Farming Chit Chat

blue5000

Black Smoke wrote: »

In all fairness lads, what is wrong with plain simple cop on instead of all this mumbo jumbo academic diet baloney!
Cow goes in she'd in fairly good condition. No fat not thin. Gets a bit less than ad lib silage of reasonably good quality until month before time up. Then silage cut back by more than fifty percent. Gets hay instead if you have it. Straw if you don't. Mineral bucket as well. She will more than likely calf without help and go back in calf in due course. All feed measurements by eye and experience.
The farm walk I learned that lesson was when I was ten, running around after the old man!
I think all this stuff about trace element boluses and stuff, is merely a way to lighten our pockets!

Ok on some farms where there is no mineral deficiency it might be a waste, but I know from experience what works for me and I'm going to stay using them.

snowman707

Black Smoke wrote: »

In all fairness lads, what is wrong with plain simple cop on instead of all this mumbo jumbo academic diet baloney!
Cow goes in she'd in fairly good condition. No fat not thin. Gets a bit less than ad lib silage of reasonably good quality until month before time up. Then silage cut back by more than fifty percent. Gets hay instead if you have it. Straw if you don't. Mineral bucket as well. She will more than likely calf without help and go back in calf in due course. All feed measurements by eye and experience.
The farm walk I learned that lesson was when I was ten, running around after the old man!
I think all this stuff about trace element boluses and stuff, is merely a way to lighten our pockets!

+1

TG some one else thinks along my lines

bbam

Black Smoke wrote: »

In all fairness lads, what is wrong with plain simple cop on instead of all this mumbo jumbo academic diet baloney!
Cow goes in she'd in fairly good condition. No fat not thin. Gets a bit less than ad lib silage of reasonably good quality until month before time up. Then silage cut back by more than fifty percent. Gets hay instead if you have it. Straw if you don't. Mineral bucket as well. She will more than likely calf without help and go back in calf in due course. All feed measurements by eye and experience.
The farm walk I learned that lesson was when I was ten, running around after the old man!
I think all this stuff about trace element boluses and stuff, is merely a way to lighten our pockets!

snowman707 wrote: »

+1

TG some one else thinks along my lines

In fairness lads a balance is what is required..

I agree we can't go round with a prescription pad and a weighing scales every time we feed... Equally I wouldn't like to see every farmer feeding his stock like their fathers did when they were ten, things have to progress...

Like every walk of life.. BALANCE is the key..
There is no harm looking at the most current thinking and ideas and then take from that what is practical to implement.

reilig

Black Smoke wrote: »

In all fairness lads, what is wrong with plain simple cop on instead of all this mumbo jumbo academic diet baloney!
Cow goes in she'd in fairly good condition. No fat not thin. Gets a bit less than ad lib silage of reasonably good quality until month before time up. Then silage cut back by more than fifty percent. Gets hay instead if you have it. Straw if you don't. Mineral bucket as well. She will more than likely calf without help and go back in calf in due course. All feed measurements by eye and experience.
The farm walk I learned that lesson was when I was ten, running around after the old man!
I think all this stuff about trace element boluses and stuff, is merely a way to lighten our pockets!

Totally agree. That's how its done around here. I'm just the messenger!
However, I have been using minerals for a few years now and they have vastly improved things on my farm.

pakalasa

Cattle don't get the same minerals in their normal grassland, like they did years ago. Back then they had access to all sorts of bushes and shrubs. Put a bit of ivy in front of a cow and she won't be long telling you what she thinks of it...:D

Muckit

reilig wrote: »

I'm just the messenger!

+1 me back in my box again

bob charles

and how many fellows in the auld times had weanlings going out the gate touching 500kilos under a year old. To stay ahead nowadays everything has to be considered and anything that gives an economic return from using it has to be considered. If you want to eat at the top table you gotta look for something that might give you the edge.

While I also agree that things can be over complicated but if you do something and your happy with the outcome stick with it, dont be chopping and changing.

Black Smoke

bob charles wrote: »

and how many fellows in the auld times had weanlings going out the gate touching 500kilos under a year old. To stay ahead nowadays everything has to be considered and anything that gives an economic return from using it has to be considered. If you want to eat at the top table you gotta look for something that might give you the edge.

While I also agree that things can be over complicated but if you do something and your happy with the outcome stick with it, dont be chopping and changing.

