Dispesal sale of the Yattendon herd

[New Holland TM150]

Seen the advert in Farmers Weekly that the Yattendon estate are selling up their pedigree dairy herd in a few weeks.
Any one going to buy some cows?
Wonder what will they do, with the large sheds that they built?

 

[fergie35]

Very sad, my daughter's godfather is a herdsman there, if anyone knows of any hersman jobs going in oxfordshire/berkshire/bucks etc... let me know please so I can pass it on, he's pretty upset that it's closing and they are all being laid off.

From what i've herd they are looking to rent the facilities out for someone to run their own herd, can't see that being economical though imo.

 

[Alex72]

I see everything is for sale, parlour, tanks and cubicles etc!
Looks like a well set up unit. Shame to see the herd like that go.

 

[Sid]

I see everything is for sale, parlour, tanks and cubicles etc!
Looks like a well set up unit. Shame to see the herd like that go.

Its a big efficient herd, why would they need to sell up?

 

[Alex72]

Its a big efficient herd, why would they need to sell up?

Probably looking at the forward milk price and reckon they'd make more money with expanding the arable unit and renting out cottages etc.
Cows and heifers worth more to sell today than in other 6 months time?

 

[More to life]

My first thought is did they have a milk contract!

 

[Headless chicken]

Its a big efficient herd, why would they need to sell up?

It's not always the way forward. A lot of people are saying that the big farms seem to be suffering that bit more currently. At the end of the day if your producing below the cost of production the more litres you make the more money you loose!

 

[lazy farmer]

are we only hearing about the large high yielding herds or is this a trend?

 

[roscoe erf]

are we only hearing about the large high yielding herds or is this a trend?

i think its the thin end of the wedge

 

[Alex72]

My first thought is did they have a milk contract!

It's the guys with their milk contract running out soon I feel for.

 

[Pasty]

Crikey, and to think all the experts in FW last year were advising us to invest in dairy. I bet if you dug out some early 2014 copies of FW, it would read like a comic today. Unfortunately far too many farmers soak up the 'expert advice' and trot off to the bank with dollar signs in front of their eyes.

 

[Martin Holden]

What a shame. They have had a dairy business for many years. Farming is a long term business and in that time things go up and down. There is so much arable around them, they'll be merely joining the masses! Still if the unit isn't profitable, then they have valid reason.

 

[david]

Crikey, and to think all the experts in FW last year were advising us to invest in dairy. I bet if you dug out some early 2014 copies of FW, it would read like a comic today. Unfortunately far too many farmers soak up the 'expert advice' and trot off to the bank with dollar signs in front of their eyes.

The Farmers Weekly reads like a comic every week !!

Shame to hear of another dairy herd dispersal.

 

[Barleycorn]

Probably some fat cat land agent behind it. Happened around here for years, hardly any large mixed farms left.

Land agent always got an up to date range rover though!

 

[Sid]

We looked at doubling cows numbers about 5 years ago. Decided against it due to staffing and margins. Happy making a good profit and being able to sleep at night!

 

[fergie35]

Probably some fat cat land agent behind it. Happened around here for years, hardly any large mixed farms left.

Land agent always got an up to date range rover though!

500ish cows, don't breed replacements, they import them, and struggling to get reliable workers would be some of the problem I would say, the people who own it don't make money from farming. Really nice facilities though, Ice cooling, 20/20 rapid exit parlour, air flow controlled cubicle sheds, new slurry system. Very sad.

But they do have a very large arable unit, and probably one of the biggest producer of christmas trees in the UK. The whole estate is around 9000acres. and is owned by Baron Iliffe.

 

[gone up the hill]

Very sad, my daughter's godfather is a herdsman there, if anyone knows of any hersman jobs going in oxfordshire/berkshire/bucks etc... let me know please so I can pass it on, he's pretty upset that it's closing and they are all being laid off.

From what i've herd they are looking to rent the facilities out for someone to run their own herd, can't see that being economical though imo.

I imagine they will get PP to either turn the buildings into House's or industrial units...

 

[le bon paysan]

watched a "Farming Sunday" repeat, on horse and country tv, from the dairy event in July? ''14. Fill your boots and Rob Harrison saying what great opportunities there were for expanding your herds. Jobs a good 'un! How times change in 6 months!!!

 

[Sid]

watched a "Farming Sunday" repeat, on horse and country tv, from the dairy event in July? ''14. Fill your boots and Rob Harrison saying what great opportunities there were for expanding your herds. Jobs a good 'un! How times change in 6 months!!!

just heard tonight a big big herd in Cornwall gone to the wall. Any truth in it @An Gof @Great In Grass

 

[Martin Holden]

Probably some fat cat land agent behind it. Happened around here for years, hardly any large mixed farms left.

Land agent always got an up to date range rover though!

Mixed farming - seems a life time ago, but from an environmental and soil conditioning perspective, maybe there's merit in it again? High intensive farming while efficient from a cost perspective is doing what for the landscape and land?