2018 , the year UK ag changed .

[bobk]

In my opinion almost certainly , livestock men will be hit hard by the fodder shortage , we've been lucky to have unlimited access to grass for nearly 30 years but now the situation has changed ....

 

[RAF]

Feed that digester

 

[bobk]

Feed that digester

And that .

 

[Werzle]

Those that do survive this coming winter will be rewarded with a cracking trade next spring imo. Large losses last winter and high numbers of animals slaughtered because of great prices for cull cows and ewes up to now , and now farmers are culling hard because of grass and fodder shortages can only mean shortages of stock and high prices next year. Farmers with empty sheds and plenty of fodder will have alot of cheap young stores to choose from this autumn.

 

[czechmate]

Less mothers better prices. What's not to like?

 

[bobk]

Less mothers better prices. What's not to like?

Big queues at Calais .

 

[Steevo]

I’m curious what this does to FBT rents now. Grain prices high, fodder short, but for how long and do people have the money to pay?

It’s always a rollercoaster so interesting to watch where it goes.

 

[jendan]

Those that do survive this coming winter will be rewarded with a cracking trade next spring imo. Large losses last winter and high numbers of animals slaughtered because of great prices for cull cows and ewes up to now , and now farmers are culling hard because of grass and fodder shortages can only mean shortages of stock and high prices next year. Farmers with empty sheds and plenty of fodder will have alot of cheap young stores to choose from this autumn.

Total bollox.They will be as dear as they have always been.

 

[Werzle]

Total bollox.They will be as dear as they have always been.

There getting cheaper every week now so i would like to know whats going to happen to lift the price?

 

[RobFZS]

Glad we flogged the herd, utter ballache of condition's ever since we did, with plenty of forage available to sell to the highest bidder #pricemakernotpricetaker

 

[balerman]

Those that do survive this coming winter will be rewarded with a cracking trade next spring imo. Large losses last winter and high numbers of animals slaughtered because of great prices for cull cows and ewes up to now , and now farmers are culling hard because of grass and fodder shortages can only mean shortages of stock and high prices next year. Farmers with empty sheds and plenty of fodder will have alot of cheap young stores to choose from this autumn.

For sure there will be cheap store cattle this autumn,not so sure about the cracking trade next spring,prime beef trade could get dragged down by all the culls,and it never goes back up as quick as it drops,then there is Brexit to consider...

 

[Tarw Coch]

Those that do survive this coming winter will be rewarded with a cracking trade next spring imo. Large losses last winter and high numbers of animals slaughtered because of great prices for cull cows and ewes up to now , and now farmers are culling hard because of grass and fodder shortages can only mean shortages of stock and high prices next year. Farmers with empty sheds and plenty of fodder will have alot of cheap young stores to choose from this autumn.

I’m sure the vast majority will survive although it may well be enough to push a few over the edge and it may well be very tough on a lot more.
And things may well bounce back in time and we’ll see that cracking trade but I doubt many will really benefit from it, it will just help go some way to fill the deficit from the extra feed bills.

In short, a few may go under, a few may even benefit, most will come through this, it may well be tough and profits will take a fair knock for most.

 

[Walterp]

Get a grip.

Cull rings are full because farmers are taking avoiding action, the store trade is much the same as it has been for ages, and there are few entries, yet, for the next breeding cattle for sale in Carmarthen on 3rd August.

Neither Brecon nor Llandovery breeding sales fixtures seem over-subscribed, either. I'll be in Llandovery on Friday and we shall see the level of entries and how much trade is actually back.

As for fodder stock, I've just bought 100 bales of silage at £13/bale, some suckler cow hay at £12/bale, and an artic load of hay for £110/tonne (as a strategic reserve).

So what do farmers think reasonable but very clean stands of oats and barley is worth, for wholecropping, per acre please? Is it too dear to use to feed suckler cows?

 

[Pigken]

Get a grip.

Cull rings are full because farmers are taking avoiding action, the store trade is much the same as it has been for ages, and there are few entries, yet, for the next breeding cattle for sale in Carmarthen on 3rd August.

Neither Brecon nor Llandovery breeding sales fixtures seem over-subscribed, either. I'll be in Llandovery on Friday and we shall see the level of entries and how much trade is actually back.

As for fodder stock, I've just bought 100 bales of silage at £13/bale, some suckler cow hay at £12/bale, and an artic load of hay for £110/tonne (as a strategic reserve).

So what do farmers think reasonable but very clean stands of oats and barley is worth, for wholecropping, per acre please? Is it too dear to use to feed suckler cows?

Hello Walt, is this another example of irony from your self or just sarcasm,

 

[caveman]

@Walterp
Whole crop far too good for suck cows.
Harvest the oats. Feed the straw to the cows and creep your calves on the grain. That will have the effect of the calves not drawing on the cows so heavily as well.
Then grass the the arable land and ditch the metal and squirt in the job.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

In my opinion almost certainly , livestock men will be hit hard by the fodder shortage , we've been lucky to have unlimited access to grass for nearly 30 years but now the situation has changed ....

Dairy farms

 

[Werzle]

I’m sure the vast majority will survive although it may well be enough to push a few over the edge and it may well be very tough on a lot more.
And things may well bounce back in time and we’ll see that cracking trade but I doubt many will really benefit from it, it will just help go some way to fill the deficit from the extra feed bills.

In short, a few may go under, a few may even benefit, most will come through this, it may well be tough and profits will take a fair knock for most.

Survive was the wrong word, what i meant was those that can hang on to the stock and not be forced to sell will be rewarded with high prices next spring imo.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Survive was the wrong word, what i meant was those that can hang on to the stock and not be forced to sell will be rewarded with high prices next spring imo.

Its dairy farms that are being hit .beef farms dont tend to carry so many stock and its easier to modify . Wean cavlves off early ewes will be drying off now . A lot of spring calving dairy herds make their money now

 

[Walterp]

Hello Walt, is this another example of irony from your self or just sarcasm,

It is, I hope, an example that I know quite a bit about that which I speak - beef farms are largely self-sufficient. It is, as FT, says, dairy farms that are hoovering up spare fodder, buying in alt feeds, looking for wholecrop, and having to spend what should be profit on what is turning into unexpected costs.

Caveman is also correct - it is the time to decide whether we shall have the weather to harvest corn (last two harvests have been a disaster, here, hence the wholecropping) and feed corn/straw and wean early, or sell it now.

My observations about cattle sales are also accurate: the cull rings are full of dairy cattle, as you'd expect.

Which leaves me scratching my head about what point, actually, you seek to make (apart from the fact that you don't like what I say. And that's OK, I have no problem with you showing yourself up..).

 

[Werzle]

Its dairy farms that are being hit .beef farms dont tend to carry so many stock and its easier to modify . Wean cavlves off early ewes will be drying off now . A lot of spring calving dairy herds make their money now

Dairy farms based on a NZ system will be hurting but alot of dairy farms around the midlands feed cows all year round and always seem to have massive stocks of fodder