Performance recorded rams

[Woolless]

I wish you lot all the best, but recall some of the richest sheep farmers I've known consistently sit patiently all day at the mart......and very carefully buy tups with all four feet on the ground, at least one testicle.....and a bid price of less than £100.

I'm all for cutting COP but sometimes it's counter-productive. Better to buy off farm and spend that dY something more productive, I would suggest.

 

[SheepTerrier]

It took me 8 pages to spot

Must be a good question then?

 

[egbert]

I'm all for cutting COP but sometimes it's counter-productive. Better to buy off farm and spend that dY something more productive, I would suggest.

maybe, but the fellas i'm thinking off would be buying freehold hill land on a regular basis, and are clearly cuter than me.

 

[Woolless]

maybe, but the fellas i'm thinking off would be buying freehold hill land on a regular basis, and are clearly cuter than me.

Fair enough. I work off farm and can't afford a day sitting ringside on the off chance of a bargain.

 

[egbert]

Fair enough. I work off farm and can't afford a day sitting ringside on the off chance of a bargain.

I don't think they'd view it like that.
They need tups to get lambs, and 20-30 at , say, £75 a head, and a day out, would be a useful day spent.

I've a question for you.
Working off farm allows you to see the exact hourly value of your time.
Does your sheep enterprise give you a similar , or greater, return (after you allow for rental value, interest on money out, contingency planning etc etc.)?

Mine certainly doesn't, but since I regard it as a hobby, which I'm required to pursue under terms of tenure, I'm happy enough with it.

 

[Ysgythan]

Each to their own. I know I tend to regret spending too little more often than not spending enough.

 

[unlacedgecko]

I don't think they'd view it like that.
They need tups to get lambs, and 20-30 at , say, £75 a head, and a day out, would be a useful day spent.

I've a question for you.
Working off farm allows you to see the exact hourly value of your time.
Does your sheep enterprise give you a similar , or greater, return (after you allow for rental value, interest on money out, contingency planning etc etc.)?

Mine certainly doesn't, but since I regard it as a hobby, which I'm required to pursue under terms of tenure, I'm happy enough with it.

My farm study tour of Scotland last summer included a visit to a similar system.

A shedding ewe flock set stocked on a hill year round, with blocks and silage fed during the winter.

On a production per labour hr it seemed very profitable.

 

[SteveHants]

My farm study tour of Scotland last summer included a visit to a similar system.

A shedding ewe flock set stocked on a hill year round, with blocks and silage fed during the winter.

On a production per labour hr it seemed very profitable.

Was that these chevease things? I've heard good things about those, but never seen one.

 

[Poorbuthappy]

maybe, but the fellas i'm thinking off would be buying freehold hill land on a regular basis, and are clearly cuter than me.

Are you saying they're making their money from the sheep?
Or the sub?
Or other sources?

 

[unlacedgecko]

Was that these chevease things? I've heard good things about those, but never seen one.

No easycare ewes, with a variety of tups. Some chevease some pure some other terminals.

 

[Woolless]

I don't think they'd view it like that.
They need tups to get lambs, and 20-30 at , say, £75 a head, and a day out, would be a useful day spent.

I've a question for you.
Working off farm allows you to see the exact hourly value of your time.
Does your sheep enterprise give you a similar , or greater, return (after you allow for rental value, interest on money out, contingency planning etc etc.)?

Mine certainly doesn't, but since I regard it as a hobby, which I'm required to pursue under terms of tenure, I'm happy enough with it.

Good question. My sheep enterprise shows a profit before subsidy. I work part-time, that profit makes up the difference between full-time and part-time wage and the time spent on sheep in a year would make up the difference in hours and probably a little more in all honesty. I'm mostly on owned ground, paying a full rent would take some of the shine off that.

On the plus side, we get the sub on top as a bonus (return on capital?) and we have had a couple of decent grants from the Scottish Government as a young farming business that have improved the place no end. I enjoy it (most of the time!).

