Beef or dairy

[edthefarmer]

I'm a small farmer, and currently I just cash crop, but I'm looking to maximize the small farm I have (impossible to gain acres in my area). I mean I know there is money to be made at everything in farming. But which is better? Just raising beef cattle to sell when the price is good at the market, or go the dairy route milking cows?

Beef cattle obviously doesn't require all the work (I know its still a lot of work) and cost that goes into milking, but obviously more money can be made in milk on a regular basis then on beef. But which is the better route to go in and stick with?

I'm not looking to get big, to start with I would prefer to just buy young cattle, raise them and go from there. My dad says to just go with beef cattle, cause its less work than milking, but I say more money is to be made in milking. My dad ran the farm for over 30 years milking cows, he sold all his cattle back around 1991, when prices were still crap.

Here is what my goal would be; buy young cattle, start off with 1 or 2, and learn the basics easily and take the process slow to not get in over my head, then slowly buy more young cattle, heifers and so on. Eventually sell some steers for the money when the market is good, and when the time comes that I have enough heifers (around 30+) then get into dairy (over the course of 2-5 years). Not looking to get big, not looking to sell calves as a means of profit either.

So what is your opinion? Which route do you suggest to go in, any tips and experience would be nice. Go with just beef cattle long term? Or beef cattle short term into a dairy farm?

 

[cbcr]

Dairying is quite an investment. You mentioned that your dad had dairy-ed, are those facilities available, what shape are they in? Where are you located? Some states are offering incentives for dairies coming into the state.

While with having a dairy you have a couple of milk checks each month, inputs are more costly with feed and electric. Also what breed(s) you choose can make a difference as well. Cross breeding is extremely popular especially with Milking Fleckvieh and Montbeliarde on Holstein cows. Even the bull calves when steered will bring more money because they are a beefier animal. If you want to learn more about some of these breeds, then go to our website, Composite Dairy Cattle Registry http://www.dairycattleregistry.com and you can select one of the breeds to learn a little more about them.

Another option that you may consider, is if there are existing dairies in your area is to maybe check with some of them and maybe grow and develop their heifers for them. Some will take the calves right from the dairy after they are born, raise them to weaning, others take them from weaning to various ages all the way up to breeding and then take them back just prior to freshening. This would be another option for you to consider. There could be some of those same opportunities to develop heifers for beef producers as well.

 

[bigbull338]

i would start off with beef cattle.because you can maintain them cheaper than a dairy herd.but if you want to go the dairy rout.is the barn still setup with equipment.is it ready to walk in and start milking cows.can you get a contract with a milk company.can you get your grade A permit real easy.

 

[dun]

I vote beef. The milk prices have been so low with high iput costs that a lot of dairys are just now getting there past due debts settled. If there was so much money in dairying why are so many dairys closing down?

 

[edthefarmer]

Thanks for the input so far very helpful. Part of the parlor is there where the milking took place, but the bulk tank and what not was all removed and sold a few years ago (wished we never sold it), so no its not setup and ready to go for milking hence the 2-5 year plan, part of which is building a herd and building and repairing the milking parlor. Do have the pole barn ready to keep cattle.

As for the shape of the buildings, one is still in solid shape where the milking took place, feeders and gates are still there, but where the tank was stored has since fell down and rotted away and since been cleaned up, as it was part of a 100+ year old barn that had fell down 15 years ago, pole barn where the cows would stay is still in good shape. Also I would prefer to go with holstein cows, its what my dad had, and what everyone else around has for milking.

I live in mid Michigan, a few miles from a large milk processing plant, and yes there are many diary farms in the area.

Short term no doubt the plan would be just beef, as it will take some time to have a parlor setup and ready for milking, if I do go that route.

I vote beef. The milk prices have been so low with high iput costs that a lot of dairys are just now getting there past due debts settled. If there was so much money in dairying why are so many dairys closing down?

Doesn't seem to be that way around here. But the high input cost does scare me.

