frederick
Member
- Location
- south west
It's probably 10 years if ever away but a rotary will get conventional twice a day milking automation before a herringbone
All things Dairy
- Thread starter Cows 'n grass
- Start date
Whats the difference in price per ha between the forager and the forage wagons?I'm going for 6 cuts next year if the weather allows. 20th April or there after, every 4/5 weeks.
Forage wagons make this very affordable.
Maize will give them all the fibre they need.
lazy farmer
Member
- Location
- som/dor border
Either that was said to provoke a reaction. Or it goes to demonstrate your extreme personality profile.
Milkcow365
Member
- Location
- Sw Scotland
Same here, milk from forage has more than doubled in last 18 months overall yield is down but making more money
Forage wagons make this very affordable.
Maize will give them all the fibre they need.
jimmer
Member
- Location
- East Devon
Between £5 - £8 per tonne less in harvesting
jimmer
Member
- Location
- East Devon
But obviously distance from field to clamp is a factor
frederick
Member
- Location
- south west
Unfortunately it's the latter.
The family has decided in last 6 months taking debt beyond 2 million is unfair on the next generation so we won't be even though the business case stacks up.
Wagons averaged 11/acre last year. Pit machine was £50/hour
The "team" are £46/acre
Rake is £6 regardless of system
dinderleat
Member
- Location
- Wells
Why can’t you just invest out cash flow?
frederick
Member
- Location
- south west
Cashflow pays school fees
Baling Hay
Member
Why would you ever need to borrow to keep milking?
I never had the luxury of inheritance built a green field site for 400 in the last 13 years out of cash flow,the only debt I’ve ever had is mortgages.
lazy farmer
Member
- Location
- som/dor border
We are talking 25yrs ago !
but it was 130 cows 130 acres AYR calving high yields from forage large amount of leased quota buying in acres in the form of brewers grains.every yr felt like we were just moving the chairs round on the titanic.
since then we have gone spring calving bought and (nearly) paid for 100 acres doubled up in cows built a house educated my son and half paid for a divorce.
And always felt an underachiever.
Farmer Keith
Member
- Location
- North Cumbria
Personally think you need to be making some pile of money to justify having a million pounds worth of debt. There’s another thread on here where a herdsman’s wage is being suggested at £60k that’s where I’d be heading if I needed to borrow that kind of money to make it work let alone increasing it to 2 million. I’d far rather grow a farm slowly and not pay someone else for the pleasure.
Jdunn55
Member
- Location
- Helston, cornwall
I would agree with the exception of land
Will Blackburn
Member
- Location
- Cheshire
I'm thinking 10-15 years for useful life so we can look at the options then. Takes the existing parlour to 30 years old. We'll know more about the future for cows and milk production by then?
Farmer Keith
Member
- Location
- North Cumbria
Yeah completely, land is something that doesn’t come on the market around here though at the moment.
Will Blackburn
Member
- Location
- Cheshire
Is that a good investment if you then have to set up a business to keep them after they leave FTE.
frederick
Member
- Location
- south west
It's so important.
Both of them will know they can do anything they want to with their lives but if they choose farming it will be because they understand it can offer them the life they want.
- Location
- Northumberland
That much grass in Dec would be prone to frost / snow damage in these parts.Taken yesterday, Silage ground is motoring on
Happy new year all
Neighbours fat lambs have gone home this week. Done a cracking job pulling the surplus off without chewing it into the ground. Left a nice leaf ready to grow.
Lamb grazing cheque should be arounf £6k. Enough to buy a load of fert. ---------------- Well last year it did
