Is Dairy farming heading for a profitable period?

[pappuller]

How much difference is there between a Simmental and a montbeliarde?

Fleckvieh is known as the milking simmental. @happycows , @Headless chicken have more experience that me with them, we have bought a few this year. @More to life has his thoughts on them too

 

[awkward]

is the milky simmental and flecveigh the same breed

 

[Tarw Coch]

Fleckvieh is known as the milking simmental. @happycows , @Headless chicken have more experience that me with them, we have bought a few this year. @More to life has his thoughts on them too

Yes of course, it’s fleckviehs not montys isn’t it.

 

[Agrispeed]

The problem with bigger, heavier cows is that they do quite a bit more damage to the ground and I assume that they are less efficient - If you want an animal to produce milk, you should really focus on such - £100 for a calf is a drop in the water compared to extra efficiency and yield.

I housed for less than 100 days last year, and haven't fed any silage since April - being organic means you can't buy any in so you have to work out a way to manage these things. I did house cows during the beast from the east, but only when the ground thawed and they started to make a mess.

The biggest saving to me was not feeding concentrates and pushing cows. I would never start to do that now, herd health is excellent - I assisted 2% of calvings this year and have had 3% mortality one of which was a deformed calf. I've had 5/100 cases of mastitis this year so far and 1 lame cow. I achieved 77% of conception to 1st service and 97% overall last year (and was milking TAD at the time) and haven't used any antibiotics on milk cows since 2014 (and haven't had any calves with pneumonia or scours since I stopped housing them). I may only produce 3,500-4000l, But comparative spending is a lot lower.

You just have ask yourself why you are doing every little thing, there is actually very little that dairy farms need to do other than milk cows and move them around.

My biggest issue is that I produce a relatively small volume, but I can actually milk more cows on this system than I anticipated so I am hoping I can bring volumes up to a fair bit above what I originally budgeted for in the next couple of years, and above what I could achieve milking TAD.

 

[lloyd]

The problem with bigger, heavier cows is that they do quite a bit more damage to the ground and I assume that they are less efficient - If you want an animal to produce milk, you should really focus on such - £100 for a calf is a drop in the water compared to extra efficiency and yield.

I housed for less than 100 days last year, and haven't fed any silage since April - being organic means you can't buy any in so you have to work out a way to manage these things. I did house cows during the beast from the east, but only when the ground thawed and they started to make a mess.

The biggest saving to me was not feeding concentrates and pushing cows. I would never start to do that now, herd health is excellent - I assisted 2% of calvings this year and have had 3% mortality one of which was a deformed calf. I've had 5/100 cases of mastitis this year so far and 1 lame cow. I achieved 77% of conception to 1st service and 97% overall last year (and was milking TAD at the time) and haven't used any antibiotics on milk cows since 2014 (and haven't had any calves with pneumonia or scours since I stopped housing them). I may only produce 3,500-4000l, But comparative spending is a lot lower.

You just have ask yourself why you are doing every little thing, there is actually very little that dairy farms need to do other than milk cows and move them around.

My biggest issue is that I produce a relatively small volume, but I can actually milk more cows on this system than I anticipated so I am hoping I can bring volumes up to a fair bit above what I originally budgeted for in the next couple of years, and above what I could achieve milking TAD.

I think the area where you farm might be a big help!
i'd imagine early grass growth plays a big part in your system.
He wasn't just gaining on calf sales he was getting twice as much for
his culls and doing more lactations with them.

 

[Agrispeed]

I think the area where you farm might be a big help!
i'd imagine early grass growth plays a big part in your system.
He wasn't just gaining on calf sales he was getting twice as much for
his culls and doing more lactations with them.

I calve in May to suit my contract and partly because you don't see particularly early grass growth in organic systems as you have to wait for soil temps to get above 8 degrees or so until clover takes off. I do get some growth through winter though, mainly due to the herbal mixes. I stockpile grass in the autumn for dry cows to go onto in March-May, and have planted some winter forage crops this year to hopefully reduce the amount of silage I have to make.

If the climate suits the system then I don't understand why more people don't play to that - there is a massive variation locally from full blown California style dairy units and intensive farms to hardcore spring calvers.

I used to work on a system that milked about 120 and bought less than a dozen big squares of hay a year. Cows didn't get housed and were mob stocked. The biggest cost of milking cows after paying me was heating water. That is the sort of system I want to get to eventually.

 

[lloyd]

I calve in May to suit my contract and partly because you don't see particularly early grass growth in organic systems as you have to wait for soil temps to get above 8 degrees or so until clover takes off. I do get some growth through winter though, mainly due to the herbal mixes. I stockpile grass in the autumn for dry cows to go onto in March-May, and have planted some winter forage crops this year to hopefully reduce the amount of silage I have to make.

If the climate suits the system then I don't understand why more people don't play to that - there is a massive variation locally from full blown California style dairy units and intensive farms to hardcore spring calvers.

I used to work on a system that milked about 120 and bought less than a dozen big squares of hay a year. Cows didn't get housed and were mob stocked. The biggest cost of milking cows after paying me was heating water. That is the sort of system I want to get to eventually.

I take it you would have to be on free draining ,very forgiving land
for this to work?
A lot of dairy farms further North are on much heavier soils which
would poach quite easily!

 

[Durry cows]

Fleckvieh is known as the milking simmental. @happycows , @Headless chicken have more experience that me with them, we have bought a few this year. @More to life has his thoughts on them too

How have you found the flevkvieh? Happy milk wise? Would you buy more is the question I guess?!

