Power and machinery costs

[vantage]

It's not the money I want it's the cows. The sucklers arent mine and have already been halved in numbers but dad wants to keep them to give him something to do. We've spent the past 15 years breeding them to try and get a decent herd and were finally there.

I appreciate what you're saying but I expect that they'll be going nowhere

I’m sure there’ll be more than enough to keep him gainfully employed when the cows arrive!

 

[Jdunn55]

Did your dad used to milk?

Yeah up until 2005ish

 

[Jdunn55]

I’m sure there’ll be more than enough to keep him gainfully employed when the cows arrive!

He wants nothing to do with the dairy cows and thinks I'm wasting my life in doing so but is willing to support me.
In his words dairying is nothing more than modern day slavery...

 

[farmerdan7618]

He wants nothing to do with the dairy cows and thinks I'm wasting my life in doing so but is willing to support me.
In his words dairying is nothing more than modern day slavery...

Will the new business be yours, or a partnership? I would say views that are so far apart wouldn't work in business together.

Dairy and sucklers aren't sectors that compliment each other well and you will be battling against each other on practical issues.

 

[ollie989898]

He wants nothing to do with the dairy cows and thinks I'm wasting my life in doing so but is willing to support me.
In his words dairying is nothing more than modern day slavery...

It doesn't need to be that way. Plenty of dairy boys here have a regular life besides cows.

 

[Jdunn55]

Will the new business be yours, or a partnership? I would say views that are so far apart wouldn't work in business together.

Dairy and sucklers aren't sectors that compliment each other well and you will be battling against each other on practical issues.

The new business will be mine, but I will be renting land from dad and borrowing machinery in return for doing his hay and helping when needed (TB testing for example) and vice versa.
Which is why its non negotiable that I need to leave enough land for the sucklers - because they arent mine and it's not my land!
He doesnt have to rent me the land and if I push him to get rid of the cows (which I dont want him to do anyway) he could say that he doenst want me to have any.

It's like offering a child a biscuit and them saying yes but I want 2!

The sheep are mine and I could get rid of them but currently I want to keep them, most of them I've raised by bottle. They dont require much literally 20 acres is more than enough and dare I say in a good weather year possibly too much!

 

[ollie989898]

I would put effort and money into improving the grass and grazing situation as far as possible. Once that is on the up, you can consider other crops.

 

[More to life]

The new business will be mine, but I will be renting land from dad and borrowing machinery in return for doing his hay and helping when needed (TB testing for example) and vice versa.
Which is why its non negotiable that I need to leave enough land for the sucklers - because they arent mine and it's not my land!
He doesnt have to rent me the land and if I push him to get rid of the cows (which I dont want him to do anyway) he could say that he doenst want me to have any.

It's like offering a child a biscuit and them saying yes but I want 2!

The sheep are mine and I could get rid of them but currently I want to keep them, most of them I've raised by bottle. They dont require much literally 20 acres is more than enough and dare I say in a good weather year possibly too much!

It’s time that going to become precious

 

[Jdunn55]

It doesn't need to be that way. Plenty of dairy boys here have a regular life besides cows.

Unfortunately in his mind that's all he can see. My grandad was very hard on him growing up and he never had much life outside of the cows ever.
I'm hoping that I can change his views and I would like to think that he might even become interested in the girls

 

[Jdunn55]

I would put effort and money into improving the grass and grazing situation as far as possible. Once that is on the up, you can consider other crops.

That's my plan for the first 2-3 years as I'll be under stocked so can take land out to reseed before I increase numbers in year 4 and 5. Its just from year 4 that I'm trying to work out.
I've reseeded 60 acres of dads farm and by the end of the third year I will have done the entire farm

 

[Manney]

It doesn't need to be that way. Plenty of dairy boys here have a regular life besides cows.

Although I dont disagree with you I do think it's only dairy farms of a sizable scale that can afford to do this.

Do not underestimate the amount of time and commitment dairy cows require especially in the early years of building a herd and a business.

 

[ollie989898]

Although I dont disagree with you I do think it's only dairy farms of a sizable scale that can afford to do this.

Do not underestimate the amount of time and commitment dairy cows require especially in the early years of building a herd and a business.

I agree, though my comment was more aimed at the once a day or milk from grazing guys who deliberately seem to limit their activities because their systems are fairly simple and not too intensive on labour or machinery.

 

[Manney]

@Jdunn55 do you have a milk contract lined up?

Where are you at in terms of infrastructure? What size parlour, how many cubicles, do you have a decent sized slurry pit etc?

 

[buffalo_soldier]

Wow, this moved on from a p&m question

 

[Jdunn55]

@Jdunn55 do you have a milk contract lined up?

Where are you at in terms of infrastructure? What size parlour, how many cubicles, do you have a decent sized slurry pit etc?

Currently I have a verbal contract but that should change on wednesday all being well.
Cubicles theres up to 180,
Parlour is a 10:20 (easy 80 cows an hour and if everything is going well you can touch 100)
Slurry pit is fine for 150 cows wouldn't want too many more though.
Dirty water is separated and spread via irrigation
1 large silage pit 60'x105'
17 heifer cubicles
2 loose sheds and barns that I would use for youngstock

 

[Manney]

Wow, this moved on from a p&m question

I think the collective knowledge and experience on here could give some invaluable advice for a young person starting out. I think most of us on here aim to help guide people in the right direction

 

[Jdunn55]

Wow, this moved on from a p&m question

I'm pleased it did though! Gives me plenty to think about!

 

[Manney]

Currently I have a verbal contract but that should change on wednesday all being well.
Cubicles theres up to 180,
Parlour is a 10:20 (easy 80 cows an hour and if everything is going well you can touch 100)
Slurry pit is fine for 150 cows wouldn't want too many more though.
Dirty water is separated and spread via irrigation
1 large silage pit 60'x105'
17 heifer cubicles
2 loose sheds and barns that I would use for youngstock

Sounds like your pretty well sorted then!

 

[Jdunn55]

Sounds like your pretty well sorted then!

Just got the bank to convince but I'm quietly confident having seen the cashflow forecasts.

The farm is kitted out for 150 cows which is partly why I want to be milking that many in order to get the most I can from it. I could cut numbers back to 120 but I'm just not sure theres a need to do so.

 

[Martyn]

Will your contract allow you to block calve its made a massive difference in our farm to family life balance