Re: Dairy farm at my age?

Posted by Matt on October 10, 2003 at 17:39:20 from (66.181.93.138):

In Reply to: Dairy farm at my age? posted by Larry on October 08, 2003 at 19:10:59:

Well, here's my perspective from a 33 y/o who works all day in a professional (supposedly :) ) office...but owns 12 acres of woodlands slowly being returned to the pasture they were 50 years ago...

Goat v. Cow dairy...it takes just as much labor to milk a goat as it does a cow. If you have a local market, great otherwise it's not something that's ever appealed to me (despite my lactose intolerance!!!) One idea I've seen is to use the Goats as a milk source for veal.

Anyway, small acreage pretty much hobby farm, semi-retired so I'd assume you'd probably like time off to travel occassionally, etc.

What about breeding a small number of cows for spring, let them graze on grass. Maybe make a deal with a local dairy farmer -- they buy replacement heifers when you have them, you buy their veal calfs. Raise the veal calfs on a combo of grass & surplus cow milk during the summer & early fall. Sell off the veal calfs, send any young heifers to the dairy farm's herd, and dry off the cows for winter so their feed needs are lower. If you have surplus feed/acreage than the cows need, keep some of the veal calves and turn them into steers.

Not much labor need for Winter, come summer if you want a break hiring someone to run a small portable milk machine and feed the veal shouldn't be that overwhelming.

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