Store lamb calculation help

[JoeHodgey]

Hi,

I've been doing some figures on growing and finishing weaned lambs. For context i'm an arable farmer thinking about how I can bring livestock back to the farm so please forgive any blundering errors .

The figures i have done cant be right, can anyone tell me where i've gone wrong?

The idea is putting down herbal leys. Buying in weaned lambs 20kg ish to grow and finish over summer and autumn.

Assuming an average Dry matter yield of 8000kg/Ha . Average DLWG of 250g and average DM consumption of 1.25KG gives a feed/Live weight conversion of about 1:5 right?

So....

8000kg / 5 = average live weight meat yield of 1600 kg/ha?

1600kg x £1.60 (Live weight kg price)= £2560

I know there are many variables but I think these numbers are realistic? My question is how can growing and finishing store lambs generate £2500 gross output per ha?? Where have I gone wrong?

Thanks!!

 

[Jackov Altraids]

RIP JA.

 

[mezz]

The price per kg of light lambs tends to be higher than the price per kg of heavier lambs. If you rotationally graze your grass utilisation might be 80%, if you don't it might be 50%, so the 1.25kg needs adjusting. A lot of lambs on permanent pasture would not be doing 250g per day, however fresh arable ground with the right crop could do more. Any lame lambs will lose weight, till cured, then there's the mortality to account for.

 

[Kentishfarmer]

Hi,

I've been doing some figures on growing and finishing weaned lambs. For context i'm an arable farmer thinking about how I can bring livestock back to the farm so please forgive any blundering errors .

The figures i have done cant be right, can anyone tell me where i've gone wrong?

The idea is putting down herbal leys. Buying in weaned lambs 20kg ish to grow and finish over summer and autumn.

Assuming an average Dry matter yield of 8000kg/Ha . Average DLWG of 250g and average DM consumption of 1.25KG gives a feed/Live weight conversion of about 1:5 right?

So....

8000kg / 5 = average live weight meat yield of 1600 kg/ha?

1600kg x £1.60 (Live weight kg price)= £2560

I know there are many variables but I think these numbers are realistic? My question is how can growing and finishing store lambs generate £2500 gross output per ha?? Where have I gone wrong?

Thanks!!

The majority of the growth in that herbal key is going happen march-late oct. Your going to buy store lambs post weaning in the late summer/autumn? They're not all going to finish before your herbal ley stops growing how are you going to square that circle?
Your probably going to have to put forage brassicas like turnips in to make up the gap when you need it

 

[JoeHodgey]

The majority of the growth in that herbal key is going happen march-late oct. Your going to buy store lambs post weaning in the late summer/autumn? They're not all going to finish before your herbal ley stops growing how are you going to square that circle?
Your probably going to have to put forage brassicas like turnips in to make up the gap when you need it

Yes the herbal lay will have spring to grow, i thought i might be able to get some weaned lambs at 12 weeks in may from a Feb lambing? Some good growers might be going in september and bulk go in october? will have arable cover crops and OSR to put the stragglers on into autumn

 

[Skintagain]

You can't buy store lambs for 1.60 per kilo that's the problem. you will end up giving double to buy them so the depreciation if you like will have to be made back first. You are buying at peak prices and sell in the glut. Plus all the other crap that comes with them.

 

[dinderleat]

Your over doing the calculations if you buy lambs and fatten them and make a profit your doing well.

 

[JoeHodgey]

The price per kg of light lambs tends to be higher than the price per kg of heavier lambs. If you rotationally graze your grass utilisation might be 80%, if you don't it might be 50%, so the 1.25kg needs adjusting. A lot of lambs on permanent pasture would not be doing 250g per day, however fresh arable ground with the right crop could do more. Any lame lambs will lose weight, till cured, then there's the mortality to account for.

In most years would it be reasonable to buy in at £50 sell at £80/£90 ish? leaves a potential output, value added whatever you want to call it of £30?

@dinderleat thats what i thought and why id come here, everyone says how 90% time there isnt money to be made in livestock. You reckon im too generous all round with the numbers?

