Holstein Bulls

[BELOWAVERAGE]

It’s funny everyone is getting excited about the milk price hitting 35-40p looking back through old milk cheques this week and in December 2013 we had over 35p. Just remember what fertiliser and everything was then.

And two years later there were plenty heading for 13p.

 

[Jdunn55]

It’s funny everyone is getting excited about the milk price hitting 35-40p looking back through old milk cheques this week and in December 2013 we had over 35p. Just remember what fertiliser and everything was then.

I remember dad complaining about the price of a new John deere 6430 premium with loader being around £35000, there was a remark about how that's more than what he paid for our brand new, new holland 7840 and 7740 with loader combined!
In hindsight I wish he bought it, could probably sell it at a profit today

 

[Jdunn55]

You have access to money in one form or another, either cash or collateral to borrow against, you have the ability to make long term decisions, others (me included) never had that luxury, the focus was(and still is, I'm useless) to survive another day, buy another cow, up the milk in the tank, as beef farmer says for £600 I'd want/need milk in the tank. I think your doing an excellent job, keep it up, when I saw that sale advertised l was determined to have a day out just to see the cows, but when I looked at the catalogue and saw the calving index's on the cows, it stopped me dead, anything will milk if you don't serve it, quite disappointed really.

Just seen this, thanks, don't worry I'm just as useless, I'm lucky in that I have age on my side and supply a good company. Its been fairly easy for me to get going as obviously didn't need to buy a parlour, have access to dad's machinery (just needed a scraper tractor, loader, and quad), didn't need to buy quota, applied for bps entitlements for free as its a new start up, qualify for the young farmer bonus which is another 25% etc.
Plus I saved a lot of money from the prior 5 years I've been working and dabbled in investments in stocks and had a few provide decent returns (not enough to make me rich though )
I don't have any children to provide for which removes a massive cost and because I work what feels like 24/7 (spending 21 hours a week into he parlour as an example!) I save a lot of money on labour and because I don't have time to go out I don't need a lot of money to live, so far this year I've withdrawn £2500 from the business for myself, and sometimes it's a bit miserable seeing all my friends at a yfc do or whatever but then I wake up to a lovely heifer calf and get to think "the bank manager owns that"

 

[Holsteinfriesian90]

And two years later there were plenty heading for 13p.

Very true.

 

[Jdunn55]

Well that was an interesting turn of events...

Dad unexpectedly turned up today and I didn't have time to hide the holsteins from him and he unfortunately found them...
Surprisingly though, he liked them and said I finally have some proper cows
Not sure if I should be pleased or offended

 

[som farmer]

And two years later there were plenty heading for 13p.

if it goes to 13p now, there just might be a shortage.
that doesn't mean they wont try, history tells them farmers moan and groan about price, but processors can still/have got all they need, at what price they are deciding to pay.
And to be honest, if were buying a product, and the producer moaned about price, and how he couldn't produce it, for that money, but we could still buy all we needed, at the price we set, what would you do ?
At last, we may actually have a genuine shortage of milk, appearing, could even be a global shortage. It may take time before it is realised, but when the penny drops, they will pay as much as is needed, to get their supply.
And what will farmers do ? Bank managers, and consultants, will tell each individual farmer to increase production, and cash in. This is correct, for any one farmer, collectively though, it is the worst thing we can do, up production, price decreases. The classic example is milk quotas, which ended up removing millions of £ from dairy farmers, all caused by following individual advice, to spread costs over more litres, what good did that achieve ? British farmers have had historical proof, they cannot work together, and some reading this, will think ballocks, and ramp up production, and the cycle will start again.
Hopefully this time, it will be a global shortage, and price will stay up, and lets hope it does, but upping production, with the costs involved, will only ever lead to a collective lower price, it's a perfectly natural response by processors, and retailers, and if the boot, was on the other foot, by farmers themselves.

 

[Barmyfarmer]

Well that was an interesting turn of events...

