Re-stocking

[NewKidOnTheBlock]

We’re going back in to milk next spring & I’m a bit torn on what to buy. We’re organic & availability of stock is pretty tight right now. At the moment options are import in calf heifers from abroad or buy out of block cows. Heifers would be about £1800 ir cows would be about 1000
Or do I hold off and hope there’s more for sale end of winter

 

[upnortheast]

Are imported heifers organic ?

 

[dinderleat]

Depends on your system buying quality will always pay, but does depend on funds. Why are you still organic? There are normally plenty of spring incalf heifers around Christmas time

 

[sidjon]

Thought blue tongue had stopped imports?

 

[Lhddsss]

We’re going back in to milk next spring & I’m a bit torn on what to buy. We’re organic & availability of stock is pretty tight right now. At the moment options are import in calf heifers from abroad or buy out of block cows. Heifers would be about £1800 ir cows would be about 1000
Or do I hold off and hope there’s more for sale end of winter

Can’t import at the moment with bluetongue. Spend the money and buy quality- only get the chance once and the cows pay the bills

 

[crashbox]

Mix of buy good cows and rear some heifers?

Not good for cash flow but you'll want cows that are easy to get in calf.

There are dispersal sales occasionally, where you might get some better priced stock.

 

[Jdunn55]

We’re going back in to milk next spring & I’m a bit torn on what to buy. We’re organic & availability of stock is pretty tight right now. At the moment options are import in calf heifers from abroad or buy out of block cows. Heifers would be about £1800 ir cows would be about 1000
Or do I hold off and hope there’s more for sale end of winter

Are you looking for grass rats or high yielding holsteins, or something inbetween?

Holsteins are very expensive at the moment
Inbetween is hard to find
Jersey/nz or Irish friesian is relatively easy to find and cheap

Am I right in thinking to qualify as organic they have to be on farm for 3 months prior to milk going in the tank?
If that's the case could you not buy incalf heifers now ready for spring calving?

 

[upnortheast]

Dairy sale at Borderway last week was awash with bulling / ic heifers.
Maybe use of sexed semen is producing more heifers than farms want to carry through the winter

 

[NewKidOnTheBlock]

Depends on your system buying quality will always pay, but does depend on funds. Why are you still organic? There are normally plenty of spring incalf heifers around Christmas time

We’ll always be organic, just suits us

 

[NewKidOnTheBlock]

Are you looking for grass rats or high yielding holsteins, or something inbetween?

Holsteins are very expensive at the moment
Inbetween is hard to find
Jersey/nz or Irish friesian is relatively easy to find and cheap

Am I right in thinking to qualify as organic they have to be on farm for 3 months prior to milk going in the tank?
If that's the case could you not buy incalf heifers now ready for spring calving?

Before we sold we had British friesians & some jersey x,
So something similar is what we’re looking for.
Conventional heifers would have to be here for 6 months but the farm is being rented at the moment so can’t get anything in yet

 

[NewKidOnTheBlock]

Can’t import at the moment with bluetongue. Spend the money and buy quality- only get the chance once and the cows pay the bills

That’s one option gone then

 

[jimmer]

Do you have an organic contract?
Is there a sweet spot of farming the land organically but bought in feeds etc being conventional and milk contract to suit

 

[NewKidOnTheBlock]

Do you have an organic contract?
Is there a sweet spot of farming the land organically but bought in feeds etc being conventional and milk contract to suit

Yes got a contract, think the organic premium will always be worth it, we dont feed much cake anyway

 

[Devon lad]

Buy the best you can to fill 60% of your required numbers and breed from these, use what money you have left to fill the remaining 40%. You’ll always get higher than normal losses at the start.

 

[upnortheast]

Bulling / ic heifers for sale here

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