Beef General Thread

orm0nd

Limestone Cowboy wrote: »

Headed up to tullamore today through Gort, portumna and birr. Herself was driving and I got to look in over plenty of walls and is it just me or is there very little stock east of the Shannon. Apart from a few dairy farms along the way there didn't seem to be anything close to the numbers of stock around fields as there is around here. Granted there is a good bit of tillage land along the way but would have thought on good land there would be a lot more stock along the way. Anyone else notice similar?

was talking to guy who came home by cloghan/borrisokane & said he saw fields of weathered round bales / hay , with the aftergrass well up around them , quite a large area he said

did you enjoy the show ?

Bullocks

Limestone Cowboy wrote: »

Headed up to tullamore today through Gort, portumna and birr. Herself was driving and I got to look in over plenty of walls and is it just me or is there very little stock east of the Shannon. Apart from a few dairy farms along the way there didn't seem to be anything close to the numbers of stock around fields as there is around here. Granted there is a good bit of tillage land along the way but would have thought on good land there would be a lot more stock along the way. Anyone else notice similar?

I see it in alot of places , I reckon alot of the older generation are not keeping up in stock numbers the last few years and there are fewer and fewer young people bothering to keep anything or help out on the home farm .
You would think the opposite reading this forum but around me here there are very few sons or daughters that want the hassle of going out in the evening to draw in bales or gather cows for a test .
You still won't rent a farm too easy though !

CloughCasey1

Bullocks wrote: »

I see it in alot of places , I reckon alot of the older generation are not keeping up in stock numbers the last few years and there are fewer and fewer young people bothering to keep anything or help out on the home farm .
You would think the opposite reading this forum but around me here there are very few sons or daughters that want the hassle of going out in the evening to draw in bales or gather cows for a test .
You still won't rent a farm too easy though !

Whats mine is mine till the last breath!

Reggie.

CloughCasey1 wrote: »

Whats mine is mine till the last breath!

True words. You can work on the farm but have no say or input is another issue I'd say

Bullocks

CloughCasey1 wrote: »

Whats mine is mine till the last breath!

I sold cattle lately to 2 people with deceased fathers and the herd no. still in the fathers name . I wouldn't mind but one lad is in his fifties and the father nearly 90 when he keeled over and a wealthy man that didn't need to be holding onto the place

CloughCasey1

Reggie. wrote: »

True words. You can work on the farm but have no say or input is another issue I'd say

And the both of us are only guests in the bit we can use so we know only too well! As you said before we not the organ grinders only the monkeys. But happy none the less to be doing our own bit.

Farmer Pudsey

Bullocks wrote: »

I sold cattle lately to 2 people with deceased fathers and the herd no. still in the fathers name . I wouldn't mind but one lad is in his fifties and the father nearly 90 when he keeled over and a wealthy man that didn't need to be holding onto the place

This place may not even be transferred into this lads name. It is a huge issue with CAT. The other issue is lads are slow to rent. In the past too many lads renting dogged places, some still do. Part of the reason for this is uneconomic rents.This is partly due to EU payments.

If you have 50 acres in a DA by keeping a few head of cattle and entering reps it is easy enough to have 12-15K in EU payments. Any money poff the cattle after that is a bonus. In general most of them have no interest in farming. More importantly there knowledge of farming is very limited. Most do not treat it as a business and a lot feel they have to have every implement under the sun.

Not being critical ( well I suppose I am) look at the lads still trying to get hay. Case a few miles from me two older farmers usually a nearby dairy farmer used to cut there meadows in mid June. He took half as silage and they saved the rest as hay. This year the dairy farmers had loads silage stacked in the yard. It seems he decided not to take it. What lads are not sure about is when he told the two old lads.

ganmo

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

This place may not even be transferred into this lads name. It is a huge issue with CAT. The other issue is lads are slow to rent. In the past too many lads renting dogged places, some still do. Part of the reason for this is uneconomic rents.This is partly due to EU payments.

If you have 50 acres in a DA by keeping a few head of cattle and entering reps it is easy enough to have 12-15K in EU payments. Any money poff the cattle after that is a bonus. In general most of them have no interest in farming. More importantly there knowledge of farming is very limited. Most do not treat it as a business and a lot feel they have to have every implement under the sun.

