Rotational grazing profit per acre

[Bossfarmer]

It has been suggested on here that in terms of profit per acre rotationally grazing beef cattle can compete with dairy on a profit per acre basis, say i were to trial this system one field say 25 acres divided into 6 paddocks and just rotate round what are peoples thoughts on this would the following system be realistic?...i wont include set up cost of platform

75 stirks bought in April 300kgs for £2.50 per kg= £750/head
grazed for 5 months putting on 1.2kg per day
sold off grass at 480kgs for £2.15 per kg =£1032
£282 margin

costs/head
fert £20
mortality £20
notional rent £30
bolus £10
tags etc £5
haulage to and from £20
market costs £30
total cost £135

margin £147 per head
profit per acre £441

 

[Bossfarmer]

@Chae1
@unlacedgecko
@wasted years
@Hilly
@gone up the hill
@Walterp
what are yor thoughts on this system, im sure there could be scope to improve it with good grass mixes?

 

[opininionated]

1.2 kg / day lwg on grass seems a bit ambitious, but I might be wrong....

 

[Bossfarmer]

1.2 kg / day lwg on grass seems a bit ambitious, but I might be wrong....

what would be realistic for a 300kg store beast on rotational grazing 1kg per day?

 

[unlacedgecko]

You will need more paddocks. Ideally, stock want to be in a paddock for a Max of 72hrs You'll also need to measure the grass growth and adjust stock numbers to reflect grass growth, which will typically be a bell curve across the year.

I'll PM you my phone number. Give me a call at your convenience. We will arrange for me to come up and set up a system for you in spring 2018. There'd be no charge for my time, just expenses (travel, accommodation, food). Subject to a deposit, I could even lend you the necessary electric fencing.

Give it a go for a season and see how you get on. You could then report back to the forum.

 

[Flyingscotsman]

what would be realistic for a 300kg store beast on rotational grazing 1kg per day?

Bossfarmer,

I've been rotational grazing this summer in a 25 acre field. I started with 44 Heifers (mainly native) and set up a 4 lane system with HT electric fence single wire.
I also have a mobile water system in place. If you want to have a look please PM me. I'm in Perthshire too and not far from you.

FS

 

[Flyingscotsman]

@Chae1
@unlacedgecko
@wasted years
@Hilly
@gone up the hill
@Walterp
what are yor thoughts on this system, im sure there could be scope to improve it with good grass mixes?

I wouldn't sell back through the ring....best to finish them

It has been suggested on here that in terms of profit per acre rotationally grazing beef cattle can compete with dairy on a profit per acre basis, say i were to trial this system one field say 25 acres divided into 6 paddocks and just rotate round what are peoples thoughts on this would the following system be realistic?...i wont include set up cost of platform

75 stirks bought in April 300kgs for £2.50 per kg= £750/head
grazed for 5 months putting on 1.2kg per day
sold off grass at 480kgs for £2.15 per kg =£1032
£282 margin

costs/head
fert £20
mortality £20
notional rent £30
bolus £10
tags etc £5
haulage to and from £20
market costs £30
total cost £135

margin £147 per head
profit per acre £441

Age of beast needs considered - if its age in days is < or = it's weight in kilos.....buy them. If the other way round I tend to avoid.
Providing you finish them and they go straight to slaughter it could work but you need to think about the target finished weight and work back the way to establish the buying weight. Typically a 150 day grazing season up here so if you're going to finish beasts @ say 580kg, they need to start at around 400Kg based on a 1.2kg dlwg.
No point in putting back through the ring if you can avoid it - at the mercy of the buyers on the day and far too risky in my opinion.
If you have a wet season like this year, have a shed handy to finish off.......

FS

 

[Bossfarmer]

I wouldn't sell back through the ring....best to finish them


Age of beast needs considered - if its days in age is < or = it's weight in kilos.....buy them. If the other way round I tend to avoid.
Providing you finish them and they go straight to slaughter it could work but you need to think about the target finished weight and work back the way to establish the buying weight. Typically a 150 day grazing season up here so if you're going to finish beasts @ say 580kg, they need to start at around 400Kg.
No point in putting back through the ring if you can avoid it - at the mercy of the buyers on the day and far too risky in my opinion.
If you have a wet season like this year, have a shed handy to finish off.......

FS

I wouldnt want to tie up sheds etc to start with so would prefer to start selling them when grass runs out, wat u reckon the size im talking say 10mnth old will grow at grass?

 

[Flyingscotsman]

I wouldnt want to tie up sheds etc to start with so would prefer to start selling them when grass runs out, wat u reckon the size im talking say 10mnth old will grow at grass?

Animals grow at different rates, and the curve is not linear. I have weights recorded from .55kg/day - 1.85kg/day at the peak. I have been weighing once a month and tracking progress. They have growth spurts (much like children) and the weights look poor for that month but the following weighing they have recovered well and post impressive results! I have also learned to weigh first thing in the morning when the rumen tends to be empty for a more accurate recording.
Growth rate for a 10 month old..........If its a native breed, I think a DLWG of 1.2kg over the season is easily achievable. For 2018 i'm refining the system and aiming for a higher average DLWG.
I have learned a lot about grassland farming this season and one of the major factors is how you manage the pasture and not letting it get ahead of the beasts in May/June. I run a 21 day rotation which allows the grass to recover which in turn increases tillering and produces a higher quality forage.

