guess I may not make it

Teacupliz · #1 02/20/08, 05:35 PM

With the projection of milk prices droping from the 23cwt I am getting to 14-16 by spring- I can not make it. I buy all my own grain and barely break even now. I will keep a few cows just for me. But I am working day and nightrigh tnow and not making much. Guess it will be back to hobby farmer.
so if looking for some nice cows- You know who to call.
My contract will be up in July- I do not beleive I will sign agian.

Well at least I tried my dream - Liz in NY

JeffNY · #2 02/21/08, 06:41 AM

Sorry to hear that Liz, hope the prices do stay up, if not, its not surprising. Too many farms in this country are allowed to get too big, and flood the market. There was an article on Canadian prices, and why they are stable. It is because they control the milk flow of sorts. The same should be done here, and limit the size of farms. If milk stayed at 22.00/cwt and limited milk cow size to 100 a farm, it would make things better.

But will that happen? No. The milk report showed that the powder supply is in excess, and I remember last year, thats all they made.. Good job!!

Jeff

Teacupliz · #3 02/21/08, 06:50 AM

Good thing is I do not have a ton of money invested- if I sell my extra 10 cows I should be able to pay off my loan. So I will start to sell them here and there-
Milk what I have till July.
I already picked 5 off the top to sell-
I think the whole milk industry is to goverment control- like everything and that kilss the whole thing.

but I am happy I gave it a shot- I sure learned a lot.

Liz

travlnusa · #4 02/21/08, 07:42 AM

Do not sell your cows.

You need to work on feed efficieny!!! That means not getting the most milk, but getting the most milk for each pound of feed you put out.

If you are not organic, look into Rumension. If you dont want to do that, look into oils from garlci, cloves, etc.

They will lower feed intake while maintaining milk production.

Also feed for componets rather than bulk. Butterfat is good money (feed high forage and lower portein) or feed for higher protein (lower forage and higher protien.

Look at your complete ration. If you are feeding linseed, look to change that to sunflower. Are you feeding distillers grain? Put your heifers on corn stalks and wet distillers grain.

When you have a cow freshen, after a week, pour on the protien. A cow will reach peak production around 30-60 days after calving. For each 10 lbs of peak milk you lose or gain, that will equal 2000 lbs of milk over her lacation.

Look at going to grazing over the summer months. Production will drop, but so will inputs.

Make your goal of your feed cost at $13.00 per 100lbs of milk.

You can make it. In fact, wait for milk to bottom out and buy cows.

These are just guidelines. Work with you feedmill to get the mix you need.

Time will be tight, but a well managed dairy will make money.

piglady · #5 02/21/08, 07:58 AM

What about becoming the retailer selling raw milk to customers. You keep all the profit.

TNHermit · #6 02/21/08, 08:08 AM

Tons of work in dairy. I hope you make it. Losing a dream is not nice. I wish there was some where around here that I could buy raw milk off of. Wonder if milk prices at the store will come down. NOT!

Calfkeeper · #7 02/21/08, 10:11 AM

Am so sorry that things are not going well. Is there any way you can cut corners somewhere? It is so disheartening when your dreams take a nosedive, but please don't give up entirely.

The whole milk price thing is totally a rollercoaster ride. DH has been in the business for 20 years now and he says it has been the same ever since he can remember; prices skyrocket, more people buy more cows and flood the market, prices bottom out, people sell off and get out of the business, prices skyrocket...etc. It never ends. I wish there were some way to control it all.

I hope things get better for you and that you can find some way to make things work for you.

topside1 · #8 02/21/08, 12:12 PM

Liz, no matter your decision it's a crying shame being forced to fail. Here's a thought, how about raising replacement heifers. Just by looking at the dairy auction prices for calf and open heifers it seems obvious that there is some money to be made. You have the cows, the facilities, the milk, the experience and lots of ambition.....John

linn · #9 02/21/08, 12:34 PM

Liz, you may already know about this site, but there is always someone looking for a family cow there:

http://familycow.proboards32.com/

Teacupliz · #10 02/21/08, 01:28 PM

thanks I did not know about that site- everyone here is wonderful. I kind of feel relief-
I have been working day and night. With no profit and to think that it would cost me money- I did the figures- is I am getting 23cwt now and it goes to 16cwt- that is a huge loss in money for the same milk.
Linn I will try that site thanks-
i have someone too that may want my whole herd come july- well half of it. I will keep the other half, we will keep our show Brown swiss and my 2 registered Jerseys.
i did the NYS permit raw milk the state is a pain in the butt.
The farms around here that do replacements- have dirty herds. So I do not want to bring thier cows in but I do plan to sell extra stock ech year. Maybe that will pay for my pets and show ladies.
Shipping milk I was just hoping for the American dream. working at home, making something. I new I would not get rich- but I felt I would getting something for all my work.
Liz- thanks everyone

genebo · #11 02/21/08, 02:25 PM

teacupliz,

You should check into A2 milk. You can have your herd tested, sell the ones that aren't A2 and buy some that are until your whole herd is A2. There's currently only one dairy in the US that is A2 and it's in Nebraska.

The demand for A2 milk is rising, and the price should more than justify sticking with it.

Search the web for A2 milk and read what researchers are saying, not just the A2 corporation. The A2 corporation can test commercial dairy herds only. It's a DNA test done with tail hairs.

It might turn out to be the thing that makes staying in a job you like, worthwhile.

If you do get to producing A2 milk, let me know. I'll be one of your first customers. It's not sold anywhere near me.

Genebo
Paradise Farm

XCricketX · #12 02/21/08, 02:48 PM

What is A2? Please explain... I've never heard of this. Does it mean the milk is different?

Cricket

ArmyDoc · #13 02/21/08, 03:01 PM

Any way that you could go to a grass-fed system? It might mean less milk, and you might have to cut some cows, depending on your pasture situation, but it could decrease your costs and help you get through a tough time.

You mentioned keepin a few of your cows and selling a few to pay off your loan. If you could keep some cattle and transition to grass, you might look at going organic. The organic demand is way up and they charge more per gallon... so maybe the profit is better?

My prayers are with you!

genebo · #14 02/21/08, 04:14 PM

A2 milk is the milk that all cows used to produce. A new beta-casein (A1) crept into commercial dairy cows and has been linked to health problems. Testing for cows that give A2 milk means that they give the old-fashioned milk without the new beta-casein in it.

It isn't readily available here yet. Only in big ports like New York City. Then it costs a fortune.

You can have your own A2 milk if you milked a cow from a primitive breed that hasn't been crossed with a commercila dairy breed. The only thing is, you can't get it DNA tested to make sure, for the company that does the tests can only handle so many, and they are doing only commercial dairy herds.

That's why I suggested that teacupliz have her cows tested. She has a commercial dairy herd, so she qualifies to be tested. Up to 1/2 of her cows may test A2. She'd at least know which ones to keep and she'd be able to get much higher prices for their milk.

The subject of A2 could fill a thread of it's own. It's easy to search on the web.

Genebo
Paradise Farm