Black and white bull beef costings

FarmerK

Member
Hello there, I was just wondering if anyone on here would be able to share some rough B&W bull beef costings. Preferably someone who actually farms them. Any input would be grateful.
I’m particularly looking at more Friesian bulls but Holstein would be gratefully appreciated as well.
Thanks in advance
 
Hello there, I was just wondering if anyone on here would be able to share some rough B&W bull beef costings. Preferably someone who actually farms them. Any input would be grateful.
I’m particularly looking at more Friesian bulls but Holstein would be gratefully appreciated as well.
Thanks in advance
What age are you buying them?
 

J 1177

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Durham, UK
Your better buying older than calves, 6months plus or from a source that you know what that the calves are going to turn out like. I find black and white calves harder to tell what they are going to turn out like. And when you get a knacker you really get one.
2.5 tons of feed to get them to about 15 months, a bag/bag and a half of milk powder. Plus innoculations., bedding, water etc
 

Doc

Member
Livestock Farmer
If you are spending £2/day what is the daily weight gain from this spend?
Does it include all costs- time, diesel, upkeep of buildings, bedding etc, etc?
Just interested at how it could possibly stack up. Does it average out over the year when they are getting nothing but grass?
 
If you are spending £2/day what is the daily weight gain from this spend?
Does it include all costs- time, diesel, upkeep of buildings, bedding etc, etc?
Just interested at how it could possibly stack up. Does it average out over the year when they are getting nothing but grass?
Still have to feed at grass, but grass costs £2 a day anyway with 2kg meal fed at it
 
If you are spending £2/day what is the daily weight gain from this spend?
Does it include all costs- time, diesel, upkeep of buildings, bedding etc, etc?
Just interested at how it could possibly stack up. Does it average out over the year when they are getting nothing but grass?
Grass, 10 acre field will cost 1900 to rent. Will need 3 ton fertiliser over the season, 800. Will need few posts/wire, 300. So, £3000. Will graze 15 cattle, so £200 a head for 150 days. Thats 1.35 a day. Plus 2 kg meal at 20p a kilo, 1.75 a day. Plus ? For dosing, fixing someone's flowerbeds because they broke out, a hour every day to look at them. Easily cost £2 a day. Far handier in the shed.
 

Kiwi Pete

Member
Livestock Farmer
Over the past few years I’ve just had the odd one thrown in free or paid very little for when purchasing other calves and I’ve just kind of ticked them over but was just curious wether it would be a good idea to try and finish a batch or something
We do, but we're also in NZ, land of freedom so the figures will be much different.
We don't worry about fast, cheap is the name of the game for us
Buy at around 270kg and sell in a year at 550-650kg, we cell-graze them on PP with small areas/many moves, they are our "tractors" ie they smash the pasture down
Buy: £400
Sell: £750-950

We also lease them to the dairy boys for £250/hd which can hold them up a bit but means you aren't so dependent on beef prices as they owe you much less. Just need a clear BVD Johnes IBR tb test and off they go.
We don't use fertiliser/lime so to us buying a larger framed animal means less Ca is taken away, making it the least extractive way for us to operate

Moving them several times a day in spring/summer prevents overgrazing pasture and boredom, so they stop wrecking things and just graze - lie down - move on

We figure our land cost (mortgage, rates, etc) comes to about £250/ac all counted so we run a good stocking rate when we have the feed growing and then adjust numbers to suit the season, hence the low-cost approach, this is the only way to stand up again if you take a hiding when you need to sell

We cell graze over winter too, ours ate 1/4 of a round bale each plus deferred pasture

We did our sums on avg cow price at sale time (£2.20/kg cwt) and it rose to £3.02 due to ASF etc, so it was a good exercise this year, some animals grossed £750

It takes a big "change of heart" from the way most people farm beef, not saying this is a perfect system or for UK use - but if they are going to give you a hiding on the grid, you have to afford it somehow
 

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