Dairy Chitchat 4, an udder new thread.

Have always been in dero. Last time we bought forage was when we were in winter milk so as much for production as anything else, sold silage in 18 to lads not in dero, wet years catch us more but touch wood not since 12/ 13 have we had a forage issue

It's grand saying reduce numbers if you have the land base to stay at a level for a sustainable income etc but some don't and a lot don't without renting extra ground. Not everyone is in a position to cut back and not all reductions in costs are going to magically leave you with the same income. We all have to worry about inside our own gate but then this assumption that lads are doing things for bragging rights or just to get bigger I'll never get, a weak argument imo.

Some of us cows are the only income source, others may have 3 or 4 sources of income coming in so have more options

Nothing is black and white and what applies to one does not apply to all.

We’re in dero here for the last 10 years since I came home simply because land wasn’t available nearby. I leased land 8 miles away 10 years ago and up until 2 years ago it was the only real block available near on a lease. Have 3 other bits on yearly rental the last 5 years.

as you and others have said it’s easy say drop numbers or take extra land but if the land isn’t /hasn’t been there stocking the land you had higher was the best option. I’m lucky I managed to get extra land and we’re still at 250. Feel bad for guys that are doing to absolute best and fully rely on cows for a living and are having to reduce numbers by a substantial amount

Exactly like here have 4 different bits rented, 3 are conacre 2 of them without maps around 40 acres total which would have us closer to 170 than 225 where we’re currently at and other block was leased and is up for sale now and doing our best to hold onto it.

Lucky here all our land stayed outside 220 drop so been given a year to two hopefully to readjust system and maintain cow numbers if not increase them slightly and drop every other animal being kept.

What’s the issue with contract rearing …..I started it this year …..working extremely well and frees up nitrates space for cows …allowed me reseed a block into red clover and make better silage

None of us can be too smug. If for instance that derogation goes I know here in West cork that land will go through the roof. And it will take it out of reach from beef and small dairy farmers like myself.

It's ok to say that all your calf's will be reared off farm, but that can't happen for everyone. Farmers around here are getting older and don't want more work.

A big reduction to all the businesses that survived on us farmers, coop, transport, vets etc.

It's only a matter of time that if this comes in, they will start focusing on the stocking rate of the grazing platform. That would be the one to hurt.

Of course it's easy for them, with the cowards that dairy farmers are. When the beef alliance were blocking the meat factory gates, the IFA and the dairy farmers sat back. Now when the pressure is on us, the dairy farmer still wont get off his hole and protest.

Dairy farmers won’t protest because the majority are mid 50s plus with a lot without successors so they’re the last generation this will affect, I was at one of them kerry new supplier group meetings a few months back counted about 5 under 30 out of 250 in attendance says enough. Young people just don’t want to go farming now and why would they when there’s lot softer money to be made outside the farm without the hassle.

If we buy the land we’re leasing now the loan will be in my name as parents are close to pension age not many my age would stay around to do that but I’ve no interest working in an office for the rest of my days so it’s a jump I’ll have to take and I enjoy farming.

Back 10 years ago pre quota abolition rolls Royce land was all out to make 200 and was probably the true max value of it but you could also put that down to a lack of demand in the land rental market at the time also.

Pure chance I got my contract rearer …..round about conversation about something else led to contract rearing and I said it’s something I’ll have to consider …..same lad rang me about 6 weeks later and we took it from there ….we both outlined how we’d like things to operate …no sticking points all agreed pretty quick …..I don’t even need to see stock regularly as lad doing it a serious stockman ……if dero goes and I’m forced out of milk this will be the route I’ll take and can’t figure why more aren’t doing it

What is the margin per head for the contract rearer do you reckon if it’s so lucrative?

The fact that 250 turned up for that meeting shows that there is a fair bit of interest in the long term oulook for dairy farms.

That's the point they won't be left work away. It's a matter of time they will focus on stocking rates on the grazing platform. Especially when the unions are so weak.

I'm sure you didn't get the point as your not the type to say " I'm fine, fuuuck the other fellow".

Thirty years ago you would need to fight to get inside the door of the West cork IFA monthly meeting. Now they could have it in a mini bus. It's the me' Fein approach that has farmers so weak

This thread is so so depressing. No one knows what's going to happen. The same stuff circled around numerous times. We can only work with what we have at the moment and speculation doesn't help.

I'd second that. The auld boy here inherited a fair bit of land but never really capitalised on it. Milked 30, 40, 50 cows with a bit of dairy beef, always staying in his comfort zone, when he could have easily pushed on for double or treble with the right facilities.

I'm taking over the place here, but I couldn't dream of giving up the office job when there's probably 250k needed to invest in the farm and I need to build a house at the same time. Result is we'll probably have to get out of the cows.

I dont mean to blame the father, just as much my fault for working away from home in my 20s, but a little bit of work and improvement here and there over the years might have made the farming doable in the future

It is but you have benefit of experience ….one of my big regrets was when I was in my mid 20s ….working off farm …good money my dad wanted me and would of helped with deposit to buy 5 acres and house with it …money wasn’t huge I could of done it but I was happy with my life living at home had money living life travelling felt if I bought it I wouldn’t be able to do any of that …..some idiot ….

Yeah I get where you’re coming from. I often thought I would have liked to have gone and worked away from the farm in my 20s but In hindsight I think I’m better now that I didn’t. I probably would have got used to the easier life and with the current environment dairy farming is in now I would probably had no interest in coming back to the farm to start spending money. At least now I’m 4-5 years away from a lot of heavy investment in infrastructure paid off instead of having facing into it now

I definitely haven’t had the holidays/travel/experiences my own non farming friends have had and I am tied down a good bit more but im better off in other ways than they are too. Pros and cons to it all and I don’t know does anyone working for a living have it all

my own sister and BIL are paying off a 30 year mortgage and working full time, kid in crèche, only really see him at weekends, he’s up to bed an hour after being home during the week

I’ve 3 kids and I see them an awful lot during the day and I can take them with me if it suits. Don’t know can you put a price on that

Think thats the root of the current problems around the nitrates and dairy calf issues, plus failure to properly police rogue operators in this space brought down the Commission on us