One thing I established from going through my books was that store lambs were being produced at near COP. Cutting back on numbers a bit should allow more to be finished, and more profit, for less work. It shows that things aren't working as they should, though. Someone like me who is willing and able to run breeding sheep (a diminishing number, by all accounts) on moderate ground should be running more ewes and be able to sell stores at a decent profit to those who just want lambs but no hassle!

 

[Ysgythan]

Someone like me who is willing and able to run breeding sheep (a diminishing number, by all accounts) on moderate ground should be running more ewes and be able to sell stores at a decent profit to those who just want lambs but no hassle!

Life isn’t fair though eh.

 

[Johngee]

Good question. My sheep enterprise shows a profit before subsidy. I work part-time, that profit makes up the difference between full-time and part-time wage and the time spent on sheep in a year would make up the difference in hours and probably a little more in all honesty. I'm mostly on owned ground, paying a full rent would take some of the shine off that.

On the plus side, we get the sub on top as a bonus (return on capital?) and we have had a couple of decent grants from the Scottish Government as a young farming business that have improved the place no end. I enjoy it (most of the time!).

One thing I established from going through my books was that store lambs were being produced at near COP. Cutting back on numbers a bit should allow more to be finished, and more profit, for less work. It shows that things aren't working as they should, though. Someone like me who is willing and able to run breeding sheep (a diminishing number, by all accounts) on moderate ground should be running more ewes and be able to sell stores at a decent profit to those who just want lambs but no hassle!

I'd do the maths carefully before cutting ewe numbers. Your fixed costs won't really diminish, so even if the gross margin per ewe increases the total margin from the whole flock need to be sufficient to cover the fixed costs.

 

[Woolless]

I'd do the maths carefully before cutting ewe numbers. Your fixed costs won't really diminish, so even if the gross margin per ewe increases the total margin from the whole flock need to be sufficient to cover the fixed costs.

I won't be cutting them by much and some will be replaced by some cows, all going well. What I need is a guaranteed acreage to cut for silage. Cheap winter fodder and aftermath which the Hamp x lambs in particular fly on. Get them finished rather than away as stores. Anyway, OT now.

 

[egbert]

Are you saying they're making their money from the sheep?
Or the sub?
Or other sources?

Subs in t'old days, and I suspect ...er...other gov funded activities lately.

 

[egbert]

Good question. My sheep enterprise shows a profit before subsidy. I work part-time, that profit makes up the difference between full-time and part-time wage and the time spent on sheep in a year would make up the difference in hours and probably a little more in all honesty. I'm mostly on owned ground, paying a full rent would take some of the shine off that.

On the plus side, we get the sub on top as a bonus (return on capital?) and we have had a couple of decent grants from the Scottish Government as a young farming business that have improved the place no end. I enjoy it (most of the time!).

One thing I established from going through my books was that store lambs were being produced at near COP. Cutting back on numbers a bit should allow more to be finished, and more profit, for less work. It shows that things aren't working as they should, though. Someone like me who is willing and able to run breeding sheep (a diminishing number, by all accounts) on moderate ground should be running more ewes and be able to sell stores at a decent profit to those who just want lambs but no hassle!

don't wish to pry...but does the 'profit before subsidy' account for an hourly rate you could be earning elsewhere?
That's key if you're considering changing the system.

I sometimes crunch all the numbers, and always factor that in (albeit at a rather lower rate than some of the non-farm work I do, as to be blunt, I could always employ a shepherd etc, at rather less than I earn on some work.)
In fact, it's a useful gauge.... ask yourself how much it would cost to get emergency cover if you broke a leg!

 

[Nithsdale]

I'm all for cutting COP but sometimes it's counter-productive. Better to buy off farm and spend that dY something more productive, I would suggest.

I wouldn't knock it.

A day off farm, in a social setting with usually some familiar faces to talk to whilst still doing business work can often be worth more than the monetary 'loss' of productivity to a person who works full time on their farm and only seeing the same family members day in and day out....

 

[egbert]

I wouldn't knock it.

A day off farm, in a social setting with usually some familiar faces to talk to whilst still doing business work can often be worth more than the monetary 'loss' of productivity to a person who works full time on their farm and only seeing the same family members day in and day out....

good point...regard it as partly R&R. (I was going to say ...'you've met my family?)