Outstanding video. Two reasons I watch these farm videos 1 entertainment 2 educational. Yours are both. I used to work in town as a grain merchant and then come home to my Registered Angus Seedstock farm. Now retired from town and just raising Angus. Planning like yourself on a smaller scale. Keep looking for things to make my work load easier and less expensive. Making my own feed where I used to buy it all. Today I’m going to buy my first skid steer. Before tractor loader and a pitchfork. At 67 yrs old that pitchfork isn’t as light as it used to be. You have a wonderful place and I appreciate the work you put into the videos. Thanks.
Farmers are very loyal to companies they do business with. Sometimes, companies take advantage of that, apply price increases and take the business for granted. Calling them out and shopping around can result in large cost savings. I sold dairy feed for several years. Taking care of the customer and not taking them for granted is a much better way to do business. Well done.
Great video, with great financial advice. I remember your video about taking over the farm with your brothers. Very smart thinking/implementing to spend smart & stay in business. It's so heartwarming to see family together!💙
I honestly believe that the mixer wagon is helping out with the components as much as anything. We quit using silos 13 years ago and went to balage and bags. Less power, more fuel, less time. Your doing great. It's been down to-10 here in new York
I grew up using a silage pit...there was an old silo but they stopped using it before I was born (born in 1977). We did small square bales, some round bales for feeding our stock outside, wrapped some but we mostly fed our holsteins corn silage (often with potatoes mixed in, probably Maine's biggest crop), hay and some grain during the winter. Summer time we let them graze between milkings
They say the only ship that won't sail is a partnership. I was in one for 20 years and it ended somewhat badly. The big thing I realized is to have a financial plan for good times and especially when things are not going so good.
Our family had the same farm insurance company since 1953. The insurance agency had changed ownership recently and the new owners were terrible about updating the policy and they canceled our policy for 2 weeks before they contacted us about it and then announced a major price increase to renew our policy. They have no farming experience and said we caused them to much grief when we made changes. So we went ahead with a new company. A week later, the owner of the insurance agency called me, wanting to know why we changed company’s. I explained it and needless to say her assistant was terminated for not doing her job. We are happy with the new company and are saving 40 percent of what we were paying for compared insurance. It definitely doesn’t pay to be a long time loyal customer anymore. It pays to shop around for everything you buy.
I grew up on a dairy farm. this video makes me appreciate my father and all he had to deal with! it was a great life, thank you for putting out this video it is greatly appreciated!
I think it is very important to make clear, that if we change things now, does not mean, it was wrong in the past. It is important to adjust to the situations you are facing and accepting the fact that we are always smarter afterwards.
Thanks for the video Kip. Excellent video. Talking about your history and modern day bookkeeping is important. You have went through a lot of changes. Change is what has kept your farm going. My compliments to all of you. Very good Kip and great changes. The Iowa farm boy. Steve
I can tell even though the camera you’re cows body condition score has improved dramatically since you changed your feeding program. Keep up the good work! Love watching your channel and your honest transparency!
You have a heck of an operation going on there! Thank you for being a farmer. I grew up helping out on a dairy farm. I know how much work it is, and I appreciate you guys!! Long time subscriber from Northern Wisconsin.
Yeah, I know... It's a huge task, constantly maintaining a farming operation! It's nonstop, you have to be relentless year around in your approach on a daily basis! And it's not easy at times!! Ssssoooo hats off to you kip, your family and all associated with the farm!! Keep goin, I don't know about the rest of world.. but i appreciate your efforts to help feed the world!! 👍 💯 💪❤!!
Hey Kip I love all you videos but this video was amazing. When you were talking about the insurance on your farm and verything that needs insurance. it was amazing to here you say that you were under insurance. But that is how some of these insurance companies operate. I am on the ag board in my county we are the owners of are fair grounds. There was a person on the board for a long time that always said that you can be insurance pore. The individual got off the board. So it was brought up that we should check on are insurance for the replacement coast of all the buildings on the fair grounds we found out that we were 2 MILLION DOLLARS under replacement coast on all are buildings. We are in the middle of rewriting are insurance policy. It was just nice to here you take about your insurance. Love watching your videos. It's nice that you have all your Financials done by an accountant. Because that will start bad things faster then anything.