Guess I'm talking about feeding suckler cows in the couple of months prior to calving.
Feeding a calf to reach 500kgs at less than 12 months is another story I guess. Well ahead of what I'm achieving to be frank.

rancher

Richk2012 wrote: »

Cows in the field have access to Gain Pre Calving buckets and have for the last 6 weeks .
Last year i bought dissolvable pre calver mineral tablets from mayo healthcare that are hung in a net dispenser under the water line of the water trough and replaced weekly.
However i went off to co-op today after getting more information on straw diets and the need for protien to stop "impaction" , and i bought Gain Pre Calver Gold powder along with soya bean meal and will mix it with a small amount of mollasses for energy .

Yea, I never heard it being called ''impaction'' before, just a quote from the net, glad you got more advice, I'm not an advisor, just alerting you, murphys law and all that,I lost a lot of calves due to iodine deficiency in my first calving year and even the ones that live broke my heart before they stood up, but I would agree with other posters to get blood tests before going overboard on minerals

whelan1

went for the cows in our old nissan patrol jeep this morning, cows where in a 30 acre field, jeep ran out of diesel :eek::eek: left yard at 6.20 didnt get back to yard with cows til 7.40... will be no need for a trip to the gym today:cool: have to go back up and rescue jeep after my breakfast, fuel guage doesnt work on it

snowman707

bob charles wrote: »

and how many fellows in the auld times had weanlings going out the gate touching 500kilos under a year old. To stay ahead nowadays everything has to be considered and anything that gives an economic return from using it has to be considered. If you want to eat at the top table you gotta look for something that might give you the edge.

While I also agree that things can be over complicated but if you do something and your happy with the outcome stick with it, dont be chopping and changing.

every farm's situation is different and over the year's you will learn to care for your stock and their requirements

(like rancher with iodine) we obviously had a niggling ibr issue for a few years which didn't show in blood, nasal or milk samples eventually showed in pm

not much good producing a 500kg weanling if you are fecking away some of the profit in the wrong direction

Tipp Man

snowman707 wrote: »

not much good producing a 500kg weanling if you are fecking away some of the profit in the wrong direction

This is the key PROFIT

If you are producing 10k litres of milk from a cow or E grade BB weanlings weighing 500kg at 10 months it doesn't matter a damn if your not making money at it

Personally i'd rather produce less at a higher profit - so less inputs - less work - less investment -more money in my pocket

bob charles

my point wasnt about the profit on producing the 500kgs weanling, but this didnt happen in the auld days and the only way it has being made possible has been with the advances of technology.

pakalasa

Would you believe the total rainfall for this year, January to end August 2012 for Shannon Airport was only 10% more than normal. We got most of it in the summer. Feb, March & May were exceptionally dry, about half of normal .:eek:

http://www.met.ie/climate/monthly-data.asp?Num=518

Birdnuts

pakalasa wrote: »

Would you believe the total rainfall for this year, January to end August 2012 for Shannon Airport was only 10% more than normal. We got most of it in the summer. Feb, March & May were exceptionally dry, about half of normal .:eek:

http://www.met.ie/climate/monthly-data.asp?Num=518[/QUOTE]

Thats been a trend in recent years over much of the country - I feared as much after the exceptionally dry and mild nature of last winter. Personally i prefer my weather seasonal;)

tkehoe

anyone can tell me what time cahir mart starts tomorrow?

snowman707

€112 on magenta direct

vanderbadger wrote: »

anyone buy vexcoxan recently, it was 130 euros in kerry coop there at weekend :eek::eek: jebus it used to be 100 euros not so long ago, is 130 the norm now ?

td5man

snowman707 wrote: »

€112 on magenta direct

vanderbadger wrote: »

anyone buy vexcoxan recently, it was 130 euros in kerry coop there at weekend :eek::eek: jebus it used to be 100 euros not so long ago, is 130 the norm now ?

How do you find magenta price wise?
Do many on here buy from them.

Tipp Man

tkehoe wrote: »

anyone can tell me what time cahir mart starts tomorrow?

