Is there any future in suckler cows ?

[CharcoalWally]

Yes you could be right. But if you suddenly stop calving cows, stop lambing ewes, stop shearing sheep would you ever actually get back into it?? Doubtful

No they probably won't if they don't want to.

 

[Hilly]

They won't worry, they're not stupid enough to get too emotionally attached to anything. They're cool headed and detached.

They're businesspeople, not farmers .

Good ,

 

[Hilly]

They won't worry, they're not stupid enough to get too emotionally attached to anything. They're cool headed and detached.

They're businesspeople, not farmers .

This makes me chuckle , says alot this dose.

 

[livestock 1]

No they probably won't if they don't want to.

So claiming bps and doing sweet fa is a one way track?

 

[gone up the hill]

Certainly doesn't seem to be much demand for suckler cows at the moment.
Sold sixteen 13-17 month old bulling heifers at mart back in May. 4 lots away to 4 different buyers to average £1420.
Got more of same breeding just now and mart saying no demand for them at breeding sales and they've no private buyers looking for anything either so as well to put them in a store sale instead.
I know Autumn calvers are less popular than Spring ones but just goes to show how much confidence is going out the job.

The main problems currently are shortage of silage/ hay etc and that costs are rising very fast across the board be that machinery or feed etc etc and farm gate prices are at best static, sooner or later farm gate prices will have to rise and beef this time next year will need to be at least £4.30/50 kilo if it doesn't then before long a lot of farmers will start to quit as the current situation is unstainable for long, its as simple as that.

 

[CharcoalWally]

So claiming bps and doing sweet fa is a one way track?

To what?

 

[livestock 1]

The main problems currently are shortage of silage/ hay etc and that costs are rising very fast across the board be that machinery or feed etc etc and farm gate prices are at best static, sooner or later farm gate prices will have to rise and beef this time next year will need to be at least £4.30/50 kilo if it doesn't then before long a lot of farmers will start to quit as the current situation is unstainable for long, its as simple as that.

The number of suckler cow herd dispersals confirms this

 

[livestock 1]

To what?

Decline

 

[gone up the hill]

The number of suckler cow herd dispersals confirms this

I think prices in all rings confirm this, be that baby dairy calves or strong stores and everything in between.

In real terms the beef price is something like 30pk less than it was 12 months ago.

 

[CharcoalWally]

Decline

Well of course it is. If that's your take on it.

But that's not everyone's take on it. Don't be naive enough to think that everyone else cares if there aren't any suckler cows left in the country.

 

[livestock 1]

I think prices in all rings confirm this, be that baby dairy calves or strong stores and everything in between.

In real terms the beef price is something like 30pk less than it was 12 months ago.

Not a great year for suckler cows

 

[gone up the hill]

Not a great year for suckler cows

A lot were quitting suckler cows last year as well.

Goes back to the same issue as lambing sheep, people are getting older/ kids are working off farm a lot more these days etc and thus the parents don't want the work/ cant do the work so are selling the ewes/ cows to have an easier life.

 

[egbert]

I think I'm right in saying that you are keeping sucklers on what was a dairy farm up until quite recently. Where our sucklers run, the last time a cow would be milked for human consumption was probably over a hundred years ago.That would be a canny galloway, tied in the byre for the winter, to provide a few squirts of milk for the shepherd's porridge in the morning.

Porridge from Galloway milk....now that's rocket fuel!

 

[livestock 1]

Well of course it is. If that's your take on it.

But that's not everyone's take on it. Don't be naive enough to think that everyone else cares if there aren't any suckler cows left in the country.

I didn’t remember being concerned about what other people think

I’m stating that once the purpose of the farm is only to claim bps its a one way track

 

[egbert]

yep use to milk cows here but the implication was that it was arable land and so a couple of the best fields [8 acres] were for the war ag the results of which dad said were not very good

ours was signed off by the war dept, after a lot of broken gear got left tucked in the walls, '
unploughable!'

 

[livestock 1]

A lot were quitting suckler cows last year as well.

Goes back to the same issue as lambing sheep, people are getting older/ kids are working off farm a lot more these days etc and thus the parents don't want the work/ cant do the work so are selling the ewes/ cows to have an easier life.

2017 silage crops were down by a third around our area too

 

[gone up the hill]

2017 silage crops were down by a third around our area too

Silage crops around here were very good last year but people were still quitting sucklers at an alarming rate.

Plenty now thinking of quitting them unless farm gate prices rise a fair whack next year.

 

[CharcoalWally]

I didn’t remember being concerned about what other people think

I’m stating that once the purpose of the farm is only to claim bps its a one way track

Yes . For you.

To other people it's just an opportunity before they go on to something else .

 

[Hilly]

Yes . For you.

To other people it's just an opportunity before they go on to something else .

Have you an Example ?

 

[livestock 1]

Yes . For you.

To other people it's just an opportunity before they go on to something else .

No not me. The people who have destocked here have not got back in. Not one of them