What are your dairy farm goals?
The New Year isn’t just an excellent time for setting personal goals; it’s also the perfect time for business goals. If you run a dairy farm, goat or sheep dairy, goals can help you drive your business forward this year. This is an ideal time to evaluate your farm over the last year and think about what you want to continue and what you want to change. Each dairy farm’s goals will differ, as no two dairy farms are alike. However, you can use some general guidelines and ideas to find inspiration and advice.
Dairy Goal Setting
Simply setting a goal is a meaningful first step. However, not all goals are created equal. You want your goal to motivate you throughout the year, so you need specific, measurable, and scalable goals. The more detailed a goal is, the easier it is to hold yourself up to it. For example, instead of saying, “I want to improve milk production,” choose a number that has improved your milk production from last year. Ideally, the goal will also be measurable, something you can track your progress on throughout the year. It also helps if your goal is scalable. For instance, you aim to earn a certain amount of profit. You can divide that number into quarters or even months and then evaluate your short- and long-term progress. These goals will hold you accountable and help your dairy farm thrive.
HHere are some of our ideas for cow, sheep, and goat dairy farming resolutions:
Improve your Herd Health
Did your herd have any health problems over the last year? Make a goal to work on it for the new year, whether that means focusing on lamb and kid health, changing your feed, adjusting your supplementation and vaccinations, or something else.
Improve Reproduction
The reproduction rate is going to be important to any dairy farm. If yours is behind a target you’d be happy with, work on improving it in the new year. The key to high reproduction rates is genetics, which you can improve through intelligent breeding. The Israeli Dairy School can help you develop customized breeding strategies to improve reproduction.
Build Up Production
To attain peak production, your animals need to be healthy and comfortable. You can revamp your feed, nutrition, milking, and housing strategies to keep your herd at optimal production levels. Consult an outside expert to get unbiased feedback on your farm’s practices.
Enhance Your Cooling System
Global warming means that weather is getting more extreme, and temperatures are rising worldwide. This is affecting everything from melting icecaps to forest fires. For dairy farmers, it means keeping herds comfortable and healthy in higher heat. When animals get too hot, their production rates go down. If you don’t have an effective cooling system, make this year your year to change that. Misting and fanning systems can keep your herd comfortable and healthy even in high temperatures.
Look to the Next Generation dairy managers
When setting goals, thinking about the future is a good idea. What do you want for your farm in the long term? Take some time to think about the big picture: how can your dairy farm adapt to a changing future? Do you want to pass your farm on to your children? Work on including the next generation in your farm now, and give them incentives to get involved.
Follow through with Dairy Training
To accomplish your goals, your entire staff needs to be on board. They must also develop the necessary skills to move your dairy farm forward. This may mean that you need dairy training. The Israeli Dairy School offers a wide range of seminars and on-site training to keep your staff up to speed and help your dairy farm improve.
You’ve heard our ideas, now what are yours? What goals do you have for your dairy farm? And what’s worked for you in the past?
How have you set goals and then stuck with them? What goals are the most challenging for you? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
