Sell store cattle now or wait

Treecreeper

Member
Livestock Farmer
I don't normally sell till May but an accident strongly influenced my decision about having to retest, there was only a couple of days left from the annual test so off they went this week. They were a bit rough coated but I don't think they would have sold better at a later date. The food saved now might be a useful carry over for next winter.
 

marco

Member
Sell half, if you're happy enough sell the rest next week. In Ireland factory's are buying lighter than fully fit in the marts to kill. I'd say alot of guys are selling 90% finished cattle in the mart due to meal price and buying lighter ones to go straight to grass. Your local mart should have a mart report from the previous week..... If I think I'd be happy with the average price I usually sell. I'm rarely sorry I sold when the cheque arrives.
 

Frank-the-Wool

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
East Sussex
Grass is only any good for finishing beef up til end of july ish. After that get the bag out.

I agree folk are looking at younger smaller grazing sorts and not too many of them, to cash in autumn time rather than feed to finshed at the moment.

If you have some of those to sell do not leave it til may.

Depends on the type and age of the cattle.
I would agree if they are young Continentals, but a few older natives and native crosses will continue to add significant weight and condition off well managed grass until late October down here.
The only problem we have is if we get a summer drought!
 

jendan

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Northumberland
Depends on the type and age of the cattle.
I would agree if they are young Continentals, but a few older natives and native crosses will continue to add significant weight and condition off well managed grass until late October down here.
The only problem we have is if we get a summer drought!
Are there many pure Sussex cattle left in Sussex.?
 

Frank-the-Wool

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
East Sussex
Are there many pure Sussex cattle left in Sussex.?
Probably more now than there has been for 50 years!
Although "pure" depends on your point of view!
More polled now and also an injection of Limousin did no harm.
Still a few of the old fashioned ones but not so many carts to pull these days, although if fuel prices keep rising then they may come back into fashion.
 

Sheepfog

Member
Location
Southern England
Probably more now than there has been for 50 years!
Although "pure" depends on your point of view!
More polled now and also an injection of Limousin did no harm.
Still a few of the old fashioned ones but not so many carts to pull these days, although if fuel prices keep rising then they may come back into fashion.

Very under rated cattle in my experience.

Easy fleshing, great temperament and get back in calf easily. I can't believe they are not more popular around the rest of the country.
 

jendan

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Northumberland
Probably more now than there has been for 50 years!
Although "pure" depends on your point of view!
More polled now and also an injection of Limousin did no harm.
Still a few of the old fashioned ones but not so many carts to pull these days, although if fuel prices keep rising then they may come back into fashion.
We used a few Sussex semen on our Friesian dairy cows way back in the 80s.The cross heifers were good to sell for suckler men. I still get the odd guy say to me in mart cafes who had bought them how well they had done and lasted. My uncle had a few pedigree cows and a Bull,bought in person travelled down from Northumberland.He always said they kept condition on better than any breed just on grass.
 

jendan

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Northumberland
Very under rated cattle in my experience.

Easy fleshing, great temperament and get back in calf easily. I can't believe they are not more popular around the rest of the country.
I might try a few again.Getting too old to be jumping over pens and getting kicked or bashed by Limoisins.
 

jendan

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Northumberland
Probably more now than there has been for 50 years!
Although "pure" depends on your point of view!
More polled now and also an injection of Limousin did no harm.
Still a few of the old fashioned ones but not so many carts to pull these days, although if fuel prices keep rising then they may come back into fashion.
Stephen Carr has some does he not? Is he far from you?
 

Frank-the-Wool

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
East Sussex
Stephen Carr has some does he not? Is he far from you?
Stephen Carr is not so close as he is at the back of Eastbourne, we are on the flatter lands on the Kent border.
His problem is that he is right in the middle of a major TB area and little that can be done about it as it is next to a large urban population. I believe he has frequent breakdowns.

We are also TB1 but have learnt to adapt to it.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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