Scotland beef efficiency scheme

[canam1]

Most of my calves selected are from heifers and AI bulls

We have 32 females selected to 10 males

 

[Bossfarmer]

We have 32 females selected to 10 males

how many cows do you have? ive only been sent 18 tags I have 200 cows

 

[canam1]

how many cows do you have? ive only been sent 18 tags I have 200 cows

Got tags today we have 43 tags just over 400 cows. Still have all calves on farm that's what they have asked for from 1st 250 calved. Will have to see what they ask for from June/July born ones.

 

[pat kcotnit]

We have 32 females selected to 10 males

We have 13 males to 30 females selected. All been selected in one month of calving (our busiest month mind you) bar one (which is one week later). We have nearly 60% females this year to 40% males so I don't know if that makes any difference.

 

[fermerboy]

Signed up for this back in the spring.
Has anyone know about a carbon audit?, I can't find anything to fill in online, maybe I missed that section.
If you have done one, whats involved? can I do it myself?

If I have to hand over a fortune to some advisory lot (independant or SAC) then I think I'm going to pull the plug on the whole thing, mines not coming to much a year anyway, more so if its divided by the 5 years, and at the present time I'm struggling to see what real gain to my business its going to be.
They are most likely just going to tell me what I already know.

 

[Hilti]

Think SAC get paid by the BES to help / show you how to complete online carbon audit when it becomes available in year 1, after that your on your own

 

[NZDan]

I heard that apparently one of the original points of the scheme was that calves had to be weighed at birth. The industry groups consulted with said no , that was simply too dangerous. It would put too many people at risk.

Just goes to show I guess how dangerous people who think up these rules , but don't actually know anything about cattle are.

I don't even tag my calves at or birth as it's to dangerous. let alone stick a bloody tape around its hoof.
I was chatting to a lad who's in this scheme a wee while ago. I asked how he got on weighting every thing as he doesn't really have any handling facility's, His reply, "Oh I just estimate there weight, its near enough"

 

[sodbuster]

Just been putting tissue tags in today. It would be a lot bloody easier if the tags came in some sort of numerical order. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

 

[canam1]

Just been putting tissue tags in today. It would be a lot bloody easier if the tags came in some sort of numerical order. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

That's just what I was thinking when doing them.

 

[bruce9001]

We done our 35 yesterday!
Simple enough to do (Never used sample tags before) but as been stated already the tags could of been in numerical order instead of random numbers all over the place

Also all of our ones selected were our youngest May born calves and nothing between March And April....

 

[Bossfarmer]

DNA testing . You DNA test the bulls and then when you send of the samples they are able to tell which bull is the father of each one.

Ive not heard anything about dna testing a bull yet are you sure thats correct? What if youve sold the bull now?

 

[Top Tip.]

Ive not heard anything about dna testing a bull yet are you sure thats correct? What if youve sold the bull now?

I haven't heard anymore about it either so whether it is going to happen or not I don't know. The whole scheme seems to be getting very little attention now,I think they have bigger problems to deal with.

 

[Half Pipe]

most likely the administration that will make most £s

an interesting article in nfu farming leader today about bes

 

[biggmw]

View attachment 457918 View attachment 457918


an interesting article in nfu farming leader today about bes

Interesting but not at all surprising really is it!!

 

[Happy]

Interesting but not at all surprising really is it!!

No.
Appears what Jim Walker said in the Scottish Farmer the other week is about right.
Words to the effect of this scheme wouldn't know efficiency if it slapped it in the face

 

[biggmw]

As with many 'schemes' there always seems to be too convoluted hoops set up, that then have to be financed, leaving the dregs to actually pay out for participation.

Apart from that I feel that some major efficiency or performance comparisons are not accounted for in the scheme.

For instance cow calf % at weaning we use as a good indicator here.

As far as I read this will go unaccounted for, ie cow of 650kg weans calf at 300kg vs cow of 450kg weans calf at 300kg...... seems obvious to me the cow I would prefer to have and feed.......

 

[sheepwise]

Just been putting tissue tags in today. It would be a lot bloody easier if the tags came in some sort of numerical order. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Think it's the check digit which causes the problem.

 

[Bossfarmer]

whats everyone who doesn't currently have weigh scales for their crush doing? does every calf have to be weighed or just the ones selected for tissue tagging?

 

[Hilti]

market weights are enough ( I think )
Could of saved a few quid by asking if tagging pliars were required or not !

 

[Bossfarmer]

market weights are enough ( I think )
Could of saved a few quid by asking if tagging pliars were required or not !

mine wont be through the market before the cut off age