I’m buying a few cattle now, ready for spring turnout and summer grazing. The chap I bought them off, suggested I should keep them a second winter and sell at 18 month old, but that would mean making fodder for them from some of the grassland. This costs as I have to use a contractor for mowing,baling and wrapping.
I’ve a mind to buy more cattle to graze the whole area, it’s only 32 acres in 4 fields , so could be grazed rotationally as one group.
This worked well last year with 65 in calf heifers that I’d been wintering.
Even in the drought we had last May/ June , I kept moving them around every few days and they did very well. Better than set stocking.
This approach would mean selling in the autumn at 14/15 month old, but would cut the cost of making silage and mean I could carry more stock. I could then leave sheds empty until after Xmas before restocking with Weanlings again on straw and nuts.
Up to now I’ve got 36 blue heifers aged 5/6 months, but could go up to 60/70.
What would you do.
@Henarar