End of the Road for Small Livestock Farms?

Hilly

Member
Their is only so much in commodity store cattle only way to to make a lot is to have a a lot ! Even then once you get into paying Labour etc etc tough going for all I’d say
well we have run some through last few years instead of selling in the spring, not hurt us yet
I have in the past and found it a bit of a waste of time , rather make sure they do well in winter sell April that leaves space for few more cows which I find more lucrative than summering cattle, each to their own the country is very diverse not possible for everyone so do same .
 
In the northern hills which is traditionally a sheep and suckler cow area it has been the most expensive winter we have had.

The weather has changed in recent years, I don't know whether this is the new pattern or a blip.

Our cows are housed for 4-6 weeks longer than they used to be. This has a big cost when you are buying straw and means you need more silage, putting pressure on stocking rate. Also because of the very late spring, grass crops are looking lighter than normal

I think straw will remain expensive because the cost of haulage will rise and there is so much going to power stations etc and more people will chop it to try to increase soil OM.

We may be getting more for cattle but input prices have shot up, all these factors are making people question the job, its more than just the subsidy issues
Inflation the thing to watch every thing rocketing .
We will bale 2000 small bales and 50 rounds
And will chop rest . Well over 1200 acre
Going to roundup a patch in a good whest field later can see the row the nugget who pleaded for a field of straw last year . ryegrass where first bale dropped out and next one and next one and a smattering across half of field 🥵
 

puppet

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
sw scotland
Make sure they do well in winter sell April that leaves space for few more cows which I find more lucrative than summering cattle, each to their own the country is very diverse not possible for everyone so do same .
Plenty people think avoiding wintering and calving cows is the way to go. Where do they think the 'expensive' store cattle come from each Spring?
 

Chae1

Member
Location
Aberdeenshire
Inflation the thing to watch every thing rocketing .
We will bale 2000 small bales and 50 rounds
And will chop rest . Well over 1200 acre
Going to roundup a patch in a good whest field later can see the row the nugget who pleaded for a field of straw last year . ryegrass where first bale dropped out and next one and next one and a smattering across half of field 🥵
Bloody hell! Youve been messaging me after straw in NE Scotland and your chopping your own. 🤦‍♂️ :ROFLMAO:
 

lloyd

Member
Location
Herefordshire
Inflation the thing to watch every thing rocketing .
We will bale 2000 small bales and 50 rounds
And will chop rest . Well over 1200 acre
Going to roundup a patch in a good whest field later can see the row the nugget who pleaded for a field of straw last year . ryegrass where first bale dropped out and next one and next one and a smattering across half of field 🥵

Choppers on everywhere if it turns wet.
 

Henarar

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Somerset
Their is only so much in commodity store cattle only way to to make a lot is to have a a lot ! Even then once you get into paying Labour etc etc tough going for all I’d say

I have in the past and found it a bit of a waste of time , rather make sure they do well in winter sell April that leaves space for few more cows which I find more lucrative than summering cattle, each to their own the country is very diverse not possible for everyone so do same .
yep each to their own
 

DrWazzock

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire
On 10 acres of grass here we had 10 cows. Sold calves at 10 months old weaned off when they came in in November. Price about £650 each on average. You’d be lucky to gross £650 an acre growing wheat here and would have maybe £300 per acre costs to grow the wheat. I didn’t think the cows did too badly financially and would have been better if we hadn’t screwed up the management of body condition. We were straw off the rest of the farm which we hardly noticed and they ate rough hay that the horse folks wouldn’t buy. I reckon they can fit in, but a couple of big vets bills can see the profit disappear. Arable isn’t all sunshine and profit. It’s big spend, high risk and slim margins.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 79 42.5%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 65 34.9%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 16.1%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 6 3.2%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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  • 1
As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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