Dairying

Ozzy Scott said:
Great to hear she knew all about dinosaurs :clap:, to some people just comes naturally
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but nobody answered my question, is a water belly calf a common thing ,she said she only seen 1 before 🤣
we had a very interesting conversation she was hardly able to relate to all at there level
 
Bencroy said:
but nobody answered my question, is a water belly calf a common thing ,she said she only seen 1 before 🤣
we had a very interesting conversation she was hardly able to relate to all at there level
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we've had a couple over the years maybe 2 or 3 in my lifetime. no real explaination for them
 
Bencroy said:
quick question, something I hadn't seen or come across in cattle before, had seen it when we had sheep aswell.
had a " water belly " calf yesterday morning , couldn't take the calf and had to get the vet , ended up a section job, massive belly of water in it and the bladder and part of the intestines were showing.
is it common enough as I hadn't heard or seen of it in cattle.
the job was quite entertaining, as our 5 and 6 yr old was watching the whole lot and asking the vet alot of questions about dynasaurs and hairy elephants and why the calf had a big belly etc, and was it a mammal,
🤣she explained the best she could in her northern accent
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Had 1 years ago, the vet lanced the calf’s stomach and jacked him out
 
Ozzy Scott said:
having one of the proper vents called a tracer on hand is handy for such a situation. https://www.amazon.com/JorVet-J0040F-Corkscrew-Trocar-Plastic/dp/B007OUJSU2. Just be careful and slowly release the gas.

the stomach tub usually doesn't work as the stomach is so bloated the pressure on the openings into the stomach ( LC biology teacher wouldn't be impressed with me forgetting the name) from the esophagus is too much to push open.
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Trocar and canola . Have one at the yard. The stomach tube will not relieve frothy bloat.
 
Very true Tim.
My sums I had done were for a calf bought in at 3 weeks of age to selling him at 14 months,the figures I used are for Heifer calves to yearlings, I presume the figures for what it costs per day would be similar for each animal . There is some talk of €500 net profit per ha on a teagasc site either maybe my figures are wrong
I am open to correction ?..
 
podge 23 said:
Very true Tim.
My sums I had done were for a calf bought in at 3 weeks of age to selling him at 14 months,the figures I used are for Heifer calves to yearlings, I presume the figures for what it costs per day would be similar for each animal . There is some talk of €500 net profit per ha on a teagasc site either maybe my figures are wrong
I am open to correction ?..
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Once derogation goes there will be an even bigger glut of calves in the spring you’d be as well off to buy weaned calves in April and get them to grass as quick as possible once bought, the bulk of the heavy lifting is done when they’re weaned. A neigbor sold weaned 3 month old AA last week as well as you’d seen done for 300 and that is a strong price for them compared to what calves are making out there if you shop around he was getting 180 for them in the mart the week previous and plenty of guys would let them go at that to be rid of them.
 
podge 23 said:
I did a bit of home work on calf -beef rough figures I could find
3 weeks of age to 3 months = €350
85c head day for summer
Months 180 days (6 months) X by 0.85c.= €153.
150 days winter (5 months) X 1.50 = €225
€728 total costs 85c per head day cost for summer I am putting down and 1.50 per head day to carry them for winter (contract rearing prices I am going by )
I don't have labour including in the first 3 months anyway as well as fixed costs but it looks like if I did I would hardly be break even this is buying a calf for €150 at 3 weeks and rearing to 3 months ?..
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That 1.5 for the winter? What are you basing that on? I think that be closer to 2€ personally
 
Irishfarminglad said:
That 1.5 for the winter? What are you basing that on? I think that be closer to 2€ personally
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Yes you could be right the 1.5 is based on silage ESB labour i think .
But ya like if it's nearer to €2 there is hardly any profit out of rearing calves.
From 3 weeks to 14 months anyway .
I don't get the 500ha or is figure based on taking them throught to slaughter ?
 
podge 23 said:
Yes you could be right the 1.5 is based on silage ESB labour i think .
But ya like if it's nearer to €2 there is hardly any profit out of rearing calves.
From 3 weeks to 14 months anyway .
I don't get the 500ha or is figure based on taking them throught to slaughter ?
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A lot of the calf rearing figures are trumpeted have been trumpeted by Teagasc and the co ops to drive that calf trade , a lot of calf sheds and the like built on figures that are dubious at best
 
Deerehunter said:
A lad I sell calves to used to have 70 sucklers. Got rid of them and buys in calves now, mixture of fr bulls and beef breeds. Says he has a better margin than suckling. He grows most of the feed himself, beet, barley and some maize.
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I assume he enjoys feild work himself, it's all alot of extra work growing and harvesting 3 different crops, so your substituting your own time for the cost saving. I use to grow maize here, growing it worked out well and I was certainly alot better off doing my own crop against paying contractor per ton, however feeding it out became a pain in the arse, bird's rats, opening closing pits and not enough feed space, plus risk of wet weather during harvest. I'm not saying all this a bad idea, but goes back to my point of do it because it works for you, but best not to do that system because on paper margin better but in practice you run around like blue arsed fly.
 

There was a bit of talk further up about TB and cattle. I read before about speculation about TB and sunlight (now vitamin D). Interesting though in the speculation the badger is a nocturnal animal and stays in their set in the daytime and comes out at night. The deer stays under tree cover in the daytime, comes out at night. The speculation would then go to the cow and would cows that are locked up more under cover of roofs and not get much sunlight or would cows that are able get more sunlight be less susceptible to TB? I dunno..
 
mf4270 said:

There was a bit of talk further up about TB and cattle. I read before about speculation about TB and sunlight (now vitamin D). Interesting though in the speculation the badger is a nocturnal animal and stays in their set in the daytime and comes out at night. The deer stays under tree cover in the daytime, comes out at night. The speculation would then go to the cow and would cows that are locked up more under cover of roofs and not get much sunlight or would cows that are able get more sunlight be less susceptible to TB? I dunno..
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Post hoc ergo propter hoc
 
how’s grass growth for everyone- it’s been fairly poor here tbh still feeding out and giving them the option. Bad showers here today so the cows didn’t want to nearly be out
 
podge 23 said:
If derogation goes the number of cows I can milk here is 75 will spending 150 - 200k be justified at that number ?
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You could join the organic scheme. Long term that's €250/Ha for drystock.

Total €10k per year.

Buy in 50 good AAX or HEX yearlings at €1200 each in the Spring. Keep them for a year and a bit and finish them off grass in the summer and kill them for €1800. Costs would be about €300. Profit €300.

That's another €15k. Apply for the Acres scheme for another €4k per year after costs. Plant a few trees and hedges and grass margins. Stay away from the area based payments. They'll subtract from the organic payment and you won't be able to cut grass etc when you want to.

You're knocking on the door of €30k there. Add in a BISS payment of another €10k maybe and you're at about €1000/Ha.

Costs would be small. €5k per year would do most of it.

You'll end up with about €875/Ha in your pocket or about €350/acre.
 
callwaster said:
You could join the organic scheme. Long term that's €250/Ha for drystock.

Total €10k per year.

Buy in 50 good AAX or HEX yearlings at €1200 each in the Spring. Keep them for a year and a bit and finish them off grass in the summer and kill them for €1800. Costs would be about €300. Profit €300.

That's another €15k. Apply for the Acres scheme for another €4k per year after costs. Plant a few trees and hedges and grass margins. Stay away from the area based payments. They'll subtract from the organic payment and you won't be able to cut grass etc when you want to.

You're knocking on the door of €30k there. Add in a BISS payment of another €10k maybe and you're at about €1000/Ha.

Costs would be small. €5k per year would do most of it.

You'll end up with about €875/Ha in your pocket or about €350/acre.
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A good option, however has to be compared to the drastic option, what is land making in his area? If he can get 350/ac to lease it on a long term rent tax free and go back working off farm then that would be a hell of alot simpler and alot more in his pocket after tax. But overall, sinking 200k+ to milk the 75cows OAD doesn't look like a great option in the slightest compare to likes of these options.
 
Irishfarminglad said:
how’s grass growth for everyone- it’s been fairly poor here tbh still feeding out and giving them the option. Bad showers here today so the cows didn’t want to nearly be out
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Has slowed up alot here. Buffer feeding away but always do for the 1st half of the breeding season
 
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