Posted by Jake in NY on January 30, 2010 at 08:43:58 from (24.2.247.11):
In Reply to: Grazing- Who does it? posted by Don-Wi on January 29, 2010 at 19:44:29:
I had a small grazing dairy for 5 years until I got out last March.
Definitely go to the grazing conference. I think I know which one you are talking about and it is definitely worth it. Also, definitely check out graze.com and if you get serious about grazing then absolutely get a subscription as it is worth its weight in gold. McNair is the only person around who focuses on US style dairy grazing.
Grazing can definitely save you money and increase your net profits. But it is not an overnight solution and it will require a good bit of management. But, the same can be said of growing any other high quality crop. If you grow corn, do you just throw it in the ground in the spring and then forget about it til fall? Not if you want to make money! Treat your pasture just like any other crop and focus on the most efficient way of turning that grass into milk.
There are some "consultants" in the grazing field that are useless and a waste of money. If you to the conference try to meet other dairy farmers who can give you "real world" advice. And most of them will tell you to avoid "consultants" like the plague.
Personally, I would never even consider farming without intensive grazing. It is such a labor saver, and gives you a lot of tools for increasing profitability. Remember, unless you are going to start bottling your own milk, your best chance for profits is in cost control and grazing can do that very well.
Be wary of graziers that are very low/no grain feeders. They are doing something that can take years to learn to do correctly and I still feel they are leaving profits behind. You can feed less grain during the summer months than the winter but I would not want to go below 10-12 lbs or so.
Feel free to email me if you want more info or have other questions as I have always loved to talk grazing.
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