Dairy Chit Chat- Please read Mod note in post #1

Dawggone

Waffletraktor wrote: »

If you go into married life these days hoping someone else will subsidise your business, be in a position to lose half the farm at some stage!

+1.

Back home OH was a CS and I never saw any of 'her' money.

OverRide

Dawggone wrote: »

Just read a report from the major French agri accountants saying that at 30cpl a farm family will need 1million litres of production (700tons ms) to earn a proper wage and be able to reinvest back into the farm...interesting.


I'll try and post it and maybe Kowtow would translate.

I heard the same from prof Seamus Sheehy at UCD nearly 40 years ago...

Waffletraktor

OverRide wrote: »

I heard the same from prof Seamus Sheehy at UCD nearly 40 years ago...

I think is depends if you want a living or surviving...

Dawggone

OverRide wrote: »

I heard the same from prof Seamus Sheehy at UCD nearly 40 years ago...

It was coming to be 35yrs ago but quotas prolonged the inevitable by 31yrs...you remember the green pound so?

Timmaay

blackdog1 wrote: »

It can still survive but in a different way. Father and son can work together and mother and wife can have off farm jobs. Think the days of everyone working on the farm are finished. Farms will have to be upgraded so 1 man can manage if any problems arise. Start having a family younger

Or later...

Dawggone

blackdog1 wrote: »

It can still survive but in a different way. Father and son can work together and mother and wife can have off farm jobs. Think the days of everyone working on the farm are finished. Farms will have to be upgraded so 1 man can manage if any problems arise. Start having a family younger

So outside income needed to keep afloat?

I for one wouldn't bust my gut for 'survival', and I'd kick any son/daughter out the door rather than subject them to that kind of life.

I was talking to someone lately that pointed out that dairy is different to other agri sectors because you're pretty much married to cows and very little time for other enterprises.

OverRide

Dawggone wrote: »

It was coming to be 35yrs ago but quotas prolonged the inevitable by 31yrs...you remember the green pound so?

I do indeed,the queues for petrol and the gigantic interest rates
I also remember a thousand pounds for cull cows straight out of the parlour , and a lad from 7 to 6 for a 100 quid a week,lots of things,I've seen
Don't get me wrong,I just think 80 cows is about the peak for a one man operation not a 100 if you want to stay healthy and if you can get a 7 or 8 gallon daily average out of them at peak months,keep your borrowings under a grand a month in repayments ,sell your surplus calves and pay a lad for Tuesday's Thursday's and Sunday's,you'll do ok at 30c/l
Loss making at 20c/l

whelan2

Ye are showing your age there lads. Spent alot of the day looking for were fence is earthing on outfarm. Total prick of a job. Have to go back tomorrow

Dawggone

OverRide wrote: »

I do indeed,the queues for petrol and the gigantic interest rates
I also remember a thousand pounds for cull cows straight out of the parlour , and a lad from 7 to 6 for a 100 quid a week,lots of things,I've seen
Don't get me wrong,I just think 80 cows is about the peak for a one man operation not a 100 if you want to stay healthy and if you can get a 7 or 8 gallon daily average out of them at peak months,keep your borrowings under a grand a month in repayments ,sell your surplus calves and pay a lad for Tuesday's Thursday's and Sunday's,you'll do ok at 30c/l
Loss making at 20c/l

So how long will you stay at it on 22 - 25cpl?

Timmaay

Dawggone wrote: »

Agreed.

Can't post the report.

At that level of production you'd be looking at a good few cows more than just 70.
What's going to happen to the 100cow family farm?...get bigger or get out?

The 105 acres of grassland here should in theory only support about 75cows and followers if we were still a closed system. Largely a no brainer for me to buy in all winter fodder, replacement heifers, and stock here to 130+cows instead, simpler system, more output, and less labour needed.

OverRide

Dawggone wrote: »

So how long will you stay at it on 22 - 25cpl?

Another few years after 2017 if it goes above 25 which it will
This year I'm subbing it with past years profits,which I'm pretty sure Bergin and crew aren't with previous years wages
I'm with you all the way in disuading the lads to go at it though after they're done college as there are better things to be doing

OverRide

Timmaay wrote: »

The 105 acres of grassland here should in theory only support about 75cows and followers if we were still a closed system. Largely a no brainer for me to buy in all winter fodder, replacement heifers, and stock here to 130+cows instead, simpler system, more output, and less labour needed.

Jebus young lad, 90 cows
No more
Oh and let that milking parlour be the last bit of money you borrow
Also if the woman won't get in to the back sate with you in a car more than 5 years old,she's not worth it!
There are many apples in the orchard

Dawggone

OverRide wrote: »

Another few years after 2017 if it goes above 25 which it will
This year I'm subbing it with past years profits,which I'm pretty sure Bergin and crew aren't with previous years wages
I'm with you all the way in disuading the lads to go at it though after they're done college as there are better things to be doing

+1.

If a son/daughter was to come back to 3k+acres after a good business degree, and had the passion for it, I'd support them...now to get the 3k+acres...!

I've siblings working in big business that reckon I'm insane for working so hard. They're right.

blackdog1

Waffletraktor wrote:

If you go into married life these days hoping someone else will subsidise your business, be in a position to lose half the farm at some stage!

Who said anything about subsidising my business???. Just 2 people bringing in cash flow same as every other married couple.

Waffletraktor

blackdog1 wrote: »

Who said anything about subsidising my business???. Just 2 people bringing in cash flow same as every other married couple.

