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

Water John · 10-07-2016 12:52PM

Conor best of luck. Keep us posted.
Kerry, the point being made about the number of cows is, how many can be managed at ease by a single farmer or farm family without working all God's hours. How many extra cows then would it be able to manage with an additional skilled worker.

awaywithyou · 10-07-2016 01:58PM

kerry cow wrote: »

It does nt matter what yield the cows do .It's the net profit per cow that is important and a cow back in calf , calving consistently each year . Herd size , and yield is pub talk , but you rarely hear about net profit per cow talked from the high stool., why because most haven't a clue . I would rather have 70 profitable cows than 100 empty non profit making cows .

Many cows per labour unit by yourself??

I'm talking more bout how many litres one man could produce rather than how many cows he could manage as there can be a huge difference between the yields of the different types of cows.... But of course low yielding cow can be as profitable as high yielding ladies....

kowtow · 10-07-2016 03:39PM

kerry cow wrote: »

It does nt matter what yield the cows do .It's the net profit per cow that is important and a cow back in calf , calving consistently each year . Herd size , and yield is pub talk , but you rarely hear about net profit per cow talked from the high stool., why because most haven't a clue . I would rather have 70 profitable cows than 100 empty non profit making cows .

Net profit per cow / return on investment is probably the best overall goal, but you need to be able to consider the major factors that get you there, and the yield (or perhaps in Ireland the solids) delivered per labour unit, within the limits of owned land, are going to be a very big factor in whether a farm is tenable for a full time income over the next few years.

If you start (as Irish dairy accounting often does) at the point where you throw away proper accounting discipline and treat the inherited 55 acres and a herd of 70 odd cows as a free asset, the next obvious question is whether a family is going to be able to eat on their output. If average farmgate milk is 25c over the next 3 or 4 years I would suggest that is a tall order. That is really the central question posed by the agriland article.

If it's a salary you are after I would think that the difference between 70 cows producing 750K litres and 70 cows producing 400K litres might be a very important one, when the choice in front of you is whether to purchase land or purchase nuts.

mahoney_j · 10-07-2016 03:45PM

kowtow wrote: »

Net profit per cow / return on investment is probably the best overall goal, but you need to be able to consider the major factors that get you there, and the yield (or perhaps in Ireland the solids) delivered per labour unit, within the limits of owned land, are going to be a very big factor in whether a farm is tenable for a full time income over the next few years.

If you start (as Irish dairy accounting often does) at the point where you throw away proper accounting discipline and treat the inherited 55 acres and a herd of 70 odd cows as a free asset, the next obvious question is whether a family is going to be able to eat on their output. If average farmgate milk is 25c over the next 3 or 4 years I would suggest that is a tall order. That is really the central question posed by the agriland article.

If it's a salary you are after I would think that the difference between 70 cows producing 750K litres and 70 cows producing 400K litres might be a very important one, when the choice in front of you is whether to purchase land or purchase nuts.

+10000 excellent point made there

C0N0R · 10-07-2016 04:36PM

mahoney_j wrote: »

Best of luck Conor ,alamari I presume .keep us updated here

Cheers, yea Almarai, will be interesting and will throw an update in here now and again

freedominacup · 10-07-2016 04:49PM

C0N0R wrote: »

Cheers, yea Almarai, will be interesting and will throw an update in here now and again

Now and again won't cut it. We'll give you a couple of weeks to get your bearings and then we'll be worse than your mother for guilting if we're not hearing from you enough. Best of luck

kowtow · 10-07-2016 05:01PM

freedominacup wrote: »

Now and again won't cut it. We'll give you a couple of weeks to get your bearings and then we'll be worse than your mother for guilting if we're not hearing from you enough. Best of luck

Yup, if the Glanbia sales guys in Lagos can check in here every half hour or so I don't see why you can't!

Base price · 10-07-2016 08:41PM

whelan2 wrote: »

Just saw a swallows nest in the corner of the dairy, I know it shouldnt be there but how long do they use the nest for? My dad said it's bad luck to move the nest.

A pair made a nest in the two cow trailer. I kept an eye on the chicks and they fledged about 3 weeks ago but no sooner had they gone when there was another 4 eggs in the nest.
A neighbour told me that they can rear 3 clutches a year :eek:

whelan2 · 10-07-2016 08:44PM

Base price wrote: »

A pair made a nest in the two cow trailer. I kept an eye on the chicks and they fledged about 3 weeks ago but no sooner had they gone when there was another 4 eggs in the nest.
A neighbour told me that they can rear 3 clutches a year :eek:

Feck, doesnt seem to be chicks in there yet, will get a ladder tomorrow and have a look

stretch film · 10-07-2016 09:06PM

whelan2 wrote: »

Feck, doesnt seem to be chicks in there yet, will get a ladder tomorrow and have a look

And while your up there.......

whelan2 · 10-07-2016 09:09PM

stretch film wrote: »

And while your up there.......