Thank you for sharing. It's all important facts how you explained it. Especially when involving more others.. you do need to keep everything on the up and up...
We have a case 2470 on our forage blower and forage blower is 1000 pto im able to unload full rpm with wagons if haylage is a bit dryer and cornsilage full rpm up 80ft silos at least half rpm on wet haylage. great video learned lots!
You are correct about shopping out bids. As to your partnership, I knew of 2 brothers that went into the Dairy biz in the late 1980's. They had a contract drawn up so that everything would be settled or manageable if something happened to either of them, even if 1 just woke up one day and wanted out. 22 pages, but it was something that let them both sleep at night, even after a bad day.
Very smart Kip, well done 👏. Especially with the attorney, accountant and insurance agent…this is coming from an insurance manager married to an attorney. Hire the professionals to do what you can’t, it will cost you to do that but it will ensure you won’t lose your shorts if something bad happens.
I like what you did and how you operate how you budget and spend on other stuff reminds me a little what I did brought old mixer fixed up does some work as a new one doing your truck with rust I'd say you will never go broke you will only succeed good job !! Wise farmer .iam in my 60s and trust me late 70s and 80s was hard farming ING south sask
Kip I went though my insurance policy over a year ago and it took me close to a year to finally get it squared away. I was so under insure it was amazing . When you set down and start putting honest numbers with all the equipment ,buildings and so on it adds up to a very LARGE number . .For me it wasn't the insurance company mistake they were using my numbers but once i did some inquiring into new cost of items did I realize where I was at
Told you before and you sent me a comment back. My dad said it cost to much to fill them up and to much to empty them. Do not blame you for forgetting uprights. Thanks for the ride.
Kip, each of your 5 changes are positive steps forward. #5 still requires that you continue to educate yourself. No one should know the numbers of your business better than you. They give you numbers and handle weekly details but the numbers you need to understand. There are many continuing ed on-line programs available through UM or Purdue etal.
I’m not in farming, but I think it applies for any business using accountants: it’s probably good to check their work too. Just like you check the work of suppliers.😊
I'll agree with the other guys with saying that it doesn't hurt to have a different agency check over the farm policy every once in awhile. Yes, the initial preview is definitely time consuming for a quote. But atleast you'll know if you are over paying or under insured or if something has been dropped off the policy and you didn't catch it.
I would suggest for a future purchase would be a sand shooter bucket for your skid loader. You will save a lot of sand and it’s easier on the machine and tires. Take care
My first ten years farming I put up silos, gutter cleaners, auto feeders and chased milk production per cow. The next ten years were spent replacing all that high maintenance stuff with simplicity [bunk silos, freestalls, mixer wagons, etc]. Cost control and labor efficiency became the goal. We cut out middle men wherever we could and bought our protein and energy concentrates in semi loads, using forward contracting. We then focused on total milk pounds sold instead of per cow [increased cow numbers]. Frustration shrunk, profits soared. Might not work for others but it did for us.
We had a shavings trailer fall through the floor of our bank barn we use to house the cows (nothing super fancy, but built in 1850 and in great shape. I renovated it to milk in its just a nice old barn- first generation dairy farmer and doing the best with what we have). Insurance company told us to get quotes and get it fixed. Got quotes from reputable companies and they said no way to dishing out the money. Luckily found an Amish crew that we could pay with the money they gave us. We had a hard time finding a company to do the entire farm (house, buildings, etc.) when we did the policy. My wife and I wanted full replacement coverage on the barn due to the age and the use of it and our agent put it in as accidental instead. Made us take a long hard look at the policy and things going forward. Made me question other companies we work with a lot and has lead to similar deep dives to make sure we are covered on all ends. Great video. Thank you for sharing
You mentioned butterfat % from bags vs silos. My folks had Holstein's for the dairy business but our house milk-cow was a brown swiss with much higher fat %. Local to me (now) family ice cream dairy gets high % Guernsey milk (I believe certified organic too). What about swapping genetics at your place? Smaller cows, less feed, higher % butterfat, lower per cow volume so maybe add a few head. I've seen brown swiss dairy herds before. Nutrition: I've been working on protein levels in corn (modern hybrid 3.5%, heirloom yellow 9%, red 12%, blue 15%) so you might evaluate testing other feed genetics/nutrition. There's a gardening researcher who was trying to see how to boost vegetable nutrition with better soils/composts/fertilizers and they realized the only thing that mattered was the genetics of the vegetable. Tomatoes selected for shipping and storage had lost most of their vitamins and minerals compared to the heirlooms selected for best taste. So grow a few test acres of heirloom corn and do side by side taste tests with the cattle, both corn and chopped stalks. Reid's Yellow Dent and Bloody Butcher have big ears, some multiple ears, but they need more plant space in-row than hybrids so test variations in your system. Maybe you can boost feed quality and get out of the pellet chow adventure? I grew fourteen foot tall Reid's with zero inputs, plus saving my own seed to replant. A small R&D budget can pay dividends.