Sale supposed to start at 12.30 - seems to be whenever they feel like it sometimes though. They even have 2 different times on their website - safest to call in the morning i'd say

you from that neck of the woods??

rancher

Birdnuts wrote: »

pakalasa wrote: »

Would you believe the total rainfall for this year, January to end August 2012 for Shannon Airport was only 10% more than normal. We got most of it in the summer. Feb, March & May were exceptionally dry, about half of normal .:eek:

http://www.met.ie/climate/monthly-data.asp?Num=518[/QUOTE]

Thats been a trend in recent years over much of the country - I feared as much after the exceptionally dry and mild nature of last winter. Personally i prefer my weather seasonal;)

We might be in for a good autumn. grass seems to be growing better than the whole year, Jean Byrne RTE said last night that soil temps are 2 degrees higher than normal, weighed the lambs this evening and they are flying, also better than the whole year. maybe there's a change on

reilig

I see in yesterday's farming Indo that there is a dealer down south buying a lot of dairy weinlings for export to the uk for finishing. It would be an excellent market to develop as shipping would be so short. Hopefully it will get up and running properly over the next few weeks and put a floor into cattle prices by taking out the lower grade ones.

who the fug

reilig wrote: »

I see in yesterday's farming Indo that there is a dealer down south buying a lot of dairy weinlings for export to the uk for finishing. It would be an excellent market to develop as shipping would be so short. Hopefully it will get up and running properly over the next few weeks and put a floor into cattle prices by taking out the lower grade ones.

Will he not run in to problems with the anti live cattle protesters, there was a big fuss about that 10 year ago.

Seem like it is hitting the news again

reilig

who the fug wrote: »

Will he not run in to problems with the anti live cattle protesters, there was a big fuss about that 10 year ago.

Seem like it is hitting the news again

That was lamb in the uk.

Irish exporters have been through the mill with exporting facilities and and we have some of the most modern and best facilities in the world - despite the meat factories doing their best to prevent this.

bob charles

reilig wrote: »

I see in yesterday's farming Indo that there is a dealer down south buying a lot of dairy weinlings for export to the uk for finishing. It would be an excellent market to develop as shipping would be so short. Hopefully it will get up and running properly over the next few weeks and put a floor into cattle prices by taking out the lower grade ones.

just looking for an O+ 4L irish price would be €3.79 kilo vs UK of €4.22 or 43c per kilo

say a 300kilo carcass would be €130 per head. A nice few quid but I would think it would be quickly eaten into shipping and maybe a reduced price may be offered to slaughter Irish origin cattle in the UK similar to what happens in Ireland with imported animals

Just as a general thing - Considering the state of the country, are we really missing a trick by not adding value to the exported animals for the country as a whole. Say I sell a good weanling for a €1000, to feed this animal on and process in Ireland I assume you would be adding another €1000 if not €2000 to the economy as a whole which we could sure do with. In 2010 we exported 215k animals and if we were to say add a thousand to these animal in value added it would result in 215million quid extra for the country.

I know a very simplistic view and who is to blame anyway for the 215k live animals being exported, that maybe an easy one for some people to answer

bob charles

who the fug wrote: »

Will he not run in to problems with the anti live cattle protesters, there was a big fuss about that 10 year ago.

Seem like it is hitting the news again

Read the british forum and get some of the true facts of what actually happened in this case.

who the fug

reilig wrote: »

That was lamb in the uk.

Irish exporters have been through the mill with exporting facilities and and we have some of the most modern and best facilities in the world - despite the meat factories doing their best to prevent this.

If you do a google there has been protests about calves, and if they can figure out an angle to get media coverage then they will move on to cattle.

Re exporting facilities
Always gave my father chuckle that the old Cattle boats to England that he was on in the early sixties, were faster and newer than the passenger ferries. They also had orders from the Directors of B&I not to overtake the passenger ferries in daylight

reilig

bob charles wrote: »

just looking for an O+ 4L irish price would be €3.79 kilo vs UK of €4.22 or 43c per kilo

say a 300kilo carcass would be €130 per head. A nice few quid but I would think it would be quickly eaten into shipping and maybe a reduced price may be offered to slaughter Irish origin cattle in the UK similar to what happens in Ireland with imported animals

Just as a general thing - Considering the state of the country, are we really missing a trick by not adding value to the exported animals for the country as a whole. Say I sell a good weanling for a €1000, to feed this animal on and process in Ireland I assume you would be adding another €1000 if not €2000 to the economy as a whole which we could sure do with. In 2010 we exported 215k animals and if we were to say add a thousand to these animal in value added it would result in 215million quid extra for the country.

I know a very simplistic view and who is to blame anyway for the 215k live animals being exported, that maybe an easy one for some people to answer

I agree. I'm only quoting the paper. They say that these animals are being bought for feeding as opposed to immediate slaughter. They have a deal done with 2 factories in Wales for slaughter.

