Question

[pete darbyshire]

this swarm needed a brood and 1/2

 

[Markthebuilder]

The majority of them I should think - apart from maybe milkers on these horrid american style milk factories that are cropping up everywhere

A good 3 year old bull might manage 30 ladies so many if not most farms in uk will go Ai and only use bulls to catch the ones the ai man missed. You would be surprised how many uk beef and milk producers are starting to look like factories… with robotic milkers/ feeders that deliver the exact amount of food as a ratio of milk given and even automatic muck shovels . …

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

A good 3 year old bull might manage 30 ladies so many if not most farms in uk will go Ai and only use bulls to catch the ones the ai man missed. You would be surprised how many uk beef and milk producers are starting to look like factories… with robotic milkers/ feeders that deliver the exact amount of food as a ratio of milk given and even automatic muck shovels . …

I know quite a few beef farmers in my area (related to many) and they still use the real thing. Only time you see AI is if they're also show breeders and might bring the odd vial in to cross with a chosen dam.

 

[Wilco]

A good 3 year old bull might manage 30 ladies so many if not most farms in uk will go Ai and only use bulls to catch the ones the ai man missed. You would be surprised how many uk beef and milk producers are starting to look like factories… with robotic milkers/ feeders that deliver the exact amount of food as a ratio of milk given and even automatic muck shovels . …

It may not have been intended this way but some of the posts appear to be getting a little anti towards some farming. As beekeepers we are also keeping animals in an unnatural setting so I'd suggest it's incumbent on us not to be too quick to talk negatively about other producers.

There are reasons for much of modern farming, largely due to the public wanting cheap food and the supermarkets and processors creaming off as much profit as they can. This creates a drive for intensification in as much as it's been argued that more intensive systems are more efficient. However, cramming more animals together causes increased health, welfare and ethical issues which the keeper has a responsibility to deal with.

More animals together means muck in a smaller area. Automatic muck shovels mean muck is cleaned away frequently which helps reduce lameness and mastitis.

AI is used as it can improve genetics significantly faster and cheaper than repeatedly changing bulls. AI also means you can use sexed semen which means fewer male dairy calves being killed at a young age which is both more efficient and arguably more ethical.

It's better to feed each individual cow appropriately for the amount of energy they're expending in milk production rather than treating the whole herd as one and having some losing weight as they're not getting enough feed and you're not wasting it on others. Given the pittance farmers get from the processors/retailers can you blame them?

Robotic milkers are slightly different than the others as I'd recommend every dairy unit consider having them even if done extensively. As the cow decides when she needs milking they are significantly better for welfare than milking two or three times a day- think how often a calf would feed if left at foot. Given how much more milk modern dairy cattle produce, think of the pressure build up in the udder using twice or thrice daily milking. Ask any breast feeding human how painful it is if their baby misses a feed...

I don't much like it, but looking like a factory doesn't necessarily make it bad. Solutions include finding a good local producer and paying a fair price for food.

Apologies if rant is inappropriate!

 

[Markthebuilder]

It may not have been intended this way but some of the posts appear to be getting a little anti towards some farming. As beekeepers we are also keeping animals in an unnatural setting so I'd suggest it's incumbent on us not to be too quick to talk negatively about other producers.

There are reasons for much of modern farming, largely due to the public wanting cheap food and the supermarkets and processors creaming off as much profit as they can. This creates a drive for intensification in as much as it's been argued that more intensive systems are more efficient. However, cramming more animals together causes increased health, welfare and ethical issues which the keeper has a responsibility to deal with.

More animals together means muck in a smaller area. Automatic muck shovels mean muck is cleaned away frequently which helps reduce lameness and mastitis.

AI is used as it can improve genetics significantly faster and cheaper than repeatedly changing bulls. AI also means you can use sexed semen which means fewer male dairy calves being killed at a young age which is both more efficient and arguably more ethical.

It's better to feed each individual cow appropriately for the amount of energy they're expending in milk production rather than treating the whole herd as one and having some losing weight as they're not getting enough feed and you're not wasting it on others. Given the pittance farmers get from the processors/retailers can you blame them?

Robotic milkers are slightly different than the others as I'd recommend every dairy unit consider having them even if done extensively. As the cow decides when she needs milking they are significantly better for welfare than milking two or three times a day- think how often a calf would feed if left at foot. Given how much more milk modern dairy cattle produce, think of the pressure build up in the udder using twice or thrice daily milking. Ask any breast feeding human how painful it is if their baby misses a feed...

I don't much like it, but looking like a factory doesn't necessarily make it bad. Solutions include finding a good local producer and paying a fair price for food.

Apologies if rant is inappropriate!

No apology needed farms of all sizes need our support. The large units I have seen are fantastic places and stock…well cared for. My comment was intended as an observation .I should have framed it better.

 

[Wilco]

No apology needed farms of all sizes need our support. The large units I have seen are fantastic places and stock…well cared for. My comment was intended as an observation .I should have framed it better.

This forum is so much more civilised than the rest of the Internet! Apologies for misunderstanding your comment.

 

[Do224]

My bee barometer (observation hive) has drawn and filled two more frames this week, so definitely a nectar flow from the lime.
Still no drones though.View attachment 27312

Your observation hive looks really interesting...is it homemade?

If you ever feel like writing a detailed post/starting a thread about it, I for one would be interested to hear more!

 

[pete darbyshire]

yep, homemade.
Im toying with the idea of putting a colony into an acrylic dome, so that I can watch them build natural comb. It will need hiving for winter though and I need to work out how to do that!!