Dad unexpectedly turned up today and I didn't have time to hide the holsteins from him and he unfortunately found them...
Surprisingly though, he liked them and said I finally have some proper cows
Not sure if I should be pleased or offended

He had plenty of options of where to hang his coat anyway

 

[BELOWAVERAGE]

Hassall's have some Startmore Supreme semen in their on line auction, he was a good bull in his day crossed on a Friesian wasn't he ? But then they all worked doing that job.

 

[Shebb90]

Hassall's have some Startmore Supreme semen in their on line auction, he was a good bull in his day crossed on a Friesian wasn't he ? But then they all worked doing that job.

Just been looking at it..... Is the current bid for all straws or for each straw?

 

[BELOWAVERAGE]

Just been looking at it..... Is the current bid for all straws or for each straw?

For all six.

 

[Stuart1]

Anyone used much Brewmaster? Have a few milking and love them. This heifers due in 2-3 days. She’s a :
Brewmaster x Dorcy x Lauthority

 

[som farmer]

looking through the genus abs hol catalogue today, would be interesting to compare it to one 10/15 years ago, some useful looking bulls in it, breeders have obviously listened to the commercial end users !

 

[Stuart1]

looking through the genus abs hol catalogue today, would be interesting to compare it to one 10/15 years ago, some useful looking bulls in it, breeders have obviously listened to the commercial end users !

Funny I find the opposite I think they’ve too many “small” bulls. What’s your criteria when looking for a Holstein bull?

 

[dinderleat]

Funny I find the opposite I think they’ve too many “small” bulls. What’s your criteria when looking for a Holstein bull?

Why do you want big cows?if smaller cows will produce more from less.

 

[Stuart1]

Why do you want big cows?if smaller cows will produce more from less.

In my opinion I think genus are going too small, massively minus statures with narrow chest width & a negative condition score is a recipe for disaster.

 

[dinderleat]

In my opinion I think genus are going too small, massively minus statures with narrow chest width & a negative condition score is a recipe for disaster.

Figures don’t lie though that’s the difference now there so much data it’s not what the breeders/show ring judges like the look of anymore

 

[som farmer]

Funny I find the opposite I think they’ve too many “small” bulls. What’s your criteria when looking for a Holstein bull?

not tall, wide chest, deep body, then good feet/ udders, and need to be plus for constituents.
to many narrow chested cows about, need good body depth, to eat loads of fodder, tidy udders, and they need to walk distance. Constituents are what we get paid on. Those are the basics, if they don't have most of them, page turned over.
But, every new offering comes with more bulls to look at, matching the criteria, and you get a lot more information about the bulls 'vital statistics' than you do with friesians, not over worried about litres, we are not in those giddy heights.

 

[Stuart1]

Figures don’t lie though that’s the difference now there so much data it’s not what the breeders/show ring judges like the look of anymore

Yes they don’t lie but I’ve some small cows which are miles behind the larger cows in terms of production. I personally prefer slightly bigger than slightly smaller. Everyone gives off about Holsteins being big tall things built like the side of a fiver but lots of these bulls are minus stature which is totally fine it’s the narrowness with them. If I was going smaller I’d want much more width.

 

[Stuart1]

not tall, wide chest, deep body, then good feet/ udders, and need to be plus for constituents.
to many narrow chested cows about, need good body depth, to eat loads of fodder, tidy udders, and they need to walk distance. Constituents are what we get paid on. Those are the basics, if they don't have most of them, page turned over.
But, every new offering comes with more bulls to look at, matching the criteaire

Personally I think you should look at other company’s based on the criteria your looking. From
What you’ve described Alcove is the bull for you, il post a link below of his figure in case you haven’t came across him before.

Genomics Factsheet

holstein-uk.org

I’ve used him fairly heavy, have 3 milking at the money, can’t fault them whatsoever, they have width of only compare to a London bus.

 

[dinderleat]

Personally I think you should look at other company’s based on the criteria your looking. From
What you’ve described Alcove is the bull for you, il post a link below of his figure in case you haven’t came across him before.

Genomics Factsheet

holstein-uk.org

I’ve used him fairly heavy, have 3 milking at the money, can’t fault them whatsoever, they have width of only compare to a London bus.

Old genetics there would be better bulls available. Good bull though