Calf price chitchat

Panch18

Timmaay wrote: »

When you say our industry what do you mean? Dairying? Personally it's never been better for us here.

I suppose that’s what’s happened

Young fellas like you have been brain washed into thinking that anything over 30 cent a litre is a great price for milk

You’ll learn

Panch18

Albert Johnson wrote: »

An adjustment of calf prices was need for beef bred calves imo to ensure the continuation of beef finishing. As for X bred calves the much fabled Kiwis don't see any value in them so I suppose we won't be any different. Perhaps we're reading too much into the whole scenario and the majority of the public will forget about slaughtering young calves when the next shock headline appears. I don't relish the possibility personally but perhaps this is the new era of Irish dairying and in a few years it will be seen as normal progression.

I think Irish dairying is hugely successful and this needs to be remembered but it is at crossroads regarding its future. We can either continue down the route many are on and follow outside advice or promote our own brand of Irish dairying. If we choose the former we embrace all aspects of "Kiwi" style dairying be they good or bad and the consequences if any. If we choose the latter we will have to rewrite the rule book to include what we believe important. It's an "Irish solution to an Irish problem" that's currently need imo.

Ah the great Irish dairy success story

Success for Siobhan talbot and the like as their pay grows rapidly. Success for fertiliser and input companies who’s prices grow year on year, success for the country with the creation of jobs and the spending of money on stainless steel etc

But what about the dairy farmer who’s milking more cows than ever before for less money than ever before, working harder to go backwards. Producing livestock that is worthless, producing milk that was worth more in the 80’s. And working harder than ever to do it because unlike the past they can’t afford the labour now

Success my arse

Albert Johnson

Panch18 wrote: »

Ah the great Irish dairy success story

Success for Siobhan talbot and the like as their pay grows rapidly. Success for fertiliser and input companies who’s prices grow year on year, success for the country with the creation of jobs and the spending of money on stainless steel etc

But what about the dairy farmer who’s milking more cows than ever before for less money than ever before, working harder to go backwards. Producing livestock that is worthless, producing milk that was worth more in the 80’s. And working harder than ever to do it because unlike the past they can’t afford the labour now

Success my arse

Replace dairy with sucklers and the lovely Siobhan with Larry and you've summed up us here west of the Shannon. Can I ask what your proposals are to alleviate all those quite valid concerns?
As I've said before I'm convinced Irish agriculture is being phased out gradually. A short-term solution would be reduce the stock numbers by 50% and invest in some nice mare donkeys. That should tide you over until we can do as a lot of dairy lads have wet dreams about and tow the island a few thousand miles south and rename it New New Zealand so that the transformation can be fully completed. As for here west of the Shannon I think we'd be better matched with Brazil for beef production. It would certainly make the whole Brexit issue an awful lot easier!!!!

Base price

Albert Johnson wrote: »

I'm not arguing about that to be fair, again regards the terminology I agree that the wording needs to be correct. Disposal isn't a great fit I know but it's going to take great PR to portray slaughtering such calves as anything other than an uncomfortable solution. What is the resulting "meat" from such calves used for anyway?

We Irish don't traditionally eat veal let alone baby veal but in other cultures it is normal. Presently Irish veal carcasses are exported to various countries.
Edit to say that this is not a new phenomenon in Ireland. Calves have been slaughtered here for human food consumption for well on 20 years.

Timmaay

Panch18 wrote: »

I suppose that’s what’s happened

Young fellas like you have been brain washed into thinking that anything over 30 cent a litre is a great price for milk

You’ll learn

Brainwashed, lol, I've been called alot of things over the years but I think that is a 1st, thanks. I really don't think I am however, I know I'm in a reasonably lucky situation given what I've inherited, and in terms of here being well suited to a long grazing season, but equally so I've kept the head down, followed what advice I thought appropriate (alot of it was from the teagasc hynmsheet, but equally so I saw it in action in other farms), and the farm here has evolved massively over the last 7 yrs, from a largely unsustainable liquid milk herd doing low solids and with poor grass utilisation, and a completely unmanageable workload to what we have now. I'm lucky in that I have plenty of options available to me, a long term lease on the farm and got back at my original career could work well, however right now dairying is the best option for afew reasons, including the income we make, even with milk only at 31/32c.

However no, I certainly don't think anything over 30c is great, I know well that I'm at the bottom of the dairy food chain, that all of Glanbia are making big money on the back of my milk sold to them, and that they are lagging about 2c/l behind where they should be. However what the hell can I actually do about it? I do my small bit of bitching in the milk price thread, I'm certainly not happy that I had to sign up to another Msa to sell the liquid quota here (which removes any bargaining chip I have with glanbia for next few yrs), but other than this I do not get hung up on it, life is too short to waste it being negative and bitter about stuff outside my control. When I think the profit margins in dairying are too low for me I'll be straight out the door here and on to the next adventure in life.

