Goodbye suckler cows no ai service.

Any other area had this letter?
20220625_085635.jpg
Tb worries and costs have decimated suckler herds here , but some successful smaller herds of 10cows had good quality store cattle from using the best genetics via ai , spoke to 2 yesterday that are going to finish . Good quality suckler cattle are going to be hard to find .
 

topground

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
North Somerset.
Any dairy farmers local to you doing their own AI? I am fortunate to have a friends in the dairy job who AI mine. I bought my own flask and have the complete range of genetic options available as a consequence. Cooperation between small suckler herds and someone local with AI experience could create a niche market providing a new business opportunity for someone undercutting the big corporations.
 

adda

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
mid wales
Any other area had this letter?View attachment 1045062Tb worries and costs have decimated suckler herds here , but some successful smaller herds of 10cows had good quality store cattle from using the best genetics via ai , spoke to 2 yesterday that are going to finish . Good quality suckler cattle are going to be hard to find .
Genus stopped coming to us last year but would drop of straws for us to use but we only did the heifers for ai but now got another bull for that job it was getting a bit £ any way
 

Henarar

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Somerset
Any other area had this letter?View attachment 1045062Tb worries and costs have decimated suckler herds here , but some successful smaller herds of 10cows had good quality store cattle from using the best genetics via ai , spoke to 2 yesterday that are going to finish . Good quality suckler cattle are going to be hard to find .
get together, one of you learn to AI, buy a flask, get semen from anywhere you like then
 

delilah

Member
Not just Wales, producers in Kent had same letter.

Cooperation between small suckler herds and someone local with AI experience could create a niche market providing a new business opportunity for someone undercutting the big corporations.

It could, thought there is a presumption in there that there is a critical mass of small producers in the area to make such a service viable.
 

Cowabunga

Member
Location
Ceredigion,Wales
I’m on daily call from the 1st January until about the end of March every year, but there is seldom a day that there isn’t a cow or five on heat needing to be served. Otherwise call them and leave a message on the operative’s phone. Paul used the regular to do mine and he sometimes had to cover suckler herds up Tregaron and Pontrhydfendigaed area which really buggered his day up, especially since he started work before 5am. He’s now left and the Genus areas have been completely rearranged. I am now in the very north of my operative’s area and seem to have Isaac, Llion and Tom mostly whereas previously had Paul with Brittany and Megan filling in, both of which have been moved nearer home to Caerfyrddin and Sir Benfro.
 
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Any dairy farmers local to you doing their own AI? I am fortunate to have a friends in the dairy job who AI mine. I bought my own flask and have the complete range of genetic options available as a consequence. Cooperation between small suckler herds and someone local with AI experience could create a niche market providing a new business opportunity for someone undercutting the big corporations.
Genus stopped covering our area nearly 2 years ago. Their local person set himself up doing AI and seems to be doing OK
 

Whitepeak

Member
Livestock Farmer
Genus stopped round here on the small producers a while ago.
Was talking to someone recently and they've had various letters saying if your yearly spend was less than £xxx then they weren't coming, then it was if you had less than xx cows and it's now if you don't have your own flask they won't come out! He doesn't know what to do as he was nearly all AI.
 

Bald n Grumpy

Member
Livestock Farmer
Sounds like genus all over, haven't been around here for years after the staff set up on their own and now sold out to cogent a few years back. Still have an independent company operating about here as well.
If I'd had a letter like the original post I'd give cogent a call before packing up
 

BAF

Member
Livestock Farmer
Genus have done the same to the local chap round here. Made his position untenable, we don't want to sack you but you can only work these days and hours and if they don't suit then tough. So he's gone on his own and taken most of his customers with him. He's reliable, very good at his job and now not tied to using genus jizz.
 

Qman

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Near Derby
I've used Genus/MMB for 50 years, but this year I've used an independent chap. His charges are 50% less and he's got some good bulls, but I bought some Ampertaine Metric which he got for me. You can ring up till 1pm and I'm happy with the new service.

Genus don't deserve to succeed, it's all the chalking stuff with the big men.
 

som farmer

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
somerset
we use an independent chap, and cannot fault him in any way. We only AI for a 4/6 week period, with an extra 1 week, if we sync any late/ not in calf, ones. Flask decided to start dying on us, so he now keeps our straws, in his flask, no need for a new flask, or a top up service.
 
I've used Genus/MMB for 50 years, but this year I've used an independent chap. His charges are 50% less and he's got some good bulls, but I bought some Ampertaine Metric which he got for me. You can ring up till 1pm and I'm happy with the new service.

Genus don't deserve to succeed, it's all the chalking stuff with the big men.
Fair enough that. At !east the bloke can have a beer of a night.

Stick with it @Bald n Grumpy. Suckler cows are getting less and less. Buy a bull, ride it out and see what happens.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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