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Also, I think that you are understocking. Here we would expect 131
acres to handle 130 cows. Refigure your deal using more cows. Don't
grow your corn on the land you can graze. Either rent land away from
the milking platform or buy it from your neighbors. That might work.
Clay
----- Original Message -----
From: Clay & Sue McQuiddy
To: graze-l@witt.ac.nz
Sent: Saturday, March 03, 2007 7:19 AM
Subject: Re: converting?
I don't think it will work. You are asking 70 cows to contribute $565
each to your farm mortgage plus pay all expenses and presumably allow
yourself to draw something to live on, while you learn how to run a
grazing dairy. That is a much riskier thing than I would do.
Clay
----- Original Message -----
From: Stephen and Stephanie Bray
To: graze-l@witt.ac.nz
Sent: Thursday, March 01, 2007 6:02 PM
Subject: converting?
I am a 29 year old, first generation, dairy producer in south
central Va. I own 131 acres. I am currently milking 150 cows. I raise
some heifers here but contract out heifer from 250# to 750#. I am
mostly holstein but do have a few Jerseys and crosses. Most of my
pregnant cows now are breed to jerseys. I have done some grazing in the
past. However with this many cows on 110 acres pasture, I was not able
to get over 30-40% grass. I, like every other conventional dairyman,
have came off of a very bad year.
What my goal is to do is over the next two years convert to
totally grass and parlor feed. I can sell 100 springing heifer and 50
milk cow to eliminate all of my short term debt. This will leave a 3300
a month farm payment.
My question is, can I my money on 60-70 cows on 130 acres and
still make the farm payment. If I drop back to these numbers, I would
have very little additional labor. I would also put up 2000 tons of
Corn Silage to help me during the transition period.
I would like some feedback as to whether you people think this
will work. If I am crazy, please tell me.
Stephen Bray
Penhook, VA
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