Suckers on a small acreage

[BAC]

Only looking at ideas currently, this is purely going to be a hobby. Obviously want to make some profit on it but if we break even then we would be happy.

how many cattle could you farm on 12 acres? Can make 7 paddocks split over them. Would plan to make our own silage if it was a good season.

don’t want to hear that you will never do it blah blah blah

realistically what could be Farmed?

any comments from people with their own experience on small acres would be appreciated

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

Only looking at ideas currently, this is purely going to be a hobby. Obviously want to make some profit on it but if we break even then we would be happy.

how many cattle could you farm on 12 acres? Can make 7 paddocks split over them. Would plan to make our own silage if it was a good season.

don’t want to hear that you will never do it blah blah blah

realistically what could be Farmed?

any comments from people with their own experience on small acres would be appreciated

How do you want to do it? Sell the stores at weaning? Keep them to 12 months? Finish them? Either will drastically effect how many you could keep.

The biggest question I see is how his is the soil health and sward mix? A healthy soil with a good diverse sward might support up to around 2 cow equivalents per acre.

 

[BAC]

How do you want to do it? Sell the stores at weaning? Keep them to 12 months? Finish them? Either will drastically effect how many you could keep.

The biggest question I see is how his is the soil health and sward mix? A healthy soil with a good diverse sward might support up to around 2 cow equivalents per acre.

Thinking of keeping till 12 months. We haven’t thought too much into detail being honest, just trying to get the basics sorted.

fields were reseeded 2 years, soil health is poor but that will be addressed this winter, had a massive cut off it last season but not great this year.

ground is owned and water is free so no costs on that point.

 

[Ted M]

Only looking at ideas currently, this is purely going to be a hobby. Obviously want to make some profit on it but if we break even then we would be happy.

how many cattle could you farm on 12 acres? Can make 7 paddocks split over them. Would plan to make our own silage if it was a good season.

don’t want to hear that you will never do it blah blah blah

realistically what could be Farmed?

any comments from people with their own experience on small acres would be appreciated

We keep 24 spring calving cows on 15 acres split into 1 acre paddocks.
Last year we were able to cut a few paddocks for bales but this year the dry weather has meant we've only had enough to graze.
We have another 5 acre field down the road which we cut 3 times for silage and buy in a 10 acre field of standing grass off a neighbour which we try to make hay off.

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

Thinking of keeping till 12 months. We haven’t thought too much into detail being honest, just trying to get the basics sorted.

fields were reseeded 2 years, soil health is poor but that will be addressed this winter, had a massive cut off it last season but not great this year.

ground is owned and water is free so no costs on that point.

Ok. You should keep 12 ok on that, maybe 15. A few more if you buy in winter feed rather than make your own. Profitable suckers is largely about cost control.

Over 30 years we bought the freehold of 2 farms totaling 225 acres from commercial single sucklers.

 

[Ted M]

Only looking at ideas currently, this is purely going to be a hobby. Obviously want to make some profit on it but if we break even then we would be happy.

how many cattle could you farm on 12 acres? Can make 7 paddocks split over them. Would plan to make our own silage if it was a good season.

don’t want to hear that you will never do it blah blah blah

realistically what could be Farmed?

any comments from people with their own experience on small acres would be appreciated

We keep 24 spring calving cows on 15 acres split into 1 acre paddocks.
Last year we were able to cut a few paddocks for bales but this year the dry weather has meant we've only had enough to graze.
We have another 5 acre field down the road which we cut 3 times for silage and buy in a 10 acre field of standing grass off a neighbour which we try to make hay off.
Should also mention male calves are kept and finished as bulls at 13-15 months and this year sold the heifers for replacements at just over 12 months

 

[dinderleat]

just buy stores probably get angus heifers in the autumn at 6months old £250

 

[Kiwi Pete]

I'd work on around 1 cow/acre (you guys have massive cows compared to us) and maybe in a good year (growthy spring) you could get a couple of store heifers coming through.

It really depends a lot on your wants, eg you could want more cows and then buy bales and want a tractor or feedout machine, then a shed to keep them dry... etc. That's a good way to not make much money out of cows.
Or, run a more basic system with less stock and adjust the numbers to suit the year - it takes an awful lot of poor cattle trades to even look at the cost of a tractor and shed. Hundreds... ?

We have 6 heifers and 10 calves and 3 yearlings coming through, they are small, but realistically they graze 7-8 acres.
We have 100 acres and they just run with the hoggs or W.H.Y. but that's about what I figure they eat on an area basis.

 

[spin cycle]

6....make a bitta money but not get stressy over lack of feed

 

[topground]

Depends where your 12 acres are. In North Somerset 10 cows max weight 650kgs native type or Stabikiser that live on fresh air and stones, calving in the spring and running them with the calves into the new year. Or until they start to cut the ground up. Buy in barley straw or hay so you know what winter feed is actually costing you. Adjust up.or down depending on what you can grow. Will you use AI or do you have to include keeping a bull in your calculations? Where are you located?

 

[delilah]

You haven't said if out-wintering or housing, that's your biggest determining factor on numbers.

 

[michael N123]

If it’s as a hobby do you want to be calving cows/buying in feed and bedding for winter

might be better just buying in Stirks then cashing them in at back end

 

[Treg]

Ok. You should keep 12 ok on that, maybe 15. A few more if you buy in winter feed rather than make your own. Profitable suckers is largely about cost control.

Over 30 years we bought the freehold of 2 farms totaling 225 acres from commercial single sucklers.

Sorry @holwellcourtfarm ,I usually agree with most of what you say but with that post you have quite clearly broke TFF rules...

Section 4 of the rules , appendix 2a clearly states - No Beef Suckler farmer shall admit making a profit....ever

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Buy the best quality stock you can afford . OK you may not make a lot ,but the reward is seeing them every day , I farmed through the time when livestock farming was a numbers game, sore to ones eyes I can tell you

 

[Davy_g]

Section 4 of the rules , appendix 2a clearly states - No Beef Suckler farmer shall admit making a profit....ever

What is profit?

 

[steveR]

Only looking at ideas currently, this is purely going to be a hobby. Obviously want to make some profit on it but if we break even then we would be happy.

how many cattle could you farm on 12 acres? Can make 7 paddocks split over them. Would plan to make our own silage if it was a good season.

don’t want to hear that you will never do it blah blah blah

realistically what could be Farmed?

any comments from people with their own experience on small acres would be appreciated

Rear calves over winter, and then run them through the following year on your ground, and sell in the Autumn. Maybe make a bit of hay for the following Winter's requirements, although finding a contractor to make 1-2 acres of hay/silage may be problematic.

Else buy in weanlings in Jan/Feb, and turn them out. 20 head should be achievable with smaller cattle.

 

[farmerm]

You can farm a lot of cattle on 12 acres.... if you buy in feed!

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

Sorry @holwellcourtfarm ,I usually agree with most of what you say but with that post you have quite clearly broke TFF rules...

Section 4 of the rules , appendix 2a clearly states - No Beef Suckler farmer shall admit making a profit....ever

Did I mention any profit?

 

[puppet]

Around here if you kept 12 cows outside all winter on 12 acres you would have 6 acres left by April.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

You can farm a lot of cattle on 12 acres.... if you buy in feed!

View attachment 893855

Nice stock density ?