What to do when the cows are gone

Jdunn55 · Mar 3, 2024

dinderleat said:
Have you looked at taking your best cows with you to another farm as a herdsman possibly

I can't see anyone wanting me tbh. I hardly have a set of credentials that set me out as a half decent herdsman

All I'd have on my cv is that I milked my own cows for 3 years and was forced to sell them because I failed. I wouldn't hire me. All I could think is what if I failed their cows as well as mine.

Jdunn55 · Mar 3, 2024

Beef farmer said:
How much longer have you got on your tenancy?

Officially 7 yesrs but 2 years before the break clause. My landlord died recently though and my other landlord (his wife) I don't think is very well. They've been lovely and I'm really grateful to them for giving me the opportunity.

Old apprentice · Mar 3, 2024

Stick with the cows don't give up just because you have had problems work through until you have settled things down doing things on a whim is never a good idea you will come out the other side stronger if you persevere at the moment then if you don't want to milk cows then you may be in a position to know what the next position you want to do.

Jdunn55 · Mar 3, 2024

Beef farmer said:
If you sell up, you won't have a few k to your name?
Seeing the world, means get on a plane, and work and travel. See the world better by working than just travelling around.
My time in the outback is a very fond memory, and one that I would recommend to anyone. You'll certainly see a different view to any tourist!

I'd probably break even at best or more realistically have 50k to pay off over 10 years

Plus my partners son, work etc, we can't just up and go unfortunately.

Jdunn55 · Mar 3, 2024

Rich_ard said:
Who is everyone around you? Are they stakeholders or investors? Why listen to them if you're happy doing what your doing?

Family. I can't do it without them. Dad's partner and wants me out, mum agrees with him.
My partner has had enough of this.
Consultant (free charity) thinks I need to wind down too.

Macsky · Mar 3, 2024

Become a plumber. Spend a couple of years learning the trade and then into to solid work, a few more and your own business and make a bit of money at it. I wouldn’t recommend further education unless you have something in mind to work towards. The quality of education seems pretty low these days so you could end up wasting time and money studying in a road to nowhere.

Beef farmer · Mar 3, 2024

Jdunn55 said:
Officially 7 yesrs but 2 years before the break clause. My landlord died recently though and my other landlord (his wife) I don't think is very well. They've been lovely and I'm really grateful to them for giving me the opportunity.

You could milk for the next 7 years with a different outlook. You've taken on too much to quickly. Cut all the dead wood out, and just milk cows and sell calves at Truro at 10 days old. Once you've caught your breath, look at your hobby again.

Rich_ard · Mar 3, 2024

Jdunn55 said:
Family. I can't do it without them. Dad's partner and wants me out, mum agrees with him.
My partner has had enough of this.
Consultant (free charity) thinks I need to wind down too.

Oh not good. If you can't do it without them then you will have to listen to them aswell I suppose.

Jdunn55 · Mar 3, 2024

Beef farmer said:
You could milk for the next 7 years with a different outlook. You've taken on too much to quickly. Cut all the dead wood out, and just milk cows and sell calves at Truro at 10 days old. Once you've caught your breath, look at your hobby again.

There's more to it than that. The farm is falling down, the landlords land agent agrees, it needs significant investment, probably quarter of a million and there's just no way that kind of money is going to be spent.

Slurry pit is no longer big enough due to dirty water having to go in it, silage clamp isn't safo compliant and floods like a lake. Previous tenant now wants a shed back that I thought was mine to use. Both cubicle sheds are falling down and have been condemned by red tractor - not something that can be fixed with a slap of cement one needs major repairs and the other needs knocking down. My storage/youngstock shed has had a spring pop up in the back of it and is flooded and rotted all the posts on the shed out (I've warned them about this numerous times) rendering it unusable.
Etc, I'm grateful for the opportunity but the farm isn't fit for purpose anymore.

