What's going on?

Jdunn55

Member
f**k me that's made for a depressing read, just got in from a lovely milking having had cuddles with the Queen of roses (big bertha)

I know I winge about it but there's no other job on this earth I'd rather do

Quite honestly I cannot understand why anyone is milking cows if they don't enjoy it, there's far better paying jobs out there, and life too short to get sh!t on by cows if you don't enjoy it

One thing I am looking forward to, land prices must be about to drop through the floor what with all these herds selling up, oh wait no downward movement there 🙄
 

Jdunn55

Member
Just don’t get the negativity is all. Folk really need to look at their business models.
Completely agree, I winge on here about everything that goes wrong with me on a daily basis but most of that is my fault, if I'd done x then in general y wouldn't have happened, to be fair to myself though I've only been doing it 6 months so it was highly unlikely I would get even 50% of things right, for me the important thing is to learn from what I got wrong and improve on the few things I did right
 

coomoo

Member
f**k me that's made for a depressing read, just got in from a lovely milking having had cuddles with the Queen of roses (big bertha)

I know I winge about it but there's no other job on this earth I'd rather do

Quite honestly I cannot understand why anyone is milking cows if they don't enjoy it, there's far better paying jobs out there, and life too short to get sh!t on by cows if you don't enjoy it

One thing I am looking forward to, land prices must be about to drop through the floor what with all these herds selling up, oh wait no downward movement there 🙄
I don’t particularly enjoy it get a buzz for sure but it’s purely for money. Few sheep, dog and stick with a hill to wander all day now I could handle that.
 

Jdunn55

Member
Cheery lot! Staffing not all the problem its being made out on here. I think a change of thinking re how staff are treated and what is expected of them, nice working environments etc is maybe what some in the industry need to focus more on
I agree, I'm sure in some places there is a genuine shortage of staff, but down here atleast I reckon if you can find someone willing to work and look after them properly, treat them like a half decent human being (eg: not expect them to work all hours for f**k all) and give them a few perks like @DairyGrazing is doing I would reckon staff wouldn't be a problem!
 

Jdunn55

Member
I don’t particularly enjoy it get a buzz for sure but it’s purely for money. Few sheep, dog and stick with a hill to wander all day now I could handle that.
I've got to admit I don't understand that, I know I'm absolutely nuts but surely it's not worth spending 50+ hours a week doing something if you really don't love it??

As for sheep you're making me look like the most sane man on the planet 😂😂
 

Jdunn55

Member
Anyway as for me personally, full steam ahead, up to 150 xows as quickly as I can, focusing more on grazing and thinking less like an American holstein farmer (one of the main mistakes I made this year)

Planning for the move back to dad's farm in 4-10 years time and fulfilling the second half of my promise I made my grandad nearly 9 years ago in getting his cows back at home

In the process of being a lot more organised and rectifying mistakes made this year to make life as easy as I can for myself so that I can enjoy it a lot more
 

Jackov Altraids

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Devon
I'm not dairy but have been wondering what's going on with it for a couple years as there seems to be a dispersal of cows, every other week at the local market.
Having asked around there seems to be a few different categories;
1, New entrants enjoying the challenge and a rising milk price
2, Those that have made recent large investments and simply have to keep their head down and keep going
3, Those that need to make investments and really don't wish to be tied to the parlour for another bunch of years
4, Good life-time herdsmen who have simply had enough, as the joyful side of the job is evaporating to meet the ever increasing requirements.
 

Blue.

Member
Livestock Farmer
Two neighbours packed in this year,local big herd is having staff issues,another big one went onto twice a day milking.

Time of year,I’d give up tomorrow if I could.
Make that 3 neighbours,just seen another has his cows booked in for sale.
 

sidjon

Member
Location
EXMOOR
Labour locally has been always been an issue, trying to be a one man unit with contractors doing most of the field work, but main issue is two farms with other blocks of ground which cannot be utilised by grazing ,only seen been and seen 2 farms this year, have been offered more ground locally and trying to see if it's cost effective to have a summer parlour, where the cows would graze for 10 to 12 days a month.
 

DairyGrazing

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
North West
Labour locally has been always been an issue, trying to be a one man unit with contractors doing most of the field work, but main issue is two farms with other blocks of ground which cannot be utilised by grazing ,only seen been and seen 2 farms this year, have been offered more ground locally and trying to see if it's cost effective to have a summer parlour, where the cows would graze for 10 to 12 days a month.
I’m more worried about our contractor having staff. He used to have three crews now he only has one on a good day.
 

DairyGrazing

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
North West
Why?
He needs to copy your model.
We do a 5 day week, not sure a 4 day will be happening mind.
That’s what I meant sorry 10 days in 14. Tried to get everyone onboard with having fri/sat off one week and sun/mon the next
but older staff weren’t keen.

He hasn’t got it in him I don’t think. His main man just left mid thirties been with him for 20 years. I told him to make him a partner in the business so he could relax and spend more time with his other interests.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 79 42.0%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 66 35.1%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 16.0%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 7 3.7%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

  • 1,290
  • 1
As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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