Once a day milking

[easy farming]

Were very similar to yourselves,nothing to fancy machinery wise,couple of tractors and a skid steer,wife and myself managed 360 cows TAD this year until we off loaded some barrens,luckily we’ve just had someone start full time with us,I’m using high EBI irish bulls!debt in various loan stages set up over the years as the buisness grows,hence i could wait a little as loans mature to make the transition To make OAD less stressfull in the future,if thats at all possible.

Where are you based? I don't think you made clear if you are Spring block, which would, personally be my starting point to that that level of debt down.

 

[Enry]

What does your debt per cow matter as long as your paying it back?

4.5p/l interest at 5% with no repayment, or 6.75p int and capital rep over 20yrs?

 

[easy farming]

What does your debt per cow matter as long as your paying it back?

I think that is a very good question, and I am not sure. But I think some consultants use it, and in some meetings I attend it is the only measure some people would consider. I have even heard some calculate the total amount of money they believe that they can borrow based on it.

 

[RJ1]

I agree,profit not turnover is key,my TAD system is profitable,but as years roll on it does get harder,but as I have nothing to go by on OAD just thought I would throw it out there on max debt per cow on OAD,yes I have thought of 10 in 7,also 16 hour intervals,18 hour intervals,but the midday and late night milkings just seem a somewhat wasted day and I don’t want to be in the parlour late at night,for me it’s between OAD and TAD!cheers dairynerd

I would say that the 10 in 7 timings get rid of the issues of rigid 16/18hr milkings. Have a look at the timings - often the one milking falls at around 9am if you want it too. That gives a decent amount of time after milking.

Also, the electricity prices must surely have more of an effect on OAD costings, particularly in the second half of lactation where lost litres are far less. Haven't sat down to work it out yet.

 

[Gruff10]

Hi Fella's
I signed up to the farming forum, just for this discussion.

I'm in Tasmania, Australia. 520 Jersey milking cows. Spring calving. Supplying Fonterra, for Bellamy's Baby Formula.

We've been full season OaD for 2 years now, there are 2 fella's over here that have been doing the same thing for 20 years, and loving it.
There are about 20 farmers in our state that do full season OaD with a mixture of breeds, but it seems the only breed that can't handle it well is the American style Holstein's.
And from herd sizes from 180 cows to 1500cow herds. (320 cows is the average herd size here)
Note: All cows are outside in Tasmania for the whole year.

Mind you, farming styles come into play too, OaD milking suits low input or organic farming styles.
It's not much point pushing lots of grain into the system when you only milk OaD.

Other milking hours are common here too;
3 milkings in 2 days.
10 milkings in 7 days, in both a 1 week roster, or a 2 week roster.
These are not as much a hit to the production as OaD is (in the first and second years, although production slowly gets back to what it was TaD over 5 years)
But those milking times can play havoc with your mind. (Am I suppose to get up at 3am today, or is that tomorrow?)
OaD is the same everyday. And the staff love it.
see this web site: https://www.dairynz.co.nz/milking/milking-intervals/once-a-day-milking/

For our farm, OaD milking made a massive difference to being tied to the farm, for enjoyablity, and for the next generation to see it as enjoyable too.

Hi I’m in Australia atm & will be going to tazzy in February, would love to come have a look at your set up before I go & try OAD when I go home?

 

[Oldcronk]

Where are you based? I don't think you made clear if you are Spring block, which would, personally be my starting point to that that level of debt down.

Based down in west wales,we have been early spring calving in the past,but decided to push calving on a little to coincide with seasonality and easier daylight working hours at peak time,were still grass based with cows out around 8 months of the year!im guessing or hope with OAD a farmer could possibly calve later at a heavier stocking rate as fertility is superior on OAD and still get on top of grass before it gets to strong,what stocking rates are you running at on you’re milking platform?

 

[easy farming]

Based down in west wales,we have been early spring calving in the past,but decided to push calving on a little to coincide with seasonality and easier daylight working hours at peak time,were still grass based with cows out around 8 months of the year!im guessing or hope with OAD a farmer could possibly calve later at a heavier stocking rate as fertility is superior on OAD and still get on top of grass before it gets to strong,what stocking rates are you running at on you’re milking platform?

300 ish calving down on 85 ha platform, up 4 ha this year. Numbers down a little this year as we culled hard because of drought last year, most we've calved down is 315. Support block would normally supply silage for young stock and shoulders, with dry cow silage bought in. Average yield 375 KGs MS, best 391, this year 361 as early dry off.
Sandy loam soils, rainfall 750-800ml. Fertility not much better than typical Spring herds.
PSC 14th Feb.

 

[Oldcronk]

Really good figures there,average 375kg milk solids,thats [email protected] and 3.3protein with a lot less inputs over TAD,how long did it take you to get there when you changed over?!im sitting around 4.5 livestock unit hectare on 80ha grazing platform including weaned calved replacements which roam the farm after being weaned and depending if or if I haven’t moved the cull cows on!have you increased stocking rates since switching over to OAD?

 

[easy farming]

Really good figures there,average 375kg milk solids,thats [email protected] and 3.3protein with a lot less inputs over TAD,how long did it take you to get there when you changed over?!im sitting around 4.5 livestock unit hectare on 80ha grazing platform including weaned calved replacements which roam the farm after being weaned and depending if or if I haven’t moved the cull cows on!have you increased stocking rates since switching over to OAD?

Sorry, should have added 3-400 kgs PKE on shoulders, more in a drought. 9.3% solids just shy of 4000 litres. 270 DIM.
Just completed 12th season OAD. Milk recording and culling of poor performers helps. The figures are not exceptional among OAD herds that have been doing it a while.

 

[Oldcronk]

Sorry, should have added 3-400 kgs PKE on shoulders, more in a drought. 9.3% solids just shy of 4000 litres. 270 DIM.
Just completed 12th season OAD. Milk recording and culling of poor performers helps. The figures are not exceptional among OAD herds that have been doing it a whil

Sorry, should have added 3-400 kgs PKE on shoulders, more in a drought. 9.3% solids just shy of 4000 litres. 270 DIM.
Just completed 12th season OAD. Milk recording and culling of poor performers helps. The figures are not exceptional among OAD herds that have been doing it a while.

Hi there,it’s bugged me a little but how do you manage calf rearing?we put ours on once a day milk feeding after a month or so after birth it tends to coincide with them being dehorned and turned out to a field and fed milk by milk bar trailer,it’s more practical OAD then,but as we’re TAD milking for now we feed calves tad for the first month or so!as your OAD milking and colostrum and milk are warm I guess oad do you feed calves oad from birth or do you split the Milk feeding up tad while there newborn’s?