headcase
Very Senior Member
looking in the pics above TM's grass is brown which to me says its too strong for milk
zero grazing
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looking in the pics above TM's grass is brown which to me says its too strong for milk
Ok as much of a critic of ZG I have been all along here ha, I'll admit a decent benefit is that at least all that rubbish grass has been removed now and the paddock should preform better in the spring, very hard to get cattle to graze out the likes of that, unless you starve them! I've 2 or 3 paddocks which are not fit for mowing, and our bloody topper was set too high, I cannot get the cows to clean them out.
T
Treemover
Guest
Tried another paddock and first load they went mad for it. Second load they barely touched. I'm putting it down to cow pats.
So now in another field. This is a reseed that was grazed, so should work. Seemed happy on it tonight. Again only time will tell.
One thing I knew before I got into this but got reminded is just how much time and effort goes into it all.
Flip side, it's amazing how much grass keeps them content. I thought we'd have to burst the wagon.
I'll take photos of 3 different fields.
headcase
Very Senior Member
i suppose its going to take a bit for the pats to disappear
by rights i recon if your going to zero graze you dont want to be contaminating by grazing before cutting
T
Treemover
Guest
This is one hurdle we have! There's not much grass other than what's on offer! I guess you have to climb the hill first!
T
Treemover
Guest
Latest field. This was reseeded this year, it was undersown oats n peas. Tbh the grass was patchy and decided to leave off second cut and graze. But I think it's as good as we have for ZG?
Probably a bit strong all truths, but beggars can't be choosers!
Cows seem to like it. Didn't milk so can't say up or down. But they cleared last nights load, and were fighting for this.
jcb411abuser
Well-Known Member
your beginning to get there now
pity the wagon doesn't fit on the fendt
pity the wagon doesn't fit on the fendt
T
Treemover
Guest
Thanks JCB, it would make life a bit easier for sure.
Big difference with this field alright. The amount the cows are eating now is impressive. It has to lead to a lift. I feel it coming. But tonight was near identical to previous evenings milking which is below pre ZG.
Big difference with this field alright. The amount the cows are eating now is impressive. It has to lead to a lift. I feel it coming. But tonight was near identical to previous evenings milking which is below pre ZG.
BANKVILLE
Well-Known Member
Vets and local dairy discussion group had a trip to these guys beginning of October
http://www.farmersjournal.ie/site/farming-Feeding-and-milkingthe-Harpur-way-16868.html
they had stopped feeding zq to even stale milkers said there was no feed value in it but were still feeding it too heifers had enough grass for about another 3 weeks they said. Prefered to carry some cover over winter no sheep that gave more grass in spring.
But treemover youve got big covers there and like jcb said somewhere your in a different part of the country
http://www.farmersjournal.ie/site/farming-Feeding-and-milkingthe-Harpur-way-16868.html
they had stopped feeding zq to even stale milkers said there was no feed value in it but were still feeding it too heifers had enough grass for about another 3 weeks they said. Prefered to carry some cover over winter no sheep that gave more grass in spring.
But treemover youve got big covers there and like jcb said somewhere your in a different part of the country
TMKF
Well-Known Member
bruceythom
Well-Known Member
I think meal and bought in silage would sound cheap at that rate!!
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Posted from the Ham Bone using Crapatalk 2
BANKVILLE
Well-Known Member
dont get your point??
TMKF
Well-Known Member
Silage definitely wouldnt
And remember it wouldnt be bought in silage you'd be comparing it to, since they're leasing or renting the land. It would be home made silage. If homemade silage cost €180/tonne DM every cow in Ireland would be slaughtered in September
jcb411abuser
Well-Known Member
they may make a small lift the first day but it'll be the second and third day before you really know.
i'd really hate to see it being a waste of money for you, it worked for us as in lifting yields and taking more milk of per acre. our problem was the time it took plus how weather varied the quality greatly and that at this time of year it was harder to get out on ground to get the grass needed in quickly, messing with half loads and that.
anyways i hope it works for you in the next couple of days, you must have exceptional silage if you think it will compare in feed value.
jcb411abuser
Well-Known Member
bought in silage is probably the most expensive feed you can get, especially if it's low quality which you know it will be. i'd say beet would be better.
Ok going totally off topic (again!), is it common practice with AYR high yielding herd to persist with a dairystraw for 5serves?? Do you not want to bred the likes of them cows out of the system? Even with CI being less of a factor in a system as such, it still doesn't seem to make sense to breed from these animals.
bruceythom
Well-Known Member
Silage definitely would. 25% DM silage bought at 30 euro is 120 euro a tonne DM. Maybe you took me up wrong, I meant the silage and meal would work out cheaper.
Even cheaper again would be to open the gate on the shed and let the cows do what they do best.
[MENTION=1744]jcb411abuser[/MENTION], I couldn't agree more, buying is silage is dreadfully expensive, but going on the figures these lads have, the silage would be cheaper.
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Green Grass
Well-Known Member
The big question is zero grazing a waste of time in the shouldiers of the year Cut 3rd cut bales here in near perfect conditions 3 weeks ago where a snipe would not walk today . I think bales made in good conditions far exceed the hardship of zero grazing in tough conditions. the cost of silage is easily 50% contractor charge and add land charge and fert it becomes an expensive feed when every thing is costed
bruceythom
Well-Known Member
If you're comparing it in cost to bales, you're on a non runner, myself and TMKF have done up the figures in comparing to pit silage, and it's on par TBH. If you wouldn't be able to travel the field now, then you won't be able to graze it either so it's not buffer feeding if your animals are in full time.
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TMKF
Well-Known Member
Yep get you now. Yea silage and meal definitely cheaper here, even taking into account reduced quality from silage
Yes it is common, and no they dont care, as long as the animal is in milk most of them couldnt give a damn about fertility. 500+ days open is not uncommon on some of those farms.
Just to clarify for Green Grass, my calculations would put it on a par in terms of energy but definitely not in terms of tonnage.
And to be honest my opinion is still that ZG is far too large a fixed cost to justify, with too much labour and spiraling fuel costs
But when we are considering bales, it would also be my opinion that bales are an over-expensive waste of time, only used where "convienence" is the priority not good management or profit
Green Grass
Well-Known Member
There is lots of grass in fields left around these parts up to 1800 and more I guess same as every other year ground conditions rarely oblige We might be glad of this next march but what value will it be compared if was baled in good conditions I think a better option instead of a wagon for some people might I dare say is a baler .I doubt anyone who was short last year would consider bales an over expensive waste of time
bruceythom
Well-Known Member
Ah here, I have job enough arguing with the self propelled boys!!
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TMKF
Well-Known Member
Leaving 1800 of a cover over winter is not a good thing
I was short last year. I still think bales are a waste of time, just about tolerable as grassland management measure to avoid too heavy a cover at peak. If there's silage there, put it in the pit end of, cheaper than a ZG, far cheaper than bales
slurryboy
Well-Known Member
Not always true that they don't care but if you give a cow 3 tries with sexed which has a lower success rate then 2 with conventional its not as bad as it first looks
TMKF
Well-Known Member
Not a concrete rule and not true of 100% of high yielding herds (always exceptions) but it is my observation, most of those at the extreme end of production don't care enough about fertility to adapt their breeding. They are quite happy to keep on animals with chronic infertility.
Big jump between 3 and 5 straws though
Can I ask though if you have a cow that'll only go incalf after 3 tries or more why would you breed from her? I'd sooner use the sexed on something that will hold after 2, cos at least she has decent fertility