Will see whats in there first

CowMeister · 10-07-2016 10:12PM

What kgs of milk solids is everyone doing. 1.82 here. Happy enough with that but protein is quite low at 3.22.

mahoney_j · 10-07-2016 10:19PM

CowMeister wrote: »

What kgs of milk solids is everyone doing. 1.82 here. Happy enough with that but protein is quite low at 3.22.

2.2 here fat 4.15 p 3.53 .p back 0.14 on same week last year but fat up 0.4 .feeding 3.7 kg 14% nut

whelan2 · 10-07-2016 10:22PM

CowMeister wrote: »

What kgs of milk solids is everyone doing. 1.82 here. Happy enough with that but protein is quite low at 3.22.

Why is your pr 3.22? Whats your bf?

orm0nd · 10-07-2016 10:44PM

CowMeister wrote:

What kgs of milk solids is everyone doing. 1.82 here. Happy enough with that but protein is quite low at 3.22.

2.18

CowMeister · 10-07-2016 10:47PM

whelan2 wrote: »

Why is your pr 3.22? Whats your bf?

Pr is 3.32 ( sorry my fat fingers). Bf is 3.95

Timmaay · 10-07-2016 11:39PM

CowMeister wrote: »

Pr is 3.32 ( sorry my fat fingers). Bf is 3.95

Whats grass quality like? What sort of cow, liquid HO? Bf in around the 3.9 here, pr has been very close to 3.5 all the summer. Litres back to 22l now but near 30% heifers who have been milking since early Feb.

ted_182 · 11-07-2016 08:54AM

Circa 1.95 ms/day 24.55 litres @ 4.04 f and 3.66 p 2kg of barley + hulls mix with cal mag 40% heifers 100% of the farm baled bullinh activity gone very quiet all in all very happy

whelan2 · 11-07-2016 10:23AM

Dawggone wrote: »

Article on Agriland forecasting that 70 cow herds will need off farm employment...assuming low debt levels.

I think that you could nearly double that figure.

:rolleyes:http://www.farmersjournal.ie/there-s-no-future-in-a-50-cow-herd-215075/

yosemitesam1 · 11-07-2016 10:44AM

whelan2 wrote: »

:rolleyes:http://www.farmersjournal.ie/there-s-no-future-in-a-50-cow-herd-215075/

Wouldnt be paying too much attention to him

http://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/new-dairy-entrants-need-a-big-bang-approach/

Sillycave · 11-07-2016 11:58AM

Want to use Forefront T on aftergrass (docks mostly but some thistles and nettles too), these fields will be used for silage next year also, if this okay?

darragh_haven · 11-07-2016 12:14PM

Sillycave wrote: »

Want to use Forefront T on aftergrass (docks mostly but some thistles and nettles too), these fields will be used for silage next year also, if this okay?

No problem using it for that. But the ground cant be used for a root crop for a couple of years. And the slurry from cattle grazing the ground cant be spread on a ground used for growing a root crop.

CowMeister · 11-07-2016 12:39PM

Timmaay wrote: »

Whats grass quality like? What sort of cow, liquid HO? Bf in around the 3.9 here, pr has been very close to 3.5 all the summer. Litres back to 22l now but near 30% heifers who have been milking since early Feb.

Grass quality be poor enough the last 2/3 weeks. Grass got v. strong v. quick. (Should of took more out for baling). Cows would be HO alright but Bf and pr % would be decent enough overall

Dawggone · 11-07-2016 01:07PM

whelan2 wrote: »

:rolleyes:http://www.farmersjournal.ie/there-s-no-future-in-a-50-cow-herd-215075/

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.

Buford T. Justice XIX · 11-07-2016 01:12PM

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.

That's the thing though.

You can earn a living from the farm but will you earn enough to keep the farm in good shape as well?

3 the square · 11-07-2016 01:26PM

Any one any experience with spraying off grass land with clear all and maken bale silage of it?
How dld the silage turn out?

freedominacup · 11-07-2016 02:51PM

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.

The list of businesses in other industries that could survive at that level of turnover would be very short. It'll be a min. figure in a couple of years regardless of enterprise.

Dawggone · 11-07-2016 04:03PM

freedominacup wrote: »

The list of businesses in other industries that could survive at that level of turnover would be very short. It'll be a min. figure in a couple of years regardless of enterprise.

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?

blackdog1 · 11-07-2016 05:34PM

Dawggone wrote:

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?

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

Waffletraktor · 11-07-2016 05:50PM

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

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!

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

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