Dairy sideline

[ridger]

@Bossfarmer did you plant the potatoes this year?

 

[Sid]

I got shot down on another thread for suggesting someone looking at organic conversion should ask about the market first.

How do you know what system will work best if you do not know what the market in your area wants?
The only buyer you may have is for goats milk or for white water or high constituents. They may require a capital contribution to the business to buy in.

Until these are ascertained then no further progress can be made with plans IMHO

 

[Bossfarmer]

unless the figures are going to be to my liking there is no point even asking about it which is what i was discussing here, i have no plans to actually do it just IF i were to then what would all be involved and how would 60 dairy cows stack up vs 60 sucklers

 

[thesilentone]

It sounds almost hilarious and incredulous but honestly there are people out there who just think 'hell yeah I will go into dairy- everyone else is making loads of money from it'. That is the Gods honest truth.

It makes a mockery of the job when the dairy farmers I know are consumate professionals at it, their attention to detail and animal husbandry is first rate and they work hard.

It nearly makes me chuckle out loud when you hear folk just come straight out with: 'im going into dairying' or 'im going into arable' when you know they dont know the foggiest about it. That doest seem to compute to them. They have two hands, two feet and land so that apparently qualifies it. Ive seen it a few times and it never ceases to amaze me how many people either supremely confident or supremely something else.

Just buying the cows or breeding them or installing a parlour extends to many thousands yet they assume they already have the requisite skills, technical or commercial acumen to make it work. Its the singlemost best inside joke in farming today if I am honest.

You need only read the very detailed threads from the serious dairy or beef guys to realise the complexity of the job. Not just from a physical perspective but also a long term commercial or economic one. I have always held a lot of admiration for people who quite clearly have 'got it'. I dont think it is something I could personally achieve and the difficulty involved is clearly highlighted by the number of businesses that end up going out of it.
I wonder then about the long term future of an industry of which a portion is still operating in bossfarmer mode? We laugh about it now but by 2025 the training wheels are coming off.

This would be a great post - if it were true, sadly the dairy sector still has too much dead wood, that place a risk on the whole Industry.

Please open your eyes as you travel around, you will see the extreme bred Holsteins limping in from pasture, hunch backed, on painful feet.

Or go into the many farm offices, dairy's and parlour/robots that are nothing but a sxxt hole, where our Countries food is produced.

Calf pens that are knee deep in sxxt, Bull Pens that look more like something from Shindlers list, they still exist I'm afraid.

So, the more new starters the better...........

 

[Sid]

unless the figures are going to be to my liking there is no point even asking about it which is what i was discussing here, i have no plans to actually do it just IF i were to then what would all be involved and how would 60 dairy cows stack up vs 60 sucklers

Get a copy of John Nix and have a look.
Its not rocket science.

60 sucklers is part time, small profit, small headache.
60 dairy cows will be full time, moderate profit , medium headache.

Capital expense is biggest variable

 

[tepapa]

unless the figures are going to be to my liking there is no point even asking about it which is what i was discussing here, l have no plans to actually do it just IF i were to then what would all be involved and how would 60 dairy cows stack up vs 60 sucklers

Why waste everyone's time then?

 

[ollie989898]

This would be a great post - if it were true, sadly the dairy sector still has too much dead wood, that place a risk on the whole Industry.

Please open your eyes as you travel around, you will see the extreme bred Holsteins limping in from pasture, hunch backed, on painful feet.

Or go into the many farm offices, dairy's and parlour/robots that are nothing but a sxxt hole, where our Countries food is produced.

Calf pens that are knee deep in sxxt, Bull Pens that look more like something from Shindlers list, they still exist I'm afraid.

So, the more new starters the better...........

I only dealt with serious dairy farmers in fairness so my view of the sector in general is undoubtedly skewed. I agree there are probably a proportion of people who do not fall into this category for whatever reason and those list of reasons is extensive.

The biggest hurdle I fear for the industry collectivity is that too many people fail to recognise the dairy industry as a serious business. It requires capital, a long standing commitment and attention to detail, irrespective of what system is employed.

 

[Farmer Roy]

Why waste everyone's time then?

