is this business idea right? Tear apart please!

[Coximus]

Hey,

Ta for the advice on my other thread about starting with cattle;

I've decided to go with either a Long legged Dexter or Hereford for breeding and AI to either AA or Blonde to produce stores to sell at 10-11 months?
4x heffers out wintered on 18 ac with ad-lib barley straw and good haylege put out daily from Nov-April.
Am I working on the right lines here? Would I Be better finishing them?

My gut tells me sell as stores as they seem to get 70% of the finished price for 60% of the keeping time and 50% the feed.

 

[multi power]

If stores are selling well at the time then sell, if prices are bad keep them a bit longer

 

[GTB]

Where have these 4 heifers come from? Are they on farm now or potentially out of your sucklers?

 

[choochter]

I don't know why people think that small breeds of cattle will be easier to manage.
The temperament of the animal is more important than its size.

 

[GTB]

I don't know why people think that small breeds of cattle will be easier to manage.
The temperament of the animal is more important than its size.

But they should be cheaper to keep, outwinter etc

 

[Coximus]

But they should be cheaper to keep, outwinter etc

Exactally - Im working on the aim of keeping winter feeding cost as minimal as possible and breeds that can be fed lower quality forage and still hold condition.
The heffiers will be comeing off one farm I've brought sheep off and that im happy with their health.

 

[choochter]

you cant make a silk purse out of a sow's ear

 

[GTB]

So the 4 heifers are your bulling heifers that will become your sucklers? They should do well outside on some silage. I wouldn't really bother with straw, they'll probably waste most of it.

 

[GTB]

you cant make a silk purse out of a sow's ear

You can't. But you can easily turn good cattle into crap if they don't suit your system.

 

[RedMerle]

I dunno why you're so set on Dexters. It's always gonna be a Dexter and tiny.

My concern would be moving Dexter crosses on as stores. I honestly can't see how they would fetch as good a price through the ring. If you are dead set on Dexters you'd need to be looking at direct selling deadweight for a specialist end market.

 

[super4]

I have to agree with the above, a dexter x animal will be small and will not sell well as a store. In all my years of running sucklers your probably be better off with a holstein cross heifer on a decent beef bull than a dexter heifer.

 

[RedMerle]

I have to agree with the above, a dexter x animal will be small and will not sell well as a store. In all my years of running sucklers your probably be better off with a holstein cross heifer on a decent beef bull than a dexter heifer.

I have a Hereford X Friesian and she is seriously out performing my other three dairy X bullocks. It's been a very worthwhile experiment but the proof will come in the selling prices

I wouldn't want to go any smaller

 

[bjreroberts]

On the other hand, if you are starting out on a tight budget what will an 18 month old commercial heifer cost £800+ each, plenty of unregistered Dexter heifers to be had at <£350?

 

[RedMerle]

Aye but there's a reason for that!! I'd rather pick up some calves and run them on until they can go to the bull.

You can cull them if they don't get lined and you've the benefit of getting them used to being handled. Win win ;-)

 

[gone up the hill]

Forget trying to sell Dexter cross cattle fed only silage and out wintered at 10/ 11 months, you will be lucky to get £2/300 head for them...

Buy some pure Hereford cows, put them to the char bull and they will sell like a hot cross bun on a cold winters day at 11 months old..

 

[Paul E]

You can't breed rats out of mice.

Buy 2 normal cows not 4 dexters. Quality not quantity.

 

[GTB]

Forget trying to sell Dexter cross cattle fed only silage and out wintered at 10/ 11 months, you will be lucky to get £2/300 head for them...

Buy some pure Hereford cows, put them to the char bull and they will sell like a hot cross bun on a cold winters day at 11 months old..

Interesting. I don't think I've ever seen a Charolais out of a Hereford cow. Do they click together well then?

 

[unlacedgecko]

you cant make a silk purse out of a sow's ear

You can make a very useful leather wallet though!

 

[gone up the hill]

Interesting. I don't think I've ever seen a Charolais out of a Hereford cow. Do they click together well then?

They are the best cross by a long mile ( I just wish I could afford to buy them ) they fhinsh easily and always kill out/ grade well, Hence why Cutcombe suckler calves always make crazy money as they are mostly char x calves.

Today at Sedge, smart 10/11 month old char x Hereford steers were £750 head when same weight/ age/ grade Lim x steers were £650 head.

 

[Dr. Alkathene]

Forget trying to sell Dexter cross cattle fed only silage and out wintered at 10/ 11 months, you will be lucky to get £2/300 head for them...

Buy some pure Hereford cows, put them to the char bull and they will sell like a hot cross bun on a cold winters day at 11 months old..

A guy a few miles up the road sold up last year. He had a few Dexters, thought he would get £600 a piece for them. I think the bidding fizzled out somewhere between £150 and £200 a head.