Pam, Minimize your equipment purchases and rely on custom help. Acres of
pasture depends on the quality of the soil, but you're in Iowa, and guy's
like me in 'rocky' NE NYS assume you've got great soil, so I would suggest
50 acres of grazing land---15 that were grazed initially, 35 that were
custom cropped and then added to the grazing rotation. Your main machinery
concern will be handling daily manure. During the winter months, that will
require a 75 HP tractor with chains and a reliable manure spreader. Our
solution to electric fence viability here has been to train our animals at a
very young age. When our calves leave 'confinement' at about 6 months of
age, they are individually brought to an electric fence by halter, and then
slowly taught the 'taste'! It seems best that they learn about electric
fence 'young'--that 'respect' stays with them even when the deer bust it.
But Pam, focus on your cows, and hire custom machinery work where you need
it. Dick Conklin
----- Original Message -----
From: "Pam Cowles" <kolzdari@netins.net>
To: "graze-l" <graze-l@witt.ac.nz>
Sent: Monday, December 08, 2003 6:04 AM
Subject: [Graze-l] a new dairy
> Hi friends,
>
> I'm wondering what you all would say is the minimum equipment/land needed
to
> start, say, a 30 cow Jersey dairy. Let's assume there's already an
existing
> parlor which is fully operational.
>
> How many acres of pasture ground would be needed?
>
> Would a tractor be absolutely necessary? If so, how small would be the
> minimum required to do the job?
>
> If a tractor isn't necessary, how would you feed hay in the winter with no
> tractor? (I remember reading someone's post about using electric fence to
> feed large bales right where they're lined up - of course they wouldn't be
> under a roof in that case - possibly wrapped in plastic?)
>
> What type of "permanent fencing" is the best for the money? (not miles of
> single strand electric fence to constantly have to monitor and find shorts
> caused by leaping deer)
>
> Are there any women on this list who run their dairy alone?
>
> What features in the parlor make it easier for a woman to do the work?
>
> I appreciate any and all comments. I've always received many good
comments
> from this list, and have learned a lot.
>
> Thanks,
> Cowles Farm
> Southeast Iowa
>
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