Labour Cost per Litre

[Manager]

Can anyone point me in the right direction, I'm trying to find comparable labour costs per litre for different systems. We run a 250 Holstein cow autumn block system, and I need to show the directors how we compare against other systems and wether we should try to increase yield or take a more lower input approach.

Thanks

 

[Farmer Keith]

Lower input may end up in a higher labour cost per litre but a lower overall cost… seriously difficult one to compare across farms. For example I’m around 500000 litres per labour unit but do everything from slurry spreading to building work in house. Farmer A down the road maybe sits at 1000000 litres but only puts cups on.

 

[More to life]

Lower input may end up in a higher labour cost per litre but a lower overall cost… seriously difficult one to compare across farms. For example I’m around 500000 litres per labour unit but do everything from slurry spreading to building work in house. Farmer A down the road maybe sits at 1000000 litres but only puts cups on.

I agree it's easier to piont out what a hopeless benchmark it is.

 

[Cowabunga]

All kinds of variables come into it, one of which is how modern and high capacity the milking parlour is. Accurate cost forecast is a bit of an art and, as always, every farm will be different in some way. In my own case the time taken to milk cows is ridiculous but at my stage in life and circumstances the last thing I would do is invest in what is now needed, a complete new milking unit including slurry, cubicles, housing and silos. In two or three years these will be 45 years old and well past their use-by date and until we finally pack it in, the labour cost will remain high per unit of output relative to even the average today. However, other costs offset this by being very low.

 

[lazy farmer]

I’ll answer the question
5.8p a litre. 3 full time labour units including a figure for me (30k) doesn’t include a rent figure for member of staff living in a house we own.
260 cow spring block.
we feed cows ourselves and put most of the fert and do most of the fencing otherwise we bum about.
1.6 million litres

 

[Milkcow365]

2.4p here for milking 3x and feeding, foot trimming in house ai outsourced,calves sold at 1 month. Includes myself.
could probably have it less but I do like a tidy place what’s it all about at end of day.

 

[lazy farmer]

Sorry should add as above we do feet but not ai.but we do rear our own replacements
amazing figure @Thomas-milmain

 

[supercow]

About 3.5/4 pence, nearer 4.includes me and dad. Do our own umbilical/fert fencing etc. Took an extra man on the last year to make things easier, and I definitely see the financial Benefit and actually enjoy the job now, which in my opinion is what it’s all about. We all have a life, which is just ideal

 

[Kiss]

2.4p here for milking 3x and feeding, foot trimming in house ai outsourced,calves sold at 1 month. Includes myself.
could probably have it less but I do like a tidy place what’s it all about at end of day.

2.4ppl is seriously cheap, does that include yourself/ other unpaid?

OP join a discussion group and do a cfp as has been mentioned above it can be dressed up how you want- higher labour should mean lower contractors and so on

We are just over 5p all cow work in house all tractor work contracted out, rearing replacements to. Not sure how we could do it cheaper sensibly. Spring block

 

[Wesley]

What we actually pay ourselves (parents & me)...under 1.7ppl Large amount of the tractor work & foot trimming outsourced but would like to do more in house if we could find the time. That includes rearing every calf born for either replacement or finished beef

 

[buffalo_soldier]

Crikey, seems I pay myself too much.

 

[Milkcow365]

2.4ppl is seriously cheap, does that include yourself/ other unpaid?

OP join a discussion group and do a cfp as has been mentioned above it can be dressed up how you want- higher labour should mean lower contractors and so on

We are just over 5p all cow work in house all tractor work contracted out, rearing replacements to. Not sure how we could do it cheaper sensibly. Spring block

yeah includes me as I draw a decent salary, lots of litres and fast milking times help, all scraping is auto, But it’s all horses for courses and don’t start me on my electric

 

[Water Wheel]

Noy sure if you can extrct anything usefull from DEFRA Farm Business Survey

FBS Farm Business Benchmarking

 

[supercow]

Must add I do all serving and feet.

 

[O'Reilly]

I think in the Old mill accountants report they refer to 'cogwod' - cost of getting work done- which is labour, machinery and contractors combined, this allows for the difference between farms that do everything in house and those who only milk cows. @farmerdan7618 wrote it, so he can explain a lot more than I.

 

[Beef farmer]

@Thomas-milmain bet your replacement cost is more than lazys.

Replacements take up a lot of time

 

[Bramble]

7.5ppl including family drawings and all contacting costs, plus 350 acres of arable.

Replacements all reared on farm, foot trimming/AI in house. Contractors for maize harvesting, some muck carting, muckspreading, hedgecutting, plus 25% of the ploughing

 

[Cows 'n grass]

I seem to be losing this one, last year was 6.8ppl for me. That's all feet, AI, mowing, tedding, raking, most cultivations, hedge trimming, slurry tanking in house.

 

[Beef farmer]

I seem to be losing this one, last year was 6.8ppl for me. That's all feet, AI, mowing, tedding, raking, most cultivations, hedge trimming, slurry tanking in house.

Be fine, just use ppkgms instead

 

[More to life]

mines 3.88 ppl but still say it's a pointless kpi