Thinking of getting out of dairying

[vulcan]

Think I read about someone doing it in south west Scotland think it was in practical farm ideas be a few years ago though think they made ice cream on the farm.

 

[Einstien]

Think I read about someone doing it in south west Scotland think it was in practical farm ideas be a few years ago though think they made ice cream on the farm.

Probably because OAD and Calves all evening would mean 'challenging' milk quality, prob couldn't sell it so had to ice it lol

 

[vulcan]

Above post is about suckling once a day

 

[Big_D]

http://www.creamogalloway.co.uk/finlays-farm

near me vulcan, not to far for you to go up for the day and take the farm tour

 

[bigw]

http://www.creamogalloway.co.uk/finlays-farm

near me vulcan, not to far for you to go up for the day and take the farm tour

I don't think they lasted long doing it as the calves went away with most of the milk!

 

[Big_D]

I don't think they lasted long doing it as the calves went away with most of the milk!

Ah ok, I had always wondered if it had been a success, didn't realise they had had to stop. Its certainly a nice idea. The only way I can see it working is if calves had access to pellets in a seperate area through a non return creep gate set on a timer to keep them away from cows for 6 or 8 hrs either side of milking.

 

[Moorlands]

All the talk on here of people getting into dairying well I'm thinking of getting out only milk around the 50mark and supply first milk but the months I don't send enough always get penalised on the volume bonus1.5 ppl the last to months farm is 136acres all owned plus rent a couple of fields in the summer have no borrowings on the farm it is split in 3 blocks with only 12 acres with the farm. farm not a modern set up lot of old buildings the only labour is me and dad who is 70 so don't get much time of and I have a young family who I want to spend more time with getting a relief milker not really a option as not the greatest of set ups was thinking of going down the rearing calves to use the old sheds and possibly sucklers any advice?Also getting sick of milking twice a day 7days a week.

Hi not read right through thread had a scan so sorry if I repeat anything.
We are just in the process of developing/modernising our business our dairy unit is old and tired we have a range of old buildings which we have gained planning for development on we don't own much land around dairy but we have another block of land we have built up over time and presently use for young stock and sheep but are in process of gaining planning to build a new setup we plan on paying for this by cashing our present buildings we hope to come out the other side with no borrowings and with a efficient easy to run unit that we can go forward with and have time for a life, we are now putting 110 cows through an 8 abreast all year round 3hr in a morning 2.5 in an afternoon and sell new calved heifers as and when to keep number there as that's all we can fit in bits of buildings that are hard to feed and muck out. It's going to be a total game changer for us.
Could you develop any of your old buildings? Does one of your other pieces of land lend itself to starting a fresh?
We used to sell to first milk left 2 years ago with a local dairy now is there any other milk buyers around you?

 

[applejack]

That's probably one of the most sensible options to look at, but it sounds like his Dad isn't too open to change which can be the biggest stumbling block.
I suppose it depends on how committed the OP is to continuing in dairying.
I wish you all the best @vulcan .

 

[Moorlands]

That's probably one of the most sensible options to look at, but it sounds like his Dad isn't too open to change which can be the biggest stumbling block.
I suppose it depends on how committed the OP is to continuing in dairying.
I wish you all the best @vulcan .

My thought was that if op's routine was modernised milking cows would be more appealing and Also getting relief in would be An option as routine would be more straight forward we presently can't contemplate getting relief in because job is donkey work and complicated in existing buildings.
My father is hard work over our plan too and doing nothing to help he does know deep down something needs to change, biggest thing is selling the present steading as he is third generation to have farmed there and lived there all his life.

 

[Penmoel]

I don't think they lasted long doing it as the calves went away with most of the milk!

We went there in 2013 when he had just built the new dairy set up, AD plant and was starting on the leaving the calves in. Does not look as though he has given up completely on the suckling / milking job seems determined to get it to work! The place was well worth a visit, ice cream is nice too

This page on his website explains better... http://www.creamogalloway.co.uk/finlays-farm/our-farming-revolution

 

[bigw]

We went there in 2013 when he had just built the new dairy set up, AD plant and was starting on the leaving the calves in. Does not look as though he has given up completely on the suckling / milking job seems determined to get it to work! The place was well worth a visit, ice cream is nice too

This page on his website explains better... http://www.creamogalloway.co.uk/finlays-farm/our-farming-revolution

It would be a good system if it would work, I remember being told years ago at college that a cow suckling a calf will naturally produce more milk.

