Not had a problem as yet, but do tend to wear gloves when handling the hydraulic lines.Now run a file over the cut cable ties , do they do not cut your hands to shreds , always give them a rub as leaves them sharp
Not had a problem as yet, but do tend to wear gloves when handling the hydraulic lines.Now run a file over the cut cable ties , do they do not cut your hands to shreds , always give them a rub as leaves them sharp
At least your getting it in the ground.View attachment 847045
Trickled a bit more in
View attachment 847046
Slow n steady seems to be the way this year with the Vaddy, less of a rapid, more a tortoise @ 7kph, but any faster it turns into a bulldozer.
Thought of having a go today ......that's as far as it got !!At least your getting it in the ground.
Thought of having a go today ......that's as far as it got !!
I'm in catch up mode, most around here have some in and up, I was trying not to plough..................... gave in and turned it brown with help from a friend ( don't own a plough ) will be the most expensive establishment for years, just hope it grows now ?At least your getting it in the ground.
Yes I do, but only when we muck out every 2 to 3 weeks, we are in the land of plentiful straw of course.Do you always bed that bit up @Pan mixer i never have, but it's too wet this year, the muck won't heap up.
Do you house your milkers in that loose house? Or do you have cubicles as well?Promising start to the day so turned the dairy coos out, then sat on my backside.. View attachment 847050
Week 5, so they're due a clean out.View attachment 847051
Some good fert, and a grand day for it too. View attachment 847049will cart it away tomorrow....
If I find somewhere dry enough
I'm in catch up mode, most around here have some in and up, I was trying not to plough..................... gave in and turned it brown with help from a friend ( don't own a plough ) will be the most expensive establishment for years, just hope it grows now ?
Two sheds both loose housed, no cubicles, although we've often thought about it. In nvz so it's not just the cubicles, a slurry store would be needed too.Do you house your milkers in that loose house? Or do you have cubicles as well?
Do you get much mastitis?Promising start to the day so turned the dairy coos out, then sat on my backside.. View attachment 847050
Week 5, so they're due a clean out.View attachment 847051
Some good fert, and a grand day for it too. View attachment 847049will cart it away tomorrow....
If I find somewhere dry enough
Plough/press is costing me £25/a that’s really the only additional expense, it’s bad BG land and not been ploughed for over 10 years so hoping for some clean soil. Not been subsoiled, so that covers the power harrow cost and plough diesel. Drilling is just taking a bit more time. So all in not that bad assuming it grows, and it’s not had the inches of rain others has.I've done similar and justified it easily to myself by saying that that increased yield of winter wheat, higher price than barley, and likely increased straw price will easily pay the contractor cost of plough/combi drill.
Working it through on paper now....
£20/t premium above barley yield of 7t/ha = £140/ha
1t/ha extra yield from winter drop at £140/t wheat = £140/ha
Straw price of £25/ha extra? = £25/ha
£305 per hectare, or £123/ac.
Ok there are higher inputs with winter wheat too I admit....but take off £55/ac to plant the crop leaves £68/ac left in the pot, without accounting for any discount due against the "standard" establishment cost.
Later wheat planting (Nov rather than Sept/Oct) and the ploughing may also reduce weed pressure....which is just as well as no autumn herbicide has gone on. That saving alone could probably offset a chunk off the establishment cost too.
No doubt someone will tell me the fag packet figures I've just put down aren't quite accurate...
Would you use a lot of straw per cow during the winter? What stocking rate can you get away with in that shed? We’ve thought about changing but I can’t get my head round the cost to buy cubicles and a slurry store.Two sheds both loose housed, no cubicles, although we've often thought about it. In nvz so it's not just the cubicles, a slurry store would be needed too.
Always get a few cases, usually a sign they need cleaning out, but not too bad.Do you get much mastitis?
Would you use a lot of straw per cow during the winter? What stocking rate can you get away with in that shed? We’ve thought about changing but I can’t get my head round the cost to buy cubicles and a slurry store.
That’s partly where my plan comes unstuck. I’d be heavily reliant on bought in feed. We can’t grow any cereals really as we need all the grass. So all feed and bedding is bought in other than grass silage. But I have the ability to house lots of cows.Always get a few cases, usually a sign they need cleaning out, but not too bad.
Use 4 rounds (4ft) a day. Good barley straw, blown not chopped, lime the bed once a week, and try to clean out four weeks, but time and weather don't always allow.
120 x 40 and a 60 x 40, currently housing 92 as that is probably at its limit.
Cubicles and slurry store are a big investment yes, which will no doubt pay eventually but, the 8 years since I started here have been a roller coaster, from highs of 32p to lows of 16p and lost contracts. All the uncertainty hasn't given me the confidence to invest heavily, we grow all our own feed so have the straw and the manure feeds the ground, so it all goes round in a fashion...