Why Do People Have Dairies?

Help Support CattleToday:

Running Arrow Bill

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 24, 2003
Messages
3,439
Reaction score
6
Location
Texas Panhandle On US 83
Please forgive me...this is something I've wondered about all my life :)

To preface my comments, I don't drink milk, but only use it in cooking.

Considering everything,

  • 1. Dairies are very expensive to set up & run.
    2. They are magnets for Goverment regulation.
    3. The sanitation requirements are monsterous...probably more than restaurants.
    4. The dairy cattle eat 3 to 4 times the hay and feed that beef cattle do.
    5. Milk is a perishable product that must be frequently transported.
    6. They are extremely labor intensive except for the totally automated computerized operations.
    7. They are "nasty" places with lots of manure & effluent to get rid of.
    8. They are more regulated as where you can have one than do beef catle.
    9. The high quality alfalfa hay & silage is very expensive to buy.
    10. With processed/pasteurized milk selling for $2.50 to $4.00 a gallon...where's the profit?

I supposed dairy people are like beef people, on the other hand, you like, enjoy, use the product and the lifestyle...

;-)
 
2151.JPG
 
Dairy farming in Canada is still a very profitable business, however it will take at least 3-5 mill to play in the game..And you will be considered small operators at that.. ;-)
 
Some do it because they enjoy it, some because they think they'll get rich, some because they are born to it. some appear to hve it in their blood. Not much different then the reasons anyone chooses any other occupation in life. All of the negatives are considered just part of doing business.
 
jkwilson":62k9b65b said:
They used to be very profitable for those willing to work. Not so much anymore.
Can say the same for beef cattle.......and hogs, turkeys, chickens...................Used to be very profitable.
 
dun":4jc6ceyx said:
Some do it because they enjoy it, some because they think they'll get rich, some because they are born to it. some appear to hve it in their blood. Not much different then the reasons anyone chooses any other occupation in life. All of the negatives are considered just part of doing business.

Exactly. You could ask the same question about most any occupation. The people on the outside see the negatives. The people on the inside see the positives and learn to deal with the negatives.
 
In Canada is profitable for people who already owns it for years but how can you start.You have to pay 25000.00$ for one kg to give you the right to ship milk.So if you start with 20 cows....
 
I don't think there is one good answer to the question at hand. I have lots of people asking me if I get sick of milking twice a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. When you stop and think about it, it does sound awful rough but when your going about your business it isn't nearly as bad as it sounds. Yes you are tied to it but you also have some freedom. You get to be outside a lot. You get to see lots of things that many people are lucky to see once or twice in a lifetime. Just a couple years ago I was ready to graduate from college with 2 bachelor's degrees. I could have done about anything I wanted. I chose to take over the family dairy because it's what I love to do. Obviously years like last year make me wonder if it was the right choice but you pull through it and move on. There are getting to be fewer and fewer dairies around every day. Less people willing to put up with the things that were listed at the top of this thread. All the work that goes in seldom recieves what most would consider fair pay. I'm not in it to make big money. I want to continue building and improving my herd. Maybe upgrade some assets but putting cash in the bank isn't a top priority for me. As long as I can live a decent lifestyle I'm fine with it. I am concerned that government regulation is going to continue making things harder than they already are. At some point the farmer needs to be paid their fair share or else this country will one day see domestic food production grind to a halt.

By the way, getting all the negative publicity such as the piece aired on ABC's Nightline have really got me scratching my head. Yes humane treatment of animals is a must but do people realize what a good thing they have? It seems many would be content shutting dairies down so that animals won't have to be put through such hell. I happen to think dairy animals are treated very well for the most part. In fact I sometimes wonder if they aren't downright spoiled. At any rate, I don't think people want to be paying $10 for a gallon of milk. I guess we just don't see what a good thing we've got 'til it's gone.
 
i grew up in a milk barn.an i worked in that same barn till i was in my mid 30s an we sold out.an i loved what i was doing an wouldnt do anything else.the work was hard rough an yes nasty.but i wouldnt trade it for anything in this world.low milk prices an a few other reasons forced us to sell out.but if i had the chance today to go back to milking id take it in a heartbeat.your with your family 24/7 running a dairy.
 
1. Dairies are very expensive to set up & run.
2. They are magnets for Goverment regulation.
3. The sanitation requirements are monsterous...probably more than restaurants.
4. The dairy cattle eat 3 to 4 times the hay and feed that beef cattle do.
5. Milk is a perishable product that must be frequently transported.
6. They are extremely labor intensive except for the totally automated computerized operations.
7. They are "nasty" places with lots of manure & effluent to get rid of.
8. They are more regulated as where you can have one than do beef catle.
9. The high quality alfalfa hay & silage is very expensive to buy.
10. With processed/pasteurized milk selling for $2.50 to $4.00 a gallon...where's the profit?


1) They are expensive to run, but there are many ways to farm, and corners can be cut to decrease costs pretty easily.
2)This is somewhat true for the bigger diaries, the smaller ones really don't have too many rules to follow, just the Fed and the state every 3 months.
3)After you do the sanitiation process for 15 years or more, its not that bad-just like any other job
4)Rotational grazing does wonders for your feed bills.
5)Refrigeration not a hard thing
6)Got to work somewhere, majority of people in other jobs don't have paid vacations or holidays, and the work on the dairy is something new every day, very seldom can I say I am ever bored-just tired sometimes.
7)Every job has its nasty parts to it-manure is good for spreading, and free fertilizer
8)Rules rules-a part of life
9)Feed is high, but not everyone feeds alfalfa and silage either
10)Profit depends on debt load, you got that with any occupation

I look at quality of life vs the kind of life I would have if I had a diferent occupation, and even though I whine sometimes, I'll stick with farming.

GMN
 
because they love it, and its in their blood.

I have to admit although I didnt get it in the blood genetically, I guess its an infectious disease because dairying got to me, and I now love it. Considering I grew up with beef cows, thats a pretty big thing to say.
 

Latest posts

Top