buying weanlings

farmerman

hi i was just wondering i have 60 acres and wanted to farm it myself!! i was thinking of buying weanlings in the winter and keeping them for the following summer and fattening them off grass. i have sheds capable of hold them. i was wondering is this a good idea and how many could i stock. i was thinking around 50 i have very good dry land. i would apreciate any advice

simx

farmerman wrote: »

hi i was just wondering i have 60 acres and wanted to farm it myself!! i was thinking of buying weanlings in the winter and keeping them for the following summer and fattening them off grass. i have sheds capable of hold them. i was wondering is this a good idea and how many could i stock. i was thinking around 50 i have very good dry land. i would apreciate any advice

if very good and dry 50 should be ok
are you thinking bulls or heifers? what breeds? would you squeez bulls? how long are you going to keep them?

Farmer Pudsey

When you say in the winter do you mean now or november or august. You will find it hard to fatten weanling's during one summer unless Bulls or heifers.

At present Fresian weanlings can be bought at value but unless you bought heavy one 350kgs it is unliky you could finish before next winter and it would be tough to do outdoors and would not pay if you housed for finishing.

Lighters one might be an option and sell for export at 350kgs and they may take heavier in August/September if the hosremest did not frighten off the Lybians/Egyptians.

Tough game and not much money unless you are around the ring alot. On good dry land you can easily take 60 weanlings and carry over next winter on silage sell in 2014 and restock in august/september 2014. Other choice is do the same this year and sell half in the autaum and replace that half with weanlings so that you are selling 30 finished xattle every year and replacing with 30 weanlings.

Dont expect to make a fortune.

farmerman

simx wrote: »

if very good and dry 50 should be ok
are you thinking bulls or heifers? what breeds? would you squeez bulls? how long are you going to keep them?

i was going to keep all heifers and fatten them under 18 months. i was thinking of limx chx and mabey sum bbx. ill prob try out other breeds aswell and see which are the most profitable is and which matures quickest as the aim would be to to kill as many under 18 months or as close to it as possible. then re-stock for the coming winter.

caseman

farmerman wrote: »

i was going to keep all heifers and fatten them under 18 months. i was thinking of limx chx and mabey sum bbx. ill prob try out other breeds aswell and see which are the most profitable is and which matures quickest as the aim would be to to kill as many under 18 months or as close to it as possible. then re-stock for the coming winter.

You'll be doing very well to get them away under 18 months unless their pushed with alot grub.

Good loser

farmerman wrote: »

i was going to keep all heifers and fatten them under 18 months. i was thinking of limx chx and mabey sum bbx. ill prob try out other breeds aswell and see which are the most profitable is and which matures quickest as the aim would be to to kill as many under 18 months or as close to it as possible. then re-stock for the coming winter.

I couldn't see you making a euro on those.

Whatever you do will not give you €200 per acre NET.

For first year would buy about 40 in Spring and sell half in Autumn. You could sell silage or rent out half the place at the same time.

This proposal will ease you in to things.

Many cattle farms only have the SFP as profit.