- Location
- Glen Clova, Angus, DD8 4RD
At least you're thinking
"Improving Our Lot" - Planned Holistic Grazing, for starters..
- Thread starter Kiwi Pete
- Start date
- Location
- Owaka, New Zealand
How "micro" though? A couple of good cows is not going to be a massive issue.... or milk a few sheep ?
JohnGalway
Member
- Location
- Connemara, Ireland
That would be an experiment in the capacity of my land coupled with my holistic context. Probably start with an earth shattering 5
The plan was for beef first to improve the ground for a few years, but withwhat I'm hearing coming down the line I may have to accelerate that.
Went on a open day to this one, really interesting...
Whitebred Shorthorns in South West Cornwall
A recent trip to the Penzance area in SW Cornwall provided a very interesting insight into two very different uses for the Whitebred Shorthorn. Karen Wall, owner of the Trenow herd, and Gerald and Anne Babcock, owners of the Pendeen herd, work closely with their animals despite using their...
www.whitebredshorthorn.com
It's everything to do with farming, if your system is built on shooting bull calves then your system is wrong. I don't see it being much of a problem though.
How many farmers that shoot their bull calves are tied down by Tesco?
- Location
- Glen Clova, Angus, DD8 4RD
Interesting looking cattle, very "beefy" in shape to be milking. Clearly avoids the whole "no value in a Holstein bull calf" dairy issue. Real food for thought.
I was impressed by her set up, just shows we don't all have to follow the same recipe.
Yep, I know they did have some weaned calves on the left but the place use to heave with them, just one short row up sedge and that took on from two markets
- Location
- somerset
we don't shoot many at all, but some at market have made £1, others more, but, by the time you put labour and travel, they are a pain in the butt. But, there isn't a market for the estimated 200,000 calves a year, if there was, they wouldn't be shot, simple, the whole thing is a bloody great mess, nothing to do with farming, as farming had the issue sorted, albeit in a drastic way, The stopping of euthanasia, is nothing more than a publicity stunt, that arla and Tesco's thought out, and is now followed by other processors, and Red Tractor, so that's that. If you don't think its a problem, fine, but the question still remains, who is going to rear the calves ? Do you think the dairy farmers ought to rear them ? Could you rear them ? Would you want to rear them ? Once reared, what's that going to do to the beef trade ? But, you don't see a problem, perhaps you would like to answer the questions.
- Location
- West Somerset
Remember penning calves up in the pig pens next door on the real big days,
used to double my wages in tips unloading calves, great days, then bse hit.
it never recovered
everything changes I spose, I can remember when the pig shed was quite full........of pigs, not many go to market nowRemember penning calves up in the pig pens next door on the real big days,
used to double my wages in tips unloading calves, great days, then bse hit.
it never recovered
ShooTa
Member
- Location
- Denbighshire - In the vale of Clwyd!
the dairy males are atm the only initial way i can think of getting cattle onto my ground without vast expense - as with everything you would need all manner of handling equip and housing too.
- Location
- somerset
depending what you want the cattle for, if you watch calves sold, in those xbred calves, there are always some bargains! or, find a dairy farmer, and deal direct
There's dairy bull calves and dairy bull calves though. The Holstein ones will find a home and already have a use. They will grow big enough to kill out heavy enough to fit the current beef price grids. The jersey and other grass rat types won't. There is talk of it just now in the price tracker thread and someone said the same as what I thought. They tried some grass rat types and they cost just as much to rear but were half the weight and grew at half the speed. Then when they sent them dead they were crucified by the grid because they weren't heavy enough and would have graded poorly. Overall thoughts were they wish they had never seen them! Until they change the grid to suit them then I don't see the grass rat types being much use to anyone to rear the calves. The dairy farms will mostly have to rear them themselves. They had the calves born, their contract says they can't shoot them (rightly so!) So they will have to rear them or make it profitable for someone to take them. I can see some paying other farmers to take the calf away...
Woolless
Member
- Location
- Berwickshire, Scottish Borders
Just having a look at some cattle/grazing/regen stuff online. I know some of you rate the 'Working cows' podcast. Any recommendations of specific episodes? I've downloaded the latest one from this week featuring Jim Gerrish as a starter.
Yes I think the dairy farmers absolutely should rear them. I have never seen any good reason to shoot healthy calves at birth. As far as I can see the best excuse any one has got is that they can't be arsed to rear them. Animals should never be treated as a by-product it isn't fair on them.
It's a blatantly obvious example of not being able to read market signals. There's no market for them so either stop producing the things or find a market for them. If your business can't cope with rearing calves as a dairy farm then there's a problem with your business model in my opinion.
I could rear them, I have reared them, I don't want to anymore as our business has moved on. I don't know what it will do to the beef trade, probably impact the mince price more than anything which will hurt cull cow values, cull values are largely irrelevant to me as by the time they get there they should have earnt me plenty enough.
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Episode 121 with Gabe brown was interesting.
I find them a bit bland so unless it's a topic I really want to listen to I struggle to pay attention. So I don't listen to many.
Interested in any other suggestions for farming podcasts though. I have a number of hours to fill sitting in a tractor cab this summer
Just add a good Hereford bull, and get the perfect suckler Cow
Got a few here, big meaty cows about 9th calving, superb calf every time. Also got a few B&W crosses that are definitely in the hatrack category. Our Hereford will produce a decent calf out of them, but not a patch on the pukka FriesanX Hereford Mums.
Seen this too, not good and it is tough to help someone in that position who cannot see the wood for the trees.
Expanded and improved Sustainable Farming Incentive offer for farmers published
Expanded Sustainable Farming Incentive offer from July will give the sector a clear path forward and boost farm business resilience.
From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and The Rt Hon Sir Mark Spencer MP Published21 May 2024
Full details of the expanded and improved Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) offer available to farmers from July have been published by the...
From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and The Rt Hon Sir Mark Spencer MP Published21 May 2024
Full details of the expanded and improved Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) offer available to farmers from July have been published by the...