If you want to discuss more, PM me and we can talk on the phone.

FS

 

[Bossfarmer]

Animals grow at different rates, and the curve is not linear. I have weights recorded from .55kg/day - 1.85kg/day at the peak. I have been weighing once a month and tracking progress. They have growth spurts (much like children) and the weights look poor for that month but the following weighing they have recovered well and post impressive results! I have also learned to weigh first thing in the morning when the rumen tends to be empty for a more accurate recording.
Growth rate for a 10 month old..........If its a native breed, I think a DLWG of 1.2kg over the season is easily achievable. For 2018 i'm refining the system and aiming for a higher average DLWG.
I have learned a lot about grassland farming this season and one of the major factors is how you manage the pasture and not letting it get ahead of the beasts in May/June. I run a 21 day rotation which allows the grass to recover which in turn increases tillering and produces a higher quality forage.

If you want to discuss more, PM me and we can talk on the phone.

FS

i would probably go for continentals myself so i can punt them back into store ring do you think the natives such as AA grow quicker on grass? might drop u a PM once i do some sums

 

[oil barron]

The problem with performance grazing is that you might be able to support 3 x 300kgs an acre in early June. But you won't support 3 x 400kgs in August. So you either need to have silage run off to give extra clean acres or be selling off the grass through the summer to reduce numbers. This used to work with fattening heifers of the grass, as the numbers would reduce as you got a draw off. But with the sh!t summer weather now trying to get a finish on them is hard and a washout July can see you lose any gains you had in early summer. Also paddock grazing has more fence lines which they pace and churn up when it's wet.

 

[opininionated]

I wouldnt want to tie up sheds etc to start with so would prefer to start selling them when grass runs out, wat u reckon the size im talking say 10mnth old will grow at grass?

what are your sheds doing?

 

[Will Blackburn]

Being sold for development?

 

[Flyingscotsman]

The problem with performance grazing is that you might be able to support 3 x 300kgs an acre in early June. But you won't support 3 x 400kgs in August. So you either need to have silage run off to give extra clean acres or be selling off the grass through the summer to reduce numbers. This used to work with fattening heifers of the grass, as the numbers would reduce as you got a draw off. But with the sh!t summer weather now trying to get a finish on them is hard and a washout July can see you lose any gains you had in early summer. Also paddock grazing has more fence lines which they pace and churn up when it's wet.

I haven't experienced fence lines being churned up in my paddock system . I have semi - permanent lines forming the lanes and within the lanes I run two reels with conductive cord front and back that move daily as the cattle graze forward . If anything the fence lines are really clean. The only time they pace is if they are hungry .

 

[gone up the hill]

It has been suggested on here that in terms of profit per acre rotationally grazing beef cattle can compete with dairy on a profit per acre basis, say i were to trial this system one field say 25 acres divided into 6 paddocks and just rotate round what are peoples thoughts on this would the following system be realistic?...i wont include set up cost of platform

75 stirks bought in April 300kgs for £2.50 per kg= £750/head
grazed for 5 months putting on 1.2kg per day
sold off grass at 480kgs for £2.15 per kg =£1032
£282 margin

costs/head
fert £20
mortality £20
notional rent £30
bolus £10
tags etc £5
haulage to and from £20
market costs £30
total cost £135

margin £147 per head
profit per acre £441

Nothing for TB testing or drenching??

Trouble with what you are suggesting is that you will be buying at the dearest time and selling at the cheapest time!

Thus I think you will have to pay more to get the correct cattle and will sell them for less than you are budgeting for!

 

[Agrispeed]

I haven't experienced fence lines being churned up in my paddock system . I have semi - permanent lines forming the lanes and within the lanes I run two reels with conductive cord front and back that move daily as the cattle graze forward . If anything the fence lines are really clean. The only time they pace is if they are hungry .

A lot depends on the fence layout. Cattle will walk up and down in a long block but don't as much in a squarer block. I do longer patches in summer, and in weedy patches to maximise trampling and squarer blocks in the wet.

 

[wasted years]

Notional rent at £30 per acre, if a realistic figure for a tenant on an FBT is added then that doesn't make the enterprise look so good?
If however you own the farm????

 

[opininionated]

Notional rent at £30 per acre, if a realistic figure for a tenant on an FBT is added then that doesn't make the enterprise look so good?
If however you own the farm????

I think his notional rent was per head, not per acre

 

[oil barron]

Notional rent at £30 per acre, if a realistic figure for a tenant on an FBT is added then that doesn't make the enterprise look so good?
If however you own the farm????

The £30 was per head. He is stocking 3 to the acre

 

[oil barron]

I haven't experienced fence lines being churned up in my paddock system . I have semi - permanent lines forming the lanes and within the lanes I run two reels with conductive cord front and back that move daily as the cattle graze forward . If anything the fence lines are really clean. The only time they pace is if they are hungry .

What's your stocking rate