Dairy Chitchat 4, an udder new thread.

coop boards and management have to shoulder some responsibility they are the ones driving the coops business ….far too many of them are too comfortable in there positions …there’s a lot of people out there more capable and keen to get involved but there is too many stupid obstacles and wheeling and dealing by existing board members put in there way

The fat stock sales are abit of a mystery. must be good accountants behind the scenes

anyone who inherited land and had siblings definitely by the time the siblings were finished with them would nearly say they would be better off if they didnt get the farm.. so your assertion that everyone who inherited land got it for nothing is completely false..

there are in my eyes 2 types of dairy farmers… one type have holstein frieisans and practically live with them.. have savage gear and buy land rent land etc.. every penny they make is reinvested in the farm.. every penny.. and most of them from what i can see are getting on fine and wouldnt have it any other way... the other type are strictly spring calving.. no cow calving after April 1st.. have every weekend off from May 1st on.. very very little machinery.. contractors do everything.. and from sept 1st dont milk the cows sunday evening.. these farmers are much more focused on lifestyle and just being on the farm for the minimum amount of time necessary and they are getting on fine as well… so each to their own…

next year will be a very very tough year financially for dairy farmers and it could be worse than that if weather doesnt play ball.. so maybe we could see what we can do to get through it rather than slating each other… this isnt America and a right v left debate…

I inherited the family family when I was young. I had siblings who got sites on the farm and got cash help when married and building their houses and were also educated from the farm. I got the farm and that's was it. I have hundreds of thousands invested since and still look after my parents from the farm.

But the reality is the economic value of what I received far far exceeds what any of my siblings received. This is the case in the vast majority of situations where the farm goes to one of the family.

Lads making out they got the rough end of the stick when they have to give a bit of money to parents and siblings which is a fraction of what the asset they received is worth. It's just a bit much.

A lot of the farmers working off leased ground never had the huge headstart inheriting land gives any of us. As farmers they would buy and sell lads who got a place handed to them.

Lots of us just got lucky with our parents.

You're so right, pathetic criticism on here of the Olearys, I know dairy farmers who do feck all work, employ lots of help and wouldn't dream of getting a job even though they're doing nothing at home.

inheriting a relatively debt free farm is a serious advantage over some one who has to go out and start from scratch.
We’re currently in that phase here and I’ll have to repay the remaining mortgage along with supplement my parents pensions and maintain there house. We would also have helped out both my sisters getting educated, first car or 2nd car even, car insurance, nct, tax, helped with purchase of first house etc. but I would still far prefer my own situation over there’s.
One has to make the commute to Dublin every day, little lad in crèche from 7 am till 6, they only see him for 2 hours during the week. Other sister has a cake business going and is flat out every week from Wednesday till Saturday afternoon.

i don’t have near the same yearly holidays abroad as them but i get to drop off and pick up my kids from school any day it suits me and generally get to spend a lot more time with them.

I’m in a discussion group with a group of lads my own age and a little bit younger. Ranging in herd size from 75 to over 500. There’s owner operators, lads leasing there farm, share milkers in the group. In general the owner operators are working far more hours than the lads leasing or share milking and they’re 100% right to be that way. I wouldn’t begrudge them one bit. I am guilty of doing too much myself and doing too many hours

I’ve a friend share milking on a 220 cow farm and he only drops in for one full day in the week, if he can make that work more of us should be able to the sane

That's most farmers plan, to hand it on better than you received it.

But ownership of the asset has enormous benefits. It's far easier to borrow money for expanding the business, there is no rent to be paid each year and the farm can plan with certainty as the land and sheds are secure.

When it comes to retirement if the next generation aren't interested the asset can be sold or leased out. Leading to a very secure retirement

I know how fortunate I have been and a lot of posters are in similar positions, anyone who has inherited land has been incredibly fortunate, it's daft to be pretending otherwise.

Could be argued that I got the farm for nothing. 3 siblings raised in a one parent household. Would have fed calves or brought in cows for milking before and after school as long as I can remember. Not straightforward. Was enough to sicken the rest of them so im the only one who didnt mind farming. Worked off farm and ran farm with no wage from the farm. Would have borrowed money myself to help fund a shed here. Everyone else got a few pound for houses and college which I didnt mind at all. They have no claim on the place now which makes me lucky compared to others here. The chief is in the farmhouse for their day and I pay esb and heating. I got my mortgage on the strength of the off farm job. Would have pulled money outta the farm the help build the house. But no hand outs. Was very little debt when I took over so any debt here now I can only blame myself!!

Just on the farmhouse its very hard to put a real value on it as its on the farm and in need of renovation. Would be very hard to get a buyer for it. Maybe ipas but that's for a different thread!

Use the jealous method.

Put a fist of nuts in a bucket and shake.

If the cows see another cow eating they will run to take them off of her.😀

Coming back to winners of Farm prizes, more luck to them. But any article in farming that doesn't mention cpl costs and profit is not worth reading.

no plastic on the walls??

Some day for it. What size is the pit?