Dairy Chitchat 4, an udder new thread.

Grueller · 31-01-2025 10:18PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123121804#Comment_123121804

That's nearly bang on the figure I got. I was thinking that would be the problem but wasn't sure.

older by the day · 31-01-2025 10:24PM

Scrap that

straight · 01-02-2025 08:50AM

Well, that's my holidays over. First calver calved 2 weeks ahead of time this morning. A nice 7929 heifer calf.

CasePuma · 01-02-2025 08:51AM

What are angus and Hereford calves making, these are middle of the road ones ?

whelan2 · 01-02-2025 09:54AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123122678#Comment_123122678

What age? Sold some last week 175 nearly 2 weeks old angus. Another lad coming today for similar

K.G. · 01-02-2025 10:21AM

The question is often posed here about how many cows do you need to make a living and I came across a few interest points from the national profit monitor analysis. The first was the profit from a cow was the same in 2023 as it was 2015.the second is that one time costs were roughly 1/3feed1/3fert and1/3 other costs but now feed and fert are only accounting for about 20%each and other costs have gone over 50 % of the costs of producing milk.i m not going to get into the pros and cons of profit monitor s as a measurement tool but those 2 facts will probaly hold up no matter what accounting model you use. Would it be a stretch to say the cost of living has doubled in 10 years and all the expansion has done is kept us at the same relative standard and if you didn't move you spending power has nosed dived.the other big take home was the variation between farms as much as 1k per cow.one timeif you did any kind of a handy job on a 100 cows you d do away fine but it's at the stage if you are not outputting and have a tight control of costs you mightnt have much by your time

CasePuma · 01-02-2025 10:26AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123122749#Comment_123122749

Week to 2 weeks

straight · 01-02-2025 11:00AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123122795#Comment_123122795

Well, I guess the fact that they have allowed farmers to put in a labour charge has changed the costs allowed in the profit monitor from the past.

You don't need to look at profit monitor to know that we are all running faster to stay in the same place.

Siamsa Sessions · 01-02-2025 12:26PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123122795#Comment_123122795

I'd be wondering if the costs of getting a heifer into the parlour followed a similar path. She's only eating the same in 2023 as in 2015 but it seems "other costs" (advisory, accountancy, repayments on concrete/steel, etc.) have all increased.

Re tight control on costs: I was talking to the local knackery man yesterday (unfortunately) and he reckoned you could very easily spend more than you take in if you didn't do your sums every week.

weatherbyfoxer · 01-02-2025 01:57PM

Have done the figures of converting the farm to dairy here a few times. Would get setup to a decent level in my existing yard for €150k to start with 60 cows under 170kg . Have some rented ground also that map acres are available for as well as plenty of friends and neibours that have been left ground but are working and would be happy to take in heifers for grazing or set ground for silage cut.There is a 65 acre block around the yard with another 28 acres suitable for multi cuts of silage.all ground is really top quality which would have all been in tillage at some stage..all really positive stuff…now the reason I'd think bad on converting!

60 cows producing 5500l @.43cpl producing 55 beef calves @ €150, cull cows covering replacement heifers cost and also a yearly repayment of €15,000

Is only equally to what the current what I'm earning from the current beef and store lamb enterprise

Maybe beef/lamb will fall in price?,maybe if the cows did 6500l?.milk is long long way ahead of 43c at the moment?..lots of variables but I'm finding it hard to see how it would make sense to convert at the moment anyway

Grueller · 01-02-2025 02:12PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123123304#Comment_123123304

There should be an extra 1000 litres in your cows so that's 60,000 litres more.

Grueller · 01-02-2025 02:14PM

I was looking at my icbf report there for last year. The average Tirlán supplier is sending 411 kg/Ms. How in the name of God can they survive at that. And if the average is 411, there are plenty supplying less.

Pinsnbushings · 01-02-2025 02:34PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123123335#Comment_123123335

We sent 390kg albeit OAD. It left a decent profit, obviously not going to be able to make big repayments or anything at that level of production but it still depends on circumstances.

whelan2 · 01-02-2025 02:45PM

The first 5 months of 2024 were ****. Took a good bit to recover from that on alot of farms. There's a good few farmers just barely getting base price each month

straight · 01-02-2025 03:22PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123123335#Comment_123123335

400kg is breakeven I'd say. The profit comes after that. You wouldn't want to be feeding too much meal. I'm disappointed that my cows have dipped below 500 KgMs the past 2 years. Hoping to be the right side of it this year. Only barely feeding 1 ton, I might increase it a bit.

K.G. · 01-02-2025 06:26PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123123329#Comment_123123329

As long as the extra 1000 litres comes at zero cost.i must confess I remember filling out a survey around the quota abolition year and saying our milk yield would rise per cow every year.it was much easier said than done and often increasing yeilds. can lead to decisions that lower margin.6.5 k litres is fair clipping on a grass based system

jaymla627 · 01-02-2025 06:29PM

Father was penciled in for a hip replacement in early March, gone to a and e their now with a suspected blown out acl on his "good knee", he's early 60's,it's terrifying how fragile any dairy farm is where if in the above situation their isn't a son/daughter our other labour unit that can step-in...

It's a industry built on sand for foundations

Say my name · 01-02-2025 07:43PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123123335#Comment_123123335

I think maybe lads fattening cows for a length or a good length of time can reduce ms per cow on farm too. 98% of these lads myself included wouldn't record a drying off time with icbf. Reverse is then true. Lads going out to the mart straight out of the parlour can massage the figure up per cow in the herd. A cow being a cow full time in the herd in the year. If a cow is there 9 months in the year she's counted as 75% of a cow even though that could be a full lactation.

cjpm · 01-02-2025 08:18PM

hope he makes a speedy recovery Jay

GrasstoMilk · 01-02-2025 08:47PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123124795#Comment_123124795

the vast majority wouldn’t be fattening cows though. I know very few ppl fattening their cows now. Even if you were fattening cows they’d mostly be gone by late Feb ? So 10% extra cows for 2 months of the year. Wouldn’t affect the figures that much

On the no dry off date ICBF calculates a dry off date 60 days pre calving if no date inputed

Siamsa Sessions · 01-02-2025 09:24PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123124397#Comment_123124397

Family labour is hugely under-estimated. I didn’t realise I would need herself and our 16-year-old so much in the parlour this first week. Things will ease off as the heifers and me get used to the routine but I couldn’t have managed without the 2 of them over the past 10 days.

The Rabbi · 01-02-2025 10:10PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123125177#Comment_123125177

Is the parlour up and running yet?

Say my name · 01-02-2025 10:20PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123125053#Comment_123125053

Ah ye. But you are in different company than I. The progressive around here still fatten their cows. 🤣

Shows you though it's not perfect. You'd want to input the dry off date and then declare the cull cows as beef cows.

Siamsa Sessions · 01-02-2025 10:22PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123125311#Comment_123125311

Kinda - there’s 6 units working on one side since yesterday. This evening we brought in 3 heifers at a time, squeezed them up properly with herself and the young lad standing up behind them, and me in the pit. It was the first evening none of them turned and escaped back out of the parlour. We’ll build to 4 at a time in the coming days as the heifers get used to walking in and standing.

It’s been a slog and stressful so far but every day is a step forward. I know how the milking machine works now too and I’ll figure out a tighter washing routine as things progress.