prefer to make sure all info - sex, mother etc is correct, before tagging, particularly as I use different tag numbers for bulls and heifers. We lift cows and calves once a day, and calves have navel dipped and colostrum in the calf pen, not the calving shed. Also don't want to be lugging tags and taggers around. There is also the odd calf that dies before it lands in the calf shed!

 

[jersey lou79]

Neck collors are great. We make our own with elastic and a blank ear tag. First job of morning is grab a hand full of collors, pen and paper and iodine. Match mum's and babies quickly without fuss of tagging.
Calves go into groups of 5 straight away, but any that are slower drinking are put in pairs or singles if need be. Aim to be in groups of 20 by 5 days old.
We use 2 Kiwikit 13 teat stallion feeder per group of 20 ( 6 spare teats generally means no one gets knocked out)
We house calves in grain silos cut in half and put on their side. Pallets at the back mean good ventilation and sheep hurdles make up a run in the front.

 

[Rossymons]

We use a cotton "tape" that I originally pinched from my mum's sewing cupboard for our collars. Write mother's number on it, tie it loosely - tight enough to stay on, loose enough not to strangle it - then tag it when i gather in. Cut the collar off. Costs pence but works well.

 

[Clay52]

There does seem to be a lot of work going to ID calves with collars and stuff before tagging them when just tagging them would probably be simpler.

 

[jersey lou79]

Not when you've got 14 fresh new calves on the floor and it's 5am and your on your own

 

[worker]

There does seem to be a lot of work going to ID calves with collars and stuff before tagging them when just tagging them would probably be simpler.

I keep a little book in a plastic tool box with the taggers and iodine ..whenever anyone sees a new calf they tag it, clip it's naval write details in the book and give it two litres of 'first milk' colostrum from a rotavec vaccinated cow. Then the job is done and the calf has the best start. Calves are snatched twice a day and passports applied for every morning. It seems we all have a different system, but all work

 

[Cows 'n grass]

There does seem to be a lot of work going to ID calves with collars and stuff before tagging them when just tagging them would probably be simpler.

For me it's being spread across 3 sites that kills that idea. Anyone can stick a neck band on whatever time of day or night and write it down.

 

[Clay52]

Not when you've got 14 fresh new calves on the floor and it's 5am and your on your own

If I know it's a chance there will be that many calves I'll take the tagger and tags with me while I check the cows. With just a few I just bring tail paint, put them in the motorbike trailer and tag them back at the shed.

But yes everyone has their own system that works for them.

 

[multi power]

Not when you've got 14 fresh new calves on the floor and it's 5am and your on your own

That's why I tag them as soon as I see them, only downside is only 2 people here who can tag them

 

[multi power]

I have a bucket with tags, iodine, book etc, always stays with the calving cow's

 

[Clay52]

That's why I tag them as soon as I see them, only downside is only 2 people here who can tag them

Why can't others tag them at your place.

One of the guys here (ex dairy farmer) is terrible at tagging calves. Tags in the worst places on the ear or even fresh air. Don't let him near it now. I suppose he is smart, he got out of that job.

 

[multi power]

Why can't others tag them.

One of the guys here (ex dairy farmer) is terrible at tagging calves. Tags in the worst places on the ear or even fresh air. Don't let him near it now. I suppose he is smart, he got out of that job.

Can't tell the difference between dairy and beef calves, (both on different tags)
Can't tell who has actually calved so my book would be a disaster
Tags would be wrong way round or badly positioned