Once a day milking

S

Stinker

Member
I have been thinking about once a day milking for years but never had the balls to do it.

Reasons I think it might be a good idea:

Can't keep staff.
We can grow lots of grass.
We can graze about 300 acres but have access to 500 if we went once a day.
Already milk low yielders once a day in the autumn.


Reasons not to do it:

Currently milk holsteins and don't know if they would adapt.
Doubt I could keep cows out any more than 7 months due to a very wet farm.
Milk buyer wants winter milk for A quota for spring.

So I'm thinking I could calve late March onwards and hope they would still be milking enough until Christmas to give me some a quota for spring. Is this a crazy idea?
 
S

Stinker

Member
multi power said:
It was looking good until you mentioned, holstines, only 7 months grazing, and milk buyer wants winter milk, I'd say you should be autumn calving
Click to expand...
Farm is too wet to get out early in spring so would suit winter calving but trying to get everything pregnant at turnout wouldn't be fun. Plus I hate winter
 
Beef farmer

Beef farmer

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
North cornish coast. It's always windy here
Stinker said:
Farm is too wet to get out early in spring so would suit winter calving but trying to get everything pregnant at turnout wouldn't be fun. Plus I hate winter
Click to expand...
If you hate winter, spend it in a shed milking, then go oad in april, dry off July. Calve September. Have them back in calve and out by March, and enjoy the summer
 
onesiedale

onesiedale

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Derbyshire
OAD can work. 300 acres is a good platform to work off.
Your cows will ideally need to be small crossbreds/grazing type. Spring block calving as milk from grazed grass is the key.
Your milk contract needs to reward you for solids.
Biggest change though will be in your mindset. Be positive, ask questions, see other operators and you'll see it can work in the right situations
 
S

Stinker

Member
Beef farmer said:
If you hate winter, spend it in a shed milking, then go oad in april, dry off July. Calve September. Have them back in calve and out by March, and enjoy the summer
Click to expand...
This is closest to what I already do and it is my plan B but I would need plenty of labour to milk through winter and then they would have nothing to do come spring. Plus I struggle to make good enough silage with the crappy weather. My farm grows grass well in the summer when cows would be dry.
 
S

Stinker

Member
onesiedale said:
OAD can work. 300 acres is a good platform to work off.
Your cows will ideally need to be small crossbreds/grazing type. Spring block calving as milk from grazed grass is the key.
Your milk contract needs to reward you for solids.
Biggest change though will be in your mindset. Be positive, ask questions, see other operators and you'll see it can work in the right situations
Click to expand...

From what I have read it would seem jerseys are best but my rotary parlour and cubicles would suit a 550-650kg cow.
 
C

coomoo

Member
Sell a load of your fresh cows into Tb farms and replace with some grazing type then your off. It certainly sounds a good idea
 
Blue.

Blue.

Member
Livestock Farmer
I not sure you could do it,moving from one of the best herds in the country to grazing rabbits,I know I couldn't do it.
 

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