All things Dairy

som farmer · Jul 15, 2021

Jdunn55 said:
How can you say whether my business is profitable without knowing anything about my business other than I have suckler cows and dairy cows?

I'm not saying the sucklers are making £800 profit, I'm saying they're profitable, I'm not going to put up my gross margins, net profit, etc on here for the world to see but they're profitable enough that I can justify keeping them from a financial point of view, which makes me happy

Due to loans, ingoings, start up costs etc the dairy cows probably won't be profitable until the third year, so having 50-60 suckler that are profitable NOW helps to pay for the dairy cows until they are profitable, if I could persuade dad to sell the sucklers a large portion of the dairy cows debt could be paid off and therefore they would probably be profitable from next year, but of course the side effect of that is i would be miserable for the months surrounding the sale. I've costed this all out in the past and would rather keep them and have to wait an extra year to be profitable than sell them now and spend the next 12 months crying at the thought of them.

I know I come across as completely inept, stupid and incapable on here (partly because I'm quite happy to share my mistakes and ask for advice on how to prevent new ones or remedy ones I have made whereas a certain proportion on here seem to be perfect) but there is a brain cell or two in my head, one is usually thinking about Bertha and where the other is is sometimes a mystery but they are there somewhere

not inept, stupid, and incapable, if you were, you wouldn't be renting a farm by yourself, just young, we all had dreams at a young age, other than women, about how we would like to farm, how we ended up farming, is slightly different. For me, it would be easiest workload, for most profit, and concentrate on that, to many pies end up with something not done properly. The other side of the coin, is do what you want to, while you are still young to enjoy it, and if the sh1t hits the fan, you have a nice little nest egg, in those sucklers, to bale you out !

frederick · Jul 15, 2021

Even at 3-4% interest debt is not going to have much impact on profit.
Debt repayment will impact cashflow

Bald Rick · Jul 15, 2021

buffalo_soldier said:
How on earth did you put the pallet on the truck upside down .

See @Jdunn55 even baldy gets stick

That's why I'm a moderator ........... on both counts

Spudley · Jul 15, 2021

pappuller said:
We have a Derek and a Marvin

We have a Norman. Actually she's f***ing Norman.

Cowmansam · Jul 15, 2021

I got a stormin Norman as she proper marches about everywhere doesn’t do anything relaxed even eats like she’s angry at it

frederick · Jul 15, 2021

[QUOTE="Jdunn55, post: 7657673, m

Due to loans, ingoings, start up costs etc the dairy cows probably won't be profitable until the third year, so having 50-60 suckler that are profitable NOW helps to pay for the dairy cows until they are profitable,

This is the bit that concerns me. Loans and ingoings have no real affect on your profitability. They may require cashflow to repay but that repayment is profit and when you finish you will own whatever you borrowed for and someone will pay your outgoings.

I have no concern about your farming ability but I am slightly concerned about your true understanding of your finances.

I can understand not wanting to share your profit but I made just over 800 a cow profit last year after paying 96 a cow rent and 120 a cow interest.

A suckler cow will cost 365 to feed the first year calf 150 and the second year calf 365. You might be able to argue that the cull price of the cow will allow you to keep a heifer to replace her. Sell at 2 years 1200 and your left with 290.
I think my 1 pound a day running costs are on the cheap side and wouldn't pay much rent labour and machinery costs.
However if you conveniently forget a rental equivalent throw labour in for nothing add the sfp to the profit well your sucklers may look ok but if you compare both with proper costs and your sucklers are more profitable please get out of cows quick because you are going to dig yourself one big hole but at least you will have enjoyed doing it.