However, in times like these (especially in this area), farmers are getting rid of cattle because they just can't afford to keep them because there is no grass and ground is so wet. So anything that can get farmers out of a fix and put a floor into prices is welcome. There are loads of buyers for export quality cattle, but nobody wants to pay for a plain animal that was traditionally bought by Irish finishers. The finishers had it their own way for long enough without reverting back again to selling animals to them at below the cost of production.

All of the indications are there that cattle will be back up at a good price once this fodder/weather crisis is over next spring.

who the fug

bob charles wrote: »

Read the british forum and get some of the true facts of what actually happened in this case.

I just asked a question would they run in trouble with the protesters, I did not pass any comment about it, so give the old persecution complex a rest.

bob charles

who the fug wrote: »

I just asked a question would they run in trouble with the protesters, I did not pass any comment about it, so give the old persecution complex a rest.

Sorry didnt mean to be poking you, but the facts of what was done by the RSPCA in that case are shocking

bob charles

reilig wrote: »

I agree. I'm only quoting the paper. They say that these animals are being bought for feeding as opposed to immediate slaughter. They have a deal done with 2 factories in Wales for slaughter.

However, in times like these (especially in this area), farmers are getting rid of cattle because they just can't afford to keep them because there is no grass and ground is so wet. So anything that can get farmers out of a fix and put a floor into prices is welcome. There are loads of buyers for export quality cattle, but nobody wants to pay for a plain animal that was traditionally bought by Irish finishers. The finishers had it their own way for long enough without reverting back again to selling animals to them at below the cost of production.

All of the indications are there that cattle will be back up at a good price once this fodder/weather crisis is over next spring.

I dont think prices will be up that much in the Spring but there is a serious fodder crisis coming down the line. I think that it is now that those above us should start sorting out some sort of an action plan. From visiting guys is that small farmer with his dozen cows that is the worst affected. Lots of these guy have the calves sold and they are left with there bread and butter which they cant sell otherwise they will have no income next year. Forage collections next spring could be very common to keep these poor guys animals alive,

reilig

bob charles wrote: »

I dont think prices will be up that much in the Spring but there is a serious fodder crisis coming down the line. I think that it is now that those above us should start sorting out some sort of an action plan. From visiting guys is that small farmer with his dozen cows that is the worst affected. Lots of these guy have the calves sold and they are left with there bread and butter which they cant sell otherwise they will have no income next year. Forage collections next spring could be very common to keep these poor guys animals alive,

I agree. The smaller guys will be the greatest affected. I don't see animals dieing or being starved to death though. There are enough options out there to keep animals fed. It will cost money, but its not like the 1960's or 1970's when there was less of an option to import feed.

I think with a lot of calves sold this autumn, cattle for grass will be scarce on the ground next spring and it will push the price up quite a bit. The uk have a major reduction in beef cattle in the last 2 years. Italy will continue to buy the quality weinlings. Egyptian and lybian markets are being developed and will hopefully be up and running by then. Hopefully it will all lead to a rise in factory prices and ultimately a rise in price for primary producers.

Black Smoke

reilig wrote: »

I agree. The smaller guys will be the greatest affected. I don't see animals dieing or being starved to death though. There are enough options out there to keep animals fed. It will cost money, but its not like the 1960's or 1970's when there was less of an option to import feed.

I think with a lot of calves sold this autumn, cattle for grass will be scarce on the ground next spring and it will push the price up quite a bit. The uk have a major reduction in beef cattle in the last 2 years. Italy will continue to buy the quality weinlings. Egyptian and lybian markets are being developed and will hopefully be up and running by then. Hopefully it will all lead to a rise in factory prices and ultimately a rise in price for primary producers.

I think you are correct in your outlook. Good forward weanlings 350kgs and upwards are selling quite well at the moment. Great trade in Ennis yesterday for them, despite the fodder situation. Smaller weanlings, generally being off loaded by lads too tight in fodder, are back a lot in price. I reckon the nice 250 to 280kg char or lim bull weanling is a great buy now, if you have enough or near enough fodder, and the cash/credit to suplement with concentrates over the winter. These animals will be in demand come grass time next spring.

redzerologhlen

We were adding up the cost of keeping a suckler cow today in our discussion group. Most lads are in the burren and outwintering and we all had to agree on the figures. It came to €460 on the figures we were using for it. Now it could be up or down from that but nothing dramatic I would say, it makes you think. Just do it...you better bring a bottle of something to soften the blow to the lads back west!!

