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"Improving Our Lot" - Planned Holistic Grazing, for starters..

awkward

Member
Location
kerry ireland

Poorbuthappy

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Devon
I am always surprised that the Brits are always surprised that we get growth rates like that without grain or silage or telehandlers or diesel
Just another one of those unfair advantages I guess
To be fair, whilst it might be achievable, and again I commend Pete, a quick Google suggests target growth rates in NZ or Australia off grass are similar to here.
 

CornishTone

Member
BASIS
Location
Cornwall
Didn't you know "You've gotta keep that flag leaf green for maximum yield" :rolleyes::facepalm:

I was thinking a “full” program is more like 5 or more. T0, 1, 2 & 3, plus an ear wash depending on the end use, buyer demands and weather. When I left, the National company I was working for (I’m ashamed to say) was extolling the virtues of a T1.5 and a winter fungicide application to combat sub-clinical Net-blotch in Barley. I once sat in a sales meeting and listened to our area manager start the proceedings with the words “How can we screw more money out of these farmers”!

3 fungicides would be an absolute minimum!
 

awkward

Member
Location
kerry ireland
I was thinking a “full” program is more like 5 or more. T0, 1, 2 & 3, plus an ear wash depending on the end use, buyer demands and weather. When I left, the National company I was working for (I’m ashamed to say) was extolling the virtues of a T1.5 and a winter fungicide application to combat sub-clinical Net-blotch in Barley. I once sat in a sales meeting and listened to our area manager start the proceedings with the words “How can we screw more money out of these farmers”!

3 fungicides would be an absolute minimum!
Hell after reading that I had to check to see what thread I was reading.... thing is it shows how we are viewed by our suppliers.
 

Kiwi Pete

Member
Livestock Farmer
As long as it gets the job done.
No matter what business we're in :ROFLMAO:

If I was planning to keep them over that second winter it would be a much different story, but I don't - big cattle inside take serious resources (as is the basis of several TFF threads at present) but then I don't want to overcook them early like last year, and then run out of tucker :(


Probably very similar to the other convo regards pushing products, there is a limit as to what people will spend but then a year without much rain and you see what that spending achieved - whether that's me topping away my drought reserve, Roy using some nitrogen or someone else spraying fungicides around for insurance purposes - I am concerned about "having a system" having been burnt by one (and I thought it was OK)

Hence I want a more measured approach, I don't want animals hanging around here too long but I do have all season.
Some bulls will go out on lease soon so that will take some pressure off, both the pasture demand and the need for cashflow.
I am charging $600-1200 each which will pay for the animal to date, and if those leased come back I get to fatten and sell him "twice" (y)

Edit- see below
 
Last edited:

Kiwi Pete

Member
Livestock Farmer
But then.... there are so many variables in our game that it really pays to have the broad approach IMO
We are getting good rain here this year, whereas last season we did not - this changes the picture very fast.
At the start of the month we were 122mm short for the calendar year but in the last ten days we have had about 90mm - so I am constantly adapting to suit

I don't want to make too much or take too much, so today I have my big mob on a whole paddock (older, thatchier pasture) but my little mobs are inside keeping dry (eating my contingency bales, unneeded in the early spring)
They won't grow as fast in there but it is about the bigger picture at this early stage
 

Kiwi Pete

Member
Livestock Farmer
20181120_110011.jpg
the place to be, in an easterly rain :)
20181120_105730.jpg
20181120_105801.jpg
sorry, Roy (n)
 

Poorbuthappy

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Devon
As long as it gets the job done.
No matter what business we're in :ROFLMAO:

If I was planning to keep them over that second winter it would be a much different story, but I don't - big cattle inside take serious resources (as is the basis of several TFF threads at present) but then I don't want to overcook them early like last year, and then run out of tucker :(


Probably very similar to the other convo regards pushing products, there is a limit as to what people will spend but then a year without much rain and you see what that spending achieved - whether that's me topping away my drought reserve, Roy using some nitrogen or someone else spraying fungicides around for insurance purposes - I am concerned about "having a system" having been burnt by one (and I thought it was OK)

Hence I want a more measured approach, I don't want animals hanging around here too long but I do have all season.
Some bulls will go out on lease soon so that will take some pressure off, both the pasture demand and the need for cashflow.
I am charging $1200 each which will pay for the animal to date, and if him comes back I get to fatten and sell him "twice" (y)
Do you have maximum and/or minimum ages and weights for the bulls to get prime prices Pete?
Are the leased ones going to dairy farms to work? Are they straight beef or dairy breeds? Seems odd to pay so much to hire bulls that are otherwise destined for fattening.
 

Kiwi Pete

Member
Livestock Farmer
Do you have maximum and/or minimum ages and weights for the bulls to get prime prices Pete?
Are the leased ones going to dairy farms to work? Are they straight beef or dairy breeds? Seems odd to pay so much to hire bulls that are otherwise destined for fattening.
There is a bit of a system involved with hire bulls down here. Basically the options are either a lease or a buy (with a buyback clause) so my post was a bit ambiguous.
The lease ones (any over 400kg now) will be a ten-week lease for $650 but the smaller ones are "sold" but I keep the option of buying them back at reduced rate to compensate me for any losses injuries etc - but it shares the risk between the other farmer and us.

Breedwise the bulls are all F12 to F16, ie three quarter to full friesian but they are recorded through LIC which does add value to their use as sires
Jersey bulls are very similar as most all farmers will use them as sweepers at least, or just naturally mate their heifers to jersey bulls (calving ease mainly).

However, it was partly those jersey bull's calves tugging at my moral and ethical values that saw me out of the dairy industry - so that rules them out even if they were to make us more margin - I do not pawn my values.

Funny, isn't it, considering they might sweep all the beef I grow into the landfill and I don't know.... but I don't want to be part of the problem, as far as the "bobby calf" thing goes (I think it is going to be a major issue for dairy producers here, the waste of calf situation)
 

Kiwi Pete

Member
Livestock Farmer
Oh, and to better answer your question about prices @Poorbuthappy
Screenshot_20181120-115325_Chrome.jpg
it usually stays fairly similar per kg, from 290 up to 444kg for bull. It does vary between processors and at times of the year depending on what they want, but it is basically just a price per kg basis.

A little more money for heifer and steer, but the bulls grow heavier faster, these should be gone at around the 18-20 months of age but there is no restriction.
Take it as it comes.
 

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Webinar: Expanded Sustainable Farming Incentive offer 2024 -26th Sept

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On Thursday 26th September, we’re holding a webinar for farmers to go through the guidance, actions and detail for the expanded Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) offer. This was planned for end of May, but had to be delayed due to the general election. We apologise about that.

Farming and Countryside Programme Director, Janet Hughes will be joined by policy leads working on SFI, and colleagues from the Rural Payment Agency and Catchment Sensitive Farming.

This webinar will be...
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