I noticed you treated another cow with milk fever take a minute to look at your dry cow feed program years ago we made adjustments on ours and very seldom do we have a cow with milk fever
back in 2008 i new we were paying to much ever month for are protien and minerals from are local coops and started working with small private feed mill the owner was a great nutritionest that came out ever time we seen a feed change and made a new balanced ration for are 100 dairy cows that saved use a ton of money and also raised are milk production 10# PER COW in 30 days,the coops wanted my business back but i never ever went back.
Thank you for this vlog. It answered a lot of things I have thought about. The only question I have is what all generates income on your farm? There is no way 150 cows milk enough to support 3 families. Or am I all wet on that and been away from the farm too long. That is the one thing I always think about when I see your vlogs. At least you have some snow West of lake Michigan we are in a snow drought bad it is going to have to be a wet spring for the farmers. Stay safe and stay well.
Kip, you're doing a Hell of a good job as manager. It does seem like you do all the feeding. Are you, or is it just because you video only when YOU feed? Butterfat up equals milk check up. Great!
Man he could hear the wind and kept going out there which normally doesn't bother me but his comments kept bringing it to my attention. Wouldn't have noticed otherwise. So he saved almost $25,000 on feed what is prior insurance agents had it so under insured I just went to a different area. Boy that's frustrating. if those tornadoes would it then he lost the phone if you didn't have the capital to cover the buildings short on insurance coverage.I like this channel ALOT Michigan boys.
I don't think you can stress out the importance of knowing your insurance policy enough. It's like you said, in most cases it is not the policy cost that is the issue, but what is covered (building, machinery, etc.) by the policy and more importantly what events do not get covered. Force majeure is something that farmers here have neglected. In 2018 farmers in the eastern part of Norway got their farmbuildings washed away by the local river (heavy rainfall). Surprisingly, when a river floods, it's not called a natural disaster because these things can happen. Sadly, some farmers had this not specified in the insurance policy. Also, health insurance is typically neglected. Sometimes you can do some little tweaks on your farm to get your cost down. For instance, by not placing the electric box / fuse box inside the farm building but keeping it in a separate building. As fires are most likely to start in the electric box it makes sense to keep that separate. The insurance companies acknowledge that it is a smart thing to do and will then give you a better rate on the policy.
My Dad always said "never do business with family". He never let my brothers pick up the farming. After he passed, over half of the kids wanted nothing to do with it & sadly, it was sold off. Been a Hoosier Farmstead for over 100 years (in our family). Heartbreaking. So if you all can keep it together, that would be awesome! Your Mom is looking down smiling at you all!❤
I learned a long time ago that “ It’s easier to save money than make money”! If you are netting 20% on your sales , and you’re being overcharged $1000.00 on an item, you need to have $5000.00 more in sales to earn that that overcharged money. How easy is it to make that extra sales?
Grandparents always said, " It's not how much you make in a pay period, it's how you spend it." Advice like that is probably what made him a CEO of the company before retiring.
Back in the 60''s we had 3 cows and a horse killed by lightning. We had not been keeping up our prices on insurance on cattle, only got enough money for 2 springers. While with Farm Bureau insurance back in the 70's, they dropped my uncles farm insurance without explanation. so both of the farms dropped Farm Bureau and went with a local Ag insurance company.
