How do you …. Get out of farming?

[Interested in farming]

Not called Spud is he?? Sounds like a mate of mine too...

Firemen always have at least one other job.... and as you say, a tidy Pension waiting too.

No but we all have that mate don't we... Top bloke

 

[Estate fencing.]

You should make a living from that I'd thought

Struggle with £65 average lambs and not a high lambing percentage.

 

[Wood field]

You should make a living from that I'd thought

It’s the fixed costs among other things, we have decided to crack on for a couple more years, pretty much say bollox to everyone and look after ourselves. Looking at different tups to get better lambs, ie more value , but they have to survive up here

 

[Wood field]

Could you put 2-3 rings outside, on hardstanding? Just trying to picture your yard in my mind... That is what I had planned for the cattle yards here, to allow more undercover lying up area. Bought sandy land which would overwinter the Sucklers instead

I find it easier lambing in the pens , 45 in a pen and 30 in the lean too pens , gives me plenty of space for mothering pens

 

[2wheels]

My Mrs is on a decent wage , I feel guilty she pays the household bills, the farm just wipes its nose
I am 60 this year , and was always jealous of my time , meaning if I wanted to go up the hills or out on my old bike nothing stopped me , now the livestock ( rightly) come first .
I suppose if we could change things to get better value for the stock then at least I would be able to pay my own way rather than relying on the boss

old bike--- howard and marina?

 

[czechmate]

It’s the fixed costs among other things, we have decided to crack on for a couple more years, pretty much say bollox to everyone and look after ourselves. Looking at different tups to get better lambs, ie more value , but they have to survive up here

Do you finish your lambs there or sell stores?

 

[Rich_ard]

It’s the fixed costs among other things, we have decided to crack on for a couple more years, pretty much say bollox to everyone and look after ourselves. Looking at different tups to get better lambs, ie more value , but they have to survive up here

Do you sell store? Do tups really make that much difference. I run a couple llynns as tups. Some say there a crap breed. They give me lambs there not the best grades but it's kgs that matter I think.

 

[merino]

One too many suicidal ewes maybe?

IKWYM about a feed passage like that, I consider them "make work"!

We had a neighbour whose Father was "set in his ways" and wanted to see the silage bales droped at the end and unrolled to the cows daily. He died and the Son transformed feeding inside a week or two. He just could not afford to waste the time any longer.

These days the answer is I feed too much maize.

 

[Rich_ard]

Struggle with £65 average lambs and not a Hooghly lambing percentage.

I might have run mine on a low cost system, summer grazing isn't cheap though, but I'd think you'd get more than £65. Perhaps cutting nos and finishing some might work. Might not be feasible but buyers don't mind floating sheep up and down country.

 

[Wood field]

I might have run mine on a low cost system, summer grazing isn't cheap though, but I'd think you'd get more than £65. Perhaps cutting nos and finishing some might work. Might not be feasible but buyers don't mind floating sheep up and down country.

I’ve talked on the f**k up fortnight thread about it, @Estate fencing. Gave me a few ideas re different tups
I am wondering about less but better ewes or more like same younger ewes ( as they are hard little beggars) but better tups

 

[Rich_ard]

I’ve talked on the f**k up fortnight thread about it, @Estate fencing. Gave me a few ideas re different tups
I am wondering about less but better ewes or more like same younger ewes ( as they are hard little beggars) but better tups

If your lambing 100 hoggs a year you can't have that older flock. For sure good stock will give you good lambs which is good in a bad year. When stock is at high prices good stock looks cheap compared to what some other stuff makes.

 

[Wood field]

If your lambing 100 hoggs a year you can't have that older flock. For sure good stock will give you good lambs which is good in a bad year. When stock is at high prices good stock looks cheap compared to what some other stuff makes.

I don’t lamb the hoggs they are our replacements, I’ve tried to get a flock of younger sheep, the youngsters are Cheviot x welsh hill , small but thrifty ewes

 

[Rich_ard]

I don’t lamb the hoggs they are our replacements, I’ve tried to get a flock of younger sheep, the youngsters are Cheviot x welsh hill , small but thrifty ewes

Lamb them too. No point waiting to get fat gimmers with no lambs!

 

[Estate fencing.]

Lamb them too. No point waiting to get fat gimmers with no lambs!

You have to have some good ground for that. We can’t lamb them without ending up with lean yearlings.

 

[Rich_ard]

You have to have some good ground for that. We can’t lamb them without ending up with lean yearlings.

All my sheep are lean! It might cause a few losses but over feeding causes problems too.

 

[Estate fencing.]

All my sheep are lean! It might cause a few losses but over feeding causes problems too.

My sheep definitely arnt lean. . I did feel ones spine today though, better up the food.

 

[Whitewalker]

Mulling things over … now I love farming ( mostly) and as some of you know, I’ve said it’s all I ever wanted to do .
But times are changing and with the weather on top of poor ground plus my age and aches and pains, I’ve been wondering if it’s time to say enough
Part of me feels guilty as if I am giving in and part of me daydreams about riding my old bike on a summer’s evening or walking in the hills.

The thing is how do we go about it , the farm is spread over 4 main parcels and we have the livestock.
I actually ( think) I want to farm but am to old to finance moving to another place.
to downsize Would still have the ties of livestock so may as well grow bigger !
I’ve thought about selling the bulk of the sheep at the backend when we sell the lambs and keeping some hoggs and gimmers over winter , my theory being in spring the place will look fresher ( not eaten up) and if we chose to carry on we will have a nucleus of home bred sheep
Thoughts much appreciated

All I can say is from what I understand you built the farm up so you have earned the right to sell it all if you wish . It's probably been bloody hard work but also probably a great investment so in theory you possibly have been very prudent in investments so feel free to enjoy the fruits of your labour.

 

[Wood field]

All I can say is from what I understand you built the farm up so you have earned the right to sell it all if you wish . It's probably been bloody hard work but also probably a great investment so in theory you possibly have been very prudent in investments so feel free to enjoy the fruits of your labour.

If I am honest my wife pandered to my farming and bought the land ( jointly) as an investment and also as a job for me

 

[Nearly]

If I am honest my wife pandered to my farming and bought the land ( jointly) as an investment and also as a job for me

But she could probably see it wouldn't put you in the poorhouse and was (just) cheaper than a mistress.

 

[Wood field]

But she could probably see it wouldn't put you in the poorhouse and was (just) cheaper than a mistress.

I am an ugly feker , the mistress wanted too much money