Beef / Lamb & Pig Price Tracker

neilo said:

You do realise that lambs are produced outside the South West too?

I haven't heard any particular horror stories from lambing time, as usually do the rounds pretty quickly. I would venture most found lambing, and the preceding winter, not fantastic, but also not disastrous. Anyone hold a differing view?

I hear lots of stories from farmers round here about how the lambs have done better this summer, as they always do in a dry time, when grass is tighter/shorter. Those in the grim North haven't had such a dismal, wet time of it as usual either.

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jendan said:

Ive never heard of it either. They would probably be able to get agents to buy the lambs,and then get them hauled to feeding farms,but surely they would want x pence per head per week.Even if the buy in price is £70 now,they will be fair money by next April you would think.................Unless they can find idiots that will feed and shepherd them for next to nowt. No doubt some twerp will come on and say they have contracted to take 10,000 on,at a guaranteed £20/head .................provided they hit the spec/you pay the haulage both ways/cover the losses, etc, etc. They will probably charge you the interest on £700,000 for 6 months as well.

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neilo said:

As with B&B pigs, the finishers won't own the lambs, just be paid a headage payment per month. Not a lot different to paying to send lambs away on tack really.

The person I know that was approached said that the headage rate was higher later in the season, so that they had some places that would bring the lambs out in April/May, when supply is normally tightest and keep harder to find.

The wanted all lambs weighed monthly too, which allows them to keep on track of performance and finishing times.

You aren't likely to have heard about it in the livestock areas, they will predominantly get sent to big arable farms that can put on 500ac of turnips, or whatever.

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neilo said:

I've no idea on the numbers, but they had agents buying store lambs locally on similar arrangements back in January. Plenty of livestock fieldsmen about working for the processors, who would be involved in the slaughter at the other end. I understand that they are just expanding those arrangements.

I guess we will find out next Spring, as to how successful they have been in moderating the price, but they were certainly effective at it when done by buying in lambs from NZ at opportune moments.

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beltextexel said:

for clarity, Dalehead foods are putting lambs out on to arable farms this winter. They supply Waitrose. It’s possibly the 2nd or 3rd winter they have done it, but are rolling it out on a bigger scale this time. They’re paying circa 80p per week, but expect the farmers to pay wormer/ovivac/crutching/bellying/dipping/dead stock etc and as above, weigh them monthly to get an idea on when lambs will be ready. When I tried to work out what they’re keep was working out at, it was less than 55p per head per week. Dalehead are also one of the worst companies to get hold of, they’re phones only seem to work when it suits them.

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Hfd Cattle said:

I don't think he would like my hairy chin

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beltextexel said:

for clarity, Dalehead foods are putting lambs out on to arable farms this winter. They supply Waitrose. It’s possibly the 2nd or 3rd winter they have done it, but are rolling it out on a bigger scale this time. They’re paying circa 80p per week, but expect the farmers to pay wormer/ovivac/crutching/bellying/dipping/dead stock etc and as above, weigh them monthly to get an idea on when lambs will be ready. When I tried to work out what they’re keep was working out at, it was less than 55p per head per week. Dalehead are also one of the worst companies to get hold of, they’re phones only seem to work when it suits them.

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LAMBCHOPS said:

Who is going to take 55p a week. Lambs we funded ourselves leave four or five times that per week profit. Love to be a fly on the wall to see this working to benefit all parties.

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neilo said:

As with B&B pigs, the finishers won't own the lambs, just be paid a headage payment per month. Not a lot different to paying to send lambs away on tack really.

The person I know that was approached said that the headage rate was higher later in the season, so that they had some places that would bring the lambs out in April/May, when supply is normally tightest and keep harder to find.

The wanted all lambs weighed monthly too, which allows them to keep on track of performance and finishing times.

You aren't likely to have heard about it in the livestock areas, they will predominantly get sent to big arable farms that can put on 500ac of turnips, or whatever.

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Anymulewilldo said:

Thankfully I’ve only had one keep man double his rate. And he’s the one who tries it on every couple of years. What would have gone too him have already gone elsewhere. I’m enjoying the fact he thinks I can’t possibly manage without his wintering.

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Mc115reed said:

If you need somebody too replace him let me know I’m very reasonable

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jendan said:

Who looks after the lambs and weighs them every month?,and who sorts them out if they are not "on track of performance and finishing time"

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LAMBCHOPS said:

Who is going to take 55p a week. Lambs we funded ourselves leave four or five times that per week profit. Love to be a fly on the wall to see this working to benefit all parties.

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livestock 1 said:

The only way I could see it having much uptake was if the end man was subbing the incoming stores but even the there would need to be a lot of discussions and twiddle some numbers

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neilo said:

No subbing needed, the retailers/processors buy & own the stores. The farmer only provides the crop and labour. No need to find several hundred thousand pound in capital to fill your cover crop land up with animals that most of them wouldn't know anything about....

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livestock 1 said:

Yes I understand exactly what you have explained very well
What I’m thinking is that it’s not for everyone and I can’t see retailers looking at bits of paper with data provided for hoggs getting finished at variable times with variable weights and grades with variable losses
I could see some head scratching going on

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