Dairy farming

podge 23

Well-Known Member
is it just me or what but there is two of us here every day since the end of january and we havent stopped going since,12 hours a day more some days it takes its toll after a bit. ☹️
 
is it just me or what but there is two of us here every day since the end of january and we havent stopped going since,12 hours a day more some days it takes its toll after a bit. ☹️
By your posts you seem totally unhappy at dairying.
Why dont you get out and do something else?
 
Something wrong there. Perhaps down to organisation.180 odd here plus replacements. Myself and my dad. Busy maybe for Feb March and May with calving and AI. Average it at 1.5 people there most of the time.Groups of stock definitely a big factor. 4 here cows, maidens, weaned calves and late calves (which shouldn't even be here ). Usually cheaper, a damn sight faster and more nutrient efficient to get all slurry and machinery work by a contractor.
Any cows needing individual attention really aren't worth having. There's probably 10% of cows taking up 30% of your time.
Apart from relief milking its very hard argue there's full time work for two people.
 
I know.if only it was that easy mike ..
How many hours do you usally do on a normal day mikeyboy ? And if you have spare time what to you do with it ?
 
Generally out for cows at half 6. Start milking at 7. Scrape yards feed any calves etc and in for breakfast around 930 or 10. Try finish for 6. But a divil for tea around 4. Try get the important jobs down before dinner time and less so jobs in the afternoon. Really enjoy grass measuring and management and either two morning's or afternoons a week goes at that. During calving season obviously a lot busier and days tend to be longer. Especially If on your own. Just try and prioritise jobs on they're importance. On the grassland management. A lot better take out paddocks using a contractor than wasting time topping. Haven't topped yet this year. God awful job to take up time.
 
I know.if only it was that easy mike ..
How many hours do you usally do on a normal day mikeyboy ? And if you have spare time what to you do with it ?
You need to be a better manager . Do an analysis of what you do every hour of the day and post it up here so we can have a look at it .
 
Thats a great piece of usefull info bagenal !
Right good point bog man so here it is
Get up at half 7 we have the breakfast beforehand so usally milking for around half 8 ,milking takes between two and two and a half hours this time of year that's all in now from start to finish washing etc. So that takes us up to 11 o cock we have to wash down yard with tank and tractor every second day then feed calves and check maiden heifers when this is done it usually is around 12 and we have the dinner then around quarter past/half 12. Onto after dinner so bout half 1 i go topping for about 3.5 hours so roughly its 5 when i finish or the same time spplies with any other job , we have the supper then around 5.15/5.30 so its 5.50 somethimes earlier when going out for cows and about half 6.15/6.30 when we start milking so give or take its usually 8.30/9.00 when we finish cows. There can often be a hour again onto this if at bales or silsge slurry etc .
 
Thats a great piece of usefull info bagenal !
Right good point bog man so here it is
Get up at half 7 we have the breakfast beforehand so usally milking for around half 8 ,milking takes between two and two and a half hours this time of year that's all in now from start to finish washing etc. So that takes us up to 11 o cock we have to wash down yard with tank and tractor every second day then feed calves and check maiden heifers when this is done it usually is around 12 and we have the dinner then around quarter past/half 12. Onto after dinner so bout half 1 i go topping for about 3.5 hours so roughly its 5 when i finish or the same time spplies with any other job , we have the supper then around 5.15/5.30 so its 5.50 somethimes earlier when going out for cows and about half 6.15/6.30 when we start milking so give or take its usually 8.30/9.00 when we finish cows. There can often be a hour again onto this if at bales or silsge slurry etc .

No wondering ur sick of it...milking cows till half 9 at night every night would drain anyone.
What about changing milking times to be stated for half in the morning... how many cows gow many units...do u have any hobbies at All your friends must think ur insane
 
Thats a great piece of usefull info bagenal !
Right good point bog man so here it is
Get up at half 7 we have the breakfast beforehand so usally milking for around half 8 ,milking takes between two and two and a half hours this time of year that's all in now from start to finish washing etc. So that takes us up to 11 o cock we have to wash down yard with tank and tractor every second day then feed calves and check maiden heifers when this is done it usually is around 12 and we have the dinner then around quarter past/half 12. Onto after dinner so bout half 1 i go topping for about 3.5 hours so roughly its 5 when i finish or the same time spplies with any other job , we have the supper then around 5.15/5.30 so its 5.50 somethimes earlier when going out for cows and about half 6.15/6.30 when we start milking so give or take its usually 8.30/9.00 when we finish cows. There can often be a hour again onto this if at bales or silsge slurry etc .
Just reading this out of interest but 3.5 hours of topping daily???
 
Yes carrig its beyond sickning to be honest .
96 cows 12 units .no hobbies because as you can see i have no time for them ! Yes if i was my friend i would deffinately think i was insane . Well MF 30 that was 3 days last week and 3 this week the topping, but it has to be done .
You see the old falla here is a pure slave he just never stops and expects me to do the same , even when cows are finish at that time he will go off at something else until 10 even half past some nights .
 
is it just me or what but there is two of us here every day since the end of january and we havent stopped going since,12 hours a day more some days it takes its toll after a bit. ☹️
Time to get it sorted. Budget in to get a milker in for evenings or mornings and you be the relief for them.
Shift ur milking earlier then some lad could rock up to yours at 5.30 and be on their way to another day job at a decent time.
That's how the Uncle does it. He has a man morning and one for evening and himself for the occasions they can't. He was sick of trying to find relief milkers for a few weekends off.
Then he can start the routine jobs as they are half way through milking, scraping and calves etc, takes the cows back to padocks so he can cast an eye for lameness or whatever. Then he has the day for other jobs without rushing.

