£25k to start a livestock enterprise...

[Humble Village Farmer]

on their own the cattle will lose money.

Only if you spend money on the wrong things. Cattle appreciate.

 

[Bury the Trash]

Forget the cows and run sheep.

If you've cover crop or some other arable type land to winter them you'd run 2,000+ ewes on that amount of PP.

The right kind of genetics will wean 3,000+ lambs with very low inputs. Sell everything (less replacements) store in October and have an income of £200k+.

If they are to own them that will need a tad more than 25k , the pick up truck prattley and atv will cost more than that ha ha.
And I'd give them about 3 yrs before they got fed up with it..

My first were 80 mules and a 4 Yr old Texel Ram bought from Wiliton Sheep Fair in 1986 for about 4,500 and a few gates tied together. Borrowed Dads dog until I got my own.

How times have changed.

 

[fgc325j]

Ok, lets say my friend has 500ac of PP, which generally has other peoples sheep or sucklers on.

But his wife really really wants some cows of her own.....

Stick my neck out..... find out if any friends of hers have started "keeping a few cows - just 'cos they'll kook nice". ALSO - ask her if she''ll be happy going out in the
stormy winter weather to feed , muck out etc. But then again - if she's happy to do the dirty work, she'd already have horses. Some times you can't win.

 

[suffolksmallholder]

Local beef man, in our arable area with almost exactly as OP describes equipment and facilities-wise has now been out of business for more than twelve months.

The business raised youngsters from the age when they had electronic collars which triggered the feed robot right up to point of sale.
One farm was HQ with the young beasts and cousin who had got out of milking but had cattle handling and good steading along with a loader plus feed storage was where the yearlings lived. So a good efficient set up.

I was told of a Waitrose contract for the finished product.

With all the positives and a keen next generation I do wonder why the two yards are now devoid of activity.
OK, main man reached retirement age but I do know he loved his animals.
SS

 

[unlacedgecko]

If they are to own them that will need a tad more than 25k , the pick up truck prattley and atv will cost more than that ha ha.
And I'd give them about 3 yrs before they got fed up with it..

My first were 80 mules and a 4 Yr old Texel Ram bought from Wiliton Sheep Fair in 1986 for about 4,500 and a few gates tied together. Borrowed Dads dog until I got my own.

How times have changed.

Don't need a pickup truck.

If it's owned ground electric fencing can be permanent. If it's owned ground don't need a prattley.

Can get draft Shetlands on farm for £35/hd. Start with 500. Be at 2,000 home bred ewes within 5yrs.

Do all grass wintering for the first 2 years. Use sheep profits to buy ATV, rappa electric fencing etc.

 

[Henarar]

Don't need a pickup truck.

If it's owned ground electric fencing can be permanent. If it's owned ground don't need a prattley.

Can get draft Shetlands on farm for £35/hd. Start with 500. Be at 2,000 home bred ewes within 5yrs.

Do all grass wintering for the first 2 years. Use sheep profits to buy ATV, rappa electric fencing etc.

She wants a few cows

 

[Bury the Trash]

Don't need a pickup truck.

If it's owned ground electric fencing can be permanent. If it's owned ground don't need a prattley.

Can get draft Shetlands on farm for £35/hd. Start with 500. Be at 2,000 home bred ewes within 5yrs.

Do all grass wintering for the first 2 years. Use sheep profits to buy ATV, rappa electric fencing etc.

high joule modern Electric fence energisers are up there with the biggest useful changes between then and today imo,
they might have a bike already .

She wants a few cows

TB hassle spoils it for me.

 

[ringi]

Forget the cows and run sheep.

If you've cover crop or some other arable type land to winter them you'd run 2,000+ ewes on that amount of PP.

The right kind of genetics will wean 3,000+ lambs with very low inputs. Sell everything (less replacements) store in October and have an income of £200k+.

That requires lambing, but as an arable farm they are unlikely to have the skills or the time to lamb that many. My understanding is she wishes to have her own livestock rather then pay someone to take control away from her.

My understanding is they already rent out to someone running sheap and she wishes to do something herself on some of the land.

(Also likely need 3 wire electric fencing for sheep that tend to short if setup too long in advance)

 

[ringi]

Local beef man, in our arable area with almost exactly as OP describes equipment and facilities-wise has now been out of business for more than twelve months.

The business raised youngsters from the age when they had electronic collars which triggered the feed robot right up to point of sale.
One farm was HQ with the young beasts and cousin who had got out of milking but had cattle handling and good steading along with a loader plus feed storage was where the yearlings lived. So a good efficient set up.

