What's your buisness plan?

[Hampton]

Just looking for ideas as to what others do. I'm at a cross roads and looking for inspiration as to where to go forwards. I'm in my 30s farming about 400acres. Currently buying calves and taking through to fat. Also grow barley. I want to change things slightly because 1) struggling to find decent calves. 2) most calves are around untill 22/24m which is just to long to be around. 3)I'm in a high rainfall area of the southwest and the last 5 years has been difficult growing cereals. What do you do? How many acres do you farm and how do you stock it? Thanks

I buy weaners now at 4-5 months old off a local dealer rather than calves. I think the cost me around £100-120 above calf price but I have much less trouble. This year, I received them in April-may, cut them (all bulls), and they have been outside on grass with a bit of corn (bag fed) all summer. Got them in last week and the biggest ones are pushing 500kg. All weigh over 400kg and now on ad-lib.
Much easier on workload and a lot less pneumonia issues.

 

[T7.wab]

Just looking for ideas as to what others do. I'm at a cross roads and looking for inspiration as to where to go forwards. I'm in my 30s farming about 400acres. Currently buying calves and taking through to fat. Also grow barley. I want to change things slightly because 1) struggling to find decent calves. 2) most calves are around untill 22/24m which is just to long to be around. 3)I'm in a high rainfall area of the southwest and the last 5 years has been difficult growing cereals. What do you do? How many acres do you farm and how do you stock it? Thanks

How many calves a year do you rear? Do you enjoy that side more? Does it need much investment to do more calves easier?

 

[Farmertom1988]

Just looking for ideas as to what others do. I'm at a cross roads and looking for inspiration as to where to go forwards. I'm in my 30s farming about 400acres. Currently buying calves and taking through to fat. Also grow barley. I want to change things slightly because 1) struggling to find decent calves. 2) most calves are around untill 22/24m which is just to long to be around. 3)I'm in a high rainfall area of the southwest and the last 5 years has been difficult growing cereals. What do you do? How many acres do you farm and how do you stock it? Thanks

Can't advise on buying calves i'm afraid as we currently rear all our own off our dairy herd but i would say with 400 acres it would probaly still be a good idea to try and rear everything off homegrown feed.

We've tried Alkagrain on wheat for the first time this year and have been quite impressed, using a product sold through Harbro called Maxxomon.

We were able to combine nice and early as we didn't have to glysophate and worry about green secondary tillers in the tramlines.

It was quite abit of work on the day that we processed the grain granted, but we used there lorry/milling service which does 40 tonnes an hour and is rapid, and is now all safely stored in a silage pit undercover for 12 months.

As yet touch wood we haven't had any problems with vermin, and the feed has analysed at 16.1% protein, 13.7 ME and 8.5 PH, and in addition we were able to bale the straw for bedding.

We're feeding in a forage based diet but i believe you can feed ad-lib with it too.

 

[Timbo]

We have all-but scrapped buying store cattle, and concentrating on expanding our suckler herd, calving replacement heifers in march, and the rest early may and weaning at 300kg (approx 6m old) with rotational grazing and creep gates to encourage the calves to graze ahead of the cows later in the season.

Keeping males all as bulls and sending them on the hook at 12-13months @ 650ish kg, and grazing the heifers the following spring with afew sold off grass and the rest fattened over the winter on a maize & crimp based TMR.

The emphasis is maximising calf growth initially from the cow through grass, and then home-grown rations for the calve specifically aimed at developing their rumen as early as possible. I only buy in a single protein source now.

Barren cows are ousted, no second chances, and we also cull cows based on progeny performance (or lack of) . Management software has completely changed the way the business is operated.

We have also introduced 2 other diversifications to the business.

 

[Bossfarmer]

I buy weaners now at 4-5 months old off a local dealer rather than calves. I think the cost me around £100-120 above calf price but I have much less trouble. This year, I received them in April-may, cut them (all bulls), and they have been outside on grass with a bit of corn (bag fed) all summer. Got them in last week and the biggest ones are pushing 500kg. All weigh over 400kg and now on ad-lib.
Much easier on workload and a lot less pneumonia issues.

is it good reseeded grass theyre on with plenty clover? how many kgs u reckon theyve put on since they went to grass?

 

[Farmertom1988]

We reckon ours do 0.8-1kg daily LW gain from grazing

 

[Bullbeeef]

How many calves a year do you rear? Do you enjoy that side more? Does it need much investment to do more calves easier?

I usually have 75 calves a year. No not much investment needed. I will change from bales to clamp at some point when I feel like putting up a silage clamp. I have a space for a couple extra buildings too.

