East england dairy farming

[wb00090]

From the south west myself with a genuine interest, quite happy to be told asking silly questions. Is there any talk/interest in the sector developing across mid-east england (more dairies more cows)? Lot's of table talk here, just wondered!

 

[Arabull]

Not a silly question at all. Issue is milk contract. Can be a catch 22, as very limited options. Then hard to get bank to listen if no guaranteed milk contract.

 

[crashbox]

Another problem is rainfall, depending on how east you mean.

I'm on the south coast in low rainfall area and it is much harder than farming would be 20 miles away.

Maize is a must. And bank on buffer feeding all Summer.

 

[vantage]

After milk contract, it looks a higher cost system would needed, although plus points are slurry wouldn’t be such a headache with low rainfall and cows would be beneficial for OM on an arable farm.

 

[Jdunn55]

Assuming you can get a contract, if you're in a low rainfall area your best bet would be going for autumn calving from september, go for loose housing and do a swap of dung for straw with your arable neighbours, then lock up some ground after an early graze for standing hay when the cows are dry in July and august, and grow maize to feed from calving until they go dry

 

[crashbox]

Assuming you can get a contract, if you're in a low rainfall area your best bet would be going for autumn calving from september, go for loose housing and do a swap of dung for straw with your arable neighbours, then lock up some ground after an early graze for standing hay when the cows are dry in July and august, and grow maize to feed from calving until they go dry

Yep that would be the way

 

[Martyn]

Assuming you can get a contract, if you're in a low rainfall area your best bet would be going for autumn calving from september, go for loose housing and do a swap of dung for straw with your arable neighbours, then lock up some ground after an early graze for standing hay when the cows are dry in July and august, and grow maize to feed from calving until they go dry

Sounds nice and simple!

 

[Jdunn55]

You could even probably grow the maize on neighbours land as a break crop for them!

Might have to move...

 

[teslacoils]

Surprising number of (expanding) dairies round here. Good grass growth, access to inexpensive straw. Competition for land is quite fierce though. And this winter is testing the "low rainfall" idea.

 

[vantage]

Surprising number of (expanding) dairies round here. Good grass growth, access to inexpensive straw. Competition for land is quite fierce though. And this winter is testing the "low rainfall" idea.

Competition from AD plants?

 

[teslacoils]

Competition from AD plants?

Yup. And no.

I suppose the further west you go the more land is permeant grass. The more east you go into the land or arable the more uses there are. So lighter "maize" ground is competing with roots. And for those like me who grow grass for dairies, the alternatives are rye for ad.

But an awful lot of farms round me would have been beef or dairy pre-iacs.....and better for it.

 

[harrysmith]

im there and it aint no promised land !

 

[cattow]

Unless you’re an Arla farmer who can move, I can’t think of any milk buyers east of the M1

 

[Arabull]

What are the rules/restrictions of expanding your Arla milk contract? If you wanted to partner with someone on a new site

 

[PDB]

Good question..: the likes of evo farming seem to be the experts at it

 

[Sandpit Farm]

I can see Maize becoming a bit of a challenge from an environmental payments point of view. Bare ground at the wrong time of year would put off arable people but I guess there are options with earlier varieties or undersowing. Not sure how the ELMS scheme will deal with that.

There would also be a challenge finding homes and demand for calves - particularly anything pure dairy or AngusX heifers. Block calving would help but then you narrow your market for milk contracts.

Autumn block, calving in August onto standing hay could be a neat idea. You may be able to graze cows right through to November but I can't see how you'd get away without buffer feeding and then how do you incentivise cows to graze when they know they get fed. I think it would work as a collaboration as part of a big arable enterprise.

 

[teslacoils]

Demand for calves would depend on price of calves.

 

[Sandpit Farm]

Demand for calves would depend on price of calves.

I think it will work the other way round. As a calf rearer in a cattle area, why would I drive to Norfolk for my calves?

 

[Jdunn55]

I think it will work the other way round. As a calf rearer in a cattle area, why would I drive to Norfolk for my calves?

Why couldnt you just rear them yourself? Plenty of corn and straw around and with elms there will only be an increasing amount of grass leys available for silage/grazing imo

 

[teslacoils]

I think it will work the other way round. As a calf rearer in a cattle area, why would I drive to Norfolk for my calves?

Indeed. So an increase in dairies in the east would mean lots of calves in the East. I don't have a crystal ball, but the clipboards aren't going to want calves travelling far anyway. And what would the point be when feed and straw so much cheaper here?