I was told of a Waitrose contract for the finished product.

With all the positives and a keen next generation I do wonder why the two yards are now devoid of activity.
OK, main man reached retirement age but I do know he loved his animals.
SS

Sounds likely a costly high input system with feeding robots. Not a good why for someone without experience to start.

 

[Welderloon]

View attachment 1177106One way to make a bit of extra cash!

I'd avoid that like the plague, the retarded general public in close proximity to boisterous excited livestock...............what could possibly go wrong
The increase in liability insurance for an event like that must be astronomical.

 

[som farmer]

Ok, lets say my friend has 500ac of PP, which generally has other peoples sheep or sucklers on.

But his wife really really wants some cows of her own.....

divorce might be the cheaper option

I go back to my alpaca idea. In the past, I've had folk ask if we have cows - not because they want to buy beef. But because they want to pay to take pictures of fluffy highland calves.

l keep looking at alternative income streams, l think it could be profitable to latch onto the 'bambi, wind in the willows etc' syndrome.

a huge amount of the gen public, want to 'relate' to farming, but are completely clueless about modern farming, their views are based on animals being 'human', and either 'good' or 'bad'.

lambing weekends, alpaca walking, selfies with cuddly animals, animals their kids can touch/cuddle, etc, there is a larger demand than we think, why not tap into it ?

sell milk/food kids can feed to animals, tea/coffee/cakes to adults, even go as far as yurts, shepherd huts etc.

nature rambles, identifying different weeds, sorry, wild flowers, hopefully see a deer or something.

there are endless ways to extract money from the public, that are far better than running a few cattle, to keep the mrs happy.

its just having the guts to do something along those lines, and a lot of us, don't really know how to start.

on the other hand, cattle are short, breeding herds, dairy or suckler, are shrinking year on year, with no indication of an increase. Which means less cattle on the market, and higher prices.

 

[Gulli]

@Hilly You need to come on one of my ''Communication skills update for Farmers'' courses---they are hands on & are very popular ---no classroom theory stuff here, all tuition is in the field with real NT visitors & their dogs

We start off with an assessment where we just throw you in with a dog /owner who knows their rights ---if anyone survives this then we work gently towards achieving our goals
We've got insurance , a medical team on hand and valium ---just in case

Lambings going well then?

 

[som farmer]

Lambings going well then?

looking at some on u'tube lambing, bloody nightmare.

 

[suffolksmallholder]

Sounds likely a costly high input system with feeding robots. Not a good why for someone without experience to start.

The youngsters went to a machine that reacted to their collars and issued a measured amount of feed.
I thought that this would save in labour and wastage?
SS

 

[som farmer]

The youngsters went to a machine that reacted to their collars and issued a measured amount of feed.
I thought that this would save in labour and wastage?
SS

cost more than 25k to install the machine.

tech is nice, but comes with a hefty price tag.

 

[JP1]

If they are to own them that will need a tad more than 25k , the pick up truck prattley and atv will cost more than that ha ha.
And I'd give them about 3 yrs before they got fed up with it..

My first were 80 mules and a 4 Yr old Texel Ram bought from Wiliton Sheep Fair in 1986 for about 4,500 and a few gates tied together. Borrowed Dads dog until I got my own.

How times have changed.

You forgot the Kiwi workwear - need to become a social influencer to cross subsidise this essential - I still have the same nylon work coat (ex Company wear) for the last 12 years ......

 

[suffolksmallholder]

cost more than 25k to install the machine.

tech is nice, but comes with a hefty price tag.

This was simply an observation of a working farm which has ceased operating. I have no idea of the ins & outs re costs.
They were very careful to look after their animals and used up to date equipment to assist with day to day chores.

By all means stand under a cold tap tearing up £20 notes ‘till one reaches £25k
SS

 

[delilah]

Cattle appreciate.

Not enough to cover the cost of keeping them they don't. The only way the scenario presented in the OP will wipe its face will be to max out on schemes. Would be irresponsible of us to suggest otherwise.

 

[Wigeon]

Not enough to cover the cost of keeping them they don't. The only way the scenario presented in the OP will wipe its face will be to max out on schemes. Would be irresponsible of us to suggest otherwise.

Yes, my friend is, organic, in mid tier and sfi. His pp is fenced and watered, mostly.

 

[delilah]

Yes, my friend is, organic, in mid tier and sfi. His pp is fenced and watered, mostly.

Worth looking at the native breed supplement, if it is still a thing.