Tipp Man

redzerologhlen wrote: »

We were adding up the cost of keeping a suckler cow today in our discussion group. Most lads are in the burren and outwintering and we all had to agree on the figures. It came to €460 on the figures we were using for it. Now it could be up or down from that but nothing dramatic I would say, it makes you think. Just do it...you better bring a bottle of something to soften the blow to the lads back west!!

Redzer would you mind giving a little detail on how that €460 was reached? What made it up? you'd keep a dairy cow cheaper

Does this prove though that most suckler lads should be taking their weanlings onto the factory? It would make better use of your resources as for every hundred acres you would have less cows which seem to me to be the major cost in suckling

pakalasa

redzerologhlen wrote: »

We were adding up the cost of keeping a suckler cow today in our discussion group. Most lads are in the burren and outwintering and we all had to agree on the figures. It came to €460 on the figures we were using for it. Now it could be up or down from that but nothing dramatic I would say, it makes you think. Just do it...you better bring a bottle of something to soften the blow to the lads back west!!

At a guess I taught it would be more like €350. Do you include the cost of rearing the weanling in that?

redzerologhlen

Tipp Man wrote: »

Redzer would you mind giving a little detail on how that €460 was reached? What made it up? you'd keep a dairy cow cheaper

Does this prove though that most suckler lads should be taking their weanlings onto the factory? It would make better use of your resources as for every hundred acres you would have less cows which seem to me to be the major cost in suckling

It was including everthing and I dont have a list so I might leave something out.

Silage including fert, 9 bales a head at 20e. 180e
Fert for grazing 60e
Vet costs + dosing 30e
Accomadation 80e
Slurry 20e
Those are the ones I remember the prices for and the ones which are variable from far to farm. I cant remember the figures for the rest of them but we spent 2 hours going through it all to get that price. Fuel for both jeep and tractor and upkeep, transport costs, concentrates, electricity, water etc were included aswell. Sorry now I didnt write it all down. I would suspect ours isint that much but I know it will be well over 300e, must sit down one of the nights with the calculator and hopefully I wont give myself too much of a fright.

redzerologhlen

pakalasa wrote: »

At a guess I taught it would be more like €350. Do you include the cost of rearing the weanling in that?

Ya, given the nature of the land around here we agreed it would be better to base our profit and costs on the cow rather then the acreage if you get me. The cow is the only production unit on the farm so all costs were put down against her.

bbam

redzerologhlen wrote: »

We were adding up the cost of keeping a suckler cow today in our discussion group. Most lads are in the burren and outwintering and we all had to agree on the figures. It came to €460 on the figures we were using for it. Now it could be up or down from that but nothing dramatic I would say, it makes you think. Just do it...you better bring a bottle of something to soften the blow to the lads back west!!

When I saw your post I looked back at the last figures we did up with cows.. I'd say your underestimating it... In 2009 we had it at that not including cost of grass/slurry
With other bits and pieces we had a suckler calf costing €520 hitting the ground on day 1. Looking back I'd say its probably nearer to €600
This is just a few lads knocking costs together rather than any professional, but its enough to make you think !!

redzerologhlen

bbam wrote: »

When I saw your post I looked back at the last figures we did up with cows.. I'd say your underestimating it... In 2009 we had it at that not including cost of grass/slurry
With other bits and pieces we had a suckler calf costing €520 hitting the ground on day 1. Looking back I'd say its probably nearer to €600
This is just a few lads knocking costs together rather than any professional, but its enough to make you think !!

It could go up or down 100e handy enough depending on the farm but those were the figures we used and everyone in the group agreed they were fairly correct.

DMAXMAN

I know of a guy locally her who is very sharp about figures and records every cost against the relevant enterprise and his figure for keeping a suckler for a year is some where above 600

bob charles

I dont keep suck cows but I guesstimate that it costs 500+ every year when replacement costs are also taking into account, add in Interest, a expensive bull and hey presto all your weanlings would want to be making close on a very round figure

mrs browns boys

DMAXMAN wrote: »

I know of a guy locally her who is very sharp about figures and records every cost against the relevant enterprise and his figure for keeping a suckler for a year is some where above 600

im for the mart so with the 80 suckler if it costing 600 a cow:mad:

Juniorhurler

Just back in from the opening evening weanling show and sale at Carnew mart. Between myself and the auld fella we had 15 cattle out. The heifers made,

KG €
420 1360 (Champion Heifer at the show)
420 1260
346 970
2@ 383 820 each
370 830

