How many finishing cattle on 90ac

[Granite Farmer]

So we have a 90ac off farm. There are ten fields in total.

One field (9ac) is perm pasture grazing only.

Two fields are perm pasture but are easily traversed by machinery (8.5 and 5.5ac) plus a 5ac field that could be bought into arable grass rotation.

The other six fields are in an arable/grass rotation, which includes two large fields (14 and 17ac) that could be split.

I'd be looking to produce as much feed and bedding of these acres as possible. For example at least two cuts of grass year. I can also bring feed/cereals/bedding in from the home farm if or when necessary.


The cattle will be homebred AAx and herefordx cross stores plus some dairy beef crosses. So I can probably be reasonably flexible when it comes to the weight they enter the unit at.

So conservatively speaking how many cattle could I finish indoors over a 12 month period.

Building wise the I one 75x40ft building open on one side plus 70ishx60ft building within which is a 30x60ft silage pit which could be turned into housing.

I want a simple system silage fed against barriers or in ring feeders with bunker feeders for cereals/conc.

TIA

James

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

If you are not going to buy in any feed or use a lot of fertilizer then realistically 90 cattle.
But if you are bringing in feed and bedding then probably double it.
Too many variables to give an accurate number as it will depend on what weight you are going to take them to.

 

[Jerry]

How long they going to be inside?

House October out April??

 

[BRB John]

You got to be more precise.
So I read it as you've got 90 acres 23 acres you want to use as grazing while the rest is got barley or silage
And you want a simpler system?
So assuming you'll have about 33 acres of barley and 33 acres of silage
I guess you could keep say 40 on the grazing and maybe bring another 40 up for winter finishing.

If it was all grazing then you could keep 150 maybe stretch it out to 180 over the summer.

Too many variables to be more accurate.

 

[Granite Farmer]

You got to be more precise.
So I read it as you've got 90 acres 23 acres you want to use as grazing while the rest is got barley or silage
And you want a simpler system?
So assuming you'll have about 33 acres of barley and 33 acres of silage
I guess you could keep say 40 on the grazing and maybe bring another 40 up for winter finishing.

If it was all grazing then you could keep 150 maybe stretch it out to 180 over the summer.

Too many variables to be more accurate.

Of the 23acres ,9 acres is grazing only as its to awkward to mow/plough the other 14 acres can be easily mown. The rest of the land can be rotated between cereals and grass.

What I'm looking to into is potentially a year round indoor finishing system as I buy bucket reared or rearing calves alongside my spring calving sucklers.

Two cuts of silage is what I am confident of getting before summer burn up. Winter barley as a first cereal 3t plus and acre expected.

Weight wise around 450kg at least on entry.

Feed/bedding/cereals can be bought in from the home farm if/when necessary.

 

[Granite Farmer]

How long they going to be inside?

House October out April??

I'm thinking mainly indoors year round. Some animals could be grazed on the 9ac field that cant really be mown. Aftermaths could be grazed after 2nd cut or laid up for third cut in a grassy year. I'm like you Jerry, dry. Maybe I should open it up to the PG group?

 

[michael N123]

Crimping the barley gives you more time to get another crop of something in and is better fattening feed anyway

 

[casper74]

Your 75x40 will hold 80 stores comfortably. 100-120 day finishing, 250ish a year if you want to buy plenty of feed.

 

[BRB John]

Of the 23acres ,9 acres is grazing only as its to awkward to mow/plough the other 14 acres can be easily mown. The rest of the land can be rotated between cereals and grass.

What I'm looking to into is potentially a year round indoor finishing system as I buy bucket reared or rearing calves alongside my spring calving sucklers.

Two cuts of silage is what I am confident of getting before summer burn up. Winter barley as a first cereal 3t plus and acre expected.

Weight wise around 450kg at least on entry.

Feed/bedding/cereals can be bought in from the home farm if/when necessary.

Ok that's better
The shed should cope with 100 stock of various sizes.
40 well fertilised acres should produce enough silage to feed 100 stock year round and 40 acres of winter barley should last maybe 3 or 4 months for straw and barley.

So yeah I'd start out aiming for about 100 ish with probably 3 different age groups 2-8 months 8-16 months and 16+ months to finish.

Still pretty rough but might get you in the right ball park....