Beef farmer · Jul 15, 2021

The day sucklers make more than getting up at 5am and being siht on will be the last day for the dairy industry.
Sucklers struggle to pay a rent and the loss of sfp will prove such a point in about 4 years

Sid · Jul 15, 2021

Jdunn55 said:
I'll clarify, the sucklers are profitable (currently more profitable than the dairy cows but that will change eventually) and therefore are kept, they also help the overall business's cash flow, they also are not mine to sell, I also like them and really enjoy them and it's nice to have a change from the milking parlour and black and whites

Bertha is kept for 2 reasons, I love her being the main one, the second being it pisses everyone on here off which also makes me smile as sometimes everyone on here is very black and white about whether something is right or wrong whereas I like to think theres a lot of grey area inbetweeners black and white

Profit is obviously needed but i often remind myself that when i die i cant take it with me so may as well enjoy what i do whilst i can, and if that means spending £500 a year to keep an extra passenger instead of blowing £100 in the pub every week then I'm quite happy

You have increased the capital value of the cow, the calf is the salable income.

Bit like saying you contracting business made 60k because you sold the tractor.

Enterprise Profit and loss is different to total profit and loss.
The fact is the business can lose money but increase its net asset value.

Cows 'n grass · Jul 15, 2021

With 4in rain in the past fortnight and now some pleasant heat the countryside is an amazing colour.

Cows 'n grass · Jul 15, 2021

Deep bodies or short legs?

Sid · Jul 15, 2021

Cows 'n grass said:
With 4in rain in the past fortnight and now some pleasant heat the countryside is an amazing colour.
View attachment 973952 View attachment 973953 View attachment 973955

Make the most of the one in year 20 greeness

Beef farmer · Jul 15, 2021

Forecast is showing rain end of next week. That would be grand!

DairyGrazing · Jul 15, 2021

vantage said:
You’ll need to mow it every day, reminiscent of the grass lawns in Orlando, cut every morning before any holiday makers had woken!

It's 8 inches high by the time the rest of the lawn has woken up. Not helped by the fact I used soil from under a muck heap to build the levels up.

Cows 'n grass said:
Deep bodies or short legs?
View attachment 973956

Have you been using American genetics?

Cows 'n grass · Jul 15, 2021

DairyGrazing said:
Have you been using American genetics?

Plenty over the years. Those two are 11 and 13 and I wouldn't have a clue who their sired by.

lazy farmer · Jul 15, 2021

We grew 90 in the week upto yesterday. What do people growth will do in the coming week? Plenty of moisture but very hot.

Jdunn55 · Jul 15, 2021

lazy farmer said:
We grew 90 in the week upto yesterday. What do people growth will do in the coming week? Plenty of moisture but very hot.

Bit too hot imo, nice for making hay but grass prefers 15 degrees to 20 in my limited experience

Slowcow · Jul 15, 2021

lazy farmer said:
We grew 90 in the week upto yesterday. What do people growth will do in the coming week? Plenty of moisture but very hot.

I was wondering that, had a few paddocks over 100 for the week to Tuesday, never seen our place grow like it, normally by the time we get the heat the place is dust!

pappuller · Jul 15, 2021

lazy farmer said:
We grew 90 in the week upto yesterday. What do people growth will do in the coming week? Plenty of moisture but very hot.

Weve started 3rd cut, looks more like a good crop of hay judging by the amount of seed heads about. 2 weeks of dry weather after 2nd cut has left the grass stressed and running to seed quickly.weather then dictated we couldn't cut at 30 days.

som farmer · Jul 15, 2021

Slowcow said:
I was wondering that, had a few paddocks over 100 for the week to Tuesday, never seen our place grow like it, normally by the time we get the heat the place is dust!

ditto, huge growth for us, this time of year we usually start worrying, normally, we have forage rape to graze now, but all the leys wintered well, so took a chance, and didn't grow any. 1 field of 3rd cut, is already 8ins high, and it looks like we will have to cut the grazing area back, that is nearly unheard of here, it's just making up for the last 3 crap summers, what ever the reason, it's very very welcome

Martyn · Jul 15, 2021

Beef farmer said:
Forecast is showing rain end of next week. That would be grand!

Looking dry to 28th here, I hope so will get crimp done befor holiday, and I have grass everywhere!

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