New Zealand Share milking explained?

[Farmer Roy]

A whole generation is farming like that now, but it's not surprising really, considering it's what DairyNZ and AgITO preach. Long grass is bad, long silage is bad, topping means you've failed at life, but putting 190kg of N/ha on a year and being way overstocked is fine.

Oh well. The neighbours keep going on at me about my "messy" paddocks, but I'll just carry on doing what I'm doing. No N went on last season, I haven't put any on this season yet (and probably won't), my production isn't quite up to the district average but I guarantee my overall profitability (and income per hour worked) is leaps and bounds ahead of theirs.

Like you said. Poor sods.

profitability always beats production, in the end

 

[box]

profitability always beats production, in the end

Try telling that to the bank.

 

[Jockers84]

All the share farming arrangements I am aware of in the UK tend to be on block calving grazed grass based farms. Most agreements are individual to the particular circumstances of the farm. I know Anderson’s consultants have been involved in setting up the framework for some of these.

How do these work?

 

[glasshouse]

I was at a big meeting some years ago about the way forward on land tenure in scotland.
Big chief of buccleuch estate was there, nfu, SLE , scotgov etc plus a half dozen peasants like me.
They started on about share farming and how great it was in nz with freedom of contract.
I stood up and burst their balloon, told them that sharemilking was totally regulated. Race to the bottom was banned.
It was fooking marvelous.

 

[Jockers84]

All the share farming arrangements I am aware of in the UK tend to be on block calving grazed grass based farms. Most agreements are individual to the particular circumstances of the farm. I know Anderson’s consultants have been involved in setting up the framework for some of these.

Can anyone explain how these work? I’m assuming it’s dairy farming, block calving rather than year round and grass based meaning grazing and silage? Being non dairy I just assumed the cows would need more feeding to perform?
How would the share basis work on these? Does block calving not give peaks and troughs in the milk cheque and labour requirements?

 

[rusty]

Can anyone explain how these work? I’m assuming it’s dairy farming, block calving rather than year round and grass based meaning grazing and silage? Being non dairy I just assumed the cows would need more feeding to perform?
How would the share basis work on these? Does block calving not give peaks and troughs in the milk cheque and labour requirements?

There is no set formula as far as I am aware in this country. I know that Anderson’s farm consultants have done quite a few . As in NZ the contractor provides labour and the none fixed equipment.
Block calving does give peaks and troughs but overall tends to give a higher overall profit on grass based system. It enables you to really focus on a particular area for a shorter period of time such as heat detection and AI for the 3 months that you are breeding rather than keeping the intensity up all year. To me one of the biggest savings is in managing young stock replacements. Ours are born in a 5 week period so we just have one tight group to manage who all get their vaccinations and treatments on the same day.
To succeed as a share miller you need to be a top operator. Some would say it’s better to have a part share of a big pot than all of a small pot (eg a small county council farm)

 

[Jockers84]

Thanks for all the replies, I’ve done a bit of research off the back of the comments and looked back at some Nuffield reports. It’s good to see there was still opportunities for new comers to be rewarded with tangible assets for their hard work and commitment. If I’d only jumped on the plane to NZ all those years ago lol - well on to the next one O’le son.

 

[MentalDrummer]

Sharemilkers are protected by legislation, to prevent a race to the bottom.
Its lower order
then 50:50
Then farm ownership.
The ladder can collapse if there is a big drop in cow values or disease etc.
I remember a dozen yr ago a big drought and a cow was three bales of silage.
Cheap fillipino labour has also broken thr ladder

There is no such thing as cheap Filipino labour they get paid a minimum of $30/hr as part of their visa requirements. They actually end up getting paid more than kiwi workers in the end and do less hours. That was the case on the farm I worked on.

 

[box]

They actually end up getting paid more than kiwi workers in the end and do less hours.

It's a good thing really, because as far as work ethic, productivity and honesty go, they'll run circles around most kiwi workers every day of the week.

 

[MentalDrummer]

It's a good thing really, because as far as work ethic, productivity and honesty go, they'll run circles around most kiwi workers every day of the week.

From my experience it's 50/50 I've seen some really good foreign workers and I've seen some shocking foreign workers who don't care and are just there for the money same as kiwi workers. It's disengenuous to think that one race of workers is better than another. You have your bad eggs no matter what nationality you have hardworking humans and lazy humans.

 

[kiwi pom]

From my experience it's 50/50 I've seen some really good foreign workers and I've seen some shocking foreign workers who don't care and are just there for the money same as kiwi workers. It's disengenuous to think that one race of workers is better than another. You have your bad eggs no matter what nationality you have hardworking humans and lazy humans.

I’d agree with that, wrong to generalise good and bad whatever the country. To add to it there are some truly shocking employers out there too who really don’t deserve good staff. They do nothing to help farmings image and ruin it for the great ones.

 

[In the pit]

I’d agree with that, wrong to generalise good and bad whatever the country. To add to it there are some truly shocking employers out there too who really don’t deserve good staff. They do nothing to help farmings image and ruin it for the great ones.

Is that not the same in all walks of life , good bad and very good workers and the same with bosses
Boss I worked for in my twenties was fantastic and if he hadn’t retired I’d off still been there now

 

[micthwic]

Whole generation of kiwi farmers know nothing of the value of clover and how to work with it.

 

[organicguy]

Hijacking this thread but may be of interest to people viewing this.
Farming opportunity coming. Share/contract or manager wanted for 200 organic cows and beef fattening. Pm me to discuss

OG