Suckler cows.. is it worth it?

Probably pedigree breeders not wanting to buy the bottom end of a dispersal and commercial buyers seem to think pedigree herds are made up of heavy fleshed glossy cows, when the reality is that the bull breeders are often the more modest looking cows in the herd.

If starting off, I'd buy those bottom end cows every time and breed up from there, the big silky cows are probably going to be the end of the line and just breed worse than themselves.

The show cow rarely ever has a show calf, but to act on that you need to dis-own vanity
Do these sales not have an uplift price?
 

som farmer

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
somerset
Wifey went with some girlfriends to the Newt a few weeks ago, seems we are lucky to have a place like that not too far away.
we had a tour around another part of the hotel, out of this world, cheapest £500 night.
they reckon 400 on the books, full and part time, plus another 2/300 builders and landscapers.
mate works there, he's been around the recreated roman villa, he can only say, 'its stunning'
 
Location
Devon
Yes certainly now is the time to go into sucklers if you can outwinter them/ have access to a lot of cheap grazing/ straw ( for any housed calves/ calving pens etc ) and are not in a TB hotspot!

Put Hereford x cows onto either the Char or Lim and get the cows milking well and the calve's on 2.5 kilos of cake or grain and protein and minerals/ day asap and sell them straight off the cow at 9/10 months old.
 

thorpe

Member
At some point in the not so distant future sucklers will come good as there will be a reduced supply of beef bred cattle
i dont get this will come good. going by what we have been paying i would have thought they were already good! theres to many poorly bred things about that dont deserve even the price there making!
 

casper74

Member
Location
North Yorkshire
what's people's thoughts on starting a small suckler herd..
Grazing is owned or very cheap rent, we can make our own hay/ silage and swap surplus for straw, can winter in owned buildings and can buy the right calves at the right money to bring on as the herd females.
Currently have a simm and Hereford bull within the "family " we can use initially.
would sell calves at approx 9 months old.
Is it worth it?
Well I've just started a suckler herd!! got 1 now and my view 1 too many 😂 😂
 

milkloss

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
East Sussex
If you've got other farming to do and it's ticking along nicely I really can't see why you'd upset the apple cart!
beef prices aren't following other trends as positively and can be a chunk of work themselves at times. It is nice having cows and calves about though...... even if one does try and kill you every now and again.
 

Uggman

Member
Livestock Farmer
what's people's thoughts on starting a small suckler herd..
Grazing is owned or very cheap rent, we can make our own hay/ silage and swap surplus for straw, can winter in owned buildings and can buy the right calves at the right money to bring on as the herd females.
Currently have a simm and Hereford bull within the "family " we can use initially.
would sell calves at approx 9 months old.
Is it worth it?
I would see if any local high health dairy farmers are getting robust dairy ie British freisan, monties, jersey ,arshire, dairy shorthorn x saler or south Devon heifer cavles rear them up and calve to the sim bull under 2 years in the spring inside after being fed hay all winter. Put some auto look feed barriers in go back to dairy farm buy more cavles and double suck them turn them out on nice spring grass sell the cavles in Autumn before housing them if they don't rear two cavles get rid. I wouldn't do pedigrees to get the good money you got to put a lot in them the more you do for them the lazyier they get too posh too push.
Ps Most beef breeds would be ok I just went saler and south Devon for milk and easy cavling
 
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Werzle

Member
Location
Midlands
I wouldnt be going into sucklers now if just starting out, i wouldnt quite know what was best tbh. Fair enough if you only want to keep a few but remember a failed tb test and suddenly your carrying alot more stock than planned and/or selling them off at a tb discount. I wouldnt go down any rare breed route, they are a rare breed for a reason.... they arent any good for making any money!
 

Bucks Boy

Member
Mixed Farmer
Know someone who bought cows in with digital dermatitis said is was worse than having TB. I try to keep a closed herd. Always isolate all animals coming on farm and test for what you can.
 

JP1

Member
Livestock Farmer
One think I would say is pay particular attention to herd health status because of you don't it will cost you in terms of vet bills, reduced fertility - and everything else related directly to production and therefore profitability. Likewise stress.
A happy and healthy herd is a profitable herd.
Absolutely . And also temperament
 
Yes certainly now is the time to go into sucklers if you can outwinter them/ have access to a lot of cheap grazing/ straw ( for any housed calves/ calving pens etc ) and are not in a TB hotspot!

Put Hereford x cows onto either the Char or Lim and get the cows milking well and the calve's on 2.5 kilos of cake or grain and protein and minerals/ day asap and sell them straight off the cow at 9/10 months old.
Couple of questions

How do you feed a batch of calves to eat 2.5kg whilst on their mothers at grass?

on milky type cows, will the quids worth of feeding suggested boost growth rates that much plus a profit for the extra work?
 

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