Neighbour has just got into dairy,mad or what ?

arrowloopboy

I am not a farmer per say ,but we do have a farm of land,and do a bit of tillage.
the next door neighbour has just starting milking 35 cows,now as I said i'm no farmer,but in the current climate,and forward projections on the price of milk,,is this not just plain stupidity ?
In the real world ,of non subsidised business (where I operate),this would be economic suicide ,am I missing something ???

Miname

FAir play to your neighbour if he wants to do it. Would a pat on the back and " I hope it all works out" not be a more appropriate sentiment.

_Brian

It's all a matter of perspective really.

Last year I was in a mans yard who was getting ready to milk 20-25 cows this year.
He said he'd been quizzed by a few about was it worth his while.

He said "average" dairy profit was €800 after all costs paid.

He reckoned he could be average or near average at least and that even just €500 a cow profit was €500 a cow more than sucklers was leaving him.

€500 a cow for 30 cows is €15k and that's way byond what any 30 cow suckler herd is making.

arrowloopboy

Miname wrote: »

FAir play to your neighbour if he wants to do it. Would a pat on the back and " I hope it all works out" not be a more appropriate sentiment.

Don't get me wrong,i'm a huge admirer of enterprise ,but with the spread between the production price and the price been paid getting closer by the month, my main sentiment would be ''good luck with that'' !
Throw the end of quotas ,and the upping of production , into the mix,which strengthens the buyers hand no end ,and it doesn't look like smart business.

Sam Kade

arrowloopboy wrote: »

Don't get me wrong,i'm a huge admirer of enterprise ,but with the spread between the production price and the price been paid getting closer by the month, my main sentiment would be ''good luck with that'' !
Throw the end of quotas ,and the upping of production , into the mix,which strengthens the buyers hand no end ,and it doesn't look like smart business.

Did he start from scratch or was he at it before? I started dairying again this year after a 10 year break and get plenty of the I'm mad attitude.
Even with the price dropping it still beats beef.

Sam Kade

_Brian wrote: »

It's all a matter of perspective really.

Last year I was in a mans yard who was getting ready to milk 20-25 cows this year.
He said he'd been quizzed by a few about was it worth his while.

He said "average" dairy profit was €800 after all costs paid.

He reckoned he could be average or near average at least and that even just €500 a cow profit was €500 a cow more than sucklers was leaving him.

€500 a cow for 30 cows is €15k and that's way byond what any 30 cow suckler herd is making.

€800 after all costs, I'd say that was when milk price was 40 cent/litre.

arrowloopboy

Sam Kade wrote: »

Did he start from scratch or was he at it before? I started dairying again this year after a 10 year break and get plenty of the I'm mad attitude.
Even with the price dropping it still beats beef.

Started from scratch,they were in sheep until the boom started , then he was doing site work ,and is back farming about 2 year ,with sucklers.
Hes around 36

Sam Kade

arrowloopboy wrote: »

Started from scratch,they were in sheep until the boom started , then he was doing site work ,and is back farming about 2 year ,with sucklers.
Hes around 36

There's no way I'd start from scratch with a small herd. Is he planning to increase numbers much?

arrowloopboy

Sam Kade wrote: »

There's no way I'd start from scratch with a small herd. Is he planning to increase numbers much?

He hasn't the land for much of an increase ,maybe 50 max .

_Brian

Sam Kade wrote: »

€800 after all costs, I'd say that was when milk price was 40 cent/litre.

Probably. But at the time I could see his logic.
For anyone willing for the work it's still probably going to return more money than the same number if sucklers no matter the numbers.

frazzledhome

arrowloopboy wrote: »

I am not a farmer per say ,but we do have a farm of land,and do a bit of tillage.
the next door neighbour has just starting milking 35 cows,now as I said i'm no farmer,but in the current climate,and forward projections on the price of milk,,is this not just plain stupidity ?
In the real world ,of non subsidised business (where I operate),this would be economic suicide ,am I missing something ???

Probably get on better than some of the dreamers starting with 400 and €1.5 million borrowed on a leased farm

welton john

arrowloopboy wrote: »

I am not a farmer per say ,but we do have a farm of land,and do a bit of tillage.
the next door neighbour has just starting milking 35 cows,now as I said i'm no farmer,but in the current climate,and forward projections on the price of milk,,is this not just plain stupidity ?
In the real world ,of non subsidised business (where I operate),this would be economic suicide ,am I missing something ???