pappuller · Mar 3, 2024

Beef farmer said:
You could milk for the next 7 years with a different outlook. You've taken on too much to quickly. Cut all the dead wood out, and just milk cows and sell calves at Truro at 10 days old. Once you've caught your breath, look at your hobby again.

as beefy says could you not cash your high value stock and replace with older milky commercial cows to fill the tank and breed to beef and sell calves at 2-3 weeks old max the asset and keep it simple, or do you feel you have passed the point of no return ? whatever you choose there are always opportunities within our industry for keen young people with knowledge and i would consider you to have both attributes

Beef farmer · Mar 3, 2024

Jdunn55 said:
There's more to it than that. The farm is falling down, the landlords land agent agrees, it needs significant investment, probably quarter of a million and there's just no way that kind of money is going to be spent.

Slurry pit is no longer big enough due to dirty water having to go in it, silage clamp isn't safo compliant and floods like a lake. Previous tenant now wants a shed back that I thought was mine to use. Both cubicle sheds are falling down and have been condemned by red tractor - not something that can be fixed with a slap of cement one needs major repairs and the other needs knocking down. My storage/youngstock shed has had a spring pop up in the back of it and is flooded and rotted all the posts on the shed out (I've warned them about this numerous times) rendering it unusable.
Etc, I'm grateful for the opportunity but the farm isn't fit for purpose anymore.

I mean, it could work still. Loose house some spring calving cows, feed bales and keep out for most of the year, your farm suits that. But if you have made your mind up to be rid of cows then that's fine.

egbert · Mar 3, 2024

Jdunn55 said:
Firstly, sorry I keep disappearing on here without replying, particularly to those who have sent messages, I do appreciate it, Im just not up to speaking to anyone at the moment, I will get back to you at some point but it may take a while, sorry

Anyway, everyone around me is pushing for me to sell the cows, and I'm too tired to fight anymore. I don't want to sell my cows but I've can't carry on as I am and I can't see anything changing

Everyone keeps promising there's some sort of amazing light at the end of the tunnel once they're sold, and they keep saying I can do whatever I want afterwards

But what do I want? I can't work it out, I've never thought about doing anything except having my own herd, I've never wanted anything else in fact.
So what do I do when they're gone?

I have no money to my name and don't have any a-levels just 9 gcse's including English and maths plus A*'s in chemistry biology and geography
But that's all sort of irrelevant if I don't know what I want

I'm pretty sure that once they're gone I don't want to do anything farming related but how do you figure out what you want to do? I'm 23 now so have missed the a-level boat and therefore university etc so as far as I can see it I'm back to minimum wage stacking shelves in tesco type jobs? I can't see how that's a light at the end of the tunnel as everyone is suggesting

Any ideas?

you haven't missed anything...far from it.
pm sent

Cowlife · Mar 3, 2024

I can't answer the bit about quitting or not as that's your call.
The life after cows part I can answer-of course there is.
If you sell I'd suggest a hol or travel to get your head together.
Regarding jobs I see genus always looking for techs.
The money is OK and the hour's will be nothing compared to what you already doing. Couple of years at that will let you reevaluate.
I do know your workload was mental and unsustainable. There may be other opportunities in the future but you have to get there.
We sold the cows when I was 40. Feel free to pm me

dinderleat · Mar 3, 2024

Jdunn55 said:
I can't see anyone wanting me tbh. I hardly have a set of credentials that set me out as a half decent herdsman

All I'd have on my cv is that I milked my own cows for 3 years and was forced to sell them because I failed. I wouldn't hire me. All I could think is what if I failed their cows as well as mine.

you don’t owe anyone a litre of milk !!
You’re more than employable and capable of milking cows you don’t have to be a herd manager just put on cups and let someone else deal with the stress.
I just think you’ve had a few situations go against you and like any business sometimes it doesn’t work out.

