Dairy Farm Entrants

 

All Dairy Farms1

Characteristic

 

(1996)

 

(1997)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Number of respondents

 

321

 

 

1,019

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Average age principal operator (years)

 

34.3

 

 

46.9

 

Average size milking herd (includes dry cows)

 

43.9

 

 

65.9

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Farms by herd size (%)

 

 

 

 

 

 

0 to 24 cows

 

25.9

 

 

7.7

 

25 to 49 cows

 

39.4

 

 

36.8

 

50 to 74 cows

 

27.2

 

 

31.5

 

75 to 99 cows

 

4.7

 

 

11.0

 

100 or more cows

 

2.8

 

 

12.9

 

Total

 

100.0

 

 

99.9

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tenure and labor force (%)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operator owns some farmland

 

60.4

 

 

95.1

 

Operator rents some farmland

 

57.6

 

 

69.1

 

Employs regular, nonfamily workers

 

18.4

 

 

36.8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Management practices (%)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Production records kept on individual cows

 

54.4

 

 

66.9

 

rBST use

 

5.4

 

 

11.8

 

TMR machinery

 

16.2

 

 

23.8

 

Parlor milking facility

 

4.4

 

 

9.4

 

Rotational grazing 2

 

29.6

 

 

14.8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Family Background (%)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operator or spouse farm reared

 

88.2

 

 

99.1

 

Inherited or purchased farm from relative

 

18.4

 

 

61.0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Off-farm work (%)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operator works off-farm

 

33.8

 

 

15.4

 

Spouse works off-farm

 

40.1

 

 

35.4

 

Either or both works off-farm

 

55.5

 

 

41.0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source of most household income (%)

 

 

 

 

 

 

All from farming

 

34.4

 

 

54.1

 

Most from farming

 

17.8

 

 

38.3

 

Most from off-farm

 

47.9

 

 

7.6

 

Total

 

100.1

 

 

100.0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Notes: 1 = Random sample of all Wisconsin dairy operations conducted by PATS in spring, 1997.

          2 = Relied on pastures to feed milking cows and moved cows as least once/week to fresh pastures.