Once a day milking

[Erahardly]

Are there many fields that far away. Could you cut silage off them and then you'd only have to walk them for a part of the year. I'd twice a day milking lads with long walks would usually leave them near the yard at night.

There’s about 50acres 1-2km away. And 60 around the yard. The fields around the yard would be a lot heavier so be hard to feed them before mid March most years. Currently doing a bit of drainage and improving roadways in preparation if I go ahead with the dairy plan but no decision made yet.

 

[6600]

There’s about 50acres 1-2km away. And 60 around the yard. The fields around the yard would be a lot heavier so be hard to feed them before mid March most years. Currently doing a bit of drainage and improving roadways in preparation if I go ahead with the dairy plan but no decision made yet.

Dairy cows do less damage than sucklers believe it or not. They are all in the one group so only in one place on the wet day if you get me. Also they are generally lighter than sucklers and go out, put their heads down and start eating. They tend to walk about less and get a lot less bunching around ditches. It would be very important to have the cow road higher than the field, plenty of gaps and don't put the road on the sheltered side of a ditch because it won't dry out. 60 acres should graze 90 cows easy.

 

[Erahardly]

Dairy cows do less damage than sucklers believe it or not. They are all in the one group so only in one place on the wet day if you get me. Also they are generally lighter than sucklers and go out, put their heads down and start eating. They tend to walk about less and get a lot less bunching around ditches. It would be very important to have the cow road higher than the field, plenty of gaps and don't put the road on the sheltered side of a ditch because it won't dry out. 60 acres should graze 90 cows easy.

I was only going to start with 40ish cows and increase away once I know how much the land can take.

 

[podge 23]

So once a day can work but you have to have the right breed of cow for it and there is a reduction in milk yield ..

 

[Tipp_Man]

@fiatagri10090dt Just wondering how you got on after the first year of OAD?

Did you encounter many problems? What is your cow type?

Thinking of OAD here but i can't see how to make a profit in the first year with the drop in production, i know it goes up over time, but do you think you have seen a massive drop in profit in the first year?

 

[fiatagri10090dt]

@fiatagri10090dt Just wondering how you got on after the first year of OAD?

Did you encounter many problems? What is your cow type? Got on well scc 60/70 all year cow 60bf40hf don't feed more than 2 pound cows will get fat later in year

Thinking of OAD here but i can't see how to make a profit in the first year with the drop in production, i know it goes up over time, but do you think you have seen a massive drop in profit in the first year?