All things Dairy

[Cows 'n grass]

Agreed on the calf value but I’m pretty sure you’ll get extra solids from a mature crossbred to more than cover the extra LW.

Hope so. I think they're already just that bit hardier all round and less trouble than the jerseys

 

[pappuller]

Loaded. Not going bother pi$$ing about milking cows now I'm a big time beef finisher.

The cattle were fine, all R or O but a few were leaner than I thought and were fat class 2. They averaged 295 dead but at the current beef price it is basically a waste of time. I've still got 22 more to go next month.

C & G counting his beef bounty [emoji23]

 

[Beef farmer]

Loaded. Not going bother pi$$ing about milking cows now I'm a big time beef finisher.

The cattle were fine, all R or O but a few were leaner than I thought and were fat class 2. They averaged 295 dead but at the current beef price it is basically a waste of time. I've still got 22 more to go next month.

900 quid?

 

[pine_guy]

900 quid?

O+2 would hurt where all the fat class 2 steers by any chance. Sniff of rolled barley would probably pay, even at current beef price. Make them 2’s to 2’a and probably an odd o to an R

 

[Cows 'n grass]

900 quid?

Just under but not by too much.

 

[pine_guy]

Just under but not by too much.

So as a prospecting dairy outsider, if you had pumped that grass into some cows and shot the calves. How much better off would you have been?

 

[Holsteinfriesian90]

So as a prospecting dairy outsider, if you had pumped that grass into some cows and shot the calves. How much better off would you have been?

It’s all cash flow though isn’t it like Tesco every little helps.

 

[yin ewe]

It’s all cash flow though isn’t it like Tesco every little helps.

Sometimes when you have a few bills to pay cash flow is king!

 

[vantage]

So as a prospecting dairy outsider, if you had pumped that grass into some cows and shot the calves. How much better off would you have been?

As Arla producers now know,come Autumn 2020 this is not an option. It will become a big anchor and in Wales we don’t have approved finishing units if you’re down with TB,it does not appear Arla realise this.

 

[Cows 'n grass]

O+2 would hurt where all the fat class 2 steers by any chance. Sniff of rolled barley would probably pay, even at current beef price. Make them 2’s to 2’a and probably an odd o to an R

Yes, steers. The rest go in the first week of September, is it worth feeding them for 3 weeks?

So as a prospecting dairy outsider, if you had pumped that grass into some cows and shot the calves. How much better off would you have been?

These are a bit of an experiment, I have 37 to go this year and 50 a year going forward. They are on marginal ground, all unfertilised permanent pasture that is in various stewardship schemes. They are basically just ranched, it's pi$$ poor ground that I've never liked running heifers on. The main reason for keeping them is to keep the poor ground tidy and and to have a small enterprise that's not affected by Tb.

 

[The Agrarian]

Theres something to be said for diversification.

 

[Bald Rick]

As Arla producers now know,come Autumn 2020 this is not an option. It will become a big anchor and in Wales we don’t have approved finishing units if you’re down with TB,it does not appear Arla realise this.

Not just Arla ..... even little old Glanbia are going to introduce a no kill policy in the near future.

Got to start boxing clever

 

[pine_guy]

Yes, steers. The rest go in the first week of September, is it worth feeding them for 3 weeks?

Not sure, in theory a week for the stomach bugs to change to take full advantage. What you think @Beef farmer ?

 

[pine_guy]

It’s all cash flow though isn’t it like Tesco every little helps.

Sometimes when you have a few bills to pay cash flow is king!

Bit different as he is using marginal ground. But he’s had capital
Tied up in them for over two years. A dairy cow would be releasing capital all the time.

 

[pine_guy]

As Arla producers now know,come Autumn 2020 this is not an option. It will become a big anchor and in Wales we don’t have approved finishing units if you’re down with TB,it does not appear Arla realise this.

Well aware of that. I take all the bull calves off a local Arla neighbour. This year he should be paying me to take them, but his hand isn’t quite tied yet. I’m with my late father in that breeding something that is so poor you need to shoot it just can’t be right.

 

[vantage]

Well aware of that. I take all the bull calves off a local Arla neighbour. This year he should be paying me to take them, but his hand isn’t quite tied yet. I’m with my late father in that breeding something that is so poor you need to shoot it just can’t be right.

The point is not that they are poor,HF bulls ,with sexed semen,will mostly be a thing of the past soon,more that with Tb in Wales you have few options even for good calves. People elsewhere from Wales cannot appreciate this.

 

[In the pit]

The point is not that they are poor,HF bulls ,with sexed semen,will mostly be a thing of the past soon,more that with Tb in Wales you have few options even for good calves. People elsewhere from Wales cannot appreciate this.

With more sexed semen meaning more bull calves on the ground the beef job is gone

 

[yin ewe]

Bit different as he is using marginal ground. But he’s had capital
Tied up in them for over two years. A dairy cow would be releasing capital all the time.

Partly true, but you have to rear your heifer for 2 years or buy the cow and pay for those costs before she releases any capital.

 

[pine_guy]

Partly true, but you have to rear your heifer for 2 years or buy the cow and pay for those costs before she releases any capital.

True, neighbour (600 cow job) went flying heard as he had too much capital tied up in rearing replacements. But at the minute you can rear them cheaper than buy them. And obviously there are health issues. So as ever, mo simple answer.

 

[Tim G]

Been a wet day here so set about some scrap wood to make the form work for our parlour step.