Albert Johnson

Base price wrote: »

We Irish don't traditionally eat veal let alone baby veal but in other cultures it is normal. Presently Irish veal carcasses are exported to various countries.

Yes I'm aware of the white and rose veal industries in other countries and the whole culture stigma against it here. I'd assumed that there wouldn't have been much flesh on a 2 week old dairy bred calf so thought it might have gone into something else but this was just an assumption on my behalf.

K.G.

been thinking about this for the evening and my thoughts are unfortunately the days of the easy option of selling calves at 2 to 3 weeks and out the door are gone at least for the moment and we are going to have accept that we are going to have to bring calves to a stage where they are more saleable for drystock farmers.in the case of jerseyx it would be a loss leader but for fr bulls it would probaly be a zero sum game.dairy men will be up in arms but the fact is there is currently no market for them at 3 week stage and calf disposal is a non runner.shinagh farms are now rearing the calves due to concerns carbery had about the image of farms owned by the west cork coops disposing of calves and i belive are moving away from crossbreeding .we must not give an oppertunity to vested interests to blacken our industry with the" dirty dairy" label that is dogging nz dairy.to be honest if you cant handle the calves you shouldnt have the cows

Base price

Albert Johnson wrote: »

Yes I'm aware of the white and rose veal industries in other countries and the whole culture stigma against it here. I'd assumed that there wouldn't have been much flesh on a 2 week old dairy bred calf so thought it might have gone into something else but this was just an assumption on my behalf.

I would never have assumed that there was a tradition for consuming baby suckling piglets outside Asia but apparently I was wrong - https://www.bascofinefoods.com/spanish-recipes/roasted-suckling-pig-recipe/

Mortelaro

Milk was the equivalent of 30c a litre 30 years ago too
What in the name of God other industry would still be stuck on prices from 30 years ago? and don't get me started on beef
We"re all mad

Never wrestle with pigs

whelan2 wrote: »

I don't know any dairy farmer using an aax or hex to mop up

I know a few, cheep and cheerful.

Never wrestle with pigs

Keepgrowing wrote: »

Why are “good Hol” herds only getting €20-60 per calf so?

They are getting sold arnt they? Not getting put down.

orm0nd

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

I can't understand why more dairy guys don't use well proven AI bulls. Take the limousin bull LM2014 in Dovea for example. Only 3.1% for calving and his gestation is only 3 days longer than the average angus.
Would 3 days lost milk not be well offset by the increase in calf price?

When we were breeding pb Limousin we had a lot of montbeliarde cows and used to get serious money for our yearlings. Unless you have a good BF type cow the seasoned beef man will tell you it's an non runner. Having said that most coloured calves from dairy herds are making north off 300 euros in the ring.

Pidae.m

whelan2 wrote: »

I don't know any dairy farmer using an aax or hex to mop up

You've never been to kerry so!

Pidae.m

Good news gortatlea was on fire yesterday, some desperate rubbish that was making 5 on Monday was making 40 there. Hex bulls 310 hex heifers 290.

Sheep breeder

Timmaay wrote: »

Brainwashed, lol, I've been called alot of things over the years but I think that is a 1st, thanks. I really don't think I am however, I know I'm in a reasonably lucky situation given what I've inherited, and in terms of here being well suited to a long grazing season, but equally so I've kept the head down, followed what advice I thought appropriate (alot of it was from the teagasc hynmsheet, but equally so I saw it in action in other farms), and the farm here has evolved massively over the last 7 yrs, from a largely unsustainable liquid milk herd doing low solids and with poor grass utilisation, and a completely unmanageable workload to what we have now. I'm lucky in that I have plenty of options available to me, a long term lease on the farm and got back at my original career could work well, however right now dairying is the best option for afew reasons, including the income we make, even with milk only at 31/32c.

However no, I certainly don't think anything over 30c is great, I know well that I'm at the bottom of the dairy food chain, that all of Glanbia are making big money on the back of my milk sold to them, and that they are lagging about 2c/l behind where they should be. However what the hell can I actually do about it? I do my small bit of bitching in the milk price thread, I'm certainly not happy that I had to sign up to another Msa to sell the liquid quota here (which removes any bargaining chip I have with glanbia for next few yrs), but other than this I do not get hung up on it, life is too short to waste it being negative and bitter about stuff outside my control. When I think the profit margins in dairying are too low for me I'll be straight out the door here and on to the next adventure in life.

Fair play to you for driving on and improving a farm by the sea.

yewtree

Panch18 wrote: »

Ah the great Irish dairy success story

Success for Siobhan talbot and the like as their pay grows rapidly. Success for fertiliser and input companies who’s prices grow year on year, success for the country with the creation of jobs and the spending of money on stainless steel etc

But what about the dairy farmer who’s milking more cows than ever before for less money than ever before, working harder to go backwards. Producing livestock that is worthless, producing milk that was worth more in the 80’s. And working harder than ever to do it because unlike the past they can’t afford the labour now

Success my arse

If it's so bad get out. No one is forcing you to milk cows, . Personal digs at lads with a different farming system is fairly pathetic as well. The situation you outline above is your perception not the reality, every industry is getting more efficient dairying is no different looking back at the 80s and presenting were great isn't going to get us anywhere.