The bulls made

KG €
410 1190
406 1000
452 1390
392 1200
374 1020
416 1150
428 900
452 1325
410 920

Happy enough with the prices. They averaged over the 1000 per hd so thats the aim. Didn't see them selling so well six weeks ago. Disappointed with they weighed though. Found it hard to put weight on cattle this year with the weather.

just do it

Juniorhurler wrote: »

Just back in from the opening evening weanling show and sale at Carnew mart. Between myself and the auld fella we had 15 cattle out. The heifers made,

KG €
420 1360 (Champion Heifer at the show)
420 1260
346 970
2@ 383 820 each
370 830

The bulls made

KG €
410 1190
406 1000
452 1390
392 1200
374 1020
416 1150
428 900
452 1325
410 920

Happy enough with the prices. They averaged over the 1000 per hd so thats the aim. Didn't see them selling so well six weeks ago. Disappointed with they weighed though. Found it hard to put weight on cattle this year with the weather.

Good returns there juniorhurler, particularly given the difficult summer. It's easy have 1 or 2 good ones but to average over the €1,000/head is great going:).

1chippy

good prices junior hurler. seems your able to hold consistency within the group.
As for keeping the suckler one of the speakers in Derrypatrick last week it cost over 600 to keep a suckler. If you think about it properly when you hear how there is no money in suckling you can see why. what sort of figure do any of you reckon would be needed to achieve a reasonable living?

say you were to get 950 average for weanlings (it would be great if i could get it). that would mean 350 after the cost of the cow.
say a wage of 35000
.9 calves per cow alive at weaning
that would mean 112 weanlings
Thats 125 cows to carry for the year
Talking aprox 160 acres of good land well run
a serious calving unit
a twelve bay double min slatted unit
and a lot of luck

I know these are really back of cig box calculations and open for critiscm but when they are there its kinda of shocking to think of the investment in land time and pure hassle it would make you wonder why?
i'm hearing a profit figure of 150 on store to finished animal anyone any info on the costs say to keep and finish those said weanlings instead of selling on.

just do it

€600 per cow was the consensus on here a few years back when this issue was debated.

For me whilst it is a useful figure it is the wrong animal indicator of profitability. It should the cost per animal sold per year i.e. if you sell weanlings you should use the cost per weanling sold, if you finish it should be the cost per finished animal.

Take the typical example of the suckler farmer who sells weanlings. Low conception rates, holding weanlings as replacements etc aren't factored in the cost per cow whereas they are factored in the cost of weanling sold per year.

Regardless of what indicator you use just itemising all your costs is the most valuable thing you can do. Then you can look at each individual item and see where there are cost savings to be made.

bob charles

1chippy wrote: »

I know these are really back of cig box calculations and open for critiscm but when they are there its kinda of shocking to think of the investment in land time and pure hassle it would make you wonder why?
i'm hearing a profit figure of 150 on store to finished animal anyone any info on the costs say to keep and finish those said weanlings instead of selling on.

take Junior hurlers the first bull calf at 410 kilos, feed for 150 days at €3 a day = €450 + €75 costs for everything else dosing/vaccines/mortality/interest/haulage/labour = €525 + sale price tonight €1190 = total cost €1715.

after 150 days he would be 650kilos (say 1.6lwg) with a KO of 58% = 377kilos @ €4 a kilo = €1508.

I know my figures are rough but, Do the sensible thing :D

Black Smoke

just do it wrote: »

€600 per cow was the consensus on here a few years back when this issue was debated.

For me whilst it is a useful figure it is the wrong animal indicator of profitability. It should the cost per animal sold per year i.e. if you sell weanlings you should use the cost per weanling sold, if you finish it should be the cost per finished animal.

Take the typical example of the suckler farmer who sells weanlings. Low conception rates, holding weanlings as replacements etc aren't factored in the cost per cow whereas they are factored in the cost of weanling sold per year.

Regardless of what indicator you use just itemising all your costs is the most valuable thing you can do. Then you can look at each individual item and see where there are cost savings to be made.

I almost agree with you but not quite.
The costs should be based on weanling produced or brought successfully to weaning stage. That's because you may keep some for replacements.
So lets say, 20 cows. One dead calf. 19 weaned. 17 sold.
Total costs should be divided by 19. That's my logic in any case.

bogman_bass

bob charles wrote: »

I know my figures are rough but, Do the sensible thing :D

Do the sensible thing and sell them to you Bob?

redzerologhlen

The 460 was including the cost of rearing the calf and was including the price of selling the culls. All the costs associated with keeping the cattle were included.