I'm going to start up milking 20~ 25 cows next year on an outfarm leased from a neighbour who is retiring.Basic setup 5 unit parlour and tank so no huge investment needed.Some lads round here will say im mad but the way I'm looking at is 4 of the 5 neighboring farmers are 60+ and no one to take over so who knows what's gonna happen in the next few years.if the chance comes up in the next few years at least I'll be in a position to lease, maybe buy and join with our own herd and be into 100 + cows.Its not all about getting in with big numbers , maybe he's thinking the same ? Maybe he's even eying up your place?;)

mf240

Why not sure. Nothing to stop him working part time along side it if he wants to.

Better than sucklers or the fcuking sheep. Id milk three times a day with a bucket plant before id keep sheep .

mf240

frazzledhome wrote: »

Probably get on better than some of the dreamers starting with 400 and €1.5 million borrowed on a leased farm

:eek::eek: go home your drunk!!!:eek::eek:

Blackgrass

welton john wrote: »

Maybe he's even eying up your place?;)

Sher he probably is, better off than another fella growing crops loosing money giving out about others who want to better there farms sher

Greengrass1

Good on him. At least he had the balls to stick to his guns in a low milk price yr. Best of luck to him

yellow50HX

Well yes there is more work then the same number of sucklers but only just. Main difference is having the time to milk and do the extra management side. Stockman work is pretty much identical as is stuff like silage, topping, spreading fert, fencing, feeding and winter housing.

I would go back to milking if I had an extra 3-4 hrs in the day or someone to milk on a Sunday. But at the mo the costs of doing it don't stack up.

Fair play to him for having a go. A well run single man operation of 50-60 cows could make the same profit of a lad with 200 cows and big bills to pay.

Farmer Pudsey

Best time to enter a market is as it is going down. By entering this year he can expand and Max out early next year. His suckler cows will bit a dairy cow and the calf is still profit.

As the stampede is going one way walk calmly in the opposite the rest will catch up with you before you get to where you are going.

Timmaay

What size parlour? If I only had like 40 cows, I'd be putting in the likes of a cheap and cheerful 10 unit (which are been thrown out left right and centre at the min), you'll never have much of a walk with that small number of cows, and only 4 rows you should be aiming to be less than an hr from bringing up the cows to closing the gate on them afterwards. You'd be doing an extra 14 hours a week over having sucklers (admitted twice a day every day very awkward), but them 14 hours should see a huge increase in profits over sucklers. Of course not that simple if you need loads other investment like cubicles/paddocks/roadways etc, but would be a runner in some circumstances.

frazzledhome

Timmaay wrote: »

What size parlour? If I only had like 40 cows, I'd be putting in the likes of a cheap and cheerful 10 unit (which are been thrown out left right and centre at the min), you'll never have much of a walk with that small number of cows, and only 4 rows you should be aiming to be less than an hr from bringing up the cows to closing the gate on them afterwards. You'd be doing an extra 14 hours a week over having sucklers (admitted twice a day every day very awkward), but them 14 hours should see a huge increase in profits over sucklers. Of course not that simple if you need loads other investment like cubicles/paddocks/roadways etc, but would be a runner in some circumstances.

If I was doing it I'd put in a 20 and no collecting yard. Was on a 60 cow farm some time ago now and 60 cows with 30 units

By the way the best decisions I've ever made were the ones where most thought I was mad!!

yellow50HX

Timmaay wrote: »

What size parlour? If I only had like 40 cows, I'd be putting in the likes of a cheap and cheerful 10 unit (which are been thrown out left right and centre at the min), you'll never have much of a walk with that small number of cows, and only 4 rows you should be aiming to be less than an hr from bringing up the cows to closing the gate on them afterwards. You'd be doing an extra 14 hours a week over having sucklers (admitted twice a day every day very awkward), but them 14 hours should see a huge increase in profits over sucklers. Of course not that simple if you need loads other investment like cubicles/paddocks/roadways etc, but would be a runner in some circumstances.

