This farming life
- Thread starter Gedd
- Start date
Scholsey
Member
- Location
- Herefordshire
That bull looked like it had been dead for a day or two.
A month
maybe Monbiot has released his wolves already!
Have said before to Herself and the daughter, those bloody horns needed to come off. Saw a Longhorn open a lamb up like a knife... Horns were off inside a week.
Should maybe have kept the youngstock, but it sounded as if all winter feed was brought in... Cannot see that ever being viable?
Reminds me of a project on a couple of the smaller islands where Crofters collectively purchased a small round baler and wrapper, so they could make winter feed. But that place had nothing that could be mown? Tough old life...
toquark
Member
I felt for him but they made the right decision, it was pretty clear that he was going to get hurt again before too long. The place is certainly not capable of supporting the amount of stock they had on it. I think maybe 10 blackies could survive on it, just.
Yep surely he would of realised the bull was missing
9 cows wasn't it? Said near 10k worth of hay. Seems a bit excessive
It does but they’d only got rocks to suck on an they’d throw them some every time they looked at them wouldn’t they so maybe right
- Location
- sw scotland
It was on common grazings stretching for possibly thousands of acres. Need a helicopter to herd that land.
His winter feed bill at around £1000 per head seemed odd. They were only 150 miles from east coast supplies so easily within a day transport. I have had straw coming 5 hours away at average prices.
Pieces_of_Eight
Member
Surprised he never mentioned replacing the 9 cows with 30 sheep, who would be better suited to the land and more saleable.
Rowland
Member
- Location
- Northeast England
10 k maybe there total feed bill ! They were on the way to being farmers with bending the facts to make it sound good like that
Chasingmytail
Member
- Location
- Newport, SE Wales
lacked handling system. Always looked too dangerous to me when they are chasing the stock around. This is the issue with having a small amount of stock you still need a decent system in place its just not viable.
- Location
- East Dartmoor, Devon
I often wondered what possessed them to think a croft with no soil and no in-bye as a suitable retirement small holding. My idea of a retirement small holding would be a nice bit of undulating land in mid Devon with a reasonable house and buildings.
toquark
Member
I admit my knowledge of highland crofts is limited, but that one looks particularly difficult, at least 30% of the acreage appears to be rock. There's probably a reason it was a new house, steading etc., - no one in their right mind had tried to farm it in the past.
Totally agree. The couple with the lively Whitebred bull were a case in point... Good handling and cattle and handlers are all safer and calmer...
My SiL has a few cattle and resisted even a crush for years,then a light bulb moment happened, I'll leave you to guess...! She now has a crush and something like a handling setup.
Budget, budget and budget. He was selling some of his meat direct as I recall, but from I what I understand it is a bloody nightmare up there getting stock away to slaughter?
startinghandle
Member
Has the guy with vet partner who has gone farming in a big way bitten off more than he can chew?