Black and white bull beef costings
- Thread starter FarmerK
- Start date
- Location
- Durham, UK
I'm feeding continentals but my ration is 30%wheat, 70% Barley, 2 bags of db agriculture 60% protein, I add a few beans for the younger cattle and molasses. Straw in the ring feeders for bigger bulls, the younger ones get straw and haylidge. Add lib.
ridger
Member
- Location
- Tyrone, Northern Ireland
And that's why no one responds to threads about costs. Shot down right away. What if they dont arrive on farm til they are 12 months and are 250 kg
does he?
First, have you a confirmed market for bulls?
Second what system are you proposing?
until my local outlet stopped taking bulls I did intensive B&W cereal bulls for years buying calves and rearing them to finish.
I haven’t looked into a market or anything like that as of yet because I thought I’d get other people’s opinions on the job to see if its worth doing before going into it if you know what I mean. I was thinking along the lines of buying calves and taking them to finish on a barley protein based diet with perhaps a limited input of silage. Thanks
You can, just not in a field with a public right of way. I wouldn't and have been on the wrong end of a pedigree Friesian. Luckily he preferred fighting my truck to me. He's not breathing anymore.
Here you go @Joe984 have a look at this https://www.fas.scot/downloads/farm-management-handbook-2018-19/ pages 168-169
Amend the prices for current situation but it will give you a feeling for performance and costings. By the time you add in overhead costs for a handling system and shed you will lose the will to live. Be warned young bulls like to try and destroy sheds .......... and, if you get in with them, may try to kill you!!
Amend the prices for current situation but it will give you a feeling for performance and costings. By the time you add in overhead costs for a handling system and shed you will lose the will to live. Be warned young bulls like to try and destroy sheds .......... and, if you get in with them, may try to kill you!!
I reckon ScotchBeef would find this useful
casper74
Member
- Location
- North Yorkshire
I used to fatten black and white bulls, buy them at 270kg-350kg Straight onto adlib barley with protein, keep them approx 180-200, days sell fat liveweight ave 680kg ish. Job was good until you couldn't find plenty of replacements and buyers stopped wanting them, then it was hard work, now fatten heifers and bullocks and don't get buildings vandalised by bulls.
ollie989898
Member
That is stealin cheap for a beast that age surely.
Did it pay to take them to that weight? I get them to about 550kg and get them away as they are eating some grub by then but never actually done the sums regarding taking them on further.
ridger
Member
- Location
- Tyrone, Northern Ireland
That's what they are at certain times of year noone wants them
casper74
Member
- Location
- North Yorkshire
I used to find they were not properly fat at 550 kg if going deadweight they would kill a 2 or 3, I like my animals properly finished when they leave here, when I fattened them a 550kg @ £1.60 wasn't as good as 680kg @ £1.55. but then they wanted weight things have sadly changed.
sheep&cows&stuff
Member
I have 17 Holstein (down as Fr) bull calves currently coming 5 months old. Bought as 4 days - 10 days old.
Can only advise how much they are currently costing me.
Had them at 4.5 months old (on average) at a cost of £155 each. (Counting 4 dead ones - started with 21).
One came with joint ill and never cured - died after costing me £50 in meds. (Wont be caught like that again)
One died immediately after being injected with Resflor
One done the splits and died
One choked on meal and died
Bloody torture and cant see me doing it again. Got 1.75 bags of powder milk each, were all vaccined for pnemonia. Were all kept on straw until weaning and then onto slats.
Were getting 2kg of meal a day each until 5 months old.
Will get 3kg of meal for the next 90 days when i plan to sell them at 8 months old.
Total projected costs at 8 months old (including absorbing the cost of dead ones) - £240 each.
Will they make much more when sold live at 8 months old?.....Probably not
If i was to do it again i would:
- Not take calves until 2 weeks old
- Check each limb for joint ill
- Not buy in batches (i purchased at £25 each but had to take them all (good & bad) - i would pay more but only take the better ones)
Jeez they are sorry boys to look at, but coming 5 months old now i expect them to start shining in the next 3 months with a bit of extra meal pre-sale...
Can only advise how much they are currently costing me.
Had them at 4.5 months old (on average) at a cost of £155 each. (Counting 4 dead ones - started with 21).
One came with joint ill and never cured - died after costing me £50 in meds. (Wont be caught like that again)
One died immediately after being injected with Resflor
One done the splits and died
One choked on meal and died
Bloody torture and cant see me doing it again. Got 1.75 bags of powder milk each, were all vaccined for pnemonia. Were all kept on straw until weaning and then onto slats.
Were getting 2kg of meal a day each until 5 months old.
Will get 3kg of meal for the next 90 days when i plan to sell them at 8 months old.
Total projected costs at 8 months old (including absorbing the cost of dead ones) - £240 each.
Will they make much more when sold live at 8 months old?.....Probably not
If i was to do it again i would:
- Not take calves until 2 weeks old
- Check each limb for joint ill
- Not buy in batches (i purchased at £25 each but had to take them all (good & bad) - i would pay more but only take the better ones)
Jeez they are sorry boys to look at, but coming 5 months old now i expect them to start shining in the next 3 months with a bit of extra meal pre-sale...
sheep&cows&stuff
Member
See my above post - you couldnt rear them for £150 at that age - so you are completely right if you get them at £150 at that age! - I might have to keep mine on longer
Headless chicken
Member
- Location
- West Wales
@Joe984 you can have all of my fresian bulls and beef calves free of charge September/October/ November next year aslong as they leave the farm the day the passport arrives. No picking or choosing. Unless it’s Ill you take it.
Only stipulation I have is you mustn’t kill them before 6 months old.
Only stipulation I have is you mustn’t kill them before 6 months old.
How come you’re offering them for free?
Also where abouts in the country are you?