 

[Will 1594]

Havea word with andrew foulds , put your tonnops in he will send you 500/ 1000 lambs , good rates if can be on late grazing , ours will be coming next week

 

[Skintagain]

In most years would it be reasonable to buy in at £50 sell at £80/£90 ish? leaves a potential output, value added whatever you want to call it of £30?

@dinderleat thats what i thought and why id come here, everyone says how 90% time there isnt money to be made in livestock. You reckon im too generous all round with the numbers?

You will not buy store lambs in May of any quantity especially at £50. You might get on in July and buy plenty but you are still buying high and selling low in a normal year.

 

[Woolless]

In most years would it be reasonable to buy in at £50 sell at £80/£90 ish? leaves a potential output, value added whatever you want to call it of £30?

@dinderleat thats what i thought and why id come here, everyone says how 90% time there isnt money to be made in livestock. You reckon im too generous all round with the numbers?

As @Skintagain says, May is peak sheep price and there will be few if any store lambs to buy. Early lambers will normally finish their own lambs. To make store lambs work, you need to buy in the autumn glut or late summer anyway. You definitely need to think about having fodder available for the winter months. You may be best advised to speak to someone already in the job and sell the keep to them, as if I'm honest, it sounds like it could be a steep and expensive learning curve for you!

 

[JoeHodgey]

@Will 1594 Thanks, im more in the planning/thinking stage of what i want to do in the future. You grow stubble turnips for him? or you buy the animals off him?

@Woolless @Skintagain Okay thanks for the advice, like i say ^^ still in the ideas stage. Late summer when store prices come down? Do you know anyone who does this I could speak to? Thanks

 

[Woolless]

@Will 1594 Thanks, im more in the planning/thinking stage of what i want to do in the future. You grow stubble turnips for him? or you buy the animals off him?

@Woolless @Skintagain Okay thanks for the advice, like i say ^^ still in the ideas stage. Late summer when store prices come down? Do you know anyone who does this I could speak to? Thanks

@unlacedgecko would be worth talking to.

 

[Henery]

Don’t forget to factor in the long term benefits to the farm and it’s soil. Hardly possible to put a figure on it but there will be real benefits.

 

[livestock 1]

Buying store lambs in July to sell in October/November is often no use. Too easy everyone is at it. As said earlier you are selling into a saturated market.
More sense in buying in September/November and selling March/May if you can do it

 

[dinderleat]

In most years would it be reasonable to buy in at £50 sell at £80/£90 ish? leaves a potential output, value added whatever you want to call it of £30?

@dinderleat thats what i thought and why id come here, everyone says how 90% time there isnt money to be made in livestock. You reckon im too generous all round with the numbers?

I just think your over complicating your calculations. What happens if it rains for 6 months and nothing grows,

what sort of area would be allocated for forage/grazing maybe start with low numbers then increase year on year until you hit the sweet spot for your farm.

 

[dinderleat]

In most years would it be reasonable to buy in at £50 sell at £80/£90 ish? leaves a potential output, value added whatever you want to call it of £30?

@dinderleat thats what i thought and why id come here, everyone says how 90% time there isnt money to be made in livestock. You reckon im too generous all round with the numbers?

I just think your over complicating your calculations. What happens if it rains for 6 months and nothing grows,

 

[livestock 1]

I just think your over complicating your calculations. What happens if it rains for 6 months and nothing grows,

Is that 12 months then?

 

[Frodo]

There are loads of variables in your calculation, but you do have to start somewhere.

If you were to have a breeding flock on your arable farm, I think you would aim to sell 10 lambs/acre, which @ £100/lamb is £2400/ha, so would have some confidence that your calculation is theoretically possible.

contolling costs is just as hard and possibly more important than creating output. Quite a lot of the feeds for sheep are brassicas. You mention you grow OSr would clubroot be a concern?

 

[unlacedgecko]

@unlacedgecko would be worth talking to.

Thanks for the tag


@JoeHodgey rotational grazing (of grass and/or herbal leys) when done correctly can generate a gross margin in excess of almost anything else. Growing cattle are best for this. There are some exceptional farmers producing over 1000kg DW/ha.

I’m in Caistor. If you want to meet and discuss some sort of joint venture or just bounce ideas around pm me or give me a call 07842 071126.