farmers. Confinement farmers were significantly more satisfied with corn silage costs than were
Intensive Grazer or Moderate Grazer farmers.
Table 10: Average satisfaction index.1
|
All farms |
Confinement |
Moderate Grazer |
Intensive Grazer | |
|
Corn Silage Yields |
3.95 |
4.06 a2 |
3.91 a |
3.51 c |
|
Corn silage costs |
3.19 |
3.32 a |
3.10 b |
2.90 b |
|
Hay yields |
3.70 |
3.74 |
3.66 |
3.65 |
|
Hay costs |
3.40 |
3.45 |
3.33 |
3.82 |
|
Milk per cow |
3.19 |
3.19 |
3.22 |
3.08 |
|
Herd health |
3.46 |
3.40 |
3.50 |
3.67 |
|
Purchased feed costs |
2.13 |
2.09 |
2.15 |
2.28 |
|
Labor costs |
3.33 |
3.38 |
3.31 |
3.19 |
|
Owner’s labor requirements |
3.14 |
3.23 |
3.05 |
3.07 |
|
Milking facilities |
3.61 |
3.69 |
3.55 |
3.45 |
|
Cow housing |
3.38 |
3.45 |
3.27 |
3.41 |
|
Capital replacement |
2.71 |
2.73 |
2.63 |
2.87 |
|
Machinery replacement costs |
2.60 |
2.59 |
2.59 |
2.70 |
|
Time away from farm |
2.55 |
2.60 |
2.49 |
2.54 |
|
Stress level |
2.67 |
2.69 |
2.65 |
2.64 |
|
Profit level |
2.66 |
2.66 |
2.65 |
2.65 |
|
Financial progress |
2.85 |
2.87 |
2.83 |
2.84 |
|
Average satisfaction index |
3.09 |
3.12 |
3.05________ |
3.05________ |
1 Scale = 1 - 5 with 1= very dissatisfied and 5 = very satisfied
2 Means with different letters within rows are significantly different at P = 0.05.
DAIRY PRODUCERS’ PLANS
To obtain information about dairy producers’ plans for the next three years, respondents were asked to
indicate if they planed to discontinue, decrease, make no change, or increase the number of cows milked,
acres farmed, or reliance on grazing. A clear majority of all respondents will continue farming for the
next three years (Table 11). Only 4 percent (28 farmers), plan to discontinue dairy production and only 1
percent (4 farmers) plan to discontinue farming. A small proportion (3 percent) plan to decrease the
number of cows milked. A majority (53 percent) plan no change in their farm business. Thirty-nine
percent of the respondents plan to increase the number of cows milked and 24 percent plan to increase the
total acres farmed. Surprisingly, 20 percent of the respondents reported plans to increase reliance on
grazing (reliance on grazing may indicate use of pasture for the milking herd, dry cows, and heifers).
This increase contrasts sharply with just 2 percent who plan to discontinue grazing and 3 percent that
plan to reduce reliance on grazing.
Cows to be milked
Confinement farmers are the least likely to discontinue dairy farming (3 percent) or to decrease (3
percent) the number of cows planned to be milked in the next 3 years. The largest proportion (6 percent)
of farmers planning to discontinue dairy farming are in the Moderate Grazer group, but only 2 percent of
Moderate Grazer plan to decrease herd size. Intensive Grazer farmers reported the largest total
proportion (13 percent) planning to discontinue dairy farming or to decrease the number of cows milked.
11