Dairy farmers help me!!
- Thread starter Bossfarmer
- Start date
Bossfarmer
Member
- Location
- between Perth and Inverness
what if you loose the contract? from what ive heard of pigs you can loose a LOT of money very fast, more so than dairy
I haven't read all of the thread so please don't shout at me if I'm repeating something that's already been said.
Why do you need to start with 200/250 cows? Could you not build a unit to milk 60/70 cows, but plan the build so that the parlour and cubicle house could be extended as you increase the herd? That way you'd get to know the job gradually and it wouldn't be too hard to get out again if you decide that milking cows isn't for you.
Maybe not as big a story to tell or a fashionable way to do things in this day and age, where it all seems to be a numbers game, but as my auld granda used to say 'better with a wee fire to heat you as a big one that burns you'
Why do you need to start with 200/250 cows? Could you not build a unit to milk 60/70 cows, but plan the build so that the parlour and cubicle house could be extended as you increase the herd? That way you'd get to know the job gradually and it wouldn't be too hard to get out again if you decide that milking cows isn't for you.
Maybe not as big a story to tell or a fashionable way to do things in this day and age, where it all seems to be a numbers game, but as my auld granda used to say 'better with a wee fire to heat you as a big one that burns you'
Bossfarmer
Member
- Location
- between Perth and Inverness
This is a fair point would 70 cows be enough to cover costs though?
supercow
Member
- Location
- Dumfriesshire
Give it a go @Bossfarmer . No regrets and all that, it's easy very high quality of life and plenty of time off I don't know why more folk don't covert to dairy, make a fortune as well. How old r u if u don't mind me asking. A young fella near me has the bright idea of converting from sheep and beef to dairy. It's such a different world, but u need to do it to realise it, I think u should batter on get a contract buy a top notch parlour and the worlds ur oyster, and make a new thread on how u get on
Stuart1
Member
I'm unsure if this is sarcasm or your being serious....[emoji85]
supercow
Member
- Location
- Dumfriesshire
Honestly think he should batter on!! If nothing else it will entertain the farming forum residents! His fag packet calculations seem spot on.
ollie989898
Member
Interesting, I have heard former dairy farmers say nearly the same thing about going out and into beef!
supercow
Member
- Location
- Dumfriesshire
Im being very sarcastic by the way!! This whole thread is absolutely mental
ollie989898
Member
Chimera
Member
- Location
- North Wales
If the job is so terribly difficult, why do you carry on?
supercow
Member
- Location
- Dumfriesshire
It's an addiction. I love it
Chimera
Member
- Location
- North Wales
Can’t be that awful then, maybe the bossman would grow an addiction to it?
Grassman247
Member
Nice to see someone looking to better themselves and move there business forward @Bossfarmer. Ignore these idiots taking the pee, there dairy farms are probably absolute sh!t holes. First thing you need to do is find yourself a milk buyer. Preferably one you think you can work with. As for how much profit cows can generate, in a 35p milk price year the best gazing based herds will hit £800/cow profit and the best housed units will be heading for £1000/cow because they simply have the yield. And when I say the best I’m talking about guys who achieve lameness and mastitis of lower than 10% and have very good fertility and an eye for attention to detail.
The grazing system has the beauty of being able to still remain profitable in a low milk price year, the smart housed men keep in mind a low milk price every third year so keep cash in reserve to ride out the bad times.
Obviously the system you choose depends on land availability around your buildings and climate. A grazing system has in its favour the ability to be fairly low capital cost from the outset as you have the option to outwinter the cattle but you could argue fencing, tracks and a water system could be better spent on a cubicle shed.
If you’ve the enthusiasm to learn, ability to raise some funds to get started and a realisation that you won’t get it right from day one and build that into some cash flows I’d say go for it!
Dairy farming is a great cash generator when done correctly and as they say cash really is king!
One man's addiction is another man's fetish
Costs for feed/vet/fert etc. would be the same per cow for 70 as it would for 200, fixed costs would be a bit more expensive for the 70 cows as you'd be putting in maybe a 10 point parlour but making the pit/shed long enough to expand up to 20 point, so building work more per cow. I wouldn't think it makes a big difference as blocks and mortar tend to be the cheapest part of any building.