What recession, caravan parks don't want our money

We had the same problem with couriers in N.S.W. Sending a large package back home to Vic. 3 could not help cause they don't do cash. I offered to drive in and hand them cash over the counter. We don't bother with cash was the reply only accounts. No wonder the countries going broke lol.

Josh

can't you get powder there? there are about 270 dairyfarmers over there, some of which would use powder to feed calves. this would be fine for lanbs wouldn't it? find out where the dairy guys get it over there....

MC

Hi Madcowz

The stuff they sell is milk substitute - it depends on what they put in it whether it is like a milk powder, or some other yukky stuff. It must be only when milk is cheap that they make a mainly milk powder for calves, which is also good for lambs. Last time we purchased what ever brand they had at our rural supplier and it was some un-milk like blue muck and the lambs died - i threw out a whole bag which had cost $80 odd. Since then we have used Black & Gold Brand milk powder which used to work out about the same as buying the lamb milk from the rural suppliers, which was really the same as the calf powder anyway. The lambs have all done really well on it over quite some years now. Even the local vet was once heard telling someone with a bottle fed lamb "Don't buy that muck XXXX sells - buy Black and Gold milk powder from the grocery store". Prices have risen on the milk, and B&G is $9.49/kg in local grocery store, and it is now the 'instant' variety, and a kilo doesn't go as far as the non instant powder used to. Years ago the grocery store used to be able to buy in 20 kg bags of full cream milk powder from the ES, but that supply stopped. Do you bucket feed any of the calves?

Mh

Ewes milk is higher in fat (energy) than cows milk, hence the reason Lamb Milk replacer is more expensive. Full cream milk is also devoid of quite a few minerals, especially Iron and has substantially lower Vitamin content the Milk replacers you buy.
If you are going to use hood whole milk, then get them onto good quality lamb/ sheep pellets ASAP as they along with pasture will supply what is missing in the straight whole milk.

If you have succeeded so wel with straight whole milk/ Full cream milk then you obviously provide the most important ingredient in copious amounts, that is hygeine.
If lambs scour using replacement milk it may be due to poor quality milk proteins (over heated), use of poor non milk proteins and or associated diesease problems such as E coli (which love pool;y digested milk proteins) and or respiratory dieseaes.

MH,

I've got a freight account and regularly send stuff to Perth. If you need goods sent, just give me a call and I'll arrange it for you.

I just need the dimensions of load and I can let you know what the charge is, you'll only pay what I pay.

03 9706 6527

Cheers,

Jim.

G'day motherhen, I had the same problem the other day after ringing around to get a radiator picked up from Sydney to SE Qld, finally rang TNT Couriers, took credit card over phone - arrived here the next day!! Other couriers were quoting around $195, TNT did it for $62!, all pleasant on the phone & at delivery, I cannot speak more highly of TNT. Local call 13 11 50, but they will only pick up from a business address, hope that helps, see ya, aussiedingo

Hi MT, my son sent his surfboard from Perth to NSW. He packaged it up securely, went to the courier, and the girl there sent him home to pack it better, then sent it to my business address. He went through a 'middle man' company called Pack n Send, who obviously have accounts with the major companies, as the package arrived at my workshop in a TNT truck. I just had a look at their website (googled pack n send), seems they have depots all over the country, maybe this would solve your transport problems for the lambs milk powder. 'Whacker

usual disclaimer, no affiliation etc

Hi guys,
Yes I suggested calf milk replacer, We used it a few years ago in our system, we also tried adding it to whole milk so as to lift fat and protein above normal. results were ok but we have gone back to whole milk for ease of use. we rear about 230 calves each year and have tried nearly everything.
The replacer we used was "Topcalf" which is a Landmark brand. I have heard Venavite is also good but dearer.
You can always get over low components by adding more.

I agree with mark that you should have meal and roughage available early on so as to make the transition to being a full ruminant as early as possible.

also MH, we use teat feeders instead of straight out of buckets. there are physiological advantages for doing this with calves, not sure about lambs....

Personally I try to avoid the calf shed and leave it to those who do it best!!!!

MC

With apologies to Josh for the hijack.Well Josh - you will now know how to rear lambs to eat all that grass they don't want you to camp on!

Thanks guys. Thanks Jim for the offer. I will let you know. I am trying to get dimensions from the vendor, but he is hard to get hold of.

Yes MC, we also choose teats (the ones that suck the milk out of buckets) for calves. With the lambs, i use baby bottles. I haven't heard of Topcalf, but Veanavite has had good and bad years.

Mark, we provide the most important ingredient of all - Love! I make the milk 125% once lamb is feeding well, and have gone as high as 150% with kids.