Young lad over the road started up with about 20 cows this summer. There was never a cow inside that place in about 50 years. He dad and grandfather before him were tillage and dry stock men. About 2 years ago he bought a couple of in calf heifers and then used them to double suckle calfs to build up the herd and he would sell on the bull calves and a few limo's or angus's. Only major in vestment he has made so far is building the parlour. Bought in 2nd equipment but all in very good knic but parlour can be easily extended or doubled up. Slurry storage and dairy washings going into an existing tank. Cows are bedded on home grown straw for the time being but plan is to build a new cubicle house opposite of existing cattle shed when numbers get bigger. There was always a farm roadway for bring out the beet and for the tillage machines, that has been resurfaced for cows to walk it. He still has a bit of tillage and is keeping the calfs too but the dairy side will be expanding over the next few years.
He started milking for another local dairy farmer about 3 years ago and has picked up a fair bit of knowledge from him. It also gave him a bit if extra cash for starting up. Is still milking for that fella and will do so for another few years until his own herd is big enough. Plan is to get to about 60-70 for the home spot then see where he is after that. Reckons that number is what he will be able to manage with the current set up.

frazzledhome

yellow50HX wrote: »

Young lad over the road started up with about 20 cows this summer. There was never a cow inside that place in about 50 years. He dad and grandfather before him were tillage and dry stock men. About 2 years ago he bought a couple of in calf heifers and then used them to double suckle calfs to build up the herd and he would sell on the bull calves and a few limo's or angus's. Only major in vestment he has made so far is building the parlour. Bought in 2nd equipment but all in very good knic but parlour can be easily extended or doubled up. Slurry storage and dairy washings going into an existing tank. Cows are bedded on home grown straw for the time being but plan is to build a new cubicle house opposite of existing cattle shed when numbers get bigger. There was always a farm roadway for bring out the beet and for the tillage machines, that has been resurfaced for cows to walk it. He still has a bit of tillage and is keeping the calfs too but the dairy side will be expanding over the next few years.
He started milking for another local dairy farmer about 3 years ago and has picked up a fair bit of knowledge from him. It also gave him a bit if extra cash for starting up. Is still milking for that fella and will do so for another few years until his own herd is big enough. Plan is to get to about 60-70 for the home spot then see where he is after that. Reckons that number is what he will be able to manage with the current set up.

Keep am eye on him, he'll make a great success

Dawggone

yellow50HX wrote: »

Young lad over the road started up with about 20 cows this summer. There was never a cow inside that place in about 50 years. He dad and grandfather before him were tillage and dry stock men. About 2 years ago he bought a couple of in calf heifers and then used them to double suckle calfs to build up the herd and he would sell on the bull calves and a few limo's or angus's. Only major in vestment he has made so far is building the parlour. Bought in 2nd equipment but all in very good knic but parlour can be easily extended or doubled up. Slurry storage and dairy washings going into an existing tank. Cows are bedded on home grown straw for the time being but plan is to build a new cubicle house opposite of existing cattle shed when numbers get bigger. There was always a farm roadway for bring out the beet and for the tillage machines, that has been resurfaced for cows to walk it. He still has a bit of tillage and is keeping the calfs too but the dairy side will be expanding over the next few years.
He started milking for another local dairy farmer about 3 years ago and has picked up a fair bit of knowledge from him. It also gave him a bit if extra cash for starting up. Is still milking for that fella and will do so for another few years until his own herd is big enough. Plan is to get to about 60-70 for the home spot then see where he is after that. Reckons that number is what he will be able to manage with the current set up.

You've gotta respect guys like him!
Sharp.

arrowloopboy

Blackgrass wrote: »

Sher he probably is, better off than another fella growing crops loosing money giving out about others who want to better there farms sher

Its irrelevant to me weather the guy that tills the land makes a cent or not,just as long as he pays his bills !
I get that ye all admire a guy for having a go,but answer me this,
How many of ye (not having ever milked before) would borrow money to get into dairying this year ?Would ye say its
A, A great plan
B, A middeling plan
C, Stone fcuking madness

Bear in mind,this guy isn't a go getter,other than the wife works every hour God sends,he'd be dead with the hunger.

J DEERE

arrowloopboy wrote: »

Its irrelevant to me weather the guy that tills the land makes a cent or not,just as long as he pays his bills !
I get that ye all admire a guy for having a go,but answer me this,
How many of ye (not having ever milked before) would borrow money to get into dairying this year ?Would ye say its
A, A great plan
B, A middeling plan
C, Stone fcuking madness

Bear in mind,this guy isn't a go getter,other than the wife works every hour God sends,he'd be dead with the hunger.

