£950 Holstein store

[Northeastfarmer]

Run 5 weeks between batches but not buying all 12 months of the year.
Numbers down a bit at present as no market down here for Barley Bulls which was a system that suited us rather well. Trying some B&W steers on an intensive barley system ................ but I'm looking at the cattle, what they're eating and starting to lose a bit of confidence it it. Will have to weigh them in next 2 weeks. Even on ad-lib barley i doubt that they will be doing 1.7Kg a day Never managed that as a DLWG from start to finish with bulls let alone steers

Can't you finish continental bred cattle?

 

[gone up the hill]

Don't worry about guth, he always seems to get DLWG above everyone else.

Lol, if you think my growth rates are good then you should speak to northeastfarmer and ask him what his cattle are currently averaging as his DLWG blows my figures out of the water..

I will say thou from experience that if you have NZ mongrel type Fri steers you will be lucky to even average 1.2 kilos head/ day.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Lol, if you think my growth rates are good then you should speak to northeastfarmer and ask him what his cattle are currently averaging as his DLWG blows my figures out of the water..

I will say thou from experience that if you have NZ mongrel type Fri steers you will be lucky to even average 1.2 kilos head/ day.

Mine are continentals

 

[beefandsleep]

Good set of results for a clear up load. I hear that Pickstock is a favourable destination for B&W cattle.
Out of interest what are you finishing your cattle on?

I think they take a lot of cull cows out of the SW.
All mine are done on home grown cereals balanced with various straights bought on price. As much home grown as possible is the aim.

 

[Beef farmer]

Lol, if you think my growth rates are good then you should speak to northeastfarmer and ask him what his cattle are currently averaging as his DLWG blows my figures out of the water..

I will say thou from experience that if you have NZ mongrel type Fri steers you will be lucky to even average 1.2 kilos head/ day.

His are good cattle, not a milker with nuts.

 

[gone up the hill]

Does he also have "4 balls" or a Black cat?

Be entertaining to have them both together. Be like two cats in a sack

Only person on here that brags is you im afraid, sounds like your Fri cattle are not doing very well yet you claim to be making a decent profit but if you are costing your figures accurately then given the poor returns you are getting and paying over the odds for the calves then rearing them that is very unlikely..

Sounds like everything you are doing is back to front! ( no offence intended )

 

[Northeastfarmer]

not a milker with nuts.

 

[gone up the hill]

His are good cattle, not a milker with nuts.

Yep but the growth rates he is getting is far higher than the industry average for his type of cattle..

Something very wrong somewhere when you are getting 18% P grade Fri steers.

 

[Beef farmer]

Yep but the growth rates he is getting is far higher than the industry average for his type of cattle..

Something very wrong somewhere when you are getting 18% P grade Fri steers.

I'd say that's normal in Bodmin.

 

[gone up the hill]

I'd say that's normal in Bodmin.

I don't get why AN GOF doesn't haul his Fri steers North TBH.

 

[An Gof]

I don't get why AN GOF doesn't haul his Fri steers North TBH.

Because I've had it too easy too long and stayed loyal to my local plant. But you are right i should be looking further afield.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Because I've had it too easy too long and stayed loyal to my local plant. But you are right i should be looking further afield.

familiarity breeds contempt

 

[An Gof]

Can't you finish continental bred cattle?

Cant finish what you don't have. I've worked with B&W for years and up until now been happy with the results.
Now entering a new world with continental x calves but all out of dairy herds not suckler based.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Cant finish what you don't have. I've worked with B&W for years and up until now been happy with the results.
Now entering a new world with continental x calves but all out of dairy herds not suckler based.

You can get continental cattle sent into you from agents...plenty do it

 

[An Gof]

familiarity breeds contempt

New ownership didn't help .......... quite a change of direction, not many feeling the jobs any better for them down here as a result.

 

[gone up the hill]

Cant finish what you don't have. I've worked with B&W for years and up until now been happy with the results.
Now entering a new world with continental x calves but all out of dairy herds not suckler based.

Depends what they are like but from experience I can tell you that if you were buying weaned calves say Sim x dairy for example they will be say £420 head, you can buy the same age/ size Fri steers for £170/200 head, when you kill them the Sim cattle will come back to the same money as the Fri steers ( and been on the farm the same amount of time ) if your buying contx dairy calves then you need to be buying the best to make it worth the extra expense when purchasing them.

 

[gone up the hill]

You can get continental cattle sent into you from agents...plenty do it

Your better off buying your own cattle imo for various reasons.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Your better off buying your own cattle imo for various reasons.

Yep you're right you are, but some farmers don't like being at the mart or can't buy/judge cattle for themselves

 

[Lovegoodstock]

You can get continental cattle sent into you from agents...plenty do it

Steady @Northeastfarmer , sod the agent taking a cut, buy off a reputable breeder that has cattle of all ages all year round, and give him half of the agents fee as a bonus, failing finding that reputable breeder I have cattle of all ages all year round for sale!!

 

[gone up the hill]

Yep you're right you are, but some farmers don't like being at the mart or can't buy/judge cattle for themselves

If you cant buy and more importantly judge cattle then I would say cattle farming isn't for you.

Reason store cattle are so expensive is because of the agents.

At the end of the day when your buying cattle some will do a lot quicker than others but there is no way neither you or an agent can tell that when they are in the ring.