Next Winter

[unlacedgecko]

I'm thinking of things to do to increase my margin for next winter.

I'm thinking of trading some stock, and wondering what would be most profitable . Options are store lambs, cull ewe fattening or draft ewe lambing.

I'd have to destock by 31 Mar mainly, although I have some land I could have stock on till 30 Apr.

What's the collective wisdom?

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Buy some stocks and shares...just as much chance of making money as there is with sheep but you don't get covered in shite

 

[Man_in_black]

If you buy the right type then I'd say lambing drafts. I do/did it (but not done other two so...!!) I've been known to get two years from a draft who only had 3 crops on hill bought in llanrwst, before selling at foot & break even on ewe price in second year with two seasons of lambs cropped too. But you do have to sift through some shite.

 

[GTB]

How about driving a lorry at £2/300 a day? I'd be happy with two or three days a week. With greatest respect you aren't going to get better than that.

 

[taff]

Is the margin not there with what you do already or are you looking for something to do on top of the winter keep empire no point running urself into the ground?!

 

[Bill dog]

Draft ewe lambing if careful when choosing the ewes. Hill ewes should thrive down south for a couple more years. Any chance your arable landlords could be encoruraged to put more temp grass into their rotations to give you more summer keep for ewes n lambs? Fatten, sell, go again!

 

[unlacedgecko]

How about driving a lorry at £2/300 a day? I'd be happy with two or three days a week. With greatest respect you aren't going to get better than that.

Unfortunately such rates are not available year round. Nor are they guaranteed. I'm normally able to get 2-3 days a week of them in Mar and Apr, moving to 4 or more from May to Sep. Work then tails off for about 6 weeks before building up on the Xmas season. After new year, there is nothing till Mar. When in the driving season I make my margin by being flexibility personified. It's not uncommon for me to change from days to nights and back again within the same week.

I'm hoping sheep trading can eventually provide more sustainable profit with a better work life balance.

The difference between you and I though, is you already have your asset base and your children are grown up. We are at different stages of life. I'm trying to grow mine and have a young family.

 

[unlacedgecko]

Is the margin not there with what you do already or are you looking for something to do on top of the winter keep empire no point running urself into the ground?!

Winter keep gives a reasonable margin (approx £5/head based on a 20 week keep period). It's pretty certain and I'm somewhat insulated from market volatility. However, all of this year's profits are being re-invested into the business in terms of equipment.

I'm exploring options that may bring more risk, but a greater margin.

The plan next winter is to have a full time employee to run the winter keep, with me combining the new venture and off farm contracting.

 

[neilo]

Assuming you have no buildings, and you have to have everything off and sold by March 31st (so lambs would ideally want to be several weeks old), I don't think lambing anything is going to be a reliable proposition.
Fattening store lambs is like betting on racehorses.

Running cull ewes is going to be the most profitable job I'd have thought, and late March is when prices peak most years. The key is to get healthy ewes and to be sure they aren't in lamb to anything (particularly the sort of scrub tups that get lumped out in the cull pen until they're fit to go). It's always going to be risky buying them from a market, dealer or a farmer you don't know, but could you source any with good provenance from your tack lamb clients?

 

[Man_in_black]

Might be bit late @unlacedgecko but I'll have 50 odd culls to sell approximately mid may....?

 

[GTB]

Unfortunately such rates are not available year round. Nor are they guaranteed. I'm normally able to get 2-3 days a week of them in Mar and Apr, moving to 4 or more from May to Sep. Work then tails off for about 6 weeks before building up on the Xmas season. After new year, there is nothing till Mar. When in the driving season I make my margin by being flexibility personified. It's not uncommon for me to change from days to nights and back again within the same week.

I'm hoping sheep trading can eventually provide more sustainable profit with a better work life balance.

The difference between you and I though, is you already have your asset base and your children are grown up. We are at different stages of life. I'm trying to grow mine and have a young family.

Sorry I wasn't trying to be negative, It's just that some people don't know a good thing when it's under their noses. A friend of mine in the village had a good job with British Gas. He'd previously worked on a farm but left the farm for a better wage. I don't know how much he was taking home but he'd often be on double/triple time on call outs and this was a regular occurrence. He also had a few sheep and cattle, maybe 2/300 ewes and six or ten cows all kept on rented bits of ground all over the shop.

Now my mate had ambitions of farming big style but he had very little business acumen and was the type to change his mind/farming policy on a regular basis. I don't know how many times I and some of his other friends told him to feck the farming (or at least keep it as a small hobby) and look after his job. There was no way his farming was paying (no subs, high rent, him never there etc) but would he listen? Would he hell.

Anyhow, he got the sack for being constantly late for work and knackered on the job. It nearly bankrupted him and he had to almost give up farming completely as he could no longer finance it. He now helps a local fencing contractor and does a bit of relief milking. He still has a very small flock and a couple of cows. Had he cut back the farming sooner he'd still have his job too.

 

[multi power]

It's all very well having a "good" job, but some people would rather be farming

 

[unlacedgecko]

It's all very well having a "good" job, but some people would rather be farming

The difference between me and the gas man is he is PAYE in permanent employment.

I'm a jobbing contractor living day to day. I'm hoping the farming will bring a more constant and stable income.

 

[GTB]

It's all very well having a "good" job, but some people would rather be farming

Yes I get that and it's great that someone has dreams and ambition but they need to go into it with their eyes wide open. Not saying that @unlacedgecko isn't capable for one minute. Just think there are easier ways to.make money.

 

[exmoor dave]

The difference between me and the gas man is he is PAYE in permanent employment.

I'm a jobbing contractor living day to day. I'm hoping the farming will bring a more constant and stable income.

What ever you do to earn more, keep your eye on the big blue air powered prize

Just don't go getting any cattle cause you'll be drooling over the pneumatic te-pari crush shearwell have just got in..........

 

[Bury the Trash]

No go cattle i say, because stores are cheap.....wtf

 

[unlacedgecko]

No go cattle i say, because stores are cheap.....wtf

I would love to trade cattle, but the prevelance of TB and protected status of plague weasels makes me very very nervous.

 

[unlacedgecko]

What ever you do to earn more, keep your eye on the big blue air powered prize

That's firmly in the cross hairs! I've already set my engineer the task of making it mobile...

If I ever get a bit down or demoralised, I cheer myself up watching YouTube videos of it.

 

[exmoor dave]

That's firmly in the cross hairs! I've already set my engineer the task of making it mobile...

If I ever get a bit down or demoralised, I cheer myself up watching YouTube videos of it.

Haha! Spose it's better than drinking

 

[TL100]

Out of the 3 options running cull ewes until the spring is probably the best but there are plenty of blokes who are in markets every week that have been caught out buying and selling them the last couple of years. If I had spare time in the spring I'd go out lambing for other people, no risks, no costs and none of that fancy equipment needed!