Depends on the farmer. What are you trying to achieve here? Whole thread stinks of bitterness

Blackgrass

J DEERE wrote: »

Depends on the farmer. What are you trying to achieve here? Whole thread stinks of bitterness

You may be right

arrowloopboy wrote: »

Its irrelevant to me weather the guy that tills the land/goes milking makes a cent or not,just as long as he pays his bills !
I get that ye all admire a guy for having a go,but answer me this,
How many of ye (not having ever milkedCropped before) would borrow money to get into dairying/Tillage this year ?Would ye say its
A, A great plan
B, A middeling plan
C, Stone fcuking madness

Bear in mind,this guy isn't a go getter,other than the wife works every hour God sends,he'd be dead with the hunger.

Change a few words and it could be the same for your own place renting to a guy for tillage.

Mulumpy

Every circumstance is different. If ya have another income coming in and your drawings from farm are minimal for a few years then it's definitely a runner.

keep going

yellow50HX wrote: »

Young lad over the road started up with about 20 cows this summer. There was never a cow inside that place in about 50 years. He dad and grandfather before him were tillage and dry stock men. About 2 years ago he bought a couple of in calf heifers and then used them to double suckle calfs to build up the herd and he would sell on the bull calves and a few limo's or angus's. Only major in vestment he has made so far is building the parlour. Bought in 2nd equipment but all in very good knic but parlour can be easily extended or doubled up. Slurry storage and dairy washings going into an existing tank. Cows are bedded on home grown straw for the time being but plan is to build a new cubicle house opposite of existing cattle shed when numbers get bigger. There was always a farm roadway for bring out the beet and for the tillage machines, that has been resurfaced for cows to walk it. He still has a bit of tillage and is keeping the calfs too but the dairy side will be expanding over the next few years.
He started milking for another local dairy farmer about 3 years ago and has picked up a fair bit of knowledge from him. It also gave him a bit if extra cash for starting up. Is still milking for that fella and will do so for another few years until his own herd is big enough. Plan is to get to about 60-70 for the home spot then see where he is after that. Reckons that number is what he will be able to manage with the current set up.

And thats how you do it.

jaymla627

yellow50HX wrote: »

Well yes there is more work then the same number of sucklers but only just. Main difference is having the time to milk and do the extra management side. Stockman work is pretty much identical as is stuff like silage, topping, spreading fert, fencing, feeding and winter housing.

I would go back to milking if I had an extra 3-4 hrs in the day or someone to milk on a Sunday. But at the mo the costs of doing it don't stack up.

Fair play to him for having a go. A well run single man operation of 50-60 cows could make the same profit of a lad with 200 cows and big bills to pay.

Would call bs on their only been marginally more work with sucklers used to run 100 sucklers here part time basically was in school/collage at the time and the old chap was working full time, apart from calving time 20 hours a week would easily manage the sucklers and you weren't tied to them, milking here now and workload has easily trebled....
Whatever about sucklers losing money at least your not up at half 5 every morning, would reckon a lad milking 30-40 cows wouldn't long be losing intrest in the winter when say cows are maybe doing 300 litres a day our 75 euro a day for your troubles at milk at 25 cent a litre

Greengrass1

yellow50HX wrote: »

Young lad over the road started up with about 20 cows this summer. There was never a cow inside that place in about 50 years. He dad and grandfather before him were tillage and dry stock men. About 2 years ago he bought a couple of in calf heifers and then used them to double suckle calfs to build up the herd and he would sell on the bull calves and a few limo's or angus's. Only major in vestment he has made so far is building the parlour. Bought in 2nd equipment but all in very good knic but parlour can be easily extended or doubled up. Slurry storage and dairy washings going into an existing tank. Cows are bedded on home grown straw for the time being but plan is to build a new cubicle house opposite of existing cattle shed when numbers get bigger. There was always a farm roadway for bring out the beet and for the tillage machines, that has been resurfaced for cows to walk it. He still has a bit of tillage and is keeping the calfs too but the dairy side will be expanding over the next few years.
He started milking for another local dairy farmer about 3 years ago and has picked up a fair bit of knowledge from him. It also gave him a bit if extra cash for starting up. Is still milking for that fella and will do so for another few years until his own herd is big enough. Plan is to get to about 60-70 for the home spot then see where he is after that. Reckons that number is what he will be able to manage with the current set up.

