The Beltex is supreme.

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
No one system is right to the exclusion of all others. You have to do what you enjoy and what suits your farm and system. The reason I put the Beltex prices up is because people slate the breed when they try and make it do something it's not bred to do or claims to do. The breed is developed to produce a high value carcase for which there is a big export demand, it is not bred to rough it and tup 100 ewes. All I'm trying to illustrate is why people put the extra effort in that is required for this type of system. When we had mules and used Texel tups we would get some lambs away in July, whereas now it will be August before we start selling. In terms of grass I don't notice any difference especially when you can stock at a higher level anyway

To be fair, I’d be tempted if I could achieve that sort of premium down here too.
However, it’s certainly not for nothing, as I was trying to point out. I would suggest I’d need a £15-20/hd premium to make up for the extra work (and/or losses), and the increased days to finish.
 

Agrivator

Member
To be fair, I’d be tempted if I could achieve that sort of premium down here too.
However, it’s certainly not for nothing, as I was trying to point out. I would suggest I’d need a £15-20/hd premium to make up for the extra work (and/or losses), and the increased days to finish.

With lambs sired by terminal sires, daily carcase gain is of more significance than daily liveweight gain.
 

mghley

Member
Location
Derbyshire
Just read the last couple of pages and it illustrates that there is no one breed of sheep or system to suit us all, from Shetlands to Beltex and all the crosses in between and from the new seeds on the lowlands to the moors, gorse and bracken.
We all develop flocks and systems that suit our eye, our pocket and our farms and that makes for good debate on a forum like this. Long may it continue
 

Longlowdog

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Aberdeenshire
Who has their headage number so closely allied to grass production they don't have a surplus for a few weeks to keep lambs a bit longer? If this ties with more, smaller lambs to the acre killing out at a better live-hook weight ratio then how do the figures stack up? I don't have the answers and it bothers me to not know even though it is not what I choose to do.
I'm supposing low ground here, hill farms being a whole different kettle of fish. Even the north south divide with seasons being as much as 3 or 4 months longer will make a difference at the same altitude. This is just a mental exercise that gives me restless nights when questions like these occur to me at stupid o'clock in the morning.
 
Who has their headage number so closely allied to grass production they don't have a surplus for a few weeks to keep lambs a bit longer? If this ties with more, smaller lambs to the acre killing out at a better live-hook weight ratio then how do the figures stack up?
I agree and if you have some cattle then there are usually silage aftermaths which are ideal for weaning lambs onto to finish very cheaply. As I mentioned earlier when we had mules there would be lambs going in July, now with continental crosses they don't start going until August (they probably would be ready in July if we fed creep) and I haven't noticed a grass problem through keeping them a bit longer. If I had a dry farm that burnt off in the summer then I would look at things differently.

I think the idea that days to slaughter is the most important factor in sheep production is a gross over simplification and I've never seen any statistics to back it up, it is just stated as a fact. It may be true in some situations but certainly not all.

The other point I have also found to be true is keeping more lambs to the acre. We can certainly keep more sheep per acre with Texel Beltex crosses than we could with mules. The other thing I like is that if you have to feed or creep lambs they eat the same but they are worth around 50p per kilo more for the same feed cost. OK the lambs from mules would be away earlier so less likelihood of needing feed to finish but it often pays to store lambs to finish later at a much higher price. You don't have this flexibility with quicker finishing lambs. They are just gone at a certain time and you take pot luck on trade at the time. It makes much more business sense to be selling lambs over a longer period to even out the ups and downs of the market. I'd sell lambs every week if I could.

The figures will be different every year because weather is variable, commodity markets are volatile (we are selling a commodity) but one thing is sure it cannot be reduced to one or two simple factors.
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
I agree and if you have some cattle then there are usually silage aftermaths which are ideal for weaning lambs onto to finish very cheaply. As I mentioned earlier when we had mules there would be lambs going in July, now with continental crosses they don't start going until August (they probably would be ready in July if we fed creep) and I haven't noticed a grass problem through keeping them a bit longer. If I had a dry farm that burnt off in the summer then I would look at things differently.

I think the idea that days to slaughter is the most important factor in sheep production is a gross over simplification and I've never seen any statistics to back it up, it is just stated as a fact. It may be true in some situations but certainly not all.

The other point I have also found to be true is keeping more lambs to the acre. We can certainly keep more sheep per acre with Texel Beltex crosses than we could with mules. The other thing I like is that if you have to feed or creep lambs they eat the same but they are worth around 50p per kilo more for the same feed cost. OK the lambs from mules would be away earlier so less likelihood of needing feed to finish but it often pays to store lambs to finish later at a much higher price. You don't have this flexibility with quicker finishing lambs. They are just gone at a certain time and you take pot luck on trade at the time. It makes much more business sense to be selling lambs over a longer period to even out the ups and downs of the market. I'd sell lambs every week if I could.

The figures will be different every year because weather is variable, commodity markets are volatile (we are selling a commodity) but one thing is sure it cannot be reduced to one or two simple factors.

Keep going, you’ll convince yourself that slow growing lambs don’t even need a premium.;)
The other side of reduced days to slaughter is keeping them as long but selling 10kg extra instead of course, if the demand suits….

As I stated earlier, I too would be tempted at the premiums you can achieve up there, but it isn’t available down here, regardless of the lamb.:(
 

Agrivator

Member
Keep going, you’ll convince yourself that slow growing lambs don’t even need a premium.;)
The other side of reduced days to slaughter is keeping them as long but selling 10kg extra instead of course, if the demand suits….

As I stated earlier, I too would be tempted at the premiums you can achieve up there, but it isn’t available down here, regardless of the lamb.:(

You could take your lambs up to Longtown and sell them store, in any numbers from 1 lamb to 150 lambs in any one lot.

You''ll definitely get a substantial premium for anything resembling a Beltex cross, and you can even trust the yardmen and off-duty auctioneers to lot them to the best advantage. Nor would you be the furthest traveled.

And it would give you the chance to rub shoulders with real sheepmen. :)
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 77 43.5%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 62 35.0%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 28 15.8%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.7%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.7%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 4 2.3%

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

  • 1,286
  • 1
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/
Top