Do you give your fresh cows calcium boluses from first choice or bovicalc..I give fresh hfrs and cows 2. They recommend 2 12-18 dollars apart. Fresh hfrs and 2nd lactation and above. Bivicalc is around $9/ bolus and first. Choice is between $6-$8. Look into it
I live just south of Lansing. Tracy has been our agent for at least 8 years. I recommend him to everyone I know in AG. I can't say enough good things about him.
Thank you. I actually think that is who our grain Elevator uses to, name sounds familiar from talking to them this fall about our hoist blowing up on are grain truck at the elevator, and our combine engine blew up fall of 2023 and insurance company did nothing for us on either one.
Pay yourself first then you pay the bills that's how we did it and it worked perfect then any thing left bought equipment cows whatever we needed tear them silos down and pour a concrete pad no walls cheaper than bags pay it self off in ages years if you have the help to handle it otherwise use the bags buy a new mixer
Listening to your story is why people end up going out of business.just taking things for granted especially family owned businesses. A lot of times it’s yea he or she took care of it .glad to see the farm doing good .America is great 🇺🇸
I’m thinking of having account do whole deal. Send me a report weekly. Idk my wife ain’t got the time with these 7 kids and I don’t have the interest or time. We’re behind on paying a lot
I sure wish my parents would have set up our little farm like that. Now that they are gone all some of my siblings want to do is fight over it. Now it’s just sitting there growing up in weeds and tree saplings.
You were in the shed when the wind was blowing and we could then we could hear ya. They need to move out of the shed and we can’t hear you because your microphone is cheap. Go back in the shed when you want to tell a story. I like your videos by the way, but just learn how to use the mic and where to stand.
Working "On the business" vs. working "In the business" gives you the greatest return on your time!
Keep up the good work!
Outstanding video. Two reasons I watch these farm videos 1 entertainment 2 educational. Yours are both. I used to work in town as a grain merchant and then come home to my Registered Angus Seedstock farm. Now retired from town and just raising Angus. Planning like yourself on a smaller scale. Keep looking for things to make my work load easier and less expensive. Making my own feed where I used to buy it all. Today I’m going to buy my first skid steer. Before tractor loader and a pitchfork. At 67 yrs old that pitchfork isn’t as light as it used to be. You have a wonderful place and I appreciate the work you put into the videos. Thanks.
Farmers are very loyal to companies they do business with. Sometimes, companies take advantage of that, apply price increases and take the business for granted. Calling them out and shopping around can result in large cost savings. I sold dairy feed for several years. Taking care of the customer and not taking them for granted is a much better way to do business. Well done.
Great video, with great financial advice. I remember your video about taking over the farm with your brothers. Very smart thinking/implementing to spend smart & stay in business. It's so heartwarming to see family together!💙
I'm not a farmer. But it's awsome how you cut costs and looked over the whole operation. I hope the farm is there for the next generation.
👍👍
GenerationS...I feel it too.
Good to see you are seeing the financial wins and the changes are bringing you higher butter fat. Keep on Keeping on!
👍👍
I honestly believe that the mixer wagon is helping out with the components as much as anything. We quit using silos 13 years ago and went to balage and bags. Less power, more fuel, less time. Your doing great. It's been down to-10 here in new York
Yes sir, stay warm
I grew up using a silage pit...there was an old silo but they stopped using it before I was born (born in 1977). We did small square bales, some round bales for feeding our stock outside, wrapped some but we mostly fed our holsteins corn silage (often with potatoes mixed in, probably Maine's biggest crop), hay and some grain during the winter. Summer time we let them graze between milkings
They say the only ship that won't sail is a partnership. I was in one for 20 years and it ended somewhat badly. The big thing I realized is to have a financial plan for good times and especially when things are not going so good.