 

[T7.wab]

I usually have 75 calves a year. No not much investment needed. I will change from bales to clamp at some point when I feel like putting up a silage clamp. I have a space for a couple extra buildings too.

I have similar acres and at similar age doing similar job. I run a good few more but sell as stores at 16-18 month. I like the idea of feed conversion ratio being higher when smaller so can run more of them. Less crop more grass? Dont finnish?

 

[Hampton]

is it good reseeded grass theyre on with plenty clover? how many kgs u reckon theyve put on since they went to grass?

They’ve done well. This year it was some older perennial ryegrass pastures, nothing special, but all I had. Have kept them in groups of 35 and fed them about 2kg barley 13% mix. I think they’ve done just under a kg per day.
Next year they will be strip grazed on newer leys.

 

[Bullbeeef]

I have similar acres and at similar age doing similar job. I run a good few more but sell as stores at 16-18 month. I like the idea of feed conversion ratio being higher when smaller so can run more of them. Less crop more grass? Dont finnish?

Where abouts in the country are you? In a real tb hotspot here so always plan to take through to fat so I guarantee I have enough feed. I do occasionally sell stores if I get chance.

 

[Bullbeeef]

They’ve done well. This year it was some older perennial ryegrass pastures, nothing special, but all I had. Have kept them in groups of 35 and fed them about 2kg barley 13% mix. I think they’ve done just under a kg per day.
Next year they will be strip grazed on newer leys.

What breed do you buy? What do you feed them once they come in off grass?

 

[Hampton]

What breed do you buy? What do you feed them once they come in off grass?

Conti dairy bred. Mainly blues, but been asking for more lim cross as they convert faster.
Once in they get ad-lib home bull mix (barley soya etc) in hoppers and westerwold silage.

 

[Grazer]

75 calves on 400acres? How much grain are you growing?

 

[Bullbeeef]

Yeah taken through to fat. 300 acres of arable

 

[Chief1]

We have all-but scrapped buying store cattle, and concentrating on expanding our suckler herd, calving replacement heifers in march, and the rest early may and weaning at 300kg (approx 6m old) with rotational grazing and creep gates to encourage the calves to graze ahead of the cows later in the season.

Sorry for jumping on the thread, how do you come on with the creep gates? I suggested this Last year over a few pints with some friends and got laughed at, thought it seemed a good idea give your calves the best grass once the milk is going of the cows

 

[Timbo]

Sorry for jumping on the thread, how do you come on with the creep gates? I suggested this Last year over a few pints with some friends and got laughed at, thought it seemed a good idea give your calves the best grass once the milk is going of the cows

At the moment- very much in its infancy. Ended up having to make the creep gates, but can say it definitely works on for spring born calves where in later summer they need to be less dependant on mum.

 

[Overby]

400 odd acres (130 PP), cattle. few sheep, livery yard. Arable contracted out.

Thinking of whacking in a load of AB16 Bumblebird mix, splitting 150 acres into 50 arable, 50 overwinterer stubble, 50 2 year legume, putting down a load of AB8 on the rest which I believe I can take a cut off (use bales for livery sales/cattle). As a non arable man this has potential.....any thoughts?

 

[ollie989898]

400 acre farm, can grow cereals/arable or grass. If you like livestock I would rear replacement heifers. Get a policy in place and stick to it. Find a system that you like, you enjoy and gives a good end result. Produce a consistent and reliable supply for good money. Ask a vet about how to setup the unit with a view to eliminating infectious disease. I fear the dairy industry will have it's hands full in the coming years when it comes to infectious disease.

Decide what age you will take calves and when they will go.

I would continue to grow a probably reduced area of cereals, let a neighbouring arable man contract it or sell it for wholecrop even if you have no interest in it. Use it to rotate your grass leys and tidy the ground up. You will need some straw in any case.

Cost everything, cost your time and decide what money you want for each heifer reared. Stick to that price and don't do it for less. A good producer of heifers will be worth their weight in gold.

 

[D14]

Just looking for ideas as to what others do. I'm at a cross roads and looking for inspiration as to where to go forwards. I'm in my 30s farming about 400acres. Currently buying calves and taking through to fat. Also grow barley. I want to change things slightly because 1) struggling to find decent calves. 2) most calves are around untill 22/24m which is just to long to be around. 3)I'm in a high rainfall area of the southwest and the last 5 years has been difficult growing cereals. What do you do? How many acres do you farm and how do you stock it? Thanks

Enter into a contract farming agreement with a local arable farmer for the cereal side of things as it’ll free up your time. Then use what we’re the arable sheds to increase livestock numbers. Then rent in extra grass land to double the acreage.

 

[jackrussell101]

Get ready to be able to sell carbon credits to corporations who cannot offset their pollution and sit back with pipe and slippers on.