Ten years ago, Billy Buckingham hated the sight of cows.
Today, at 27, he has returned to the dairy industry and is embracing everything it has to offer.
Billy has just co-hosted the Great South West Dairy Awards, is an active member of the Young Dairy Network, has attended Artificial Insemination courses, been to New Zealand on a study tour, is part of the local discussion group, took part in a seminar on the issues facing the dairy industry and attended a YDN conference in NSW.
The third-generation farmer at Jancourt East works alongside his father Mark and uncle Michael who milk 400 mixed cows in partnership.
Billy hasn’t always been on the farm, and in fact, had gone right off dairying, but that break of about seven years might have been the best thing for his career.
“When I was a teenager, I hated milking cows and helping out, but now I enjoy it,” he said.
“I came home about three years ago and it was a whole different concept. Before that I worked in telecommunications and did odd jobs here and there.
“I feel that was a key thing in my career. A lot of people who go straight from school to the farm might end up resenting it.
“There was never any pressure for me to come home. I made the decision when I was ready. I’d come home and help over harvest time, but that’s different to being here all the time.
“Taking a break was a good career move.”
The 27-year-old calls himself the 3IC.
“I’m basically a farm hand, but because it’s a family-run business, I get opportunities to have discussions about the future and where we want to get to.”
He is playing a role in breeding and will be part of discussions with a new dairy on the agenda to replace the current 24-year-old rotary.
“I’ve been included in the planning process to consider what I would want going forward,” Billy said.
“Not everyone gets that opportunity, but my uncle Michael is 61 and has been farming for 45 years and Dad is 57, and realistically, they won’t be milking forever.”
Billy’s grandfather purchased the original farm in the ’50s. Michael finished school and worked the farm.
“In those days it was hard for young people to get a job, so my grandfather went and got a job and my uncle mainly ran the farm,” Billy said.
In 2002, Billy’s parents bought the farm next door and went into partnership with his grandparents and uncle. His grandparents have since retired.
Twenty-four years ago, Billy’s parents bought the farm next to Michael and joined it into a big partnership.
The farm has “a bit of everything” when it comes to cows.
“We have Jerseys, Friesians and Aussie Reds. It has been that way for as long as I can remember and the mix has been good for cow health and fertility,” Billy said.
They are traditional winter calvers, starting June 1, using AI for four to six weeks and then a bull for the same time.
Since returning to the farm, Billy has started to help select the bulls. He has completed an AI course and for the last joining shared the selection duties with Michael.
“It was good because it’s something I’m interested in,” he said.
“I look for temperament, teat length, height, mastitis traits and the way they look. You’ve got to be happy with what you’re milking.
“We target fat and protein, but we like robust animals.”
“Some of the littler cross-bred cows hold better in the winter conditions and there’s less pugging compared to bigger cows.”
Of the three breeds, Billy admits he has a bit of a soft spot for the Aussie Reds.
“Some of their traits aren’t as advanced as the other breeds, but on the health side of things they’re really robust and sturdy,” he said.
The farm is a low input system, using home-grown silage and the only bought-in feed is crushed barley grain, occasionally with a bit of wheat. All the crushing is done on site with a disc mill.
“We’re looking to tweak the formula in the near future, possibly introducing a canola oil spray to keep the dust down and to give another kick along for the cows,” Billy said.
The green paddocks attest to the farm’s high rainfall and the mix of high and low country makes it a picturesque property.
Billy joined the YDN Committee earlier this year and is keen to help organise events and get more young people involved.
He was part of a YDN study tour to New Zealand, sponsored by DemoDAIRY Foundation, in early 2024.
“It was a whole new thing to me; a great experience,” he said.
“My biggest thing was seeing how other farms operate and what I could implement back on our farm. Every system is different; there’s no wrong or right way to do things.”
Billy said New Zealand farmers didn’t feed grain through their dairies, had grass-based systems, but often relied on feed pads, and were facing much stronger regulations monitoring their systems, including effluent.
“I feel like the regulations they are facing will be in Australia in the next 10 to 15 years,” Billy said.
“We should get proactive and have things in place so it won’t be a big shock to the system if we have to do it here.”
“Lining of effluent ponds, spread management, pumping systems, cleaning and maintenance. It really fascinated me.
The study tour saw once-a-day milking in action, but he said they would not go down that line at home.
But, like with the discussion group, Billy said going to see different systems and practices on other farms was always valuable.
“We’re not going to pick up everything, but if something makes an everyday job easier, we’ll do it.”
Today, Billy is enjoying his new career in farming.
“I love the versatility. I’m the only staff member apart from my father and uncle who run it, so you have to be a jack of all trades; so, a bit of everything.
“You’ve got to milk twice a day and feed the cows, but there are so many other jobs to be done.”
He’s also keen to learn new skills.
“Mum does the books. I’m working with her a bit so I can learn that side of the business as well. I don’t mind the bookwork.”