Looking to start a dairy farm. Need help.

[country freedom]

Up here you need at least a million dollars to start in building facilities for milking and buy cows. The federal gov't also has a quota on how much milk is produced per dairy farm. Go below that quota and you're out of business.

To really get into business you'd have to time your cows to milk 365 days a year...pretty much by switching the lower lactating cows with the ones that just calved. Which I'm sure means either calving year round or calving twice a year.

Then there's the feed. Dairy cows need higher quality feed than beef cattle ALL the time, as they tend to consume a lot in order to produce a lot of milk. Which means either owning a lot of crop/hay land or renting or buying feed.

Most cows are AI'd, although I know of one or two dairy farms around here that have Jersey bulls to breed their heifers. Keep in mind Jersey bulls are the most dangerous bulls of any breed of cattle, beef and dairy.

Calves have to be sold as well, and most if not all of your bull calves will be steered and sold as feeders. Selecting top heifers as replacements take a good eye and knowledge about the history of the dam and sire to decide whether to include them in the dairy herd or not.

Those are a few things I know of that should be considered if you want to enter the dairy business. And of course lots more that I didn't mention and that the others did and didn't mention that should also be thought about and researched.

Anywho, good luck with your endeavours.

Why are Jersey bulls the meanest ? I thought the entire breed was the most docile of all the breeds of cattle.

 

[wynedot55]

a jersey bull was born to get meaner than snott.its just part of them being a bull.an holstein bull is meaner than snott.

 

[MReit]

Yeah, jersey bulls seem to make up for their lack in size with attitude. Jersey cows can get the same way. Jerseys seem to either love you or want nothing to do with you, and they could be sweet and then kick the crap out of you while milking..Holsteins can be that way also, but seems with my experience that they have more of a "I'm a cow-this is my job" feeling towards life. They are docile cause they are small, but they can be fiesty and will take every advantage they can. At the jersey farm where I work, there are a handfull of holsteins on the whole place, all very sweet. The jerseys will shove and pick on the hols for no reason at all- despite the huge difference in size. Very interesting to watch if your into animal behavior.

 

[wynedot55]

thats because theres more jers than hol in the herd.an the jers will gang up on the hols.now if there was more hols than jers.then they would gang up on the jers.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

We had a jersey with a huge attitude! Every couple of months she would let out kicking. She was nice enough to let you know a couple of milkings ahead that something was going to happen. One milking I had her head tied around to her hind leg and she let out kicking. By the time she stopped she was upside down with all four feet sticking up in the air. I had a really good laugh at her expense that night!

 

[wynedot55]

i wish you had a pic of her upside down in her stall.

 

[Imissmygirls]

I still maintain that part of the jersey's kicking during milking is a super strong letdown reflex. I have absolutely NO scientific backup for tht thought- but after nursing 5 children, it's a mom thing.
And they are so hormonal. nuff said.

 

[jhm47]

I have watched many bulls being "collected". The handlers are very careful when collecting the Holstein bulls, but they are super extra careful when collecting the Jerseys. From what I've heard, the Jerseys are the meanest of all.

 

[kstaven]

I agree on the bull comments. Jersey bulls are the meanest I have ever had on the place. Must say that my Jersey cows and heifers are very calm and easy going. I have only had one exception to that and even she calmed after 3 months here and getting used to my routine and ways. Now she lines up like the rest awaiting her turn to get milked.

 

[MReit]

thats because theres more jers than hol in the herd.an the jers will gang up on the hols.now if there was more hols than jers.then they would gang up on the jers.

Thats a possibility, but when I didn't have anywhere to go with my two milking jerseys a hols farm took them in, and they never got any crap from the hols there. I guess every situation is different.