that's moved the conversation on a bit from losses at calving to calf losses to weaning, I wouldn't be happy with 5% here but that's with a lot of observation and some intervention, the trouble is you never know 100% which births are going to give trouble so I would think you may have to except something like 5% if you are going to more or less leave them to it but I wouldn't know, be interesting what people do achieve on such a system
Low Line Cattle
- Thread starter unlacedgecko
- Start date
Danllan
Member
- Location
- Sir Gar / Carms
Direct selling is about half of what we do with beef, and for us Lowlines would work out well on a kg / acre basis. We spoke to some dealers about them, and three out of five were ok with the idea after making a few calls, the other two were reluctant to try something so 'unusual'. Which is not surprising really when you have a lot of continental xs around here and consider that a Beltie or even a Welsh Black can raise eyebrows...
Have them here in Ireland the last 4 years. Run them with dairy cows. Love them!!
- Location
- Scottish Highlands
Galloway, Highland, Luing?
- Location
- Fife
I do quite like Galloway's
all you need is a SD bull to go on them
- Location
- Scottish Highlands
Of the three, I’d chose the Luing, and put a simmy over them.
- Location
- Fife
SD?
- Location
- Fife
Would a simmy X finish off grass? Is there any premium available for them?
- Location
- Scottish Highlands
I’m not sure about the premium - I sell in boxes and a Luing was probably my most profitable heifer (and a regret I didn’t expand the herd to keep her).
- Location
- Scottish Highlands
Why the Luing breed is a hit with beef farmers - Farmers Weekly
In the past 10 years the number of registered Luing breeders has more than doubled from 159 to 323. This is due to the breed’s ability to consistently
www.fwi.co.uk
Finished cattle are sold at 18-20 months to Scotbeef, though some this year was sold to McIntosh Donald due to problems in getting them into the supply chain. The steers average 380kg deadweight; 320 for the heifers and 80-90% of carcasses grading out at R4L.
- Location
- somerset
i have read this post with interest, with the if and when Brexit happens, there will be some changes occurring, one of which may well be competing with food imports, as the guv has already stated it's desire to reduce food costs, on this one thread there have been about 20 different breeds of cattle mentioned, all with their own merits, and I would not disagree with any of them, and the same can be said of the different sheep breeds.
However, in the brave new world post Brexit, we will be competing on a world basis, and the rules will be very different, we will have to produce what the market wants, not what we think it wants, you only have to walk through the cattle or sheep pens in a market to see the huge selection of different breeds.
then think you are a meat buyer, with an order of say 50 carcasses, all within a tight spec, you have a choice, you could pick up a phone and order 50 carcasses with exactly the right spec, of imported beef/lamb, delivered where you want them, or you could spend a lot of time, in markets, trying to buy 50 animals that match your customers spec, what would you say is the easy answer ?
it is the super markets aim to make as much profit as they can, and they are good at it, at present they find it profitable to support uk farmers, that could change overnight. Personally, whether rightly or wrongly, I think the supermarket own breed lines, ie, morrisons and beef shorthorn, and angus or hereford with other s/mkt's, is an attempt to try and get large numbers of same spec carcasses. Can it be co-incidence that the major world beef breeds include angus and Hereford ? think about it, please.
However, in the brave new world post Brexit, we will be competing on a world basis, and the rules will be very different, we will have to produce what the market wants, not what we think it wants, you only have to walk through the cattle or sheep pens in a market to see the huge selection of different breeds.
then think you are a meat buyer, with an order of say 50 carcasses, all within a tight spec, you have a choice, you could pick up a phone and order 50 carcasses with exactly the right spec, of imported beef/lamb, delivered where you want them, or you could spend a lot of time, in markets, trying to buy 50 animals that match your customers spec, what would you say is the easy answer ?
it is the super markets aim to make as much profit as they can, and they are good at it, at present they find it profitable to support uk farmers, that could change overnight. Personally, whether rightly or wrongly, I think the supermarket own breed lines, ie, morrisons and beef shorthorn, and angus or hereford with other s/mkt's, is an attempt to try and get large numbers of same spec carcasses. Can it be co-incidence that the major world beef breeds include angus and Hereford ? think about it, please.
South Devon
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
A better option, and what most abattoirs do now, is to buy 500 of about the right spec, then use those to fill 10 different orders of 50, all with consistent carcasses.
There is a case for different breeds, to an extent, in that they are farmed in different areas, and on different qualities of pasture. We also have ewes lambing at different times of year, to supply fresh lamb almost year round.
Woolless
Member
- Location
- Berwickshire, Scottish Borders
They might not like you!?
- Location
- Fife
By the time I get cows these pups should be fully working. I'm pretty confident in them.
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
Won’t they just make the Galloways run faster, and further?
- Location
- Derbyshire
We looked at them a few years ago for bulls to run with our kiwi cross heifers. Price put me off immediately.
Went out and bought ' traditional' Angus bulls for probably ¼ of the price which have done a good job for us over the years. .
Shame really as i thought they had so much potential, especially in a diary heifer situation.
texas pete
Member
- Location
- East Mids
Danllan
Member
- Location
- Sir Gar / Carms
@unlacedgecko What news? I've been avoiding doing the VAT and wandering round the net and found the cattle in the link below, any interest? I'll admit I'd not heard of them before, or don't recall having done so; some good looking beasts though, could be worth considering when the price comes down and if you can find a market.
www.chatervalley.co.uk
Miniature Hereford Cattle - Chater Valley Farm
www.chatervalley.co.uk