Mh

Hi Motherhen,
Not a problem at all. I grew up on the farm and know the fun of raising calfs and the odd lamb. Hope you can solve you problem. Amazing how many people on this site are so willing to jump in and help. It is an amzing the guys have here.

Josh

Mutha, as a kid, Madcowz was pretty keen to try to get breakfast, but we never did get a picture of him going for the calf teat. He would disappear to the neighbour for chop and egg. Glad he didn't get weaned onto the bottle of red.

The weaning onto the red came much later!!!!!

The weaning onto the red came much later!!!!!

Jim from Best Off Road (as it seems i cannot MM you): Thanks for your offer re the Courier account, but - - - When the batch of milk powder came in, it was 25% chocolate - may be yummy, but might not be the best for lambs. Still looking for other options.

With thanks

Mh

MH,

Bus Members do not have MM facility.

If you need to freight in the future, call me, happy to help.

Cheers,

Jim.

A lot of parks we have been to the slabs are raised any way to keep water off for the annexe so don't work well for trailers but most parks will accommodate you some where. When we had car trouble in Coffs, each night at about 4 o'clock when we found out the car wasn't ready we would go and book in for a couple more days. They didn't care, it was money in the till. It rained most the time and when we left there was a track from our trailer to the trampoline and the toilet block. They were just happy for the business.

Josh

I'm not sure, it looks private owned.

Ha Ha, it was my wife who rang them, so what are you saying about my wife lol. Should have booked for one night, then another, then another, then another, then another, you get the picture. The only place my mum wants to book me into has padded walls lol.

Josh

Josh , they would probably ask you to move camp sites every day if you done that , after all - they just got there Grass looking nice ... LMAO ( i never heard that before - bwhahahahaha )

All they need now is someone with MTR's on there truck to come do circle work on there lawn , problem solved .....

Boc

Ozboc,
Maybe they saw my profile and thats what worried them ha ha ha

Very true, as we travel we see some towns really hurting and others don't even seem to know there is a problem yet.

Josh

Thanks Kev,
Waiting to hear back from them. Should be there early afternoon if I can finish work quickly, catch you then.

Josh

If you use mesh underneath the tent it does little damage to the grass. If the grass is in good condition over a week there is usually little evidence that we have been there. If it is in poor condition then yes it can brown off a bit. If it was in the busy season then the room issue I would understand but no park around here is half full yet. A large caravan and annexe or 5 wheeler takes up just as much room only difference is they get to charge you more for it. I also find the price difference between parks interesting. Non power sites have ranged from $16 a night to $45 a night and powered from $22 a night to $60 a night. These are all caravan parks not camp grounds/national parks. That's a really big difference and usually in the dearer ones the only difference is you have less room as they pack you in. We prefer to bush camp usually but I need to but in town for work. We travelled from bermagui N.S.W. across to Adelaide using free camps so makes travelling cheap. Tassie cost average about $3.75 a night for 3 months so bush camping is defiantly preferred.

Josh

Josh
We travelled for three months of the year every year for about 15 straight with the kids, not necessarily all in one go every year but pretty consistently with the camper all over Oz.
Personally I think a lot of caravan parks are having a lend of travellers especially overnighters who usually pull in around 4 -4.30 and are gone early the next morning. When travelling with three kids they were asking up to $40 a night for an unpowered site, in winter (when most of the travelling is done) we would only shower every 2 or 3 days so the impost on facilities was minimal.
When a motel can be had for $20 more it is very tempting.
We never stay in cities or in popular coastal places as we can't stand crowds and bush camp as much as possible.
I realise that van parks have overheads to cover and in lots of places it is very seasonal but they are pricing themselves out of the market for families on the road, hence the increasing use of free camping sites especially when most are on fixed or minimal incomes and every dollar counts.
Your average retiree is unable to go back to work and generate additional income to cover excesses of holidays.

It's funny how they want your tourism but not actually do anything for it. The number of visitor centres that don't have parking for cars towing or it is way down the road is amazing. Who uses visitor centres, people travelling usually with trailers/vans.

Josh

Hi Guys,

In a similar vein, when I was up there last Feb for some Barra fishing I was informed by the charter guy that I would need a Impoundment Fishing Permit (No problem with this but as I am not a regular fresh water fisher I had to buy one). We were in Malanda when the guide phoned - he said that they could be bought at any post office! No, not at Malanda - they sent me to the DPI office there but they don't sell them either (just provide enforcement!). Ended up buying one at Sarina, the tackle shop on the river. I had to have it by 5AM the next day and this was the only place I could get to.

It was pretty hard to be law abiding as well!

Kind regards