More cows?

[hendrebc]

Am I the only one considering keeping more suckler cows?

 

[M-J-G]

To replace what or have you got more land?

 

[Yale]

Keeping the same here, no more , no less.

Does that make me indecisive?

 

[spin cycle]

Keeping the same here, no more , no less.

Does that make me indecisive?

i don't know

 

[Woolless]

Am I the only one considering keeping more suckler cows?

No. There's something to be said for zigging when everyone else zags. 9 heifers from 14 cows calved here this year, so I have options

 

[Kevtherev]

Strong trade on cows and calves at moment

 

[hendrebc]

To replace what or have you got more land?

Well I'm growing a lot more grass now than I was so am quite understocked. Was going to just keep more sheep but have had a good go with the cows last few years. Sheep are more profitable on a per kilo of dry matter consumed, but not by much, the whole place just works better with more cows though.
I seem to be the only one thinking that from what I read on here though

 

[Woolless]

Strong trade on cows and calves at moment

Consensus seems to be high cull values are underpinning that trade. A lot of herds getting dispersed. The works all done if you buy an outfit to wean in the backend, even more than buying ewes with lambs at foot.

 

[Woolless]

Well I'm growing a lot more grass now than I was so am quite understocked. Was going to just keep more sheep but have had a good go with the cows last few years. Sheep are more profitable on a per kilo of dry matter consumed, but not by much, the whole place just works better with more cows though.
I seem to be the only one thinking that from what I read on here though

Sheep may be more profitable but more work too, over the summer at least.

 

[hendrebc]

Consensus seems to be high cull values are underpinning that trade. A lot of herds getting dispersed. The works all done if you buy an outfit to wean in the backend, even more than buying ewes with lambs at foot.

I read in the farmers weekly today that suckler cow numbers are down 7% since 2018. The way you keep hearing about dispersal sales I'd have expected the number to be down more than that.

 

[M-J-G]

Well I'm growing a lot more grass now than I was so am quite understocked. Was going to just keep more sheep but have had a good go with the cows last few years. Sheep are more profitable on a per kilo of dry matter consumed, but not by much, the whole place just works better with more cows though.
I seem to be the only one thinking that from what I read on here though

We've bulled 10 extra heifers.

Sheep don't often benefit from extra sheep, so you could be right to up the cattle as the sheep may do better for it.

 

[hendrebc]

Sheep may be more profitable but more work too, over the summer at least.

More work most of the time

 

[M-J-G]

Sheep may be more profitable but more work too, over the summer at least.

Sheep are more work in summer and cattle tend to be more work in winter.

 

[serf]

Does that make me indecisive

I've told you about getting splinters

 

[hendrebc]

We've bulled 10 extra heifers.

Sheep don't often benefit from extra sheep, so you could be right to up the cattle as the sheep may do better for it.

No we had nearly 1000 ewes and only 25 cows at one point sheep were crap then but we were way overstocked as well for the amount of grass we were growing. It would probably be OK now though.
Only got 43 cows (+ all followers up to finish) now but it's more than we've had before. Now we lamb outside I could fit 60 cows in the sheds we have plus a few more outside

 

[choochter]

No. There's something to be said for zigging when everyone else zags. 9 heifers from 14 cows calved here this year, so I have options

the best cows are the ones you've bred yourself

 

[Woolless]

Sheep are more work in summer and cattle tend to be more work in winter.

Not much difference in winter here either. Once the grass is finished they just both need bales put in front of them twice per week. Outwintered, obviously.

 

[M-J-G]

Not much difference in winter here either. Once the grass is finished they just both need bales put in front of them twice per week. Outwintered, obviously.

Sheep don't get any bales here in winter, so pretty much zero work apart from scanning and the odd field shift which I normally leave them to do themselves onless they have to cross a road.

Even with cows outdoors here on bales it's still more work than the sheep, going round fields with bales takes time.

 

[Agrivator]

At the end of the day, the capital value of a herd of 100 commercial cows is usually significantly higher than a flock of 500 commercial ewes. And a 10-year old cow can still have a significant cull value, whereas the ewe will have happily turned her heals up a few years previously.

 

[unlacedgecko]

At the end of the day, the capital value of a herd of 100 commercial cows is usually significantly higher than a flock of 500 commercial ewes. And a 10-year old cow can still have a significant cull value, whereas the ewe will have happily turned her heals up a few years previously.

that’s because a cow will be approximately 10 ewes in weight. Makes the financial value more equal also.