Dairy Finance

This workshop aims to provide vets with the knowledge to understand the key metrics used in collating and benchmarking dairy herd financial performance.

Course outline:

How is the milk cheque spent?

• What are the major items? Role of vet.
• Recent changes in the market. Estimating the economics of ‘marginal litres’ in rising and falling markets.

The economics of feeding

• How to quantify and express it.
• Concentrates, forages.
• Feeding systems- mixer wagons, self-feed.
• Fertility.
• Feeding to maximise milk cheque- fat and protein manipulation- is it worth it?
• Link between economics and GHG emissions.

Management systems

• Intensive- costs of cow places and importance of filling them. Margin/
• cow.
• Extensive- stripping costs out. Margin/litre.
• Autumn and Spring calving.