Dairy farming

bruceythom said:
Good on ya. Well done. Very similar story here. Find way of life better, job much easier, more time off, animal welfare improved, and biodiversity greatly increased (though a lot more to do here). I get tired hearing of all the unfounded bad news about the increased dairy herd. Very little is told about the extra employment and the money that the industry is bringing in to the country, and more importantly, most of this is brought in to the rural parts of the country.
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Pity too much of it goes to our manufacture
 
I am. Main reason is for if I have problems with my bps etc. My advisor is good though so that makes a difference
 
nashmach said:
I honestly think It's a waste of time. The time to be highlighting this stuff was six months ago before any bull/AI straw went near cows.
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But the point is that even the HEx and AAx to the dairy herd that they though was the cure all to the issue doesn't work. The dairy cow herself is far too light to be a viable beef dam. They backed themselves into a terrible corner that will take 10 to 15 years to rectify and to great risk of the dairy farmer and will they take the risk.
It's going to require putting larger framed bulls on naturally smaller framed cows. Easy calving is just another name for small, if it's an easy calving bull he leaves a narrower hipped heifer who finds it more difficult to calf. They should have focused on making the cow calf anything you'd put to her, not make the bull make a small enough calf to fit out of anything.
 
nashmach said:
I honestly think It's a waste of time. The time to be highlighting this stuff was six months ago before any bull/AI straw went near cows.
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This year's ai season we just put black and white on our top cows that we wanted replacement.from. everything else got a ai beef bull. Our cows would be big girls so hoping they should produce a fine calf. But like you said nashmach it should have been dealt with last season
 
The issue with the price of the "unwanted" bull calves dairy farms is not going to be solved on dairy farms despite popular belief. There is just too many calves, as simple as that. Using beefier genetics is going to worsen the situation and not "add value" to the calf. If we all used belted Galloways for 2 years, every calf would be wanted.
The dairy herd and, more so, the suckler cow herd has increased in numbers over the last number of years and the increasing in the market demand is not keeping up with it. A total rethink of the current system is on the cards.
If BPS money was redirected a lot more heavily on using smaller beef animal semen (eg. Dexter, Angus, Belted Galloway), no top up for dairy or continental breeds, then it'd have more of a positive impact, and let's be honest, probably more profitable but less fashionable.
 
bruceythom said:
The issue with the price of the "unwanted" bull calves dairy farms is not going to be solved on dairy farms despite popular belief. There is just too many calves, as simple as that. Using beefier genetics is going to worsen the situation and not "add value" to the calf. If we all used belted Galloways for 2 years, every calf would be wanted.
The dairy herd and, more so, the suckler cow herd has increased in numbers over the last number of years and the increasing in the market demand is not keeping up with it. A total rethink of the current system is on the cards.
If BPS money was redirected a lot more heavily on using smaller beef animal semen (eg. Dexter, Angus, Belted Galloway), no top up for dairy or continental breeds, then it'd have more of a positive impact, and let's be honest, probably more profitable but less fashionable.
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I don't think there's a big increase in calf numbers, just the numbers of calves with no potential for any profit to be made on them.
 
How did we manage last year and all other years with similar amounts of calves??

Because the increase in the dairy herd is being offset by the reduction in the suckler herd
 
bruceythom said:
The issue with the price of the "unwanted" bull calves dairy farms is not going to be solved on dairy farms despite popular belief. There is just too many calves, as simple as that. Using beefier genetics is going to worsen the situation and not "add value" to the calf. If we all used belted Galloways for 2 years, every calf would be wanted.
The dairy herd and, more so, the suckler cow herd has increased in numbers over the last number of years and the increasing in the market demand is not keeping up with it. A total rethink of the current system is on the cards.
If BPS money was redirected a lot more heavily on using smaller beef animal semen (eg. Dexter, Angus, Belted Galloway), no top up for dairy or continental breeds, then it'd have more of a positive impact, and let's be honest, probably more profitable but less fashionable.
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See this is the mentality of the grazing dairy farmer. Sure I'll produce nothing but I'll have spent nothing doing it so what odds.
How is producing a lower quality carcass off a less feed efficient breed going to solve the issue of producing low quality carcasses off of low feed efficiency breeds?
 
