When I grow up and get my own farm

[regolith]

Larry, it takes 50% deposit. Small farm you might get for 1.5 mil, productive average sized farms more like 3 mil (dairy).
The traditional route is share-milking. A good way is to start small - I sunk my savings into buying and rearing calves, then looked for a job up to 200 cows and got a bank loan to buy the balance in mature cows (I had 60 heifers and 50 weaner calves by then) - then move to a larger job as you're financially capable of it. Once you've built up enough asset in cows or other investments, sell them and take your heifers and old crocks (culls, three-titters, whatever will produce and isn't worth selling) to your new farm.
Most sharemilkers set a goal of 35 - 40 years old to buy their farm. I was on track for being about 42 - 43 but have been set back probably five years through losing my contract.
I'm not sure about the average age but a lot of people say the sharemilking route is no longer as easy as it used to be. Farmers who are old now, seems like they might have been sharemilking five years, now it's closer to ten or even more.

 

[Ryder]

In sharemilking do you do the milking for a part of the profit instead of a salary.
I know what sharecropping is in this country, but not sure if sharemilking is the same.

 

[regolith]

In sharemilking do you do the milking for a part of the profit instead of a salary.
I know what sharecropping is in this country, but not sure if sharemilking is the same.

Yes. 50/50 sharemilking you own the cattle and your tractor and all machinery and you and the farm owner each get 50% of the milk income. Lower order sharemilking is like being a manager but instead of a salary you get a lower percentage (20 - 25% usually) of the milk income. In both cases the sharemilker provides all labour - their own time and anyone they employ and have some or most of the farm working expenses.

 

[TexasBred]

Dairy cattle in any real heat and humidity will crowd under any tree they can get their head under and kill it in no time.

Black and whites do :nod: , Jerseys are comfortable a little warmer.
I was thinking about what you said TB... my cows are grazing a paddock once every 20 - 30 days. Maybe that's why the trees survive. And my unusual milking times tend to reduce heat stress, most farmers here are walking cows during the hottest part of the afternoon to the shed for milking; I don't.

Smart thinking. Reducing stress in beef cattle has proven over and over again to increase production. I would imagine that the same would hold true for dairy cattle in increased milk production.

As hot as it gets here milking time makes very little difference for dairy cattle on pasture. She's only going to give so much every 24 hours and that's it. She can be hot in the barn or hot under a tree. Same difference. I know people that milk at noon and midnight...others at 4 & 4, 6 & 6...Misting and fans help cool them off some when they're waiting to be milked but this makes the owner feel better than it does the cattle.

 

[Ryder]

In sharemilking do you do the milking for a part of the profit instead of a salary.
I know what sharecropping is in this country, but not sure if sharemilking is the same.

Yes. 50/50 sharemilking you own the cattle and your tractor and all machinery and you and the farm owner each get 50% of the milk income. Lower order sharemilking is like being a manager but instead of a salary you get a lower percentage (20 - 25% usually) of the milk income. In both cases the sharemilker provides all labour - their own time and anyone they employ and have some or most of the farm working expenses.

Thanks for the explanation.