Beef Discussion Group Poll

reilig

I was thinking about starting a specific thread for the new Beef Discussion Group which would focus on the 8 measures that are available. Let people feed back stuff from their meetings. Help people to choose measures that they will get the most benefit from.

I suppose in a way, it would be the boards.ie discussion group. There won't be any payment for it but those that are participating in the discussion groups could develop ideas for them here and those who didn't join the discussion groups could also get some of the benefits of them.

If people are in favour of this, I'll post up a significant information thread on it by Monday which can be discussed by replies. If people aren't in favour, then I'll crawl back into my box and keep my Discussion group information to myself.

Yea or Nay??

{Poll closes in 3 days}

Tipp Man

No brainer Reilig i reckon

Muckit

Great idea Reilig.

We're not participating ourselves, but would love to hear feedback from others.

I often wondered if there were any BETTER farmers on here? :rolleyes:

I presume you've ate and digested yesterdays IFJ?

Focused on point 2 (paddock system/drinkers) myself this year. Have setup more paddocks/drinkers and have a proper rotation in place. Alot of permanent fences so the oul lad can't pull them up!

Pharaoh1

Got a letter and went to the first meeting last week.

Was a bit surprised as I didn't precisely meet the requirements but the advisor told me to keep going along but I fear I might be kicked out at some stage.
Key things covered were
- Election of Chairman/Secretary
- topics to cover and schedule of meetings during the year.
- Outline/discussion of options - we have to choose our options before the next meeting in May.
Probably go with the profit monitor and paddock grazing myself.
Both are already more or less in place so no real extra work. I understand that the profit monitor will be based on 2011 not this year.

Paddocks, Weed Control, Reseeding, Fertiliser/Slurry use, Budgeting and anything to do with grass were the hot topics.
Plenty of enthusiasm but interesting the amount of what would be considered old fashioned practices still going on.
"Oh I haven't let out any cattle yet sure I have rakes of silage and hay still" for example.
Plenty of scope for improvement for all of us.

pakalasa

I glanced over the articles in yesterdays Journal. I thought it made very good reading. Like most things, common sense but actually getting around to doing it, is another. I liked the Clare guys comments about the export weanlings - it wasn't so much the good weanlings, but the bad ones that didn't make the grade.
I'm going to sub divide some fields with semi-permanent electric fencing. I would be embarassed to say when the place was last limed or reseeded.

Dozer1

yea good idea Reilig, as I'm not in the scheme interesting to hear what lads take out of it.

As for the IFJ and the BETTER farmers I think they did as well as they could but no doubt rising cattle prices in 2011 helped all the figures.

Are they a better idea than Derrypatrick....

redzerologhlen

pakalasa wrote: »

I would be embarassed to say when the place was last limed or reseeded.

I couldnt give a time on our place either because it was before man invented the calender!!

Muckit

Our farm hadn't been limed in donkey's years .

Then last year I decided to get the soil tested last and did the whole farm as needed. Like most things that are worth doing, it was expensive at the time, but realise it money well spent now. Really seeing the results from it now. Way better response to fertiliser and much denser sward. Result.

It's a step along the road to reseeding.

JohnBoy

Dozer1 wrote: »

yea good idea Reilig, as I'm not in the scheme interesting to hear what lads take out of it.

As for the IFJ and the BETTER farmers I think they did as well as they could but no doubt rising cattle prices in 2011 helped all the figures.

Are they a better idea than Derrypatrick....

They actually had one small table comparing 2008 with 2011 actual results, and theoretical 2011 results if they hadnt made the changes.

They figured that 68% of the gains made were due to improvements as opposed to improved conditions.

leg wax

yes lets go for it , i see that 18 people have voted already ,can anyone vote ,i personaly think the likes of these things should only ever be open to people who contribute something to this forum,vote yes and just sit back and dont add anything:mad:.

Conflats

Dozer1 wrote: »

yea good idea Reilig, as I'm not in the scheme interesting to hear what lads take out of it.

As for the IFJ and the BETTER farmers I think they did as well as they could but no doubt rising cattle prices in 2011 helped all the figures.

Are they a better idea than Derrypatrick....

The herd in derrypatrick will take the risks quicker than the farmers plus the idea of the better farms is to spread practice and knowledge from grange into the wider population (or so we are told)

pakalasa

Good idea to have one topic for each week so we don't have different conversations overlapping each other. Would it be a good idea to have an individual thread for each sub-topic?