dairy setup costs

livefortoday

is it possible for me to get started in dairying by putting in a second hand parlour and bulk tank for around 20k. i am hoping to get the 200000 litres of quota but hoping to start dairying whether i get it or not. i would be afraid to go borrowing too much. i have a suitable shed to put in the parlour and dairy and also housing for 40-50 cows. i have cattle to sell that will buy 30 dairy cows and will have 25 acres reseeded this summer.was hoping to get set up with 2nd hand equipment so i could start generating an income that would pay for roads and water. have 80 acres in one block some of it heavy ground. have 75 acres 15 miles away also that could carry drystock make bales on. was hoping to milk 50 cows without investing in any housing if i was making money then i would be in a position to grow numbers to 80 cows and invest in some extra housing. what do people think?

6480

livefortoday wrote: »

is it possible for me to get started in dairying by putting in a second hand parlour and bulk tank for around 20k. i am hoping to get the 200000 litres of quota but hoping to start dairying whether i get it or not. i would be afraid to go borrowing too much. i have a suitable shed to put in the parlour and dairy and also housing for 40-50 cows. i have cattle to sell that will buy 30 dairy cows and will have 25 acres reseeded this summer.was hoping to get set up with 2nd hand equipment so i could start generating an income that would pay for roads and water. have 80 acres in one block some of it heavy ground. have 75 acres 15 miles away also that could carry drystock make bales on. was hoping to milk 50 cows without investing in any housing if i was making money then i would be in a position to grow numbers to 80 cows and invest in some extra housing. what do people think?

with so many people getting into dairying this year for to have a foot in for 2015 i think a lad like myself thats been milking for nearly 20 years could be better at drystock cos everyone mad to flood the place with milk in 2015

livefortoday

it will hardly be that bad. the reason im thinking of changing is my farm has doubled in size this year i wouldnt have thought it viable with just the 80 acres although i could be wrong there too. they reckon the average farmer gettin into dairying invests 160K but i wouldnt be inclined to rush out and borrow that sort of money.

awaywithyou

livefortoday wrote: »

it will hardly be that bad. the reason im thinking of changing is my farm has doubled in size this year i wouldnt have thought it viable with just the 80 acres although i could be wrong there too. they reckon the average farmer gettin into dairying invests 160K but i wouldnt be inclined to rush out and borrow that sort of money.

i think guys get very worked up about borrowing money.....

would you consider going into partnership??? at least it would mean the borrowings would be between two of ye...

were you reading the journal last week... the new 50 unit rotary in dungarvan... built a year after a cubicle house with cubicles for 400 cows was built.... thats a partnership between 2 families... imagine the debt their in.........

livefortoday

have to borrow money to build a house this year! i cant go into a partnership if i get quota as a new entrant but ony 25 % of ppl that applied for it last year got it. other than that i wouldnt mind a partnership would be in favour of it. if i could get up and running with a 10 unit parlour id expand in time!

case 5150

do you have any quota at the minute? as far as i no that free quota is a lottery at best? i hope you know what your letting yourself in for, 7 day a week job, no sunday eves to yourself or the family and go out sat night you still have to milk sunday morn

livefortoday

the regular income is what is drawing me towards it. my off farm job is as good as gone.. self employed unemployed! have worked on dairy farms before.. the seven days a week isnt that appealing i know!

case 5150

i in the milk myself, setup for years, income is grand every month but lads forget the costs accossiated with the businness throughout the year and if high scc or tbc it can be v costly to get to the route, milking is the easy job but herd health is most important and lads getting in need to learn alot about health status in a dairy herd. have you any quota??

livefortoday

no quota yet at all beef/suckling and working off farm for the last 12 years. id be thinking realistically that you could hope to produce 4300 or 4500l per cow starting out. some ppl on here seem to think they could start dairying and have cows producing twice that from the start. the free quota is subject to having a pretty good business plan im working on it now!

case 5150

yeah you need a business plan for it, but have it realistic cos there wil be lads that will bullsh.t over the top figures and they will see through it, you might be in a better position if you had to buy some quota in the trading that went buy as it would show you are dtermined to get into it, good size farm like yours should make a nice living out of beef would you not??

livefortoday

it could i suppose, its the regular check that has me changing my mind. i found it hard enough to make anything from beef if it wasnt for the sfp! the farm was only half the size up till now although i used to lease and rent land which wasnt very rewarding either!

F.D

Starting cheap is all well and good, but i would disagree with just buying a second hand unit parlour with the point of view of upgrading in a few years when you have cash flowing, i think the people that hate milking the most are the ones with a bad parlour, there great stock men and will put in all the time in the world into the animals without thinking about it, but standing milking for 2 hrs morning and evening drives them mad, price up a new bog basic parlour that can have gadgets added on later, even if its too big now for the cow numbers

5live

You could get set up fairly easily for 20k, especially if you do a lot of the basic works yourself. Look at Donedeal and the journal for parlours and milktanks. Also ask the manufacturers as they might have/know of parlours traded in and also tanks. They will have to put them in anyway so better to get them involved from the start.

I would agree with F.D. too up to a point. With cash flows tight starting off there might be no other options and after a few years milking you will have a better idea what you want/need in a parlour in terms of equipment and cow flows but a new basic parlour with room to expand/upgrade would be a good start also if it is affordable(but probably not in this case)

Talk to your milk buyer too as if you have no quota they might not want you till 2015. And with quota looking like it will be filled from here till march 2015 what will you do with your over quota milk?

Best of luck with your farming (and house building too)