 

[bigbull338]

dun there comes a time that you have to shut a barn down no matter how you feel.been there done that and i still have regrets every day.but its done and i have to live with it.when we sold out the high cow prices low milk price and feed cost forced the barn to close.

 

[dun]

dun there comes a time that you have to shut a barn down no matter how you feel.been there done that and i still have regrets every day.but its done and i have to live with it.when we sold out the high cow prices low milk price and feed cost forced the barn to close.

Wasn't that long ago that there were 35 dairys in this county, now there are 4

 

[dun]

What size are those dairys? The only dairys that seem to be doing well are the mega dairys. We have one that's milking 300 head and he's doing pretty well, but he also does custom farming on the side. The other 300 cmilker diary sold out 2 years ago and now just raises heifers and chops silage.

 

[bigbull338]

ive got a friend that milks 350 cows.plus they raise all of their heifers for replacements.plus they put up alot of baleage and chop alot of silage.here 3 months ago or so he sold 5 or 6 pot loads out of his dairy.plus he has broiler houses.plus they bale alot of dry hay.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

Wasn't that long ago that there were 35 dairys in this county, now there are 4

The county south of us used to have dairies everywhere. The last one closed up 2 years ago. The county to the north of us has lost 5 in the last 3 years. The county where I live, has only 2 now. Over the mountains and into the valley area, many dairies have shut down.

I'd go with beef.

Katherine

 

[TexasBred]

dun there comes a time that you have to shut a barn down no matter how you feel.been there done that and i still have regrets every day.but its done and i have to live with it.when we sold out the high cow prices low milk price and feed cost forced the barn to close.

I don't miss it one bit. Dairying was good to us but best thing I ever did was sell out and have never regretted it or looked back.

 

[cbcr]

Yes, I've been there and done that too, except I milked 3 times a day. I grew up with Holstein's and back in the mid 70's or so when the Normande was first introduced I looked at them more for dairy than beef, so I crossed a few of our dairy cows with Normande, never regretted it, they were some really nice cows, milked well and their components were better than the straight Holstein.

But, the Holstein cow today is different than years ago, they have been bred to the point that they are able to produce more milk than what their build will allow. Many of today's Holsteins lack strength and body to support production. This is one reason that cross breeding in the dairy industry is gaining in popularity, by using breeds such as the Fleckvieh and Montbeliarde on Holstein cows, production of this cross are equaling or exceeding the Holstein in production with higher components. The milk from these non-traditional dairy breeds is ideal for making cheese too!

We have one member, that reviewed his records, and in a year when he had about an equal number of Holstein and Crossbred heifers (about 50 head in each group), today he has 1 of the Holsteins remaining in his herd compared to 9 of the Crossbreds.

Some as the old saying goes, "can't seem to see the forest for the trees", and if it isn't a Holstein its not a milk cow.

We have visited with many producers who were hesitant about these other breeds, and when ask if they ever regretted using Fleckvieh or Montbeliarde, there is one answer they all give. Using the Fleckvieh or Montbeliarde was the best decision that they ever made. Some said that those around them that thought the Holstein was the only milk cow, thought that they had gone crazy, but these days some of them have gone craze too.

One of our Canadian members grew up with one of the premier Holstein herds. They have bred considerably to Montbeliarde and some of their animals that they recently registered with us have reached purebred percentage (87%) or higher.

On our website, under the Crossbreeding Education Center is a video of Dr. Les Hansen a leading dairy geneticist at the University of Minnesota where he discusses crossbreeding and the benefits.

I can honestly say that I enjoyed dairying. But like others on here have said there are very few dairies in our area as well. Back in 1974 when I started doing AI work it was dairies that provided my living. It was nothing unusual for me to drive 300 - 500 miles a day breeding cows and never be more than 50 miles from home. Now in our county I think that there are only 3 or 4 dairies left.

Not all dairies quit because of financial decisions. Some dairymen quit because they had no one to take over, kids were all grown, moved away and wanted nothing to do with the farm.