Not being critical ( well I suppose I am) look at the lads still trying to get hay. Case a few miles from me two older farmers usually a nearby dairy farmer used to cut there meadows in mid June. He took half as silage and they saved the rest as hay. This year the dairy farmers had loads silage stacked in the yard. It seems he decided not to take it. What lads are not sure about is when he told the two old lads.

imagine how much more could be produced if they sold to lads that want to farm

rangler1

Bullocks wrote: »

I see it in alot of places , I reckon alot of the older generation are not keeping up in stock numbers the last few years and there are fewer and fewer young people bothering to keep anything or help out on the home farm .
You would think the opposite reading this forum but around me here there are very few sons or daughters that want the hassle of going out in the evening to draw in bales or gather cows for a test .
You still won't rent a farm too easy though !

There's very few parents that'd encourage their children to farm these day.
I think there's a lot of misplaced optimism on this forum, there's a serious income crisis in farming at the moment and I don't think dairy farmer have got their heads around this fact, they're still on the euphoria created by the protected market situation that they've been thrown out of.
Supply and demand will always set the price and a rise in price only creates more supply and floors the price...there's still guys waiting on the wings to get into dairying.
On renting land, I despair when I see what happens to land after the owner rents it out....maybe after they putting years of work into it.
Maybe I'm a pessimist, but you have to be realistic too

rangler1

ganmo wrote: »

imagine how much more could be produced if they sold to lads that want to farm

Go easy, we can't get a decent price for what we do produce

whelan2

Bullocks wrote: »

I sold cattle lately to 2 people with deceased fathers and the herd no. still in the fathers name . I wouldn't mind but one lad is in his fifties and the father nearly 90 when he keeled over and a wealthy man that didn't need to be holding onto the place

you'll always get people like that though, look at the lads holding on to bvd positive animals. Very lucky here that farm was signed over to me over 10 years ago. Got a great compliment from my dad yesterday that he has never seen the farm looking so good.

Farmer Pudsey

rangler1 wrote: »

There's very few parents that'd encourage their children to farm these day.
I think there's a lot of misplaced optimism on this forum, there's a serious income crisis in farming at the moment and I don't think dairy farmer have got their heads around this fact, they're still on the euphoria created by the protected market situation that they've been thrown out of.
Supply and demand will always set the price and a rise in price only creates more supply and floors the price...there's still guys waiting on the wings to get into dairying.
On renting land, I despair when I see what happens to land after the owner rents it out....maybe after they putting years of work into it.
Maybe I'm a pessimist, but you have to be realistic too

There is huge negativity around farming. I think part of this is due to the laws of natural selection. There tended to be and assumption that the eldest boy got the farm no matter his ability or interest. Another factor is often he was not encouraged to go and get any other skills. There as well seemed to be an assumption with farmers in certain parts of the country that you should not need to have a job when you are farming.

With changes in machinery and technology as well as the advent of contractors a 100+ acre drystock farms has a relatively low labour input compared to 20 years ago not to mind 40 years ago. The other issue is when Johnny was getting the farm sure there was no need for him to go to college so at 16 he started driving for local contractor for the summer and then with all the money he had he wintered well and nelected his study. By the time he was eighteen he was wealty compared to his peers doing aprenticeship or going to college or the lad that took a clerical position in the PS. He had his 100 or 150 pounds a week or what ever was the going rate for unskilled labour, living at home with mammy and no cost.

If he had ambition he was doing a bit of machinery work on the side, cutting a bit of timber or a bit of turf. The thing was he had 4-5 younger siblings, there was no hope of Dad signing over the farm for another 20-30 years. By the time he was 40 his brother, sisters and friends had all independent lifestyles, Farm was still not signed over and Dad was worried that if he did that Johnny wife Mary might leave and take half the farm.

Dad still made all the big decisions and he has little or no input to business. It no wonder Johnny is not keen on his kids becoming farmers. As well he has transfered his negativity on to them. I see it in my own kids because I am positive about farming they have an interest, youngest lad was not really into farming and still is not mad about farming. But talking to him a few weeks ago he say it a great sidelie with a good job.

ganmo

rangler1 wrote: »

Go easy, we can't get a decent price for what we do produce

My point exactly!

Willfarman

Auld lads holding back land are like lads holding back a fart..

They'd be better to let it!

orm0nd

Willfarman wrote: »

Auld lads holding back land are like lads holding back a fart..