Our family had the same farm insurance company since 1953. The insurance agency had changed ownership recently and the new owners were terrible about updating the policy and they canceled our policy for 2 weeks before they contacted us about it and then announced a major price increase to renew our policy. They have no farming experience and said we caused them to much grief when we made changes. So we went ahead with a new company. A week later, the owner of the insurance agency called me, wanting to know why we changed company’s. I explained it and needless to say her assistant was terminated for not doing her job. We are happy with the new company and are saving 40 percent of what we were paying for compared insurance. It definitely doesn’t pay to be a long time loyal customer anymore. It pays to shop around for everything you buy.
Great comment, we have to stay on our toes
Great so glad to hear it. I just changed two of my insurance policies this year, auto and medical. Lovely advise. All 5 points.
I grew up on a dairy farm. this video makes me appreciate my father and all he had to deal with! it was a great life, thank you for putting out this video it is greatly appreciated!
I think it is very important to make clear, that if we change things now, does not mean, it was wrong in the past. It is important to adjust to the situations you are facing and accepting the fact that we are always smarter afterwards.
Look into a bed buster attachment for you skid steer to fluff up the sand bedding
Great job kip it's about being a team and thinking of the future. You are going at it the right way
👍👍
Thanks for the video Kip. Excellent video. Talking about your history and modern day bookkeeping is important. You have went through a lot of changes. Change is what has kept your farm going. My compliments to all of you. Very good Kip and great changes.
The Iowa farm boy. Steve
I can tell even though the camera you’re cows body condition score has improved dramatically since you changed your feeding program. Keep up the good work! Love watching your channel and your honest transparency!
They filled right out!
A lot of great info , doing your homework , dreams & teamwork, stay strong everyone , stay safe , enjoy for the future, have a great 2025 .
You have a heck of an operation going on there! Thank you for being a farmer. I grew up helping out on a dairy farm. I know how much work it is, and I appreciate you guys!! Long time subscriber from Northern Wisconsin.
Great job looking into things and not being afraid to change.
Great video Kip!!! Very interesting. Ty for sharing!!!❤️🙏🇺🇲
👍👍
Great video. You are a doll, a blessing 10 star Keeper. Thank you not just for being YOU but for posting on UA-cam. Wow. Life is Good. Amen.
Yeah, I know... It's a huge task, constantly maintaining a farming operation! It's nonstop, you have to be relentless year around in your approach on a daily basis! And it's not easy at times!! Ssssoooo hats off to you kip, your family and all associated with the farm!! Keep goin, I don't know about the rest of world.. but i appreciate your efforts to help feed the world!! 👍 💯 💪❤!!
Thank you !!
@KipSieglerFarming1 👍🎯!!
Nice update, thanks. Speaking about the future and what its holds. Have you all thought about your secession plan?
Hey Kip I love all you videos but this video was amazing. When you were talking about the insurance on your farm and verything that needs insurance. it was amazing to here you say that you were under insurance. But that is how some of these insurance companies operate. I am on the ag board in my county we are the owners of are fair grounds. There was a person on the board for a long time that always said that you can be insurance pore. The individual got off the board. So it was brought up that we should check on are insurance for the replacement coast of all the buildings on the fair grounds we found out that we were 2 MILLION DOLLARS under replacement coast on all are buildings. We are in the middle of rewriting are insurance policy. It was just nice to here you take about your insurance. Love watching your videos. It's nice that you have all your Financials done by an accountant. Because that will start bad things faster then anything.
Wow
Great video Kip. Farming is a business and needs to be operated as such. Have a great week and stay safe.
Thank you for sharing. It's all important facts how you explained it. Especially when involving more others.. you do need to keep everything on the up and up...
👍👍
Great info thanks
We have a case 2470 on our forage blower and forage blower is 1000 pto im able to unload full rpm with wagons if haylage is a bit dryer and cornsilage full rpm up 80ft silos at least half rpm on wet haylage.
great video learned lots!
That’s awesome I’d love to see a pic of that!
You are correct about shopping out bids. As to your partnership, I knew of 2 brothers that went into the Dairy biz in the late 1980's. They had a contract drawn up so that everything would be settled or manageable if something happened to either of them, even if 1 just woke up one day and wanted out. 22 pages, but it was something that let them both sleep at night, even after a bad day.