:pac:

Dawggone

Timmaay wrote: »

The 105 acres of grassland here should in theory only support about 75cows and followers if we were still a closed system. Largely a no brainer for me to buy in all winter fodder, replacement heifers, and stock here to 130+cows instead, simpler system, more output, and less labour needed.

You've a degree in engineering or something? Can you earn more in dairy farming than a 40/50hr week in your profession?

Dawggone

blackdog1 wrote: »

Who said anything about subsidising my business???. Just 2 people bringing in cash flow same as every other married couple.

Ahhhmm, my OH never considered her wage as cash flow!

I'm thinking that there's a difference between cash flow and earnings...if OHs earnings are cash flow then she/he is an income stream for the business...

jaymla627

OverRide wrote: »

I do indeed,the queues for petrol and the gigantic interest rates
I also remember a thousand pounds for cull cows straight out of the parlour , and a lad from 7 to 6 for a 100 quid a week,lots of things,I've seen
Don't get me wrong,I just think 80 cows is about the peak for a one man operation not a 100 if you want to stay healthy and if you can get a 7 or 8 gallon daily average out of them at peak months,keep your borrowings under a grand a month in repayments ,sell your surplus calves and pay a lad for Tuesday's Thursday's and Sunday's,you'll do ok at 30c/l
Loss making at 20c/l

Dawggone wrote: »

Ahhhmm, my OH never considered her wage as cash flow!

I'm thinking that there's a difference between cash flow and earnings...if OHs earnings are cash flow then she/he is an income stream for the business...

Well known cork based agri-consultant does just that even includes the children's allowance I think from reading one of his articles trying to justify a client expanding and doubling cow numbers, and borrowing a hape of money in the process

blackdog1

Dawggone wrote:

I'm thinking that there's a difference between cash flow and earnings...if OHs earnings are cash flow then she/he is an income stream for the business...

No was thinking of her wage as a luxury not as money going into the business.if business can't support itself there is no point using another person's income to prop it up.

Dawggone

jaymla627 wrote: »

Well known cork based agri-consultant does just that even includes the children's allowance I think from reading one of his articles trying to justify a client expanding and doubling cow numbers, and borrowing a hape of money in the process

Lol.
Jezus wept!

Children's allowance?? :)

Why the hell would anyone factor that in just to turn more grass to milk that nobody wants? Funny old world...

trixi2011

anyone dose 1st lactation heifers for worms ? have heifers from 2 farms in the herd one group look going well while the other group lacking milk and condition not as good. will do a dung sample this week just wondering has anyone done anything about worms

Dawggone

blackdog1 wrote: »

if business can't support itself there is no point using another person's income to prop it up.

Print that out and staple it on the milking parlor whiteboard.

Never a truer word! Well said.












Now how will we categorize the children's allowance....?

whelan2

trixi2011 wrote: »

anyone dose 1st lactation heifers for worms ? have heifers from 2 farms in the herd one group look going well while the other group lacking milk and condition not as good. will do a dung sample this week just wondering has anyone done anything about worms

Yes use eprinex or cheapest equivalent around this time of year

whelan2

Dawggone wrote: »

Lol.
Jezus wept!

Children's allowance?? :)

Why the hell would anyone factor that in just to turn more grass to milk that nobody wants? Funny old world...

Childrens allowance wouldnt pay for much in fairness

Waffletraktor

Dawggone wrote: »

+1.

Back home OH was a CS and I never saw any of 'her' money.

Depends, atm Little miss chief is forefiting payment for reasons. So whats left after expenses is "ours" here for the moment.
She is as far removed from your typical farmers wife as you would find, wouldnt expect her to endure the long suffering duties from times past for one thing it would be a lonely bed pretty quick.

Dawggone

whelan2 wrote: »

Childrens allowance wouldnt pay for much in fairness

I wouldn't know Whelan...but I do know of a dole man that reckoned it was a good earner...he had 14 children. Maybe you're not thinking enough about "scale"!

jaymla627

whelan2 wrote: »

Childrens allowance wouldnt pay for much in fairness

It's just a symptom of a massive problem where all types of figures are cobbled together to try and show that theirs great money to be made at all this dairy lark.....
Most telling piece of paper I seen was a cashflow planner from Glanbia recently that had a segment especially for farm assit payments as part of income it's laughable things are going this way

Dawggone

Waffletraktor wrote: »

wouldnt expect her to endure the long suffering duties from times past for one thing it would be a lonely bed pretty quick.

Exactly.

Dawggone

jaymla627 wrote: »

It's just a symptom of a massive problem where all types of figures are cobbled together to try and show that theirs great money to be made at all this dairy lark.....
Most telling piece of paper I seen was a cashflow planner from Glanbia recenrly that had a segment especially for farm assit payments as part of income it's laughable things are going this way

Why?

Things have been like this before.
It's never been an everlasting sunshine and roses....for some.

Buford T. Justice XIX

whelan2 wrote: »

Ye are showing your age there lads. Spent alot of the day looking for were fence is earthing on outfarm. Total prick of a job. Have to go back tomorrow

I had that problem last week before we headed off on holidays. The connections on the fencer and earth and wire had corroded so I had to replace both after a day scratching my head trying to figure it out.

Then went spreading in a hurry and never checked the pins on the spreader like I usually do and it duly came off and warped the driveshaft on the spreader. Must get parts tomorrow and get sorted for a dept TB test on Wednesday.

It's good to be back :pac: