Dairy Sales and Marketing

Concentrated feed requires less labor but more money. New farms often save on costs by supplementing it with Management Intensive Rotational Grazing (MIRG).[1] Look at land rental prices in your area and determine how many cattle per acre it can support.

• Livestock need about 4% of their weight in forage each day. Ideally, your pasture should produce more than this at peak season, so you can stockpile the surplus for winter.^[2]
• Renting land is usually better than purchasing for a new farm. Wait until your farm is well-established and you no longer need the financial flexibility.

Dairy bulls have a reputation for dangerous behavior, and in any case raising one year round gets expensive. The safer options are paying for a bull’s service at breeding time, or practicing artificial insemination (AI). AI is almost always the cheapest option, and has equal or higher success rates when performed correctly (ideally by trained AI techs).

• Artificial insemination programs are now widespread in India and many African countries. The savings are not as significant and the programs vary in quality, but it is still usually worth it.
• Male:female herd ratio varies between species and with the male’s age. A young bull can typically service 20–25 cows, while a healthy, mature bull may be able to handle up to 40.

If you don’t have dairy farm experience already, take some time to learn about breeding, calving, manure management, weaning, milking cows, and crop management. Farming requires a great deal of time, work, and knowledge, so walk into it with open eyes.

• If this is all new to you, try to get some work experience on another dairy farm first.

A farm requires a large one-time expenditure to get started. Buying an existing dairy farm makes the task simpler, and can save money if you’re willing to do some repairs yourself. Whether you plan to buy or start it all yourself, make sure you’ll have the following facilities:

• A sterile facility for storing milk, and for pasteurizing if required in your area
• Dry, sunny sheds or barns protected from weather and temperature changes
• Milking parlor with stanchions
• Feed storage and manure storage
• Separate living space for calves
• Equipment (including tractors) and equipment storage area
• Well for watering cattle, plus water transport system to tanks in pasture
• Irrigation system for pasture (optional).
• Note — if possible, give yourself room to expand to a larger herd

Inspect all dairy animals personally before buying, including several milking tests. The animal should be healthy and vaccinated against disease. Ideally, purchase the animals right after calving, on its second or third lactation (when milk production is highest).Wait to buy the second half the herd until the first group is about to go dry, so your farm can produce milk year round

If you’re starting with just a few animals, talk to nearby dairy farmers for advice on selling to local stores and individuals. If you have a slightly larger herd, you can get a more stable income by selling the milk to a company that will handle distribution.

Your local or regional government may require permits and paperwork to run a farm, sell milk, irrigate your land, and/or hire staff to help you.