D2o—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 29,1983
Dairy Pipeline
(Continued from Page DlO)
Dairy Farm Business Analysis
Summary, for herds of 50 to 70
cows, as my initial guideline. I
adjusted these for different levels
of production and for $12.50 milk
prices. I also assumed it cost a
$l,OOO to raise a calf to a freshening
age of 24 months.
These figures will not apply to
any single farm situation. So, use
your own figures for greater ac
curacy. It is the relationship of
lifetime profits to longevity and
production that I want to illustrate.
At the lower level of production,
a heifer never starts earning a
profit until mid-way through her
third lactation. More productive
heifers may start turning a profit
near the end of their second lac
tation. The amount of time
required will vary with milk
prices, production level and
production costs.
Look at the effect of longevity on
lifetime profits and profit per year
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of life. Lifetime profits (and herd
profits) can be doubled by in
creasing longevity from 3 lac
tations to 4. They can be doubled
again by increasing it from 4
lactations to 6. This is due to at
least four reasons:
►-Once a heifer’s rearing costs
have been paid for, each additional
lactation becomes a profit-making
lactation.
and profit per
lactation increase with maturity,
as the figures above illustrate.
greater the longevity, the
less the culling rate, and the fewer
replacements you need. That
reduces replacement costs per
lactation - from $333 per lactation
with a 33 percent cull rate to $2OO
per lactation at a cull rate of 20
percent; that’s $133 more profit
per lactation.
you need fewer
replacements, and because you
now have more heifers to choose
from, you can cull more selectively
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and upgrade you herd at a more
rapid rate.
As you strive to improve
longevity, determine what it is that
causes your good cows to depart
from the herd too soon. Then, focus
your efforts on correcting these
problems.
Production
Low production is one reason for
culling cows. A 1,000-pound in
crease in production can net you
about $BO to help offset a 50-cent
deduction. At $12.50 per one
hundred pounds, 1,000 pounds of
milk generates $125 more income.
Deduct $45 for extra feed and other
expenses and you have a net of $BO.
Mastitis
Dairy producers are said to be
losing $lBO-$2OO per cow per year
as a result of mastitis infections.
The biggest loss is in the form of
lost milk production, a loss you
never see just feel. Reducing
your present cell counts by slightly
more than one half can help ypu
make up a 50-cent loss in milk
price.
Let’s look at some milk loss
figures from research studies
performed on thousands’ of cows,
and assign some values to these
losses.
Add to these losses, the cost of
drugs and veterinarians, dumped
milk, and premature culling. Ask
you Extension agent for a Penn
State list of 14 Steps to Control
Mastitis.
♦ >
Every day a cow stays open
beyond the time she should be bred
could be costing you $3-4 per day. It
may cost you $2 per day to feed and
house her, plus you’re losing $l-2
profit because she’s not milking.
Reducing long calving intervals by
3 to 4 weeks can help make up for a
50-cent decline in milk price.
So, be sure to feed cows properly
and keep them healthy so they will
cycle properly, show strong heats
and conceive better. Also, observe
cows frequently for heat, and
breed them at the proper time.
Check your seman quality and
inseminating techniques. Keep
cows free of infections and
diseases and avoid other stresses
'■fg&
Reproduction
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that interfere with conception.
Injuries
Injuries cause too many good
cows to leave too many herds too
soon. Prevent slippery concrete
surfaces, repair stalls, gather up
debris, give cows an occasional
reprieve from the stress of con
stantly being on concrete, breed
for soundness, prevent foot
problems by proper feeding, hoof
trimming, and by keeping cows out
of wet areas.
None of these ideas require
much, if any, capital. Nor d& they
require any herd expansions. If
you are already doing a good job in
these areas, then maybe more
cows is the answer for you.
'i ,
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