Another very intGerestinGpg video Thank you and God bless you and your family
Thanks for the informative video
Kip God bless you and God bless the Farmer
Nice!you got it down!What you saved you can pay an accountant!
THANKS GOOD MAN !!
Very smart Kip, well done 👏. Especially with the attorney, accountant and insurance agent…this is coming from an insurance manager married to an attorney. Hire the professionals to do what you can’t, it will cost you to do that but it will ensure you won’t lose your shorts if something bad happens.
👍👍
You speak well for the professionals. Ironical about your spouse's professionals but Kip covered that too. Good day.
I like what you did and how you operate how you budget and spend on other stuff reminds me a little what I did brought old mixer fixed up does some work as a new one doing your truck with rust I'd say you will never go broke you will only succeed good job !! Wise farmer .iam in my 60s and trust me late 70s and 80s was hard farming ING south sask
Kip I went though my insurance policy over a year ago and it took me close to a year to finally get it squared away. I was so under insure it was amazing . When you set down and start putting honest numbers with all the equipment ,buildings and so on it adds up to a very LARGE number . .For me it wasn't the insurance company mistake they were using my numbers but once i did some inquiring into new cost of items did I realize where I was at
Yes sir and most these thing I mentioned aren’t different they just take time and talking with people, it’s a pain but has to be done ✅
Told you before and you sent me a comment back. My dad said it cost to much to fill them up and to much to empty them. Do not blame you for forgetting uprights. Thanks for the ride.
Great video kip....👍
👍👍
Kip, each of your 5 changes are positive steps forward. #5 still requires that you continue to educate yourself. No one should know the numbers of your business better than you. They give you numbers and handle weekly details but the numbers you need to understand. There are many continuing ed on-line programs available through UM or Purdue etal.
Great video
I’m not in farming, but I think it applies for any business using accountants: it’s probably good to check their work too. Just like you check the work of suppliers.😊
I'll agree with the other guys with saying that it doesn't hurt to have a different agency check over the farm policy every once in awhile. Yes, the initial preview is definitely time consuming for a quote. But atleast you'll know if you are over paying or under insured or if something has been dropped off the policy and you didn't catch it.
Good video and very good points
Thanks for sharing
Amen
I would suggest for a future purchase would be a sand shooter bucket for your skid loader. You will save a lot of sand and it’s easier on the machine and tires. Take care
I'm ready to get things done outside
Kip you a smart man!!
My first ten years farming I put up silos, gutter cleaners, auto feeders and chased milk production per cow. The next ten years were spent replacing all that high maintenance stuff with simplicity [bunk silos, freestalls, mixer wagons, etc]. Cost control and labor efficiency became the goal. We cut out middle men wherever we could and bought our protein and energy concentrates in semi loads, using forward contracting. We then focused on total milk pounds sold instead of per cow [increased cow numbers]. Frustration shrunk, profits soared. Might not work for others but it did for us.
I like it 👍👍
We had a shavings trailer fall through the floor of our bank barn we use to house the cows (nothing super fancy, but
built in 1850 and in great shape. I renovated it to milk in its just a nice old barn- first generation dairy farmer and doing the best with what we have). Insurance company told us to get quotes and get it fixed. Got quotes from reputable companies and they said no way to dishing out the money. Luckily found an Amish crew that we could pay with the money they gave us. We had a hard time finding a company to do the entire farm (house, buildings, etc.) when we did the policy. My wife and I wanted full replacement coverage on the barn due to the age and the use of it and our agent put it in as accidental instead. Made us take a long hard look at the policy and things going forward. Made me question other companies we work with a lot and has lead to similar deep dives to make sure we are covered on all ends. Great video. Thank you for sharing
Interesting Video Thanks ( you need to cover up the wind noise, when your outside , wind overrides your voice, )
Yes sir, you have to inspect what you expect.
