OAD milking for dairy entrant

[Swaley]

Would once a day for part of the season and twice a day for the rest be any better or not just, from looking at what a few of you are saying. Thanks

 

[Farmer Keith]

Round the lazonby area so further up cumbria, we where dairy 11 years ago and cows where sold off, we now have 500 ewes but my little business is 70 ewes run with th main the flock the farm I want to start up with dairy is another farm we have down the road

Come see me, I’m 20 minutes from lazonby, milking at 700ft 2x a day but very much with an emphasis on a low input grass based system. We also run a flock of 500 ewes which is fine but be wary that the dairy should be the priority and don’t fall into the trap of wintering the ewes on your grazing platform.

 

[Skintagain]

I’ve just abandoned project shorthorn, the solids are not there and the guys and girls breeding the pedigrees are more interested in showing than milk solids.

That’s a shame they do look a picture out grazing in sleet

 

[Farmer Keith]

If he's gonna go Shorthorn he might as well go single sucklers unless you're talking the red and white holstien Shorthorn,as the original's have just about as much milk as a mouse.

Really poor fat and proteins too. I’ve 10 and they’re all in the bottom 1/3 in terms of kgs/ms. Crossed the top end to NZ genetics this time as a last roll of the dice with them. Beautiful cows though and absolutely bomb proof.

 

[RJ1]

Would once a day for part of the season and twice a day for the rest be any better or not just, from looking at what a few of you are saying. Thanks

Search for articles by Brent Boyce of LIC NZ and also some research currently ongoing by Paul Edwards of Dairy NZ.

In one of the articles there's a table showing the expected yield (compared to TAD all season) of various milking regimes and changes part way through the season. Very interesting and as a result we'll be TAD for only part season.

 

[DairyNerd]

Would once a day for part of the season and twice a day for the rest be any better or not just, from looking at what a few of you are saying. Thanks

You could try it, if you find the workload too much with your sheep work also then rethink. Have you thought about how Spring calving will fit in with your sheep work? I help my partners parents with lambing a bit and they start in a week but I can't imagine calving even 60 cows and lambing 500 ewes at the same time would be fun.

 

[FarmerWasty]

Have you done the advanced dairy management course at Newton Rigg? That night help you make a lot of decisions. Think it's £1200 but the course has already started.

It sounds like you need either professional advice or to put a length of time into learning and figuring out what will be best for you. Every farm is different and only you know what you've got properly.

 

[Skintagain]

How old are you @Swaley?

 

[celtis man]

If it were me I would just stick with the ewe's, play with your strengths ..
You know what you are doing study them and get more out of them.
Sorry.

 

[crashbox]

Would once a day for part of the season and twice a day for the rest be any better or not just, from looking at what a few of you are saying. Thanks

Yes it would, you'll need to be flexible. I know a couple of people who went OAD then switched back to TAD for part of the season.

Average dairy herd size in France is approx. 70 cows, it can be made to work, or be a stepping stone to something else, especially if more land becomes available in walking distance.

 

[Skintagain]

Yes it would, you'll need to be flexible. I know a couple of people who went OAD then switched back to TAD for part of the season.

Average dairy herd size in France is approx. 70 cows, it can be made to work, or be a stepping stone to something else, especially if more land becomes available in walking distance.

Tad in the better months wouldn’t be so bad in a spring herd

 

[jimmer]

@Swaley Also check out The Once A Day Farmer on YouTube.

https://youtube.com/@TheOnceADayFarmer

Platform size and spreading overheads looks like it's going to be the key issue whether OAD or TAD.

If it's 60 cows, milking shouldn't be much longer than an hour.

Apparently over 80% of dairy farmers in New Zealand go once a day for part of the season, doesn't have to be all of it.

Ffs no
There's no way I aspire to be a oad farmer that milks in the morning then goes back out dinner time fires up a chuffin mixer wagon to get them back onto a feed pad
Why
Just why?

 

[Martyn]

60 cows on oad up a hill, after feed and drawings there won't be much left.
Always fascinates me when people make small herds oad work and shows that we need to be more frugal

I finding Intrestingly that for us OAD has led to more happy/content cows and I can realistically see us have energy/time to run lot more cows. You used to have the cows rushing over when feeder wagon was started/or parlour fired up, now they wander when they are ready.

 

[Beef farmer]

I finding Intrestingly that for us OAD has led to more happy/content cows and I can realistically see us have energy/time to run lot more cows. You used to have the cows rushing over when feeder wagon was started/or parlour fired up, now they wander when they are ready.

I don't out the cows are happier, but the bank manager isn't going to worry about weather the cows rush over to the parlour or not.

I won't win this one, as a small herd milked 1x is the holy grail, but its not many peoples reality. 120k at 4k liters 45p
Decent herdsman package would be moving towards 50k now

 

[Barmyfarmer]

I think OAD is more suitable for the 200 cow bracket where staff is an issue and grazing is possible for the majority of the year

 

[Swaley]

How old are you @Swaley?

20

 

[DairyNerd]

I don't out the cows are happier, but the bank manager isn't going to worry about weather the cows rush over to the parlour or not.

I won't win this one, as a small herd milked 1x is the holy grail, but its not many peoples reality. 120k at 4k liters 45p
Decent herdsman package would be moving towards 50k now

That is exactly what our milk sales will be this year. I have been a herdsman, worked for some good people and was a good way to build up capital living rent and CT/bills free but absolutely no way I would swap back. If he has a parlour and cubicles/loose house and can just borrow minimally to start if at all he wont even need to see the bank manager, that's the beauty of a small herd of cows.

 

[Swaley]

Also been having a talk we have thought about It and think a 60 cow flying herd of grazing type friesian cow spring calving but leave it a year or so and get everything planned out first. Does this sound a better idea

 

[Martyn]

I don't out the cows are happier, but the bank manager isn't going to worry about weather the cows rush over to the parlour or not.

I won't win this one, as a small herd milked 1x is the holy grail, but its not many peoples reality. 120k at 4k liters 45p
Decent herdsman package would be moving towards 50k now

You definitely need to to get output up to 150 cows +. Yes you can slash costs but some costs you just can't. I am able to do it as have a reasonable income from fat beef and we are one household with wife working to, I wouldn't be able to employ anyone on under 250+ cows

 

[sidjon]

You definitely need to to get output up to 150 cows +. Yes you can slash costs but some costs you just can't. I am able to do it as have a reasonable income from fat beef and we are one household with wife working to, I wouldn't be

The best herds l've seen in NZ oad were 250 jersey or very jersey xbreds, didn't purchase anything thing, cow's wintered on, with grass only diet, had enough cash to purchase the next door farm for 70k/ha, 112ha , do think I'll end up OAD once the mortgage is paid off