Damien Callaghan

Living with a lad from Monaghan, told him he sounds like Eoin McLove, turn out he's Eoins Nephew #FatherTed #IveNoWilly

@kiltullaghfarm @kierangalvin88 @CarlowWeather It’s fair tough going all the same and cold!!

@kierangalvin88 @CarlowWeather Recency bias kicking in here!

The outlook has taken a turn and it’s not great looking🤦🏼‍♂️

@DarraghScott @JerryMoloney1 Ground in some shape atm, it’ll start raining now just before opening date, have a months storage before we need to start shifting tank to tank.

@JerryMoloney1 Same. Ill move as soon season opens and ground allows. Sets it up for the year. Ive noticed ground that doesnt get an early feed is backward all year.

About 3 to 4weeks storage left ,,will move regardless after opening date once weather and ground allow ….early slurry is what sets a good fertile soil up for year

@JerryMoloney1 Why if you don’t mind me asking? I thought bottom fill was the job

Has anyone successfully converted bottom fill water troughs to top fill …have mix of mostly Spillane’and Murphy troughs ..all bottom fill and would like to convert to top fill

@CiaranL1808 @LadyHaywire @patquirke Tempted to stick an elephant trunk on the digger for unloading silage in the yard, I’d say nothing would touch it for speed

Deddeh has got 'taking the cap off' down to a tee 😜 And you're left with a handy plastic baggie for putting all the wraps in for recycling next year.

@LadyHaywire @patquirke If I’m feeding a pen of cows I’d either throw a full bale in front of them or lift half it off and split between 2 pens, 3 prong bale spike here if it’s on it’s round and you catch it in the middle it usually splits perfect once the bales are chopped.

@Damo810 @patquirke Always a fork here as they're chopped rather fine so usually have to rope it tight or it'd fall assunder in a day. Bit of exercise no harm either!

@patquirke @LadyHaywire I do cut the ends off all I’m going feeding at the stack flick them over at the passage flick the plastic off with the loader and hop down once to take the net off all of them then feed out with the loader, fastest and easiest way I’ve found!

@LadyHaywire Excellent! Here’s me always trying to work out best way to open bales. That is special!

@bryanjdaniels How reliable are them switches? Do they ever fail?

My mind can be busy so leave the key for the gator at the fence switch so I don't forget to turn back on the power🤯

@LiamdePaor Drained disced and sowed with a hi density grass mix, run it like a dairy platform after that and the rushes have no chance to compete.

How did you get rid of the rushes Damien

5 years ago both these fields were under rushes moss and scrub, today both are bursting grass and there’s x5 the no number of stock on them as there was the entire farm back then, a 1/4 of what’s there today. The kick off it can’t be put into words #Progress #Passion #Farming

@johnmpringle1 Seen that looks the job may get it ordered up, exactly what I’m after 👌

@Damo810 Or along similar grounds ?

Any grass/white clover mix recommendations for extremely hilly ground that won’t be getting any fert? Don’t need big production/quality, persistence and ground cover more important

@bryanjdaniels I’d say most of the new varieties would die a quick death on ‘virgin ground’. Will go with clover and Timothy and maybe some fescues. When I say hilly, I mean a struggle to walk up it let alone have a tractor near it!

@Damo810 Don't over think it. Go with any good grazing mix. They all work up here. Chieftain white clover is what we have been working with for the last few years

@DonOLeary6 Pastor trio on that and db plus be clover ground. That was quite clean to begin with tbf, bit of red shank was dying straight away the next morning, some charlock and red dead nettle. Few docks in one section but nothing major.

@Damo810 What spray did u use I have 6 acres to do. Wondering what's the best

The “bog” getting its post emergence spray, 5 acres becoming productive for the first time in 60 years, other side done 5 years and it’s always just bursting grass.

@johnmpringle1 At a guess I’d say they would move better through the curved and less likely to back up too, I remember hearing cattle prefer to move in circles rather than straight lines.

Thinking about upgrading my cattle handling system, question is there any difference in cattle flow between a straight race or curved as shown in picture, or is the fact the sides are sheeted which works ? Any suggestions greatly appreciated too please

@odonovandenism There was nothing else in the field at that stage we were in a drought!!!

@Damo810 Best advice i got was to spray when the seedlings docks are the size of a €2 coin… which is small!!

Grass and clover mix fairly starting to come but some amount of weeds, how long after emergence are ye going with post emergence and what should follow up be? Got 10-10-20 at sowing.

@DarraghScott Have it got but was unsure about timing, didn’t want to go too early and end up killing the clover. Would you top up the fert too?

@Damo810 Db plus available, go in 10 days.

@Cavanbrian @AidanAidanmc Zero and none in neighbouring fields

@Damo810 @AidanAidanmc Was it bad with them before ?

@DarraghScott Pretty much all thistles no docks

@Damo810 No hardy weeds like docks though?