Starting off in dairy

jocksie

heres d story lads we've a small dairy farm and its looking like d old man is retiring and I'm just wondering about the possibility of taking over he's milking 40 cows at the moment with 12 heifers and 12 yearling on the farm,the milking platform is around 25ha including silage and we take maybe 5/6!acres for the yearlings,is it only ever a part time enterprise or is it possible to make it a full time operation,no land to rent around the house either,thanks

visatorro

jocksie wrote: »

heres d story lads we've a small dairy farm and its looking like d old man is retiring and I'm just wondering about the possibility of taking over he's milking 40 cows at the moment with 12 heifers and 12 yearling on the farm,the milking platform is around 25ha including silage and we take maybe 5/6!acres for the yearlings,is it only ever a part time enterprise or is it possible to make it a full time operation,no land to rent around the house either,thanks

Any other land?
What's the yard like?

Signpost

Depending on land type could potentially just buy in your replacements and silage and go for a higher stocking rate? Currently stocked at about 2 across the farm but only 1.5 for cows (excuse my maths if wrong, its late!). Take it up to 3 / 3.5 Lu p/ha and just focus on milk? Big increase in the tank if you can double your cow numbers, even without renting land.
If you want to make it a full time enterprise go for it, I done something very similar and its working out well for me but the work involved shouldn't be underestimated. Trying to increase your stocking rate is costly and a slow progression if you want to avoid heavy borrowings for it but life's a chance, if its what you want to do whats the harm in trying?

jocksie

visatorro wrote: »

Any other land?
What's the yard like?

It's fair to middling!only 1 other field we use for silage around 3 acres is all

Bass Reeves

I think if I had a job I be looking at going into drystock. In a way it would depend on the land. If it was very good dry land yes. But the question you ask is if you take it to 60+ cows what extra land will you have to rent and will it be viable.

If it is good land you may get away with 60ish cows without renting a huge amount extra. If it is only middling land you will next to have a good bit of land rented for silage, rearing heifers etc. A drystock operation with the job migh be way more viable.

Panch18

many options available to you
1. develop what you have, you are lightly stocked, increase soil fertility, reseed, grow more grass, increase cow numbers
2. decide what you want to do with replacements, buy in or rear your own. If rearing your own rent a bit of land and get them off the home place
3. Get a job and go to once a day milking - security of income from a job, reduced workload with the once a day milking. Don't get a job that's too demanding
4. Get a job and go for drystock. Get yourself a decent job and rear 60 calves to year and half. Security of income from the job, small workload and a fair wedge of cash coming in at the end of the year

jocksie

Yeah I'd prefer to stay in dairy to be honest I think renting and getting the heifers away from the home place is d best option