My typical day in January is normally something like this…..
7:30Let milking cows out of shed and into parlour holding yard.
7:32 Lime all cubicles, using Agrical lime. Check that all the dry cows are ok while liming their cubicles.
7:40 Start milking the cows – Currently milking 16 late calvers, 2 rows in my 8 Unit Dairymaster parlour.
8:00 Rinse the milking machine, remove the milk sock and start circulating the detergent – cold wash.
8:04 Put milking cows back into shed.
8:06 Let in-calf heifers into the parlour for feeding and to get them used to the parlour set up and milking machine noise.
8:10 Fill automatic feeders in parlour
8:15 Put in-calf heifers back into the shed
8:20 Turn off the machine and start power washing the parlour and holding yard.
8:30 Ensure that cows and heifers can reach silage at the easy feed barrier. Sprinkle pre calver minerals on silage for in calf cows.
9:00 Travel to out farm
9:10 Feed yearlings concentrates. Friesian heifers yearlings are housed on cubicles, bullocks and Angus heifers and bullocks are on concrete slats.
9:15 Feed concentrates to beef cattle, being fattened for slaughter in the first few months of 2013. These comprise a mixture of Friesian bullocks, Angus heifers and bullocks, 2 Friesian heifers that never went in calf and 6 dry cows that are to be culled.
9:20 Clean cubicles that the yearling heifers are housed on, and run the automatic scraper.
9:30 Feed the Angus stock bull a handful of beef nuts, and ad-lib silage. Clean out the bull pen if necessary.
9:40 Ensure that there is adequate silage at the easy feed barriers until the following morning.
10:00 Return to home farm for a cup of tea
10:30 to 17:00 During winter months I normally do some work repairing any damaged machinery etc., which has been put on the long finger. Take a break at 13:00 for dinner, normally 45 minutes or so.
17:00 Run cold detergent through milking machine for a few minutes before rinsing plant with plenty of fresh clean water.
17:10 Let cows into holding yard while liming cubicles and checking dry cows.
17:20 Start milking the cows.
17:40 Rinse the milking machine, remove the milk sock and rinse again.
17:45 Put milking cows back into the shed.
Normally back home by 17:50 for supper, and put my feet up!!
Pat