A tale of how two dairy men are handling the pressures of expansion

“THE only reason someone should milk 200 cows is so that they can spend more time off the farm,” was a comment I heard at a recent local discussion group meeting.

The host farmer had increased from 100 cows in 2012 to 270 cows today.

When the statement was put to the host farmer, he informed us that he had spent six weeks off the farm last year, but is this the norm or the exception?

The host farmer has two full-time farm workers, good housing facilities, is currently increasing the parlour size to suit the herd size and is getting his heifers contract reared this year for the first time.

So while the herd has expanded at a rapid rate, he has responded equally rapidly by employing extra labour when it was required, building extra infrastructure as it was needed, and by subcontracting out any work that can be subcontracted out. He did not appear to be a man under stress, despite the difficult spring we had just come through.

We then asked him the big question: why did he increase the herd size to where it is?

His answer was simple: “I have the land and I like milking cows.” While he did not mention that he increased herd size to allow him spend more time off the farm, he was doing so, and rightly so.

Contrast this to another scenario. I was recently on another 20-cow farm in a neighbouring county where the farmer had also increased herd size from 140 cows to 200 over the past five years.

He also had people employed in the form of an overseas husband and wife team (with the wife working part-time on the farm), had poor housing facilities, a 20unit parlour (that he intended adding to) and all heifers were reared on farm with a few drystock thrown in for good measure.

This farmer was also asked why he was milking 200 cows. He admitted that he had added 10 to 15 cows every year and before he knew it, he was milking 200 cows, almost by accident. the situations are similar in ways, there are also notable differences.

I’ve known the first farmer a long while and I know that he carefully plans any expansion with the aid of business plans and closely analyses the figures. He also has good facilities, and is willing to shed work to contractors wherever possible — the contract rearing being a good example.

He decided this year he wanted to contract out the rearing of his heifers, but the only rearer he could find was 100 miles away, but that did not deter him, and off they went.

Farming is like any business, in that there are many risks. Losing labour is a massive risk to farmers with larger herds, but what can we do to mitigate this risk?

By employing two separate employees, the first farmer has immediately mitigated the risk somewhat because the likelihood of both leaving at the same time is low. It is easier to put staff rotations in place allowing everyone time off the farm, including the farm owner.

Similarly, by improving his facilities he has made his yard a more labour-friendly environment and has increased his chances of retaining staff. He is also willing to subcontract out much of the machinery work and heifer rearing, whereas the tendency for most is to make the most use out the employee while we have him/her. This attitude needs to change.

Securing staff is not easy, especially in the more intensive dairy parts of the country, but when we do secure labour we have to make our farms an attractive place to work, with good working conditions.

If we can achieve this, then perhaps all larger herd owners can aspire to enjoying six weeks off the farm.