Y09160

Y 09160

Sheep & beef. Which is better?

Imagine this: walking down the hill, dogs barking, sheep running, sun boiling hot and then you smell…. Cow effluent. Sheep and beef is a better lifestyle than dairy because it is a more relaxed lifestyle and does not produce offensive effluent. Also sheep and beef pay out is rising faster than dairy farmers.

Sheep and beef is a better lifestyle than dairy because it is more relaxing and you have more time to fix your farm like fences and water supplies.. I strongly believe that sheep and beef are better because you are not in a rush all the time

Sheep and beef is less stressed because if the power turns off in your dairy shed you can not milk. Sheep and beef is a better lifestyle than dairy because it is more relaxing and you have more time to fix your farm like fences and water supplies. Also with milking you only really milk every other season except winter but then you still have to do winter feeding. Dairy is more stressful because you have to worry about all of your effluent consents and permits also your big electricity and water bill. You have to keep your cows in good shape because if they get mastitis or something like that and it gets milked you can face losing thousands and thousands of dollars. I strongly believe that milking as it says is a better lifestyle is not what it is cracked up to be because of the stress.

Another reason why sheep and beef is better is because sheep and beef has a faster rising pay out then dairy. Since about four years ago sheep and beef have lost more people because they have converted to dairy making more demand of meat. Meat prices are now at $120-130 a lamb in New Zealand compared with $90-100 approximately four years ago.

The smell of dairy is not the best either. The smell of dairy can affect towns or cities by the smell and can cause complaints and concerns. Also effluent can get into waterways and will kill fish or anything that may swim in the waters. It can also get into a towns supply if it does not get filted which may cause sickness or disease. I believe that dairy is one of the worst places to work because the smell and constant sickness you get.

In conclusion dairy is not better because it is more stressful, harder work and does not smell or get into waterways from the effluent. Since my farm has been converted to dairy I have not enjoyed being on the farm at all all because of the stress, smell and lifestyle.

Taylor Paterson