store lambs the end is nigh

[Top Tip.]

Im guessing you feed the £220/t protein to them? How many days do you feed them and how many kgs per head?

Creep for calves £30 a head. Thinking about it we probably have a similar profit per cow you just take 20 months to do what I do in 8.

 

[banjo]

Maybe it's the good lord having his own back on some trying to take too much out of the farmer earlier in the year, store lambs were cheap as chips for you lot and many had £ signs flashing in thier eyes, sh!t happens, some years you lot make a loss aswel as the farmer!

 

[digger64]

I find they gain weight with the barley 2-3kgs a head from nov until they go out to grass in may then they put big frames on at grass back in for Nov then 3-4kgs a head barley until they go in March/April time when trade is usually highest

You could feed double the corn for half the time save alot of costs /work and get the same income with the opportunity to do something else with the spare resources . all you are doing is spending your sub on maintenence feed and creating work machine wear and tear and costs

 

[S J H]

£900 is my lowest average in the last 4 years.2013 my first 52 calves away averaged £1065 at 7 to 8 months. The £500 covers my cow cost I don't have employed Labour and my replacement costs are relatively low,I work a very simple system which also helps to keep costs down.

But what about the other 70?

 

[Happy]

Maybe it's the good lord having his own back on some trying to take too much out of the farmer earlier in the year, store lambs were cheap as chips for you lot and many had £ signs flashing in thier eyes, sh!t happens, some years you lot make a loss aswel as the farmer!

The way this thread has gone it seems the good Lord has been looking down on this thread and the shepherds tending their flocks and said unto them "feck off, this is cattle country"

 

[Top Tip.]

But what about the other 70?

They averaged over 900,I just remember that 52 in particular because it was the best days trading I had ever had the trade was just on fire,I will never forget the buzz I got that day.

 

[gatepost]

The way this thread has gone it seems the good Lord has been looking down on this thread and the shepherds tending their flocks and said unto them "feck off, this is cattle country"

I think reading this I better sell all those ewes and put my store heifers in calf for a couple of yrs and retire. I gave up sucklers as couldn't see the point of feeding 2 mouths to sell 1. times change, obviously.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

. I gave up sucklers as couldn't see the point of feeding 2 mouths to sell 1. times change, obviously.

Don't you feed your sheep...

 

[gone up the hill]

I think reading this I better sell all those ewes and put my store heifers in calf for a couple of yrs and retire. I gave up sucklers as couldn't see the point of feeding 2 mouths to sell 1. times change, obviously.

If your in a TB free area and have plenty of land for grazing/ cheap straw etc on your doorstep then suckler cows are the way forward.

But they key thing then would be to do the job right and manage your herd ( ref fertility/ growth rates etc ) like a dairy farmer would manage his dairy cows/ replacement heifers.

 

[Henarar]

Don't you feed your sheep...

you would hope for more than one to sell

 

[Northeastfarmer]

you would hope for more than one to sell

You would hope so but doesn't always pan out like that...the cow might have four

 

[gone up the hill]

You would hope so but doesn't always pan out like that...the cow might have four

That's not you on facebook with the cow that has just had four calves is it??

 

[Northeastfarmer]

That's not you on facebook with the cow that has just had four calves is it??

No lol

 

[gatepost]

Don't you feed your sheep...

Yep just not the wintering cost on a ewe, plus a higher birth percentage. we don't have a big enough area to keep enough to be really viable, plus TB, kept going until old cows became worthless, and got offered a rearing contract. was looking at it again, but don't think it's a goer for us, but miss walking around the cows with young calves.

 

[banjo]

The way this thread has gone it seems the good Lord has been looking down on this thread and the shepherds tending their flocks and said unto them "feck off, this is cattle country"

What has happend is the trade price is down now because the farmers were getting such a low price earlier on in the year for their store lambs, they kept them on and fattened the lambs themselves, that's why all the lambs are flooding the market now, it's not rocket science.
I did myself

 

[gone up the hill]

What has happend is the trade price is down now because the farmers were getting such a low price earlier on in the year for their store lambs, they kept them on and fattened the lambs themselves, that's why all the lambs are flooding the market now, it's not rocket science.
I did myself

Store lambs haven't been cheap at any point this season compared to their value when dead.

Truth is that the dead price hasn't/ isn't good enough and unless it improves by next summer then the reality is that the store lamb trade will be in for a sharp correction.

Store lambs need to be where they have been this season and fat lambs need to be making a tenner more but if the latter doesn't happen then the current store lamb trade is unsustainable.

Low prices aren't good for anyone in the chain ( be that rearer or fhinsher )

 

[Henarar]

Store lambs haven't been cheap at any point this season compared to their value when dead.

Truth is that the dead price hasn't/ isn't good enough and unless it improves by next summer then the reality is that the store lamb trade will be in for a sharp correction.

Store lambs need to be where they have been this season and fat lambs need to be making a tenner more but if the latter doesn't happen then the current store lamb trade is unsustainable.

Low prices aren't good for anyone in the chain ( be that rearer or fhinsher )

you keep saying that about cattle, and ?........................

 

[banjo]

Store lambs haven't been cheap at any point this season compared to their value when dead.

Truth is that the dead price hasn't/ isn't good enough and unless it improves by next summer then the reality is that the store lamb trade will be in for a sharp correction.

Store lambs need to be where they have been this season and fat lambs need to be making a tenner more but if the latter doesn't happen then the current store lamb trade is unsustainable.

Low prices aren't good for anyone in the chain ( be that rearer or fhinsher )

So in the origional post where it was £20 more than when bought, you want £30 more per lamb, is that correct?

 

[mineshalffull]

keeping store lambs and making money relies on the trade lifting steadily as the season progresses, unfortunately this season that hasn't happened (yet) where as cattle for some reason isn't quite so affected and possibly works better on a flat tradeand as for selling calves at 8 months and averaging the figures that are been quotet that hasn't been the case in the markets ive attended as plenty of heifers in the £600sand it also bears a shade of arrogance saying they shouldn't be kept tlll 12-18mths because isn't that what you expect your potential buyers to do

 

[Top Tip.]

I think it's too early to write off the season yet,an old auctioneer once told me that the store lamb in trade in August depended on the price the finishers get for the last hoggs sold in April and over the years I think there was a lot of truth in it.