HasthorpeGrange
Member
- Location
- Lincolnshire
Following on from another thread running without hijacking
Flying herds
- Thread starter HasthorpeGrange
- Start date
More to life
Member
- Location
- Somerset
Without imported cows a flying system isn't very attractive does anybody know if they will be available next year ?
Perhaps the UK will become a high health status country and ban all live imports ?
HasthorpeGrange
Member
- Location
- Lincolnshire
Does this then open up an opportunity for Uk breeds to use a lot more dairy semen?
More to life
Member
- Location
- Somerset
Always find a few cows about
- Location
- M6 Hard shoulder
Yes I think it presents itself as an ideal opportunity for people in our industry to use more dairy semen and for less beef semen to be used.
More to life
Member
- Location
- Somerset
It took the worst drought in a generation to free some up for you.
Had enough.com
Member
It's a no no now if you've got TB isn't it?
jimmer
Member
- Location
- East Devon
Sexed semen will mean that flying herds will still be viable
happycows
Member
- Location
- North Devon Cornwall border
There maybe a halfway house for some? Maybe used some sexed semen too sell heifer calves too a neighbour and then buy them back if they are what you want. Contract rearing is another option.
Problem is a good beef straw can be had for £5 yet a good sexed semen straw in £30 yet the heifer calf is realistically not worth any more than the average beef calf but could cost 5 times as much in semen costs to get it born.
For me and my Dutch heifers it was a eyeopener to go to 6 farms with maybe 140 heifers fitting your profile and you know exactly how much before you leave home. Choose what you want and walk away from anything else. 3 farms i walked out and said they were not what i wanted, no offence or awkwardness as we didn't even speak the same language. Probably never see them again . The other 3 i picked the 20 i wanted out of 70/80 head between them and job done.
Cow trade is a funny business and to get the market highs that you see in the market reports lots of things have to be just right at the right time. Milk price, season, weather, breed and turned out right. Anything that doesn't fit that profile at the time can usually be had well worth the money and like now lots of cattle are being traded at a fraction of what they'd have cost to get there..
Another factor and the edge has just gone off it lately is the last 2/3 years has been a pretty buoyant beef calf trade. Blues, Charolais, Limo Hereford or Angus always seem too have a market if looking half decent.
Problem is a good beef straw can be had for £5 yet a good sexed semen straw in £30 yet the heifer calf is realistically not worth any more than the average beef calf but could cost 5 times as much in semen costs to get it born.
For me and my Dutch heifers it was a eyeopener to go to 6 farms with maybe 140 heifers fitting your profile and you know exactly how much before you leave home. Choose what you want and walk away from anything else. 3 farms i walked out and said they were not what i wanted, no offence or awkwardness as we didn't even speak the same language. Probably never see them again . The other 3 i picked the 20 i wanted out of 70/80 head between them and job done.
Cow trade is a funny business and to get the market highs that you see in the market reports lots of things have to be just right at the right time. Milk price, season, weather, breed and turned out right. Anything that doesn't fit that profile at the time can usually be had well worth the money and like now lots of cattle are being traded at a fraction of what they'd have cost to get there..
Another factor and the edge has just gone off it lately is the last 2/3 years has been a pretty buoyant beef calf trade. Blues, Charolais, Limo Hereford or Angus always seem too have a market if looking half decent.
dinderleat
Member
- Location
- Wells
Why do you have to be one way or the other, buy a few and rear a few, depending on your situation. There is no right way or wrong way to do anything it’s what works for you.
I rear all my own replacements and hope to have a herd reduction sale next year possibly 100+ or I might find some where to milk them the possibility’s are endless.
I rear all my own replacements and hope to have a herd reduction sale next year possibly 100+ or I might find some where to milk them the possibility’s are endless.
@jimmer 100 cows for sale, get im quick. That said only holstiens.
HasthorpeGrange
Member
- Location
- Lincolnshire
I feel breeding some and buying some looses the advantage of disease control from closed herds. If we went closed we could stop vacinating for example which would save us thousands a year. Buy having to vaccinate we are basically adding on another £60 to anything bought in. Also we would be calving heifers rather than buying some new calved giving us extra calf sales. I understand the point about risk though, buying new calved you know you have a heifer that is correct and you don’t have the dead calves or late nights checking them.
dinderleat
Member
- Location
- Wells
Depends where you buy from, and you wouldn’t just stop vaccinating because you became closed, maybe you could 5-10 years down the line.
We're closed, but vaccinate. Lepto is carried on vermin, only need one to get in with the neighbors cattle, and you've got ibr or bvd. Just not worth the risk
happycows
Member
- Location
- North Devon Cornwall border
Going by the results of this poll if it was accurate and widespread there won’t be a shortage of surplus stock being sold going forward.
IF we Start too see a reduced number being culled with tb this will help no end too.
IF we Start too see a reduced number being culled with tb this will help no end too.
Tarw Coch
Member
- Location
- Bottom of Wats Dyke
I thought this country was way behind much of Europe on tackling many diseases.
- Location
- somerset
the price of young stock in Exeter yesterday was awful, bullers £250-£400, some went home. but baby calves, looking good, and some well bres £100-£160. I can't understand that, with bullers at that money someone has done all the work, youv'all the risk with calves. but makes flying herds look attractive!
More to life
Member
- Location
- Somerset
They don't want bullers either.