Hope you don't mind me saying but maybe that's your route into dairying? Is he bounding you?
If so could you go the partnership route with him. He'll be able to do milking

kevthegaff

I started 8 years ago at 24, had old cubicles and a shed that was milked in 10 yrs previous, started with 40 cows, bought and installed meself 12 unit for 5500, meal throughs i built with concrete,, bulk tank 1k installed, bucked meal for first 4 years, started with zero quota, rearing 100 calves to feed milk till the 1st april, pure hardship but it was worth it, lucky the banks were very obliging back then thank god. Think i was the only new supplier in arrabawn that year. Now i have 120 cows and 40 followers, 160 cubicles, 12k tank, silage slab, collecting yard and meal feeders!! I was lucky with the mountain i obtained but i pay rent and inherited a sizeable loan. Once you work hard and learn from your mistakes(i made lots of them, especially the odd sunday morning)ye have a great chance of making it. That guy could be milking more cows and more profit then the rest of us 10 yrs from now.

Greengrass1

kevthegaff wrote: »

I started 8 years ago at 24, had old cubicles and a shed that was milked in 10 yrs previous, started with 40 cows, bought and installed meself 12 unit for 5500, meal throughs i built with concrete,, bulk tank 1k installed, bucked meal for first 4 years, started with zero quota, rearing 100 calves to feed milk till the 1st april, pure hardship but it was worth it, lucky the banks were very obliging back then thank god. Think i was the only new supplier in arrabawn that year. Now i have 120 cows and 40 followers, 160 cubicles, 12k tank, silage slab, collecting yard and meal feeders!! I was lucky with the mountain i obtained but i pay rent and inherited a sizeable loan. Once you work hard and learn from your mistakes(i made lots of them, especially the odd sunday morning)ye have a great chance of making it. That guy could be milking more cows and more profit then the rest of us 10 yrs from now.

Fair play to ye kev. Was watching the wex/kk match on Sunday and at the half time commentary one of the panelists said wexford are to lazy to take the chance. They have to see a clear path ahead if them. Kk will whip it off you with both hands. And that to me really summed up alot of ppl I would know around. Not all. but some are just moaners and don't want to put themselves out there

arrowloopboy

Blackgrass wrote: »

You may be right


Change a few words and it could be the same for your own place renting to a guy for tillage.

I totally agree,its not possible to make a decent roi tilling your own land,never mind a guy that has to rent the land before he starts.
If somebody gave ya 300 acres of good land ,you might make a few bob,but paying a couple of hundred an acre first to rent land ,madness .
Christmas trees look good for a passive investment .

Deepsouthwest

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Fair play to ye kev. Was watching the wex/kk match on Sunday and at the half time commentary one of the panelists said wexford are to lazy to take the chance. They have to see a clear path ahead if them. Kk will whip it off you with both hands. And that to me really summed up alot of ppl I would know around. Not all. but some are just moaners and don't want to put themselves out there

That's a great analogy, must remember it. Who was the commentator?

keep going

kevthegaff wrote: »

I started 8 years ago at 24, had old cubicles and a shed that was milked in 10 yrs previous, started with 40 cows, bought and installed meself 12 unit for 5500, meal throughs i built with concrete,, bulk tank 1k installed, bucked meal for first 4 years, started with zero quota, rearing 100 calves to feed milk till the 1st april, pure hardship but it was worth it, lucky the banks were very obliging back then thank god. Think i was the only new supplier in arrabawn that year. Now i have 120 cows and 40 followers, 160 cubicles, 12k tank, silage slab, collecting yard and meal feeders!! I was lucky with the mountain i obtained but i pay rent and inherited a sizeable loan. Once you work hard and learn from your mistakes(i made lots of them, especially the odd sunday morning)ye have a great chance of making it. That guy could be milking more cows and more profit then the rest of us 10 yrs from now.

And the best of it all is you were happy out at it:-).whereas some would see it as pure misery

mf240

kevthegaff wrote: »

I started 8 years ago at 24, had old cubicles and a shed that was milked in 10 yrs previous, started with 40 cows, bought and installed meself 12 unit for 5500, meal throughs i built with concrete,, bulk tank 1k installed, bucked meal for first 4 years, started with zero quota, rearing 100 calves to feed milk till the 1st april, pure hardship but it was worth it, lucky the banks were very obliging back then thank god. Think i was the only new supplier in arrabawn that year. Now i have 120 cows and 40 followers, 160 cubicles, 12k tank, silage slab, collecting yard and meal feeders!! I was lucky with the mountain i obtained but i pay rent and inherited a sizeable loan. Once you work hard and learn from your mistakes(i made lots of them, especially the odd sunday morning)ye have a great chance of making it. That guy could be milking more cows and more profit then the rest of us 10 yrs from now.

