Once a day milking

[jimmer]

I'm all for low cost systems but if it's still 12 weeks before psc that a long time with no income. If you could milk on for another 3/4 weeks and sell another 20/25kg ms /cow then that would soon pay to roof over your outdoor cubicles and still give you a decent break afterwards?

It would be different if you were opting for a life of mud and misery and wintering on fodder beet or kale.

I've a friend not a million miles from you who puts portable cubicles in his outdoor silage pit at this time of year as the silage goes back, they are the most used he's got come rain or shine
Spring calvers

 

[dinderleat]

I've a friend not a million miles from you who puts portable cubicles in his outdoor silage pit at this time of year as the silage goes back, they are the most used he's got come rain or shine
Spring calvers

Does it even rain in the south hams in winter?

 

[Sparkymark]

Arla

Do you not get penalized heavily during peak production or is OAD a flatter lactation?

 

[jimmer]

Does it even rain in the south hams in winter?

True, mate would be close on 100 inches of rain
South hams closer to 10

 

[Cowlife]

I know a man with a dmallish dairy herd. He s getting a bit older and could do with cutting the workload. Would oad work? Friesan cows, low yielding , loads of grazing area available but housing for 6 months of the year.

 

[jimmer]

I know a man with a dmallish dairy herd. He s getting a bit older and could do with cutting the workload. Would oad work? Friesan cows, low yielding , loads of grazing area available but housing for 6 months of the year.

Massively dependant on infrastructure
Above mate has good tracks which makes his huge rainfall less of an issue
Not many places a small herd couldn't do 8 or 9 months grazing with good tracks

 

[jendan]

I know a man with a dmallish dairy herd. He s getting a bit older and could do with cutting the workload. Would oad work? Friesan cows, low yielding , loads of grazing area available but housing for 6 months of the year.

Mastitis and high cell count if housed that long.I think OAD is only suitable with cows outside as long as possible,and a Southern climate.

 

[Cowlife]

Mastitis and high cell count if housed that long.I think OAD is only suitable with cows outside as long as possible,and a Southern climate.

That was my main concern about mastitis. Tracks are good and he doesn't need massive drawings.

 

[jimmer]

That was my main concern about mastitis. Tracks are good and he doesn't need massive drawings.

Milk buyer?

 

[Cowlife]

Milk buyer?

He s already milking so as long as scc ok he be fine.
It would just be to reduce workload.
And before anybody asks yes he wants to keep milking.

 

[easy farming]

North Wales

 

[easy farming]

Do you not get penalized heavily during peak production or is OAD a flatter lactation?

OAD does give a flatter peak which helps with seasonality.

 

[easy farming]

Mastitis and high cell count if housed that long.I think OAD is only suitable with cows outside as long as possible,and a Southern climate.

There was one guy milking OAD in West of Scotland, I think it is suited to grazing systems though.

 

[Beef farmer]

There was one guy milking OAD in West of Scotland, I think it is suited to grazing systems though.

Was? As in Rory Christie? Now 2x

 

[easy farming]

What area of the country are you?

North Wales

 

[easy farming]

Was? As in Rory Christie? Now 2x

Yes, good climate right on the coast, but large herd and cows walking a long distance so needed some investment and Rory wasn't doing the milking.

 

[jendan]

There was one guy milking OAD in West of Scotland, I think it is suited to grazing systems though.

Aye,but some of South West Scotland is more southerly than me in Northern England and has a milder climate with the gulf stream.

 

[DairyGrazing]

Was? As in Rory Christie? Now 2x

Struggled with mastitis if I recall correctly?

 

[Beef farmer]

Struggled with mastitis if I recall correctly?

And not being able to reduce running costs

 

[Beef farmer]

To be oad successfully you need a few things, and big rents/borrowed money isn't one of them. All paid labour is also going to be difficult. A decent salary to attract them, but reality is the afternoon milking is mostly paid for.