Wow, some activity on this forum.
Anna, every financial adviser I've ever heard, says start collecting SS as early as you can, you will never recoup what you loose with the small increase you get by waiting. If one doesn't need it, then stock pile it and wait till later to use it.
One of my good friends is the farm manager for a large dairy operation. They milk around 400 cows, 3 times a day. It sure is a far side from milking in a conventional barn like I grew up with. They have a work staff of 7 people at each shift. Some in the parlor, some keeping the cows coming through the system, and some cleaning out the barns where the cows stay. It's difficult to find people to hire now days.
The cows residence is quite interesting. They have sand for them to sleep in free stalls, and food in front of them all the time. When the temperature gets over a certain level, tiny sprays of water come on and the huge fans are always blowing to keep them cool. While the cows are out to be milked, they come in with large scrapers on skid steers, and push the manure into a huge slurry pit.