You mentioned butterfat % from bags vs silos. My folks had Holstein's for the dairy business but our house milk-cow was a brown swiss with much higher fat %. Local to me (now) family ice cream dairy gets high % Guernsey milk (I believe certified organic too). What about swapping genetics at your place? Smaller cows, less feed, higher % butterfat, lower per cow volume so maybe add a few head. I've seen brown swiss dairy herds before. Nutrition: I've been working on protein levels in corn (modern hybrid 3.5%, heirloom yellow 9%, red 12%, blue 15%) so you might evaluate testing other feed genetics/nutrition. There's a gardening researcher who was trying to see how to boost vegetable nutrition with better soils/composts/fertilizers and they realized the only thing that mattered was the genetics of the vegetable. Tomatoes selected for shipping and storage had lost most of their vitamins and minerals compared to the heirlooms selected for best taste. So grow a few test acres of heirloom corn and do side by side taste tests with the cattle, both corn and chopped stalks. Reid's Yellow Dent and Bloody Butcher have big ears, some multiple ears, but they need more plant space in-row than hybrids so test variations in your system. Maybe you can boost feed quality and get out of the pellet chow adventure? I grew fourteen foot tall Reid's with zero inputs, plus saving my own seed to replant. A small R&D budget can pay dividends.
Yeah definitely need to look in to it!
I noticed you treated another cow with milk fever take a minute to look at your dry cow feed program years ago we made adjustments on ours and very seldom do we have a cow with milk fever
Hello Y'all I am a new subscriber..❗
Yesss 👍👍
Oh yeah she was a cold one last week. And also we changed are insurance the first of the year and saved 200 a month.
👍👍
ever thought to ask your nutritionist about a calf mix to possibly cut costs.... could make a ag bag to try it out
back in 2008 i new we were paying to much ever month for are protien and minerals from are local coops and started working with small private feed mill the owner was a great nutritionest that came out ever time we seen a feed change and made a new balanced ration for are 100 dairy cows that saved use a ton of money and also raised are milk production 10# PER COW in 30 days,the coops wanted my business back but i never ever went back.
Thank you for this vlog. It answered a lot of things I have thought about. The only question I have is what all generates income on your farm? There is no way 150 cows milk enough to support 3 families. Or am I all wet on that and been away from the farm too long. That is the one thing I always think about when I see your vlogs.
At least you have some snow West of lake Michigan we are in a snow drought bad it is going to have to be a wet spring for the farmers.
Stay safe and stay well.
We cash crop quite a bit but the biggest thing is we don’t pay ourselves to much
One should up date every five years to see where you stand. Cause things will change over that time. May be better to do it more often.
❤ from Norway
When dad had the milk route one of the farmer filled one those concrete slave silos in fell in the lot after they filled it
❤
Let's talk about silos ten years form now there is a couple reasons that those silos are on your farm mz p s it's called sweet feed
Kip, you're doing a Hell of a good job as manager. It does seem like you do all the feeding. Are you, or is it just because you video only when YOU feed? Butterfat up equals milk check up. Great!
Yes you have to reacess insurance every year. Fine print & some Suits hope you don't LOOK !!😮
@@chrismarklevitz5217 yes sir
Man he could hear the wind and kept going out there which normally doesn't bother me but his comments kept bringing it to my attention. Wouldn't have noticed otherwise. So he saved almost $25,000 on feed what is prior insurance agents had it so under insured I just went to a different area. Boy that's frustrating. if those tornadoes would it then he lost the phone if you didn't have the capital to cover the buildings short on insurance coverage.I like this channel ALOT Michigan boys.
HI good evening kip from Indiana
Good evening
Good to review your insurance about every 5 years. Things change.
I don't think you can stress out the importance of knowing your insurance policy enough.
It's like you said, in most cases it is not the policy cost that is the issue, but what is covered (building, machinery, etc.) by the policy and more importantly what events do not get covered. Force majeure is something that farmers here have neglected.
In 2018 farmers in the eastern part of Norway got their farmbuildings washed away by the local river (heavy rainfall). Surprisingly, when a river floods, it's not called a natural disaster because these things can happen. Sadly, some farmers had this not specified in the insurance policy. Also, health insurance is typically neglected.
Sometimes you can do some little tweaks on your farm to get your cost down. For instance, by not placing the electric box / fuse box inside the farm building but keeping it in a separate building. As fires are most likely to start in the electric box it makes sense to keep that separate. The insurance companies acknowledge that it is a smart thing to do and will then give you a better rate on the policy.