They'd be better to let it!

like a fellow with a touch of the runs, hard to know the right decision :rolleyes:

Bullocks

rangler1 wrote: »

There's very few parents that'd encourage their children to farm these day.
I think there's a lot of misplaced optimism on this forum, there's a serious income crisis in farming at the moment and I don't think dairy farmer have got their heads around this fact, they're still on the euphoria created by the protected market situation that they've been thrown out of.
Supply and demand will always set the price and a rise in price only creates more supply and floors the price...there's still guys waiting on the wings to get into dairying.
On renting land, I despair when I see what happens to land after the owner rents it out....maybe after they putting years of work into it.
Maybe I'm a pessimist, but you have to be realistic too

My own father didn't want me farming when I left school and tried to stay at home about 15 yrs ago and even now when I'm still at it he is telling me I'd be better selling and moving to France if it was only for better weather .
Reckons he wouldn't want his worst enemy to be living off a farm these days .
It's sad when you see a cheque coming from the mart and you know before you would put anything aside for a holiday /reseeding /new jeep/tractor that most of it will be spend on fert/nuts/contractor and very little left over

Willfarman

rangler1 wrote: »

There's very few parents that'd encourage their children to farm these day.
I think there's a lot of misplaced optimism on this forum, there's a serious income crisis in farming at the moment and I don't think dairy farmer have got their heads around this fact, they're still on the euphoria created by the protected market situation that they've been thrown out of.
Supply and demand will always set the price and a rise in price only creates more supply and floors the price...there's still guys waiting on the wings to get into dairying.
On renting land, I despair when I see what happens to land after the owner rents it out....maybe after they putting years of work into it.
Maybe I'm a pessimist, but you have to be realistic too

That is a belter of a post. ...

But I do have to ask do we not have it handy in comparison to our fathers and fathers father?
I'm sitting off here at Quarter to nine on my couch with an iPad resting on my ever enlarging belly! I'm not rich financially but neither were them that were at this game before me.

Bullocks

Willfarman wrote: »

That is a belter of a post. ...

But I do have to ask do we not have it handy in comparison to our fathers and fathers father?
I'm sitting off here at Quarter to nine on my couch with an iPad resting on my ever enlarging belly! I'm not rich financially but neither were them that were at this game before me.

Good question and it's hard to know who had it better lifestyle wise but I think farmers back in the day had more of a chance to make a pound and reinvest in land and the farm while still taking a living from it .
My father is 64 now and put 2 of us through college and we were never short of anything growing up on 140 acres without himself or the mother working outside the farm .
I wouldn't have a hope of doing anything similar from the farm now and that's considering he has roads , water and sheds all done for me

Willfarman

A still when a little boggy field comes up for sale there's wads of cash!

I think the biggest downfall nowadays is there's so much hurry and lack of sociability.

Farmer Pudsey

Bullocks wrote: »

Good question and it's hard to know who had it better lifestyle wise but I think farmers back in the day had more of a chance to make a pound and reinvest in land and the farm while still taking a living from it .
My father is 64 now and put 2 of us through college and we were never short of anything growing up on 140 acres without himself or the mother working outside the farm .
I wouldn't have a hope of doing anything similar from the farm now and that's considering he has roads , water and sheds all done for me

All across work area's o/p has increased. 30 years ago the local carpenter working for a builder was collected at 8 AM in the square and at 5pm he was back there. Nowadays he has to be on the site between these times. After he was collected they may have gone to the local Builders providers to load up some material and then on to the site. They might be lucky to be on site at 10 and gone at 4.30. The carpenter now uses a circular saw and a nail gun. The material are delivered on site and he is on the go from 8-5. More than likly his o/p has increased by 80% compared to a comparable carpenter 30 years ago.

30 years ago the arpenter wife did not work nowadays she has a job as well. As has the bankers wife, the Doctors etc I think a lot of farmers need to stop comparing to previous generations. It really is an issue with farmers that come from good land. I came from a farm where farming and outside employmenmt went hand in hand in the 70's. It was not viable to make a living off that land then not to mind now.

Willfarman wrote: »

A still when a little boggy field comes up for sale there's wads of cash!

I think the biggest downfall nowadays is there's so much hurry and lack of sociability.

This is down to the demand for lifestyle. We can slow down but it costs money. This is not just an issue with farming. The lad driving a van for the bacon suppliers is doing a run that is more than likly 50% longer than 20 years ago if not double the distance. It is the same accross society except for some protected area's like teaching where hours have not changed to a great extent.