Nearly · Mar 3, 2024

If you have a rethink now then you are ahead of the crowd.
There are hundreds of herd owners looking for quality, dedicated staff but it's not the same as milking your own.
It's a lot better than not working with cattle at all.
We've given up milking a few times with 2 species.
Had enough now but they've stopped sending the cheque.

Ducati899 · Mar 3, 2024

Jdunn55 said:
I can't see anyone wanting me tbh. I hardly have a set of credentials that set me out as a half decent herdsman

All I'd have on my cv is that I milked my own cows for 3 years and was forced to sell them because I failed. I wouldn't hire me. All I could think is what if I failed their cows as well as mine.

if you were in Dorset then I wouldn’t hesitate in having you milk our cows,don’t for one minute think that you would be unemployable

Grassman247 · Mar 3, 2024

Beef farmer said:
I mean, it could work still. Loose house some spring calving cows, feed bales and keep out for most of the year, your farm suits that. But if you have made your mind up to be rid of cows then that's fine.

He’s not going to listen to sensible info like that beefy.

when I started my tenancy I bought £700 leftovers from someone else’s herd and milked the place as hard as we could, most stuff was falling down and we had one field with water and fencing. I didn’t go and buy the best of the best Holsteins that cost a fortune. Time and time again people have given advice and he’s not listened. Yes I get he enjoys the pedigree thing but unless your on a Tesco contract and have been handed a farm then it isn’t very profitable for a startup. Should have listened to those who gave advice at the start and bought a couple of pedigree cows to hobby with while milking the place as hard as possible to get yourself on the ladder.

I’d say selling the cows is probably best before debts get any bigger.

At least your doing the decent thing of paying stuff off, many others don’t bother

Headless chicken · Mar 3, 2024

Jdunn55 said:
I can't see anyone wanting me tbh. I hardly have a set of credentials that set me out as a half decent herdsman

All I'd have on my cv is that I milked my own cows for 3 years and was forced to sell them because I failed. I wouldn't hire me. All I could think is what if I failed their cows as well as mine.

As a reasonable guide if you post and engage on here ( which you do regularly) then your by and large in the top 25% of farmers. You’ll continue to be a large asset to any farm you’ve just been hit back down with that shitty end of the stick that you start to question your ability to get back up.

I would add you need to find a farm that will rebuild you. Find the wrong one and you’ll be a wreck

Dead Rabbits · Mar 3, 2024

Just consider how exhausted and stressed you are. Any decision you make would be very clouded and may not be right once you have had a couple weeks rest anyhow.

My family sold their cows when I was 16. Even though I was young I was extremely emotionally invested in them. It was very hard to get through, and I contend that some family members still haven’t got over it to this day. It was their life’s work and they weren’t keen to start anything new. It was also the right decision at the time and for several of the same reasons as you. I can’t imagine how stunted my life experiences would have been if I stayed there.

Were I yourself I’d not be looking to get a “job”. Do some day work for cash and just have a think about everything till you can clear your mind of much of the negative fog that envelops everything. Then maybe you can make some decisions.

At 23 you’ve started and run a business in arguably a very difficult industry. Forget any insecurities about a cv, education levels and all that bulls**t. You have had more education than any school could ever provide. Take this skills and have another go at something. A job working for someone will never compare and I doubt you would get much satisfaction from it.

Selling isn’t failure, most businesses fail, it’s a learning experience. Very few people will do what you have done in their entire life, don’t let it keep you down.

Beef farmer · Mar 3, 2024

Headless chicken said:
As a reasonable guide if you post and engage on here ( which you do regularly) then your by and large in the top 25% of farmers. You’ll continue to be a large asset to any farm you’ve just been hit back down with that shitty end of the stick that you start to question your ability to get back up.

I would add you need to find a farm that will rebuild you. Find the wrong one and you’ll be a wreck

I'm not sure there is a correlation between posting on here and making money.
There is some excellent advice on here, as with some carp advice too.

What to do when the cows are gone

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100% I’ve had enough of farming!

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