Any negatives of cutting out dry hay?
My Dad always said "never do business with family". He never let my brothers pick up the farming. After he passed, over half of the kids wanted nothing to do with it & sadly, it was sold off. Been a Hoosier Farmstead for over 100 years (in our family). Heartbreaking.
So if you all can keep it together, that would be awesome!
Your Mom is looking down smiling at you all!❤
I learned a long time ago that “ It’s easier to save money than make money”!
If you are netting 20% on your sales , and you’re being overcharged $1000.00 on an item, you need to have $5000.00 more in sales to earn that that overcharged money.
How easy is it to make that extra sales?
That’s good!!
Grandparents always said, " It's not how much you make in a pay period, it's how you spend it." Advice like that is probably what made him a CEO of the company before retiring.
Enjoyed the video but the wind in the microphone made some of what you were saying a little hard to hear.
When I had my farm, the accountant was the best money I spent. Payroll alone was such a headache.
Back in the 60''s we had 3 cows and a horse killed by lightning. We had not been keeping up our prices on insurance on cattle, only got enough money for 2 springers.
While with Farm Bureau insurance back in the 70's, they dropped my uncles farm insurance without explanation. so both of the farms dropped Farm Bureau and went with a local Ag insurance company.
Do you give your fresh cows calcium boluses from first choice or bovicalc..I give fresh hfrs and cows 2. They recommend 2 12-18 dollars apart. Fresh hfrs and 2nd lactation and above. Bivicalc is around $9/ bolus and first. Choice is between $6-$8. Look into it
Would you mind shearing your insurance guys name and number? We farm just west of Flint and I think we need to look at a different company.
Yes, look up Country Harbor. Out of Lansing. You Get to deal with the owner, Tracy. Tell him I sent you
I live just south of Lansing. Tracy has been our agent for at least 8 years. I recommend him to everyone I know in AG. I can't say enough good things about him.
Thank you. I actually think that is who our grain Elevator uses to, name sounds familiar from talking to them this fall about our hoist blowing up on are grain truck at the elevator, and our combine engine blew up fall of 2023 and insurance company did nothing for us on either one.
Will you demolish the silos in time??🤔
I believe they are planning on taking the 2nd silo down after planting to drive in the barn with the mixer wagon
That tornado took out the farm 2 miles from the farm that I work for
Mt pleasant?
@KipSieglerFarming1 snover
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You should have an insurance review every year.
Pay yourself first then you pay the bills that's how we did it and it worked perfect then any thing left bought equipment cows whatever we needed tear them silos down and pour a concrete pad no walls cheaper than bags pay it self off in ages years if you have the help to handle it otherwise use the bags buy a new mixer
What about number 6, if a brother fires someone no matter how the other 2 brothers feel about it. You back his decision.
Yes sir, back each other up
Are you the oldest brother?Is liquid manure storage in the future.
Feeding TMR your milk fever should go way down .
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Upgrades and changes are happening all of the time. On the farm.... neverending process.
The wind is really making it hard to listen to could you invest in a microphone
Listening to your story is why people end up going out of business.just taking things for granted especially family owned businesses. A lot of times it’s yea he or she took care of it .glad to see the farm doing good .America is great 🇺🇸
Very informative video. Getting the BF to 4.3% by introducing the TMR is great.
TMR always pays for itself.
You wil learn sweet feed makes milk not wet feed
I’m thinking of having account do whole deal. Send me a report weekly. Idk my wife ain’t got the time with these 7 kids and I don’t have the interest or time. We’re behind on paying a lot
I sure wish my parents would have set up our little farm like that. Now that they are gone all some of my siblings want to do is fight over it. Now it’s just sitting there growing up in weeds and tree saplings.
That sucks. Hopefully it works out. Hate to see over grown delabitated property and buildings. Good luck.
You were in the shed when the wind was blowing and we could then we could hear ya. They need to move out of the shed and we can’t hear you because your microphone is cheap. Go back in the shed when you want to tell a story. I like your videos by the way, but just learn how to use the mic and where to stand.
Great video