Once a day milking

[andybob]

http://www.fwi.co.uk/Articles/2009/06/0 ... turns.html

While this is a dairy article, it does remind us that profitability may depend on thinking way outside the conventional box.

 

[1982vett]

Hate to be nit-pickey, but a 16-hour rotation isn't once a day. ;-)

 

[andybob]

Hate to be nit-pickey, but a 16-hour rotation isn't once a day. ;-)

The 16 hr rotation was the first step which has given him the confidence to go for the once a day milking which is being practised on several farms with good results as indicated in the latter part of the article.

 

[dun]

At the price of milk today and the low quantitys the cows are producing milking once a day might not be a bad idea.

 

[regolith]

16-hour milking is a very different game to once a day.
There's very little difference (under New Zealand conditions) to milk yields and SCC levels under 16-hour milking. It was widely used to cope with drought in the 2008 season, mostly by farmers who couldn't risk the rise in SCC once-a-day milking would cause.

My herd was low SCC so I went once a day with first part of the herd (low producers) then the whole herd both this summer and last summer. Gives plenty of time for other jobs, reduces feed requirement (or helps condition gain, one or the other you can't really expect both) and in this country where cows commonly walk up to a mile, mile and a half for milking, it reduces heat stress and energy requirement.
I can't see the article (my connection being stoopid). Once a day milking is a useful tool, but does bring up other issues. It's supposed to save electricity/detergent etc but I haven't seen much difference in the electricity bill when I go to once a day.

 

[novaman]

I can see where money would be saved by cutting back on milkings, but I wonder if it really pencils out as well as it seems. If paid labor is part of the dairy I could understand some savings. However, it seems that too many dairymen are worried about cutting costs and lose sight of the potential income they are giving up. It is a fact that milk is given up the fewer times a cow is milked in a 24 hour period. Giving up milk gives up cashflow. I have not done any figuring but it seems to me that one would be much further ahead by cutting cow numbers and staying at 2X milking rather than maintaining cow numbers and, because of labor shortage or whatnot, cutting back to 1X milking. More cows with lower production are less efficient than fewer cows with greater production. With environmental issues these days, we should all be concerned with efficiencies now more than ever.

 

[GMN]

I think we are all looking for that magic way to make more money milking, and save money at the same time.

GMN

 

[TexasBred]

I can see where money would be saved by cutting back on milkings, but I wonder if it really pencils out as well as it seems. If paid labor is part of the dairy I could understand some savings. However, it seems that too many dairymen are worried about cutting costs and lose sight of the potential income they are giving up. It is a fact that milk is given up the fewer times a cow is milked in a 24 hour period. Giving up milk gives up cashflow. I have not done any figuring but it seems to me that one would be much further ahead by cutting cow numbers and staying at 2X milking rather than maintaining cow numbers and, because of labor shortage or whatnot, cutting back to 1X milking. More cows with lower production are less efficient than fewer cows with greater production. With environmental issues these days, we should all be concerned with efficiencies now more than ever.

Higher quality cows will always pay better than "numbers". People seem tothink the only way to make money is to add cows which is upside down thinking. Milk good cattle, feed good feed, take care of your cattle, do as much work as possible yourself and you just might get the feed bill payed withtoday's milk prices. Otherwise I'd be looking to have a big a$$ tent sale for my cattle.

 

[francismilker]

One of my milking friends in Southern Kansas went once a day milking and loves it. His solids have really increased overall. Makes sense. A cow is going to put so much butterfat per day in the milk whether you get it out in one milking or ten. Anyway, the outcome has been good for him in this venture. Not to mention he has now gone totally grass-based. Sure, he's no longer seeing 100+ pounds per day cows in the barn but his inputs have really dropped to nothing. If a cow makes 30lbs. per day on grass, I'd say that could be profitable with only seasonal vaccinations, loose minerals, and water. Even in the winter, it's no feed. Just hay, minerals, and water.
Also, electric bills have dropped and water usage has dropped making less manure pumping from the waste pit.

I think 1X per day milking is going to become extremely common for the family producing dairy if we're to stay in the business.

 

[TexasBred]

Grazing has always been the least expensive method of making milk if you have the acreage for it. Most folks have a hard time understanding 25 lbs. per head per day....yet they never look at the other side of the ledger. When the increased BF and protein is factored in you may actually be gettin paid the equivalent of 50 lbs. per head or more per day of 3.5/3.1 milk.

 

[johnlesse]

I think once a day milking would be a good idea. Making more money on it is good also.

______________________________________________________________________________________________
marketing chiropractic

 

[novaman]

I think once a day milking would be a good idea. Making more money on it is good also.

______________________________________________________________________________________________
marketing chiropractic

Could you explain what you're getting at? Making more money is usually a good thing but are you suggesting you would make more money on 1X over 2X?

 

[TexasBred]

To make "1X" milking work would you want to milk quality dairy cattle or mild mannered Angus or something like that and go for butterfat and protein premiums to compliment the 12-14 lbs. of milk per cow per day?

 

[novaman]

To make "1X" milking work would you want to milk quality dairy cattle or mild mannered Angus or something like that and go for butterfat and protein premiums to compliment the 12-14 lbs. of milk per cow per day?

If I were moving to 1X I wouldn't be worried about having top notch cows that's for sure. I would be running whatever was cheap and I wouldn't be sticking a thing into them other then some cheap hay. I wouldn't be getting much milk and even with premiums I wouldn't be getting much of a milk check. However, I would still have all the fixed expenses with running a dairy. The point I'm getting to is you can cut back on what you do or what you have but there will always be fixed costs that must be covered. Low input, low output may work in some instances but cashflow is a must.

 

[francismilker]

Novaman,
I realize there's utility bills, mortgages, and taxes. But what else are you referring to as fixed costs if you don't mind? The parlor expenses should drop considerably due to less usage on rubber parts and pumps. Feed would dramatically reduce and parlor labor would reduce. What items would remain "fixed" with 1X a day milking? Thanks.....

 

[novaman]

Novaman,
I realize there's utility bills, mortgages, and taxes. But what else are you referring to as fixed costs if you don't mind? The parlor expenses should drop considerably due to less usage on rubber parts and pumps. Feed would dramatically reduce and parlor labor would reduce. What items would remain "fixed" with 1X a day milking? Thanks.....

Fixed costs are anything that would exist regardless of how many cows run through the parlor. To look at it quite simply, the only thing you would cut down on by switching to 1X is labor. Yes you would reduce the wear on rubber parts, pumps, dip and the like but those costs wouldn't add up nearly as much as you would think. You still have to have the tractor to feed. You still have the utilities, detergents, acid, and sanitizer. Reduced feed is a questionable arguement. Yes by milking 1X you would have less milk yield so in turn you would have lower intakes. However, you still have to go through the motions of making it, putting it out, and cleaning it up. I understand where you're coming from as it seems many think in your way of thinking. I just think you are overlooking some things that shouldn't be overlooked. I couldn't switch to 1X and have the same or better margin than what I've got doing 2X. Maybe others have different situations and could but you always get more milk from 2X. I am willing to work a little extra and have a better cashflow.