The nurse, the doctor, the tradesman etc are all going hammer and tongs as well.

Willfarman

As a nation are we producing any more and are we any happier?

amacca

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

. It is the same accross society except for some protected area's like teaching where hours have not changed to a great extent.

Teaching has also changed even in terms of hours but much moreso in terms of whats expected and most definitely in terms of the difficulty of the job while you are at it.

Its hard to know if this has improved it much for the student either never mind the teacher.

Farmer Pudsey

amacca wrote: »

Teaching has also changed even in terms of hours but much moreso in terms of whats expected and most definitely in terms of the difficulty of the job while you are at it.

Its hard to know if this has improved it much for the student either never mind the teacher.

While this is a farming thread I will expand on my point. Teacher like farmer often have a perception that they are the only section having huge change. While yes hours have change upwards recently this is from a base that was eroded over years.

When I went to school years and years and years ago, national school did not finish until the middle of the second week in July. You actually change years the 1st of July and were in your new class for about 7-8 School days. Believe it or not teachers even monitored the school yard. In both Primary and post primary you had only 10 days at Easter compared to two weeks now and no Mid term . So hours have hardly gone up. While teaching may seems from within as a hard job the pluses far out weight any other issues.

This perception with in farming and teaching often comes from a insular working area. those involved have little or no interaction with other area's of work while working and fail to grasp the changes that have happened else where.

amacca

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

This perception with in farming and teaching often comes from a insular working area. those involved have little or no interaction with other area's of work while working and fail to grasp the changes that have happened else where.

Well as a former teacher and current farmer and knowing just enough about both areas to be dangerous I suppose ill have to rebut the rebuttal

as I mentioned previously I wasn't really talking in terms of contracted hours (although they very much have increased in recent years, the easter thing is part of a standardised school year that came of shortening other holidays to bump it to two weeks - theres also an extra 40hrs due to cps and hras some of which tend to generate extra hrs themselves and in any case contracted hours don't represent the hours of prep, correcting, planning "meetings" etc etc expected now which weren't in the past - definitely not to the same level in the past you were speaking of in any event - I went to school myself when the Easter holidays were not two weeks)

It was more the nature of the job and what is expected in terms of that prep, onerous (very little to do with education) box ticking exercises and cover your ass practices due to increasingly litigious parents and students, unnecessary paperwork, disciplinary follow up where the problem should have been nipped in the bud early the system wasn't dysfunctional etc etc not to mention how anyone whose currently looking for a job or has been in one for the 5-10 years has or probably will have to jump through all manner of hoops and promise ever increasing amounts of their time to extra curricular to justify their existence.....its changed as a role and not for the better, for teacher or student imo....

basically what I'm saying is while it may seem to have remained largely the same on paper (not really either if you look at that paper) its a very different thing in real life, its changed and still is changing and not for the better + imo its not nearly as fantastic as people perceive it to be, that was one of the reasons why I decided to seek out pastures new so to speak.....

whelan2

amacca wrote: »

Well as a former teacher and current farmer and knowing just enough about both areas to be dangerous I suppose ill have to rebut the rebuttal

as I mentioned previously I wasn't really talking in terms of contracted hours (although they have increased in recent years and in any case contracted hours don't represent the hours of prep, correcting etc etc) more the nature of the job and what is expected in terms of that prep, onerous (very little to do with education) box ticking exercises and cover your ass practices due to increasingly litigious parents and students, unnecessary paperwork, disciplinary follow up where the problem should have been nipped in the bud early etc etc not to mention how anyone whose currently looking for a job or has been in one for the 5-10 years has or probably will have to jump through all manner of hoops and promise ever increasing amounts of their time to extra curricular to justify their existence.....its changed as a role and not for the better, for teacher or student imo....

basically what I'm saying is while it may seem to have remained largely the same on paper its a very different thing in real life, its changed and still is changing + imo its not nearly as fantastic as people perceive it to be, that was one of the reasons why I decided to seek out pastures new so to speak.....

