Organic dairy

[BA38]

Hi guys just looking for opinion, I was thinking of starting a small organic dairy farm of 35 cows , mi have contacted lots of companies who are willing to take my milk , opinions or ideas welcome

 

[Horn&corn]

Excellent. They will take your milk but what price are they offering? Then work out if you can make a profit at that level and enough profit to sustain the bad years (poor milk price, sky high concentrate prices, tb, not enough forage)

 

[BA38]

Organic milk price is quite good coz the competition small and it's a product in high demand and their isn't enough supply currently to meet that demand, I have a full-time also so I'm not fully dependent on it , it just seems the only way a small farmer can make money and hold onto it after all the Bills and repayments are made would be nice to have a cheque coming in every month

 

[vinnie123]

If you’ve got a milk contract and a full time job your in a strong position to give it a go .
Once a day milking? low input ?

 

[BA38]

Yes once a day milking to start for a few year's milking either cross bread jersey cows or fleckvieh cows due to them a dual breed and sell on the calves and keep a few replacement, early spring calving system , cows calf and straight onto grass and they stay out until they dried off in early December, and then in for 2/3 months , that's the plan anyway, I'd have to build a small parlour which isn't going to be that expensive, I'd make sure of that

 

[Daddy Pig]

I'm curious when you say there are lots of companies willing to take your milk, I would have thought with your very small volume that unless you are very close to a dairy or an excisting large producer that transport costs would make it unviable.

 

[BA38]

Theirs one company with their depot 5 miles over the road from me and another company that buys all over the country and another company an hour away from me

 

[Martyn]

Just be careful, don't kid yourself that's there isn't the supply to meet the demand. There is tonnes of organic milk trying to find a UK home..

 

[BA38]

Very true, your right but in Ireland there are 18000 commercial dairy farm in Ireland and only 70 organic dairy farmers in Ireland

 

[kfpben]

My wife’s family milk 65 cows organically on 100 acres in Devon and seem to make a living.
Not a fancy lifestyle by any means but enough to sustain a family of four plus granny.

 

[BA38]

My set up will not be fancy at all just what I need really I have lots of ideas to save money on the development of this project, and once I'm up and running and making money only then will I improve my set up

 

[Derrick Hughes]

My set up will not be fancy at all just what I need really I have lots of ideas to save money on the development of this project, and once I'm up and running and making money only then will I improve my set up

Your going the right way about it , best of luck to you ,it's nice to see , that's how dad started

 

[BA38]

I know the initial costs will be a bit of a kick in the gut , but I'm prepared to make that sacrifice and it will be slow to get off the ground, but I'll get there, it's a system I have a savage interest in and I know it's a risk worth taking , god knows every other system for the small farmer is pointless

 

[upnortheast]

Have a read of @Tim G thread on starting from scratch without spending megabucks

Our new(ish) parlour

Thought I'd start a thread showing the build of our new parlour as it comes along. The building we are converting was the farm's original parlour, it looks like it could have been an abreast type parlour to start with but most remember it as a pit parlour before a new one was built nextdoor in...

thefarmingforum.co.uk

 

[Lazy Sod]

If the OP has got a full a full time job, how's he going to check on and assist, if necessary, any calving cows?