From talking to friends in milking a big issue is trusting someone to milk. But once they offer a good wage and get good at training them its never as bad as they thought.
 
Milking is starting too late in the morning. Clusters on here at 7 am I just have a cup of tea and a bowl of weetabix before starting. Milking finished for 8.45 breakfast done by 9.15.lunch normally at 1.start cows again at 4.30 .finished totally at 6.15-6.30. Can do another hour or 2 after that if I want .normally just go for a walk with my oh who works off farm or maybe a match with the young lads.sort out your milking times and the rest will fall into place
 
Look at anything you do every day and ask why you're even doing it, question everything in as logical a manner as possible.

If there's anything completely unnecessary then stop doing it.

For everything else analyse how its being done, not just how long it takes, but how much hardship is in that time.


Do that exercise on everything and decide where you can make savings in time.

These principles apply to any job, not just dairying or even farming.



Take the yard washing as an example. How much effort is there in hooking up, filling, opening/closing gates reversing around the place to wash the yard.

Would a volume washer pump and hose, washing after every milking be easier? It might technically take as much time over two days, but maybe a lot less hassle.

I'm not saying its the case, just an example of the type of thought process to use.

But it will only work if you can get your father on board
 
Yes carrig its beyond sickning to be honest .
96 cows 12 units .no hobbies because as you can see i have no time for them ! Yes if i was my friend i would deffinately think i was insane . Well MF 30 that was 3 days last week and 3 this week the topping, but it has to be done .
You see the old falla here is a pure slave he just never stops and expects me to do the same , even when cows are finish at that time he will go off at something else until 10 even half past some nights .

Have ye many other cattle..I find it hard to see were yer time is going to 96 cows to be honest .you need to sit down and have a serious look at what your doing going forward not your father but you...
 
Sounds like murder to me.

What age is your dad? Getting him to change is probably your biggest challenge.
Perhaps it’s time for him to step back a bit?

Early starts are the key as well as being organised. If you’re working late, you can’t get up early.
I see some men staying in bed longer in the mornings as they get older, it’s only natural.
 
Get up at half 7? :scared: When I was on milking I was finished by then. (Tanker was in the yard at 8.)
 
Are ye doing all the jobs together or operate independently getting jobs done?

Have a serious look at time management on farm, something is terribly off. Sounds like you've decent milking facility with 8 rows. One man should be able to handle that?
Have the supper after milking and walk away.
The Topping is not my cup of tea to put it mildly.
Would you be interested in doing a grass management course? Teagasc running grass 10 at the moment there's a few others too but for a fee I think. Improving grass management would maintain quality and seriously reduce topping time.

Your aul fella should be a contractor for his love of hardship.
Hope ye improve things to get what ye want to put in and get out of the farm. Be proactive and positive. :Thumbp2:
 
Lad you need a longer parlour and ACR's. If something is in the way knock it down. Don't mean to be rude but you would be in trouble if anything happened your oul lad. Plus any new arrival will run a mile from that hardship. Forget all fancy extras you are at nothing until you speed up milking. There are plenty of second hand parlours that a good man would put into your existing (extended) shed.
Is AI really necessary? Find a good herd and buy 15 yearling heifers from him each spring and let the bulls do the work.
Do you wash or prep cows before milking? Is this necessary?
If there are any cows with persistent problems dry them off and fatten them.
Is milking really a two man job? If each of you milked once a day it would free up 5 hours to do other jobs.
Is there a slatted tank in the collecting yard? What way do the cows exit the parlour? The tidiest way is to have the collecting yard straight behind the pit and a passageway down the side for them to walk back out the way they came in. Volume hose at either end to wash down but the area involved is limited. Half the collecting yard here is slats and use a hand scraper to clean down the other half. Probably takes 3 minutes. Again if something is in the way get a digger.
A 10 foot straight mower would be a good idea too. Got one this year a third of the time compared to a topper.
In the same boat as you but am working 4 days a week as well. Have a good lad that milks a few evenings during the week so the father is able to do other things. SH 20 unit here. Milking 85, takes 1.5 hrs morning 1 hour in the evening including washing. Getting the cows and crossing roads all takes time too.
 
how wide is your topper? A few extra feet might cut out a few hours work a week. are both of you milking? it could well be the case that it would be better if you were at slurry and your dad milking. i see it here where dad likes to have both of us doing the one job and sometimes its like 2 men doing the work of one man.

i was busy at silage last week so dad organised the local merchant to spread 90 acres with fert after silage/grazing. he had it done in 2 or 3 hours, what would have taken me most of the day a ton at a time.

you can usually see work coming, slurry after silage etc. getting a contractor in for an odd day here and there will free you up.

see if some of your friends are going on holiday and let them know you'll go with them.

if you have something to look foward to it might make it all the easier to handle the work.

as said try and cut down on the numbers of groups of cattle, sell what you don't need.. beef cattle etc.
 
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