PART TIME Dairy Farmer

zetorman

I am a small part time dairy farmer....16 cows...4 unit parlour, slatted shed, sell off bull calves, keep heifers for replacements. My problem is that I love what am am doing and do not mind the huge work load involved BUT there is no money out of it now. Will do well this year if it covers the costs involved.
I am reluctant to quit as all the other farming systems seem just as bad. What would ye advise me to do ?? Thanks.

Cran

thats an impossible question, as also a part timer understand your problem. to be honest dairy would not be my option as a part timer. Each year I have a week or so in April when up early checking on the last few lambing before work and look accross the ditch at a dairy farmer who is up before me each day. All that goes through my mind is I do this for a week or so every year, he does it every day and then off to work - no thanks!

Connery

Do you work full time also op?

Firstly, I would like to say god on ye for doing what you love, I work full time and study, but i make sure i get involved with the home farm as much as possible. We have a herd of 65 cows with a calf to beef system also.

Felt i had to say that before the pragmatists begin to post! of course any business where you lose money doesnt make financial sense, however as long as you can really control cashflow you will surviveNot all years will be like 2009, and thats the nature of farming, you might get one good year in 3.

my message is keep farming!

connery

snowman707

zetorman wrote: »

I am a small part time dairy farmer....16 cows...4 unit parlour, slatted shed, sell off bull calves, keep heifers for replacements. My problem is that I love what am am doing and do not mind the huge work load involved BUT there is no money out of it now. Will do well this year if it covers the costs involved.
I am reluctant to quit as all the other farming systems seem just as bad. What would ye advise me to do ?? Thanks.

Give it a year or two, it has been a tough year all round. I have highlighted & underlined 2 words which I think sum up your sentiments

bagaspuds

Zetorman,
I watched my own father milk about 15 cows aswell. He also worked off farm, 7 days a week, often 10 hours a day (during the summer especially). I remember him as a kid milking at 11 o'clock at night. To be honest I think it had a bad effect on his health. He had a lot of problems later in life. If you enjoy it fair enough.
You could switch to suckling....don't laugh. You would have most of the skillbase (as they say), looking after cows etc. The transition would be the easiest of all to make.

Cran

have to agree with you spuds, this is one of my fears for myself. currently running a large sheep flock while doing a busy job mon-fri. able for it at the moment but think a choice will have to be made before 40 which to give up!!

F.D

you have to think how much healthier would you be if you gave up farming and were sitting in looking at fair city and the like, i have been farming and working fulltime, finishing beef, i find its the only excercise i get, i sit in an office all day have a ride on lawn mower and many more gadgets and would have never walk any where for just excercise. I think you have to find a balance, maybe sucklers could be an option, but its still a cow and more work

djmc

You could also try rearing hefer dairy calves if you could buy them, on milk or milk replacer
My guess is there will be demand for replacment in calf hefers when milk quota goes and they will eat less grass than cows

zetorman

What about buying in FR bull calves and keeping them till ready for factory ??

djmc

A freisen incalf hefer at mart should make a lot than a freisan bull at factory
and would probably eat less
If rearing for meat I would go with a beef breed even though they would cost more as calves they should leave more of a profit but the factory might steal that profit for themselves knowing them

thetangler

16 cows with that setup indicate about 1 hour morning and evening 7 days a week just to milk. That is a big commitment if you work full time off farm. It means if your employer needs a dig out some evening you might not be able to help. With jobs scarse it might be better to mind the job. Yet it would be hard to let the cows go.
One option would be to breed pure breed cattle the top 2% of these make good money the trick is to be in there. With your experience of breeding replacements this is not unattainable.
Just a thought.

Missyd

Have you sat down and thought about other/different out lets for your milk? I presume you're selling directly to a local co-op. But could you look at doing something else/different with part of the milk:
Have you any skills/knowledge in cheese making, ice cream making, going organic (I know it takes 3-5 years to covert, but the organic milk price is well above conventional)?
Is there a farmers' market anywhere near you? What possible outlets do you have to sell part of your milk through a different route/generate a second income?
Sit down and think outside the box - 90% of your ideas might not be viable, but you might think of something.