Small dairy herds

[Swaley]

I hope some of the dairy farmers can give there answers on how small do you think a herd can be to have the milk picked up and be able to make a living out of it. Would also like to hear if anyone has herds with around 20 head of cattle to see how many of the small scale farms are left.
Many thanks all.

 

[Redcows]

50/60 with all the work being done by yourself.

 

[Whitewalker]

Know some 30 cows. We’re around 50. Look into selling direct and @Tim G style . Not simple but doable. Grow as you need.

 

[Jdunn55]

I've looked into doing it with 20 cows and quite honestly dont think its doable on a commercial scale - maybe in a niche market supplying direct for example.
In order for milk to be picked up you need to be doing a minimum of 1000 litres per pickup and need to be doing roughly 200000 litres depending on who you want to pick up your milk - the bigger the company the more milk you need to produce I found.

It might be doable with less cows if they're high yielding holsteins though.

 

[Bald Rick]

I hope some of the dairy farmers can give there answers on how small do you think a herd can be to have the milk picked up and be able to make a living out of it. Would also like to hear if anyone has herds with around 20 head of cattle to see how many of the small scale farms are left.
Many thanks all.

Location would be good. If you’re close to a dairy and they can top up their wagon, you might get away with less than 1000 litre collections or you are close to a conurbation and can direct market

 

[Cows 'n grass]

This is a couple of miles away. 20 cows but no contract, all processed and delivered on a milk round

Weekly Milk Delivery, South Devon, Plympton, Ivybridge, Lee Mill

How Now Dairy is the first carbon negative dairy and organic milk delivery in the UK. We farm organic Ayrshire cattle on lush, wildlife rich herbal leys. By tending our soils with care, we store more carbon than we release by farming and delivering organic milk. Farming alongside nature to...

www.hownowdairy.co.uk

There's another 40 cow herd nearby on an Arla contact.

 

[cull cows]

I think a reasonable living could be made of 50/60 cows..
Iv been saving up these last few years and I’m looking for a small place to rent or a share farming job to start milking cows..
I will probably never be more that a dream though not many farms come up to let round here.

 

[delilah]

I love this place. 35 cows.

https://www.plawhatchfarm.co.uk/the-farm-1

 

[mixed breed]

nieghbours got 30cows sends every other day to yew tree.

 

[Tim G]

13 cows, not a cats chance in hell of getting a contract to collect I guess.

 

[Whitewalker]

Someone said if your a member of a coop and shareholder they are obligated to lift the milk regardless of volume. Not sure if right or what collection fees would be as it’s all driven for volume.

 

[BELOWAVERAGE]

Someone said if your a member of a coop and shareholder they are obligated to lift the milk regardless of volume. Not sure if right or what collection fees would be as it’s all driven for volume.

I think your probably right with that, as I know of some one who I think was milking 3 at the end but had been milking 5 for a couple of years, sending less than 50 litres on every other day collection, supplying first milk, milk quality got him in the end, just an old boy who refused to give in.

 

[pine_guy]

I think your probably right with that, as I know of some one who I think was milking 3 at the end but had been milking 5 for a couple of years, sending less than 50 litres on every other day collection, supplying first milk, milk quality got him in the end, just an old boy who refused to give in.

My lot need a minimum of 50l to make the flow meter work properly.

 

[BELOWAVERAGE]

My lot need a minimum of 50l to make the flow meter work properly.

Knowing him it wouldn't have bothered him if it didn't register as long as he was still milking, it may have been that what finished him though.

 

[Skintagain]

Knowing him it wouldn't have bothered him if it didn't register as long as he was still milking, it may have been that what finished him though.

It must be hard if you have milked 50/60/70 years to stop

 

[som farmer]

if you have a tanker passing, rather than a 'special' trip, you could get lucky, transport is the b all, and end all.
when we went back in, we were lucky to have a local dairy, that would pick up. We looked at all sorts of things, other than straight milk, i think we should have gone along the cheese route, but that's gone by. One of the most 'profitable' routes, was 25 good cows, part time, with off farm work, it was also the cheapest way, to restart, and, if we could have found a bail, that's what we would have done. We made the decision quite quickly, to re-enter, and were producing milk in 28 days, we couldn't find a bail, but found an abreast parlour, which we put in, 8 standing. As 'normal' farmers, we kept going, ending up with a 24/24 herringbone, peaking at 270 cows, now back down at 160, profit from the 160, is pretty well the same, as the 270.
If you can get an outlet for your milk, for small numbers, you don't actually need much info structure, or much land, a barn, a dairy, and few adjacent acres, grub can be brought it, from other away land, or bought.
If you go ahead, good luck, and well done.

 

[Dead Rabbits]

Things are different between here and there but it seems to come down to how much debt you need to service. No debt and a love for cows and you can do fine with the income from 50 head or less.

I have some friends who are in the process of installing a parlor and already have a compost pack barn built. They will never milk over 40.The husband just retired from the emergency services/fire fighter. They were milking till a couple years ago when a tornado wiped out all buildings. Retained the herd and rebuilt with insurance money

 

[Tarw Coch]

nieghbours got 30cows sends every other day to yew tree.

If that’s who I think it is, is he having the rug pulled from under him soon?

 

[mixed breed]

If that’s who I think it is, is he having the rug pulled from under him soon?

Yep there goes another place that's raised a family off the back of milking cow's. In a perfect world it ought to be re-let to the daughter, who's dead keen and very good with the stock, but council want to cash it in. Same story I guess with the other one in your village. All very sad.

 

[vulcan]

50 cows here supplying first milk surprising how folk deal with you once you tell them you only milk 50 had 1sales rep couldn't get out the yard quick enough still don't no what she sold.also used the same feed company for years they got taken over by a big company and soon didn't want to no me asked for a price for very and got told they weren't interested unless it was for a full wagon load.