Anybody work in the dairy industry?

[JLinder]

I work for a company that makes silage equipment, and the dairies are the biggest chunk of our sales. Just curious if anybody else works in/with/around the dairy industry?

 

[DSteinel]

I work for a custom chopper. We have all the necessary equip. except the dairy he sold 5 years ago. 2 Claas 860 choppers, a self propelled bagger from versa bagger w/5. 9 cummins motor 6 silage trucks and 2 semi dumps. one of which I keep on the road all year. Who do you work for? Dean

 

[illflem]

I work in Ag research for Montana State University, much of our work is dairy related. Our research station is totally surrounded by dairies.

 

[farmerzo]

Right now I'm at Utah State University in the dairy herdsman program. I milk at home (IN), about 30 Jerseys, thats all i need untill i get out of school. Right now I'm working on a dairy farm in Utah, around 100 milking head. We also rent out a Jr. AgBagger at home and do custom chopping. Alonzo

 

[Lnwing]

I do some custom bagging for dairy farmers with an old H190 Ag Bagger bought new over 20 years ago. We made it self-propelled by mounting a 354 Perkins on it. Tough old machine!

 

[JLinder]

Who do you work for?

I work for Ag-Bag International



http://www.ag-bag.com



Glad to see some TDR members are in the bagging business. Yep, those old H190's are tough. Like pulling hen's teeth to get people to trade 'em in.



Just curious how much the poor milk prices have effected people. Right now, bagging is saving lots of dairies. When times are tough, any way you can save money and increase production helps out.

 

[Shrimpy]

My Uncle was a Dairyman all of his life. He sold his operation about 2 years ago right at the top. I worked for him during summers. His homestead dairy is in East Texas, Nacogdoches. This is where I worked. Milked 125 - 145 head twice a day. He expanded in the late 70's and was milking about 225 - 250. The environazi's harrasment sent him to New Mexico in '92. He increased his operation there, milked around the clock. Something like 400 - 450 head in three seperate heards. He has retired to his land in East Texas (450 acres).



Working on a dairy is some of the hardest work you can do, but also some of the best times I remember working for him. In the county he lives in, there were 48 dairies in 1990. Today there are 2... ... ... .

 

[Champane Flight]

First

My first job was for a dairy farm. $50. 00 a month and room and board. Good old work from dawn to dusk and sometimes beyond. We only milked about 200 a day. The owner got a deal on spent hopps and barley from a local brewery, the cows loved that. He would make two runs a day to the brewery.

 

[wyosteve]

Yep, grew up pulling titties so to speak. Couldn't believe it when I moved west and ranchers talked about the tough life they have. Let them try twice a day milkings every day of the year!

 

[apkole]

My grandfather milked 33 gurnseys on a 250 acre farm. My dad kept about 15 black angus around for beef and sale on a 100 acre hobby farm. Sure is different now. A couple of operations have moved in to West Michigan here from California. These guys milk 2500-3000 head. Milking operations are 24/7. Even the "family" farms that I grew up with, kids I went to school with, have grown to milk 200-250 head.



I spoke to one of my highschool classmates a few weeks ago, and he said they would always like the milk prices to be a little higher, but they weren't getting along too bad. Of course, this family has been around awhile and tends to operate debt free. Keeping those interest dollars in your own pocket can make all the difference in a marginal situation.



I don't miss the twice-a-day milkings, 365 days a year. But, it was a good upbringing. Everything else has seemed like a cake-walk by comparison.



I think if you can succeed in ag, you can do just about anything else.



Andy

 

[Doc Tinker]

My Gramps ran a farm similar to Andy's Gramps. I was only a summer hand on the farm, but got plenty of experience carrying milkers to the cooler (not much automation in those days) and throwing hay. I thought it was fun, but I didn't have to do it 365 days a year either



Doc

 

[willyslover]

Grew up on a small dairy farm, my Grandparents raised myself and my Sister... didn't know any better when it came to the work . . it was just what ya did [or got your butt kicked ]



miss the lifestyle now, but those are memories that are better left in the past as I'm sure I couldn't do it today... to old, to fat, and to much used to retirement LOL