I come from a family of teachers, mother was a primary teacher, sister is a lecturer. Sister in law is a primary school teacher. What repurcussions are there for poor performing teachers? As farmers we get deducted sfp , etc for not complying to regulations. I have never heard of a teacher losing their their job due to poor work. I have complained , gone through proper channels, got advice on what i was doing, teacher still there and so many trained teachers looking for jobs who would give the kids a proper education

amacca

whelan2 wrote: »

I come from a family of teachers, mother was a primary teacher, sister is a lecturer. Sister in law is a primary school teacher. What repurcussions are there for poor performing teachers? As farmers we get deducted sfp , etc for not complying to regulations. I have never heard of a teacher losing their their job due to poor work. I have complained , gone through proper channels, got advice on what i was doing, teacher still there and so many trained teachers looking for jobs who would give the kids a proper education

Simple answer afaik it was hard and I didn't see it happen in my time although I seen a christian brother go on "sabbatical" in one place and another one take some "advice" to leave.....nothing sinister but they were shockingly bad in a classroom setting and probably not at all suited for it - order ran the school and they were just shoved in there until it was laicised and then they were "phased out"

Now I don't know your issue but as I understand it now there are new procedures for complaints about registered teachers, you can read all about them here

http://www.teachingcouncil.ie/professional-standards/complaints-about-teachers.6395.html

I'm not massively familiar with them but I understand it is or will soon be more than possible to have someone dismissed...principles of natural justice apply though which is a good thing imo given the lies that are told when people don't get their way or are forced to behave even half way civilised or just plain old have a grudge not to mention the small but significant percentage of imo deluded parents/students out there or the significant proportion of my fellow citizens that seem to have an inbuilt hatred of any form of authority (I sort of have a bit of that myself, particularly when it comes to this new trailer license)

As to what constitutes underperformance, how do you measure that fairly or even in a way that won't be wide open to legal challenge from the teacher? - results etc? - only if you start taking into account socio economic background of students, their previous attainment , their disciplinary history as a group, managements input into the situation, their record when it comes to attendance, making a fair effort at homework etc

its a bit of a can of worms imo and you can see how going down that route has unintended consequences for probably (maybe not in your opinion) the large majority of teachers doing their best in the school - tldr - they go around afraid of their ****e some crank will result in job difficulties/loss and it becomes more about the cover your ass paper trail than the teaching a la the UK education system which we are so desperately trying to ape here despite they themselves rowing back on their "progress" in recent years......recording academic etc work done, letters home, disciplinary action, phonecalls, interventions etc etc on top of doing the actual work and the doing of it becoming more and more like chasing your tail all the while given the fact you are an authority figure and expected to act like one and achieve outcomes like one while having very little actual authority....

Anyway, i'm not here to defend the teaching profession, I was just responding to statement that it hadn't changed, I think it has...a lot....and if anyone is thinking its easy or a handy number I think they should try get some experience of it for a decent amount of time with some sort of result expected at the end...not just a day or two watching it or hearsay or recollections of what it was like when they were a student.

Miname

One of the secondary schools I went to had a teacher who let the students smoke down the back, another one came up and patted me on the back and said he'd won a lot on me after I lost my temper one day and gave a lad a bit of a trimming. How could these two teachers be tolerated anywhere goes beyond me, both had years of form just like this and both coasted through for years until they retired. There is the other side too where I've been working on a fair few school projects where both parents and students would come in and attack teachers, now what's this thread about?

Willfarman

Beef farming now lads. Teacher will throw yas out!

larrymiller

What type of stores do the factory feed lots target? Anything and everything or are they very select?

Bullocks

larrymiller wrote: »

What type of stores do the factory feed lots target? Anything and everything or are they very select?

Good question , i suppose they would have room for all weights between different pens on a feedlot.
Didn't Goodman have lads rearing calves last year for him , I wonder how they are doing now ?

darragh_haven

Bullocks wrote: »

Good question , i suppose they would have room for all weights between different pens on a feedlot.
Didn't Goodman have lads rearing calves last year for him , I wonder how they are doing now ?

The calf rearing was an epic clusterfcuk . Calves dropping dead at an unreal rated. Disease spread fast. Don't know who took the financial hit

I said

darragh_haven wrote: »

The calf rearing was an epic clusterfcuk . Calves dropping dead at an unreal rated. Disease spread fast. Don't know who took the financial hit

Speaking of clusterfcuks the new Athlone-Mullingar greenway cycle track.
A few farms on the route gone down with TB the vet reckons disturbance of badger sets along the route.

cj maxx

I maybe in the wrong forum -) , but whats the out look for finishing 24 mth cattle for november ??