And your neighbours prob thought you were mad. !!!

Hard to beat getting started in your twenties. I bet you wouldnt like to have to start all over again.

kowtow

keep going wrote: »

And the best of it all is you were happy out at it:-).whereas some would see it as pure misery

I think that's actually a bigger part of it than people imagine.

There are infinitely worse ways to spend a day than milking cows. It's very easy to be cynical about the current drive for expansion, and it's right to question it but in the end I think the farming world breaks down into dairymen (male & female) and others.

We all milk for profit in our different ways, but profit or not I don't think anyone would last long milking for money alone.

Greengrass1

Deepsouthwest wrote: »

That's a great analogy, must remember it. Who was the commentator?

Ger loughnane I'm nearly sure

kevthegaff

mf240 wrote: »

And your neighbours prob thought you were mad. !!!

Hard to beat getting started in your twenties. I bet you wouldnt like to have to start all over again.

Yep i think you have to be young tbh, made s $$t load of errors, but your not long learning! Lads were saying what yer at? Why are u putting in that size of a parlour, would six not do! Ill be putting in a 20 unit in the nxt 2 years, these lads drive me on more:-D! Remember laying blocks freezing in december at 10 at night, dont think id be able to now. The worst thing about starting young is certain contractors, merchants dont respect u as much, ive had to change a few:-D

Jimlh86

The worst thing you could do is be held back by what others think. If that man thinks it's right for him to go into dairying then fair play to him! The lad looking across the ditch is usually a know it all and does nothing only comment on others...

davidk1394

im thinking about going dairying in a few years. we have a drystock farm at the moment. a fella said to me last week "theres a lot less work and a lot more money outta 90 cows instead of the contracting". he was right in what he said and maybe 4-5 years time after i get sick and tired of machines and get this degree id like to go milk cows

Greengrass1

davidk1394 wrote: »

im thinking about going dairying in a few years. we have a drystock farm at the moment. a fella said to me last week "theres a lot less work and a lot more money outta 90 cows instead of the contracting". he was right in what he said and maybe 4-5 years time after i get sick and tired of machines and get this degree id like to go milk cows

Will you need much investment ?
presume you are reseeding atm?

Farmer Pudsey

It a no brainer if you want to farm full time he main disadvantage is you are kinda tied to the farm. A lad with 50-60 good acres around a house is capable of milking a cow to the acre maybe a bit more. To be intensive with sucklers is not much more profitable that being extensive.

OP the lad changing over near you still has his SFP. A middling dairy farmer can still make a good income in drystock. The best time to enter is when the cycle is at its lowest. While we suffer at 25c/L intensive producers off grain in the rest of Europe and the US cannot survive at 25c/L. If the harvest is good this year we may trundle along at 25-30c/L for 18 months. However most other production systems need 28c/l to break even

Your neighbour has one advantage and that is he still has his SFP. He will still have his beef enterprise and can carry his few calves to 18 months in the medium term(5 years) I get rid of both and max the cows. Even 50 cows will leave him an income of 40+K in real terms. Most lads that I see milking 70ish cows seem to have incomes comparable to good profession jobs.

farmerjj

davidk1394 wrote: »

im thinking about going dairying in a few years. we have a drystock farm at the moment. a fella said to me last week "theres a lot less work and a lot more money outta 90 cows instead of the contracting". he was right in what he said and maybe 4-5 years time after i get sick and tired of machines and get this degree id like to go milk cows

I agree totally, but in saying that some fellas on here don't think family farms (70-100 cows) will be around in ten years time, that you'll need massive numbers to just make the same profit,if there correct what's any fella doing gettin into dairying unless he has a big block of land behind him so he can get cow numbers up

J DEERE

farmerjj wrote: »

I agree totally, but in saying that some fellas on here don't think family farms (70-100 cows) will be around in ten years time, that you'll need massive numbers to just make the same profit,if there correct what's any fella doing gettin into dairying unless he has a big block of land behind him so he can get cow numbers up

I don't see that happening. They've been predicting the same thing for the last 30 years. Scaremongering from co-ops who want to fill the tank in two or three collections, small farmers with defeatist attitudes and their neighbors who are eyeing up their ground

Willfarman

Well done Kevin. Impressive stuff. A guy in my part of country that exited dairying about 8 years ago for the lure of the golden building game is getting back into it. 200 cows and a robotic parlour. All on borrowed money I would imagine. Nuts or would it pay? He was good at it when he was at it.

davidk1394

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Will you need much investment ?
presume you are reseeding atm?