 

[Flossie]

Thanks for all the replies possitive and negative bit more about me I'm only 37so plenty of life in me yet farm has no borrowings and there is a bit of money in the bank that could invest in the business but the old man likes lookin at it in the bank to much and the way the mlik price is I keep thinking investing it in dairying would be a bad idea.always like milking the cows in the summer months when there outside find it easier so should this be something I should look at always though if there was some system of milking once a day and suckling them the other you would get the best of both worlds as for my working hours normally 6 till 6 in the winter so not bad that way but when I was on my own in the summer when dad had a hip done added a hour each end off the day maybe I should look at speeding the milking up anyone any ideas how to speed milking in a abreast parlour up?Now looks like we will be in a nvz next year so looks like will have to invest in more slurry storage.

Have a look round for second hand ACR's to upgrade the parlour. You don't need to buy brand new or go through dealers-just keep your eyes peeled. What else would speed things up? Look around on Ebay or on here, etc for cheap things to improve your job. It helps if you're a bit knacky and have vision
Re slurry storage, dig a big hole, cheapest way to store it
Money in the bank-it's not making anything there. If you need to borrow a bit, offer your dad a better rate than the bank, but you pay a less rate than the bank. Win win Although, too many people seem to think improving and upgrading means going to the bank for half a million. Simple things can speed the job up. For instance, a couple of things that made a heck of a difference to us were a row of locking headyokes for scanning cows and a head scoop for the crush for dosing new calved cows-just over £1500 for the pair, saving half an hour of vet time per fortnight and avoiding wrestling with cows We've just put a calving gate in the calving pen too-not had chance to test drive it yet though.
You need to be honest with yourself. Ask yourself if you really enjoy it. You won't make the best of it if you're unsure whether you want to do it. You've got to be hungry these days

 

[pappuller]

From a personal point of view trying to suckle calves and milk once a day is a recipe for disaster you need to decide whether to s#!t or get off the pot as you cant do both at the same time.

 

[Rossymons]

Have a look round for second hand ACR's to upgrade the parlour. You don't need to buy brand new or go through dealers-just keep your eyes peeled. What else would speed things up? Look around on Ebay or on here, etc for cheap things to improve your job. It helps if you're a bit knacky and have vision
Re slurry storage, dig a big hole, cheapest way to store it
Money in the bank-it's not making anything there. If you need to borrow a bit, offer your dad a better rate than the bank, but you pay a less rate than the bank. Win win Although, too many people seem to think improving and upgrading means going to the bank for half a million. Simple things can speed the job up. For instance, a couple of things that made a heck of a difference to us were a row of locking headyokes for scanning cows and a head scoop for the crush for dosing new calved cows-just over £1500 for the pair, saving half an hour of vet time per fortnight and avoiding wrestling with cows We've just put a calving gate in the calving pen too-not had chance to test drive it yet though.
You need to be honest with yourself. Ask yourself if you really enjoy it. You won't make the best of it if you're unsure whether you want to do it. You've got to be hungry these days

This with great big massive bells on. I'm looking around our place and thinking it would be great to put a stonking shed there. But wait - the shed costs a fortune!

So what jobs can I get done for half that? Fill in that pot hole, replace that rubbish fence with sleepers and ARMCO, bolt on a couple extra units to the parlour, rewire the dairy and cubicle house so I'm not worry about trips going just because its drizzling etc etc - hundreds of little jobs that don't cost the earth that would make a massive difference to my mood.

 

[vulcan]

Just out if interest do all milk buyers penalise you if your milk volume drops below a serten litterage if so what volume are we talking? Also was thinking about another article I read iin practical farm ideas was about a a farmer in devon who prefer mowed his grass for his cows should only have 60cows and they did well of it so was wondering if I was to keep the cows and go down the spring calving route would I have to be milking a couple of hundred to make it work or can smaller herds make it work?

 

[Moorlands]

Just out if interest do all milk buyers penalise you if your milk volume drops below a serten litterage if so what volume are we talking? Also was thinking about another article I read iin practical farm ideas was about a a farmer in devon who prefer mowed his grass for his cows should only have 60cows and they did well of it so was wondering if I was to keep the cows and go down the spring calving route would I have to be milking a couple of hundred to make it work or can smaller herds make it work?

Not a spring Calver myself but if you only have 12acres with the farm can't see how you could graze many cows at all. If all or nearly all your land was in a ring fence I'm sure you could make a spring calving grazing system work.

 

[vulcan]

Should of explained the 12acres are with the farm then they walk across this to a bridal path which leads them to another 50odd acres it's a good 20minutes walk for them.

 

[vulcan]

Not a spring Calver myself but if you only have 12acres with the farm can't see how you could graze many cows at all. If all or nearly all your land was in a ring fence I'm sure you could make a spring calving grazing system work.

 

[bigw]

Should of explained the 12acres are with the farm then they walk across this to a bridal path which leads them to another 50odd acres it's a good 20minutes walk for them.

What is your biggest block of land?

 

[vulcan]

The 50acre