Bullocks

darragh_haven wrote: »

The calf rearing was an epic clusterfcuk . Calves dropping dead at an unreal rated. Disease spread fast. Don't know who took the financial hit

I can be pretty sure who didn't take a hit financially anyhow

Farmer Pudsey

Bullocks wrote: »

I can be pretty sure who didn't take a hit financially anyhow

Yes and no. Calves that survived were sold on at about 400/head or so the story goes with farmers that took them getting a price gaurantee if ready this winter I think. However AIBP did not go into calf market last spring.

simonhm

I Angus bull weaklings make 660 for 320kgs

CloughCasey1

simonhm wrote: »

I Angus bull weaklings make 660 for 320kgs

Suckler or dairy bred?

whelan2

young lad wants to buy a few calves, am thinking fr bulls around 4-5 months old, what price would they be?

CloughCasey1

whelan2 wrote: »

young lad wants to buy a few calves, am thinking fr bulls around 4-5 months old, what price would they be?

Don't pay any more than 280. If ya look on dd enough you will come across some lad who wants out of them. Don't be puy off by frx either. Take them on what they look like when ya look at them not whats on card.

visatorro

lads is anyone finishing jersey bulls/bullock. what price would you get in the factory? much profit?

CloughCasey1

visatorro wrote: »

lads is anyone finishing jersey bulls/bullock. what price would you get in the factory? much profit?

Pudsey had some good posts on that from before it ya want to go searching.

Mad4simmental

The f12 j4 type wouldn't be to bad if you got them right. Mostly black with gray tip on their tail or the odd white spot. The 50%+ je arnt worth it if you got them for free.

Base price

visatorro wrote: »

lads is anyone finishing jersey bulls/bullock. what price would you get in the factory? much profit?

We rear a few every year along with FR, AAx, HEx and coloured calves.
In my experience FRx/JEx bulls are hardy feckers probably due to hybrid vigour but they are miserable stock when it comes to kill out weights.
Unless there was a world shortage of beef I would not consider rearing them on unless you have an agreement in place with a factory.
We have outlets for 18 to 20 month old bulls that we have established over the years. They buy them from us and feed to finish/slaughter.

Never wrestle with pigs

Going to try get a few suckler cows out in a week or two. So how do ye lads get mag into cows this time of year? Usually go with high mag buckets here and was contemplating mag blouses this year, not sure yet.

I might also go with the bucket and perhaps feed 1kg barley with a cal mag mix in it.

Never turned cows out as early here tbh so I'm worried about cows falling over.

Willfarman

Would be no worse that way now than late April. Lush grass and a touch of frost. Lethal,

Muckit

Never wrestle with pigs wrote: »

Never turned cows out as early here tbh so I'm worried about cows falling over.

Thinly veiled... 'I've got great land!!'

Sorry, jealousy is a bitch! Seriously, what you've suggested yourself would work l'd b thinking. little bit of bagstuff do them no harm. Have you not lighter dry cattle you could target to get out instead. Cows out full time will have to do a bit of rooting no matter how good your land is!!!!

bogman_bass

Never wrestle with pigs wrote: »

Going to try get a few suckler cows out in a week or two. So how do ye lads get mag into cows this time of year? Usually go with high mag buckets here and was contemplating mag blouses this year, not sure yet.

I might also go with the bucket and perhaps feed 1kg barley with a cal mag mix in it.

Never turned cows out as early here tbh so I'm worried about cows falling over.

The easiest thing might be to give them some hay in the corner of the paddock

Never wrestle with pigs

Muckit wrote: »

Thinly veiled... 'I've got great land!!' )

Ha I wish, sum good sum old cutaway bog. To much grass on sum to go with fert in a few weeks as the growth over winter was mad and I want to start bulling cows soon and I'm not going to put the bull on the slats.

blue5000

bogman_bass wrote: »

The easiest thing might be to give them some hay in the corner of the paddock

I'm giving mine a grab of rough chopped wagon silage, one frosty sunday I didn't do it and lost one, so I think it's working. It's fair miserable out though, you'd want shelter.
If you do supplement the Mg you will have to stay doing it well into April, they get dependent on it. Not using lick buckets due to badgers. How much is a bolus?

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055579971&page=268 reading M T cranium's weather forecast I'd be tempted to hold on for another week.

whelan2

Think the bolus only works for a limited time. Saw a lad had a mineral bucket holder welded on to the side of his round feeder. Badgers can't get at bucket then. Have also seen holders on gates to keep the bucket up high