We reseed 10% a year. I was thinking of going indoors our farm is too fragmented to have it out doors. If it was indoors i could run about 300 if all went to "plan". We have a good land base ourselves but its fragmented and cousins of ours next door dont really have much interest in farming if i could rent that it would mean i could expand more. Its all only a pipe dream at the moment so i can still dream

Farmer Pudsey

kowtow wrote: »

I think that's actually a bigger part of it than people imagine.

There are infinitely worse ways to spend a day than milking cows. It's very easy to be cynical about the current drive for expansion, and it's right to question it but in the end I think the farming world breaks down into dairymen (male & female) and others.

We all milk for profit in our different ways, but profit or not I don't think anyone would last long milking for money alone.

The thing is it is hard to last farming without profit. Dairying is the only feasible option for a lad with less than 100 acres to farm fulltime unless he is willing to rent that again and spend 2-4 day a week around the ring buying cattle.

At grain he need three times that land and be renting as much more maybe. It funny ( even funny peculiar) a lad can have 150K tied up in machinery and as much more borrowed working 100 hour weeks at tillage and nobody takes any notice yet we all worry about the lad borrowing 1K/cow

davidk1394 wrote: »

im thinking about going dairying in a few years. we have a drystock farm at the moment. a fella said to me last week "theres a lot less work and a lot more money outta 90 cows instead of the contracting". he was right in what he said and maybe 4-5 years time after i get sick and tired of machines and get this degree id like to go milk cows

The only contractors I see that are wealthy are those with SFP of way over 50K and running nice sized dairy operations as well. Cows are the only game in town unless oil stays below 60 dollors a barrell

farmerjj wrote: »

I agree totally, but in saying that some fellas on here don't think family farms (70-100 cows) will be around in ten years time, that you'll need massive numbers to just make the same profit,if there correct what's any fella doing gettin into dairying unless he has a big block of land behind him so he can get cow numbers up

Lads milking this number of cows are not going away for the next 20 years unless something drastic changes. There labour costs are minimal they usually run tight operation that are either low input or high output. They have the edge on the larger operator in that they can do everything right.

Willfarman wrote: »

Well done Kevin. Impressive stuff. A guy in my part of country that exited dairying about 8 years ago for the lure of the golden building game is getting back into it. 200 cows and a robotic parlour. All on borrowed money I would imagine. Nuts or would it pay? He was good at it when he was at it.

First thing it is like riding a bike he will not have forgotten any of the skills, secondly he will have the business skills that he learned at the building. Ideally he should have waited until late this year or early next for the present price slump to workout, if he can survive the next two years he be turning over serious money. However it is all dependent on how much he borrows.

yellow50HX

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Hope you don't mind me saying but maybe that's your route into dairying? Is he bounding you?
If so could you go the partnership route with him. He'll be able to do milking

No we are not bouncing each other he is about 2 miles away. He was asking my dad a few questions on the workload and everything before he started. We give him a hand from time to time when it comes to the calving and so on. With him running the home place, starting his own dairy herd and milking. A few hundred cows up the road he isn't looking for more outside work but yes someone like him would be good to have in a partnership but finding them is different.

caseman

arrowloopboy wrote: »

I am not a farmer per say ,but we do have a farm of land,and do a bit of tillage.
the next door neighbour has just starting milking 35 cows,now as I said i'm no farmer,but in the current climate,and forward projections on the price of milk,,is this not just plain stupidity ?
In the real world ,of non subsidised business (where I operate),this would be economic suicide ,am I missing something ???

I started dairy farming this year and i don't think i'm mad.
Still working of farm at the moment cow numbers at 38 and another 10 more coming next week.
Hoping to go to 70 next year and go farming full time.

mf240

caseman wrote: »

I started dairy farming this year and i don't think i'm mad.
Still working of farm at the moment cow numbers at 38 and another 10 more coming next week.
Hoping to go to 70 next year and go farming full time.

What kind of money are cows at the moment? Dont have to answer if im being a nosey git.