Finishing Cattle , Simple Small Scale

[ridger]

I want questioning your addition, more the base figures.

Well managed grazing should be able to support a lot more cattle than that. Electric fencing will assist with cheap subdivision and subsequent better management of pasture.

Problem is only a field here and there can be got, ten acres is a big field in these parts usually 3 acres is the size. So just put whatever cattle it should graze on it in the spring, took a few off last week to let grass get up a bit

 

[ridger]

water fuel labour haulage truck/machinery spray lime mins wormer fly control ?

Yes all those too, that's why full time farmer are getting scarce

 

[unlacedgecko]

Problem is only a field here and there can be got, ten acres is a big field in these parts usually 3 acres is the size. So just put whatever cattle it should graze on it in the spring, took a few off last week to let grass get up a bit

Do you own any land?

Is f**king about with bits and pieces here and there worthwhile?

 

[ridger]

yes but a lot of costs missed out

Put your costs up, at least I put up something, going to try and delete post now though

 

[ridger]

Do you own any land?

Is fudgeing about with bits and pieces here and there worthwhile?

I enjoy it, some of my cousins have farms and don't use them, we aren't all born into land unfortunately. I work part time and enjoy my cattle and potatoes in the evenings. I can't understand people that own their farms complaining, they should try renting.

 

[ridger]

yes but a lot of costs missed out

When I wrote that this morning I was in the doctors waiting room because an old injury had flared up once again, if it gets too bad and I can't work for a while as it does from time to time, I like to have a few cattle that I cam sell to keep the bills paid and mortgage paid until I cam work again. They are better than insurance policy to me.

 

[unlacedgecko]

I enjoy it, some of my cousins have farms and don't use them, we aren't all born into land unfortunately. I work part time and enjoy my cattle and potatoes in the evenings. I can't understand people that own their farms complaining, they should try renting.

As long as your happy

But I wouldn't do something the wantwa making me a decent return.

 

[ridger]

As long as your happy

But I wouldn't do something the wantwa making me a decent return.

I get your point but you've no idea how much it helps my mind to get out of the house when I'm unwell and walk or drive around the cattle

 

[Werzle]

Unfortunately that's the way things are over here, there was grazing ground let at 300 an acre so 180 is not bad. I'll not post costs again because noone else does and I get made fun of.

Dont be so daft, nobodys having a go .

 

[DRC]

When I wrote that this morning I was in the doctors waiting room because an old injury had flared up once again, if it gets too bad and I can't work for a while as it does from time to time, I like to have a few cattle that I cam sell to keep the bills paid and mortgage paid until I cam work again. They are better than insurance policy to me.

No ones judging you. Just surprised at the way things are with you. Keep posting and hope you feel better soon. It’s true that having a few cattle around is good for the soul. I saw a thing on Facebook where people were paying to lie down next to some cows, as it was a new form of therapy !!

 

[digger64]

Put your costs up, at least I put up something, going to try and delete post now though

was on your side actually trying to point out that the eventual cost per kg was not that far out in reality regardless of how you got to it

 

[Northeastfarmer]

. I saw a thing on Facebook where people were paying to lie down next to some cows, as it was a new form of therapy !!

Might pay better than finishing them

 

[DRC]

I’ve got a few natives to graze the only field , 11 acres of Pasture, that I can’t plough or silage. I bought them cheap enough and they’ve had no concentrates or won’t be getting any. The plan is to sell them in September , but will see how the trade is then. Last year I went down the more expensive blues, which tied up more money and they had hard feed when younger.

 

[Highland Mule]

Rent a ten acre field for a year. Costs for the ten acre. Rent, £1800. Fertiliser usually 5 x 2 bags to acre = 5 tons at £340 a ton which is £1700. Usually need a few posts and some wire £150. Usually average 1 kg meal a head over the season (none at the start some at the end) so 1.5 tons = £350. We are now at 3000 pounds to graze at most 15 cattle from may til beginning of October. Which is 150 days, 3000 divided by 15 cattle is £200 a head each which is £1.30 a day roughly

Is that five applications of fertiliser per year on grazing ground? That seems a hell of a lot to me.

 

[DavyG]

Unfortunately that's the way things are over here, there was grazing ground let at 300 an acre so 180 is not bad. I'll not post costs again because noone else does and I get made fun of.

I'm in much the same position as Ridger and am not the only one by a long shot. Rents he quoted are bang on here co armagh. Not saying its right or sustainable but he's not far wrong.

 

[digger64]

Now that I have built up to ad lib, they are eating 12 kg per day instead of 8 kg per day. It's wearing me out refilling the trough. I dare say there is still 20% oats in the mix as I topped up the mixer with rolled barley, minerals and rumen buffer only before it ran out of the 50% oat/barley mix.

I have run out of protein nuts now and don't really want to buy another half tonne. They are still eating a reasonable amount of hay and don't seem to be acidosis.

The one that seemed to have laminitis after it broke out now seems to be fully recovered the way it was bouncing round the pen tonight.

I'd say the best one was ready for market, with brisket slightly more filled than the others, but it's done better than the rest from day one.

I'll be lucky if I cover costs with one thing and another. When is the price going to recover?

we feed maize silage and cereal mix mixed with a loader bucket on a small scale (40 or so head reducing each week at that time of year) in theory much cheaper until you waste it , but when it gets warm in may the maize becomes unworkable as it goes off so quick , we then just feed the cereal mix and straw ,but if you look at the convenience time,machinery,bedding,labour saving and improved cattle performance the cheapest feed is not necessarily the best , grain has been dear this year but on the whole barley is not that dear on dm basis most years it keeps well can bought or sold as required - a very liquid enterprise that needs no land ,you can be in or out with no great upheaval . Perhaps better in the longterm than having diet feeders/clamps etc and carting wet stuff in and out like the big guys do .

 

[livestock 1]

I’ve got a few natives to graze the only field , 11 acres of Pasture, that I can’t plough or silage. I bought them cheap enough and they’ve had no concentrates or won’t be getting any. The plan is to sell them in September , but will see how the trade is then. Last year I went down the more expensive blues, which tied up more money and they had hard feed when younger.

I looked into a system of buying store cattle and selling them as improved stores on one farm mainly to make life easier. The problem is that to buy cattle in the spring for grass then sell them in the autumn is like swimming against the tide. And I would need to buy a lot to see any real return.
Consequently I’m still breeding them.

 

[ridger]

I see a big farmer near us who always bought the best cattle in the mart now has hundreds of 4 to 8 months old friesans bull calves, muse be a change in policy

 

[Henarar]

Unfortunately that's the way things are over here, there was grazing ground let at 300 an acre so 180 is not bad. I'll not post costs again because noone else does and I get made fun of.

Don't worry about it, I have had the same mostly for being to cheap but if you post actually costs is that what they are varies a hell of a lot depending where you are

 

[digger64]

Is that five applications of fertiliser per year on grazing ground? That seems a hell of a lot to me.

yes but he is using fert to get acres and stock heavily due to his high rent locally dairy farmers would do this , works if you get enough rain