400 cow + herds what parlours and how many staff members.

[unlacedgecko]

I think you could make a decent profit with that many cows, can’t see why 100k isn’t achievable in a good milk price year and that would be paying yourself 30k, need to have the right stocking rate for the amount of land you have though, stocking at the correct rate seems to be key to a block calving system.

You’d only run 1 tractor and a quad bike though, nothing fancy

According to Graise consult on Facebook he has clients doing £1k a year profit per cow on a low input block calved system.

 

[Beef farmer]

According to Graise consult on Facebook he has clients doing £1k a year profit per cow on a low input block calved system.

No doubt he will. But to get their, youve been breeding for years the correct cow. Be top 10% stuff

 

[DairyGrazing]

According to Graise consult on Facebook he has clients doing £1k a year profit per cow on a low input block calved system.

Is that after tax, capital, interest, drawings, finance and drawings?

 

[DairyGrazing]

Will these 2 men systems be rearing their own stock?

 

[unlacedgecko]

No doubt he will. But to get their, youve been breeding for years the correct cow. Be top 10% stuff

500kg cow giving 500kg ms off 500kg cake.

 

[holywell farmer]

So I spoke to a friend in America and he said if I want to milk 200+ cows an hour I need 18 a side fast exit with two men in it!!!! How they get those kind of outputs is beyond me!

I've been to see a 26 aside double up and a 20 a side double up. Both were fast exit and they were only milking 120 ish an hour on a good day.

So something like that without the butt pan would get over 200+ cows especially with ADF.

Paying for the capital on a rotary isn't really an issue but the having 40k service bills 6 years in would be a nightmare.

I've heard some real horror stories lately. Even the service engineers have said don't go near a rotary because they are going out to them so often.

That's high tech, be able to lift the floor up !

 

[vantage]

500kg cow giving 500kg ms off 500kg cake.

Ok!

 

[unlacedgecko]

Ok!

On mobile so signal error lead to multiple posts. Now deleted.

 

[multi power]

I get both sides of the argument but one thing I don't know the answer to is this. We milk 180 cows on a reasonably high input/output system and turn a tidy profit most years but the block calving systems are perceived by some to be the holy grail but a majority of times they are milking many hundreds of coos so my question is could you make a good living block calving with say 150 cows on a low input/output system or does the model rely on numbers to be successful ?
And it's not a loaded question iam genuinely interested in people's thoughts.

There are several reasons why block calving may be better, there will be an optimum time of year for cow to calve to maximize output/milk price/ minimise costs, not necessarily the same for every farm, then there is the fact you can concentrate on one thing at a time, calving, then mating, then chill out for a while.
Drying cows off, calving and checking for bulling cows all in the same week would be my idea of a nightmare

 

[Blue.]

How do you farm theses days with out borrowing

As a tenant I never borrowed,only borrowing now is my mortgage,always done all building work out of cashflow,if I can’t pay it waits.

More often

More often than not scale brings inefficiency's and greater costs once on the tread mill it’s difficult to jump off. Personally I think multiple 2 man units are the future.

I’ve said before look at the largest herds in the country on company check,they’re dire!

They can only dream of a £1000+/cow profit.

 

[pappuller]

There are several reasons why block calving may be better, there will be an optimum time of year for cow to calve to maximize output/milk price/ minimise costs, not necessarily the same for every farm, then there is the fact you can concentrate on one thing at a time, calving, then mating, then chill out for a while.
Drying cows off, calving and checking for bulling cows all in the same week would be my idea of a nightmare

I know the principles of a block system I was more interested in the requirements of scale whether it can be achieved on an smaller size herd scale

 

[unlacedgecko]

I know the principles of a block system I was more interested in the requirements of scale whether it can be achieved on an smaller size herd scale

Spring block Irish herds of 150-200 seem very profitable.

 

[Dead Rabbits]

Peter Wastenage runs multiple 2 man units.

Personally I think employees working 285 days a year is absolutely insane, regardless of how many of them there are. I'm absolutely stunned anyone does it, especially at the industry standard rates.

sh!t, just realized I work 285 days a year

 

[Dead Rabbits]

He probably looked disintrested cus he wasnt allowed an input seen it many times over the years where employees ideas are not taken on board and there not appreciated so how can they have an interest if an employee feels you appreciate them they will stay with you.Iv been on many farm where employees have been there a lifetime and its easy to c why when you get to know there bosses.its the same farmers looking for new staff each year and they wonder why they cant retain

Just keep in mind I’m an employee as well. And I was in his role 6 months ago. My point is that if the passion and drive to progress isn’t there, it can’t be taught

 

[unlacedgecko]

sh!t, just realized I work 285 days a year

You’re American though. Isn’t that a part time job over there?

 

[HasthorpeGrange]

I probably work more like 340 days I must be a complete mug

 

[multi power]

I know the principles of a block system I was more interested in the requirements of scale whether it can be achieved on an smaller size herd scale

Economy of scale is a bit of a myth

 

[unlacedgecko]

I probably work more like 340 days I must be a complete mug

As an employee or self employed business owner?

 

[HasthorpeGrange]

As an employee or self employed business owner?

employee really but self employed because I already was when I started here

 

[HasthorpeGrange]

Do about 3600 hours a year that are paid