Tipp_Man said:
How did we manage last year and all other years with similar amounts of calves??

Because the increase in the dairy herd is being offset by the reduction in the suckler herd
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Do you mean the issue of the glut of dairy calves in the spring, and the welfare issues surrounding that?
The issue is coming this spring because the dairy calf to beef system doesnt work so those calves are worthless. Who's going to buy them and what does the dairy farmer do with them if no one does buy them?
 
jcb411abuser said:
Do you mean the issue of the glut of dairy calves in the spring, and the welfare issues surrounding that?
The issue is coming this spring because the dairy calf to beef system doesnt work so those calves are worthless. Who's going to buy them and what does the dairy farmer do with them if no one does buy them?
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Are you actually involved in beef in any way?

If you rear a good calf onto a store you can do just fine at it - its a part time job remember
 
jcb411abuser said:
Do you mean the issue of the glut of dairy calves in the spring, and the welfare issues surrounding that?
The issue is coming this spring because the dairy calf to beef system doesnt work so those calves are worthless. Who's going to buy them and what does the dairy farmer do with them if no one does buy them?
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There will be a demand . just the price that will be the issue. Price will be set by the live exporters and you can bet there will still be farmers who will bid against the live exporters.
 
thefarminglad said:
There will be a demand . just the price that will be the issue. Price will be set by the live exporters and you can bet there will still be farmers who will bid against the live exporters.
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Light cattle going to Algeria and Libya atm at €1.80 a kilo. The poor feckers would be better off getting the bullet day one.
 
I can't figure out the hole thing. We are winter milk and selling the bull calfs off farm. A good square calf will sell.
 
Tipp_Man said:
Are you actually involved in beef in any way?

If you rear a good calf onto a store you can do just fine at it - its a part time job remember
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Well I do have cull cows and have 3 customers already looking for my bull calves plus our excess heifers are kept and killed when we need a bit of money so I'd say I do have something to do with beef.
I suppose a real dairy farmer doesn't worry about the waste from his industry sure someone else will tidy it up for them, give it away and let someone else lose money. You'd sing a different tune if you are forced to keep your bulls till slaughter, a measure that's not too far from reality right now.
 
I don't buy the Farrah McCullough argument that you can't do without the Jersey influence to make dairying profitable. Anything but.
 
jcb411abuser said:
See this is the mentality of the grazing dairy farmer. Sure I'll produce nothing but I'll have spent nothing doing it so what odds.
How is producing a lower quality carcass off a less feed efficient breed going to solve the issue of producing low quality carcasses off of low feed efficiency breeds?
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The beef from those smaller carcasses is of far superior quality and has absolutely nothing to do with dairying, but I'll take that as a compliment thank you.
 
bruceythom said:
The beef from those smaller carcasses is of far superior quality and has absolutely nothing to do with dairying, but I'll take that as a compliment thank you.
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Who ever told you it was of better quality? I've been asking round butchers locally when I'm in to find out what they are using, meats all charolais. Some rear cattle themselves and it's all charolais they rear and buy a few continentals. More meat of the right cuts less mince% to deal with and superior feed to meat conversion is what I'm told.
I'm asking because I want to know what to put to the fleckvieh cow for the bull calf and excess heifers.
Unfortunately ill have to use easy calving Angus on the heifers I intend to milk. Which I've been told is a waste of time.
 
jcb411abuser said:
Who ever told you it was of better quality? I've been asking round butchers locally when I'm in to find out what they are using, meats all charolais. Some rear cattle themselves and it's all charolais they rear and buy a few continentals. More meat of the right cuts less mince% to deal with and superior feed to meat conversion is what I'm told.
I'm asking because I want to know what to put to the fleckvieh cow for the bull calf and excess heifers.
Unfortunately ill have to use easy calving Angus on the heifers I intend to milk. Which I've been told is a waste of time.
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The "native" breeds would be the most feed efficient, but come with a lower carcass weight. I've heard it said that the Galloway is ome of the most efficient.

Who told you you were wasting your time? I'd say their calves would be smashing. Have you any born this year? I'd like to see them if you do.
 
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