 

[unlacedgecko]

Why waste everyone's time then?

I was introduced to a rather wonder turn of phrase by the Pasture Pod recently.

An Askhole - someone who constantly asks other’s opinions, but has no inclination of actually listening to or acting on the received advice.

 

[Sid]

An Askhole

 

[thesilentone]

I only dealt with serious dairy farmers in fairness so my view of the sector in general is undoubtedly skewed. I agree there are probably a proportion of people who do not fall into this category for whatever reason and those list of reasons is extensive.

The biggest hurdle I fear for the industry collectivity is that too many people fail to recognise the dairy industry as a serious business. It requires capital, a long standing commitment and attention to detail, irrespective of what system is employed.

I completely agree, if you are going to do a job, do it right.

BUT.....New investment and new people are required in the Dairy sector in the UK. We need to step up to the next level that takes consumers needs on-board like,1st class animal welfare, meticulous cleanliness and health standards. Great value product, well presented and packaged. The return of door-step deliveries, directly from the producer. Much higher calf welfare standards and rearing, less movement of live animals, more grass inputs etc, etc, etc, etc.......

Maybe the NFU should start by providing courses in ' how to wash your hands ' or ' what are clean overalls ' or ' how to clean up sxxt '

We have many miles to travel to get to a 21st Century Dairy Industry - across the board.

Dairy cow housing standards are still in the dark ages.....

 

[Frodo]

unless the figures are going to be to my liking there is no point even asking about it which is what i was discussing here, i have no plans to actually do it just IF i were to then what would all be involved and how would 60 dairy cows stack up vs 60 sucklers

From my limited observations the biggest variable is likely to be price paid by your processor, so all those suggesting you get in touch have a valid point. If they are not professional enough to have an early stage conversation with you it is a poor reflection on them and maybe the idea is a non starter.

 

[Agrispeed]

How are you going to cost it out if you don't know how much your contract will pay?

 

[oil barron]

Oh the irony.

 

[oil barron]

Clive or the antipodean Maffia start a thread about fertilizing no till crops with gps fenced butterfly farts and all the sheep jump on board to polish their egos.

The boss asks a fairly innocuous question about running small scale dairy with robots alongside a mixed farm and he is the biggest idiot since delorean.

Regardless of whether he is real or not seems like a reasonable topic for discussion

 

[unlacedgecko]

Clive or the antipodean Maffia start a thread about fertilizing no till crops with gps fenced butterfly farts and all the sheep jump on board to polish their egos.

The boss asks a fairly innocuous question about running small scale dairy with robots alongside a mixed farm and he is the biggest idiot since delorean.

Regardless of whether he is real or not seems like a reasonable topic for discussion

GPS fenced butterfly farts

 

[Bossfarmer]

Clive or the antipodean Maffia start a thread about fertilizing no till crops with gps fenced butterfly farts and all the sheep jump on board to polish their egos.

The boss asks a fairly innocuous question about running small scale dairy with robots alongside a mixed farm and he is the biggest idiot since delorean.

Regardless of whether he is real or not seems like a reasonable topic for discussion

True I was just asking peoples opinion about an idea that came to me over breakfast and suddenly im getting attacked for not having a contract agreed

 

[unlacedgecko]

True I was just asking peoples opinion about an idea that came to me over breakfast and suddenly im getting attacked for not having a contract agreed

You'll make more money with dairy than you do with sucklers. A share milker in a spring block calving grazing herd will be the best balance between profitably and labour.

 

[Sid]

You'll make more money with dairy than you do with sucklers. A share milker in a spring block calving grazing herd will be the best balance between profitably and labour.

If the buyer wants a flush of spring milk. Know 2 that have only got contracts by calving in July onwards. Many will not give you a contract. Hence the "speak to the local buyers first"

 

[ollie989898]

You'll make more money with dairy than you do with sucklers. A share milker in a spring block calving grazing herd will be the best balance between profitably and labour.

That may be true but not if the local milk supply won't stand it.

There are powerful incentives for doing the opposite from many milk buyers. Some of our local ones want to make Cheese all year round, they can't cope with massive flushes of milk all spring. They need constant supply to keep their expensive factories busy.