 

[Bossfarmer]

I calve in May to suit my contract and partly because you don't see particularly early grass growth in organic systems as you have to wait for soil temps to get above 8 degrees or so until clover takes off. I do get some growth through winter though, mainly due to the herbal mixes. I stockpile grass in the autumn for dry cows to go onto in March-May, and have planted some winter forage crops this year to hopefully reduce the amount of silage I have to make.

If the climate suits the system then I don't understand why more people don't play to that - there is a massive variation locally from full blown California style dairy units and intensive farms to hardcore spring calvers.

I used to work on a system that milked about 120 and bought less than a dozen big squares of hay a year. Cows didn't get housed and were mob stocked. The biggest cost of milking cows after paying me was heating water. That is the sort of system I want to get to eventually.

what is your altitude and annual rainfall?

 

[happycows]

Fleckvieh is known as the milking simmental. @happycows , @Headless chicken have more experience that me with them, we have bought a few this year. @More to life has his thoughts on them too

Agree probably too heavy for early grazing system but I’m sure as a cross they have a place but can vary from as extreme as a Holstein to looking like a suckler cow.
This fleckvieh cross heifer calved last night at just under 22 months old. Feels like stepping back in time 35 years.

 

[lloyd]

Agree probably too heavy for early grazing system but I’m sure as a cross they have a place but can vary from as extreme as a Holstein to looking like a suckler cow.
This fleckvieh cross heifer calved last night at just under 22 months old. Feels like stepping back in time 35 years.

View attachment 710146

Stepping back or taking a move in the right direction?
Nice photo!

 

[Agrispeed]

what is your altitude and annual rainfall?

About 1200mm and 130-330ft. There is a bit of ground that is too steep for tractors and the farm is split in half by a steep slope so except for a couple of months its a 2 mile round trip for anything with wheels. Cows can walk it ok though.

 

[lloyd]

This cross might suit you Bossfarmer
if you pursue dairying?

 

[happycows]

Stepping back or taking a move in the right direction?
Nice photo!

I’d hope a move in the right direction for some and me at least. Holstein had got too tall and frail for my liking although even within the breed there are choices and I’m sticking with a 2 way crossing program.
I’m seeing the benefits of the cross now in lots of ways. Those 2 completely different gene pools coming together too make a better commercial animal with more than one feather in their hat.
it’s more like the British fresians dad had when I was little.

 

[lloyd]

I’d hope a move in the right direction for some and me at least. Holstein had got too tall and frail for my liking although even within the breed there are choices and I’m sticking with a 2 way crossing program.
I’m seeing the benefits of the cross now in lots of ways. Those 2 completely different gene pools coming together too make a better commercial animal with more than one feather in their hat.
it’s more like the British fresians dad had when I was little.

When one of our neighbours used to milk British friesians many
years ago he topped the market regularly with his calves .
Selling bull calves was easy for him!

 

[lloyd]

The problem with bigger, heavier cows is that they do quite a bit more damage to the ground and I assume that they are less efficient - If you want an animal to produce milk, you should really focus on such - £100 for a calf is a drop in the water compared to extra efficiency and yield.

I housed for less than 100 days last year, and haven't fed any silage since April - being organic means you can't buy any in so you have to work out a way to manage these things. I did house cows during the beast from the east, but only when the ground thawed and they started to make a mess.

The biggest saving to me was not feeding concentrates and pushing cows. I would never start to do that now, herd health is excellent - I assisted 2% of calvings this year and have had 3% mortality one of which was a deformed calf. I've had 5/100 cases of mastitis this year so far and 1 lame cow. I achieved 77% of conception to 1st service and 97% overall last year (and was milking TAD at the time) and haven't used any antibiotics on milk cows since 2014 (and haven't had any calves with pneumonia or scours since I stopped housing them). I may only produce 3,500-4000l, But comparative spending is a lot lower.

You just have ask yourself why you are doing every little thing, there is actually very little that dairy farms need to do other than milk cows and move them around.

My biggest issue is that I produce a relatively small volume, but I can actually milk more cows on this system than I anticipated so I am hoping I can bring volumes up to a fair bit above what I originally budgeted for in the next couple of years, and above what I could achieve milking TAD.

The chap milking belgian crosses tops the market at 3-350 for bull calves
Factor in he's had close to a thousand for his culls as opposed to about half for his holsteins
and the figures start to look attractive.
He is a young farmer like yourself who has tried many ways and has found a system that pays.

 

[Headless chicken]

Fleckvieh is known as the milking simmental. @happycows , @Headless chicken have more experience that me with them, we have bought a few this year. @More to life has his thoughts on them too

I milk Fleckviehs because I like them. I’m sure there are more profitable enterprises but for me the first step to words profit is a happy farmer

 

[Headless chicken]

surely they are all running LTD companies? most have 6 figure net profits just now

f**k me @Bossfarmer you best get those cows bought if we’re all making 6 figure net profits. Easy as pie I tell you

 

[nails]

So what is the cost of going over to dairy if you have the land and buildings which could be adapted.? What in rough figures would be the cost to fit a parlour, nothing fancy , enough for milking 75-100 cows

 

[lloyd]

So what is the cost of going over to dairy if you have the land and buildings which could be adapted.? What in rough figures would be the cost to fit a parlour, nothing fancy , enough for milking 75-100 cows

You might pick up some items from a farm for sale
if it gets sold to someone more interested in equine than cows.
Have chat with some agents and ask to be kept in the loop .