hoyboy
Member
I run 105 suckler cows and 1500 ewes. Not pushed to the limit of what the farm will carry by any means. I grow a bit of barley to fatten young stock and neeps for sheep. I do everything in house. I have an extensive range of machinery, all older, bought and paid for stuff. The business has no debt, were in AECS scheme and claim upland ewe hogg scheme. Overall, in a strong financial position.
For the last few years I know I would have been better off without the cattle. Sheep trade has been on fire and they have very little cost compared to cattle. Every time there is a cost it's to do with keeping a cow. Burning diesel, repairing a 150hp tractor, buying fertiliser, growing barley etc. All that and labour not getting any easier to find. My cows are productive, I've been strict on culling problem animals. This year I had 95% calves to cows put to bull. But still I don't think it adds up, not if I pay myself a realistic wage. A lot of time is spent maintaining machinery which would be unnecessary without cattle. Machines, diesel, fertiliser - All these costs have pretty much doubled in 12 months. Beef has a long way to go to catch up.
Things that make me reluctant to get rid of the cows....
I'd have to get more sheep. I could probably run 3000 ewes quite easily on my own for the most part. But I'd get there in a year or two then watch the sheep price crash. That would be my luck
I would probably miss the cows.
There is the whole uncertainty over the Scottish sub payments. NFUS pushing for a stocking density based payment. Whether Scottish gov will implement their ideas is anyone's guess. If they do go with their model it would be in my interested to be as heavily stocked as possible in the run up to the changeover. We were stung with this in the past with the LFASS category thing in 2001. We missed category B by a ball hair. If we'd been category B all our hill would have been in payment region 2 instead of 3. We Certainly do not want a repeat of something like this. This is just speculation, no one seems to know what is going to happen re Scottish sub payments.
Anyway the bulls go out at the end of this month and I'm seriously considering not putting them out at all. Fattening all the cows once the calves are weaned. Cull cow price making it look even more attractive. Park all the machinery in a shed and dog and stick 3000 ewes, claim every environmental payment going. The machinery will still be there if / when the beef price catches up with input inflation. Then buy the cows back What's your thoughts?
For the last few years I know I would have been better off without the cattle. Sheep trade has been on fire and they have very little cost compared to cattle. Every time there is a cost it's to do with keeping a cow. Burning diesel, repairing a 150hp tractor, buying fertiliser, growing barley etc. All that and labour not getting any easier to find. My cows are productive, I've been strict on culling problem animals. This year I had 95% calves to cows put to bull. But still I don't think it adds up, not if I pay myself a realistic wage. A lot of time is spent maintaining machinery which would be unnecessary without cattle. Machines, diesel, fertiliser - All these costs have pretty much doubled in 12 months. Beef has a long way to go to catch up.
Things that make me reluctant to get rid of the cows....
I'd have to get more sheep. I could probably run 3000 ewes quite easily on my own for the most part. But I'd get there in a year or two then watch the sheep price crash. That would be my luck
I would probably miss the cows.
There is the whole uncertainty over the Scottish sub payments. NFUS pushing for a stocking density based payment. Whether Scottish gov will implement their ideas is anyone's guess. If they do go with their model it would be in my interested to be as heavily stocked as possible in the run up to the changeover. We were stung with this in the past with the LFASS category thing in 2001. We missed category B by a ball hair. If we'd been category B all our hill would have been in payment region 2 instead of 3. We Certainly do not want a repeat of something like this. This is just speculation, no one seems to know what is going to happen re Scottish sub payments.
Anyway the bulls go out at the end of this month and I'm seriously considering not putting them out at all. Fattening all the cows once the calves are weaned. Cull cow price making it look even more attractive. Park all the machinery in a shed and dog and stick 3000 ewes, claim every environmental payment going. The machinery will still be there if / when the beef price catches up with input inflation. Then buy the cows back What's your thoughts?