Want to start a 10 cow crossbred HF dairy. Trying to understand investment, monthly costs and when it turns profitable.
What is the break-even for a 10 cow HF dairy and how long till profit?
SSandip More8mo ago · 327 views
5 Answers
🌾Farmer.in Krishi TeamExpert ✓7mo ago
Costs and prices vary a lot by region, so treat these as broad ranges, not promises. A 10 cow HF unit including animals, shed, equipment and initial feed often needs an investment running into several lakhs, with cows being the biggest item. The largest recurring cost is feed, which can be 60 to 70 percent of running cost, so green fodder and silage decide your profit. Milk sale rate, fat and SNF, and how many cows are in milk at a time drive income. Many well managed units reach break-even on operations within the first year or two, but full payback of capital usually takes longer and depends on calving intervals and culling. Prepare a detailed cash flow with your bank or NABARD and start small if you are new.
VVikas Jadhav7mo ago
My biggest lesson was fodder. The first year I bought all feed and barely broke even. After I grew my own maize for silage, profit improved a lot. Keep a herd register so you know which cow is paying.
PPrashant Kale6mo ago
Do not start with all ten cows in milk at once. I bought animals at different calving stages so I always had some in milk and some drying off, which kept the monthly cash flow steady instead of feast and famine. Calving interval is the silent killer of profit, a cow standing dry too long eats but earns nothing.
SSunita Pawar6mo ago
Watch your culling discipline too. I held on to two low yielders for sentiment and they dragged my average down for a year. Tie up with a good cooperative or private dairy that pays fairly on fat and SNF before you buy a single animal, because the rate you get changes everything.
BBalasaheb Shinde5mo ago
Do not forget the cost of raising replacement heifers, it is money going out for two years before a single drop of milk comes back. I budget for that from the start now. Cheap electricity for the chaff cutter and a borewell also quietly help the margin in a place like ours where power and water are not free.