Panch18

yewtree wrote: »

If it's so bad get out. No one is forcing you to milk cows, . Personal digs at lads with a different farming system is fairly pathetic as well. The situation you outline above is your perception not the reality, every industry is getting more efficient dairying is no different looking back at the 80s and presenting were great isn't going to get us anywhere.

What are you talking about?? I’m not having a personal dig at anybody with a different farming system. I haven’t even mentioned farming systems

But if you want to bury your head in the sand as to how crap milk prices, in fact all Agri prices, are now compared to 30 years ago you do that. That’s what these “industry” guys need, fellas stuck under a cow 24-7 so that they can’t see the fool that being made of them

Panch18

Albert Johnson wrote: »

Replace dairy with sucklers and the lovely Siobhan with Larry and you've summed up us here west of the Shannon. Can I ask what your proposals are to alleviate all those quite valid concerns?
As I've said before I'm convinced Irish agriculture is being phased out gradually. A short-term solution would be reduce the stock numbers by 50% and invest in some nice mare donkeys. That should tide you over until we can do as a lot of dairy lads have wet dreams about and tow the island a few thousand miles south and rename it New New Zealand so that the transformation can be fully completed. As for here west of the Shannon I think we'd be better matched with Brazil for beef production. It would certainly make the whole Brexit issue an awful lot easier!!!!

Albert I don’t have any proposals or solutions I’m afraid. Just telling it as I see it. And I just think that farming is on its knees. We are getting zero reward for our produce and our work.

I think that we are in the worst situation for farming,possibly ever, but definitely in my lifetime. We are working harder and harder yet getting poorer and poorer relative to the rest of society. The amount of money drained from farmers before it even gets to them has never been greater, it is unsustainable

green daries

Panch18 wrote: »

yewtree wrote: »

If it's so bad get out. No one is forcing you to milk cows, . Personal digs at lads with a different farming system is fairly pathetic as well. The situation you outline above is your perception not the reality, every industry is getting more efficient dairying is no different looking back at the 80s and presenting were great isn't going to get us anywhere.

What are you talking about?? I’m not having a personal dig at anybody with a different farming system. I haven’t even mentioned farming systems

But if you want to bury your head in the sand as to how crap milk prices, in fact all Agri prices, are now compared to 30 years ago you do that. That’s what these “industry” guys need, fellas stuck under a cow 24-7 so that they can’t see the fool that being made of them

+1

White Clover

Panch18 wrote: »

Albert I don’t have any proposals or solutions I’m afraid. Just telling it as I see it. And I just think that farming is on its knees. We are getting zero reward for our produce and our work.

I think that we are in the worst situation for farming,possibly ever, but definitely in my lifetime. We are working harder and harder yet getting poorer and poorer relative to the rest of society. The amount of money drained from farmers before it even gets to them has never been greater, it is unsustainable

Completely agree panch, just look at the state of our villages and rural ireland, ghost towns. There's no money in rural ireland anymore. The wealth is now with the "processors".

Bass Reeves

How to change the present issue is the question. those that think a veal program are deluded. Veal is a high cost game with lots of inputs and low margin it is a numbers game. it was tried 2-3 times before and failed. Unless dairy farmers want to do it themselves or suckler famers no sane beef man will consider it unless there is a guaranteed finished price and there is no hope of that.

The Advive from Teagasc and other to dairy farmers to offload calves as early as possible is flawed. Calves were started to be offloads at 7 days last year and some lads were adjusting the boirth date this year to off load earlier I imagine. If a calf rearer is willing X at 3-4 weeks or at 6 weeks of age for a calf and if it is not paying the dairy farmer to carry him to that age. Then there is an issue. because some of these calves are worthless at 7-10 days old. Dairy farmer have been preaching it is not worth their while to carry a calf to 3+ weeks of age because of the cost. They cannot presume that beef farmers will take the calves anyway at 7-10 days.

The next issue is mop up bulls. Dairy farmers have to start using bulls that will give a value to calves not pick the easiest calving rubbish out there. Bull will have to be genomic tested. 30-40 years ago you had to have a licence for a bull just like a shotgun. The guard called other wise. while there speakeasy bulls around because of the choice of good bulls these were not as commom as lads taught. however over time the fine was too easy to pay. Maybe we need to get back to a situation where beef bred mop up bulls are genomic tested and licenced for the use of a better word. Extreme easy calving are as bad as extreme hard calving bulls.

Dairy farmers have to accept that calves will not be as profitable as previous and these calves that have no value will have to either be raised to an older age or another disposal method used. I am not sure if the dairy industry will be happy with a slaughter at birth policy over the medium term.

whelan2

Pidae.m wrote: »

Good news gortatlea was on fire yesterday, some desperate rubbish that was making 5 on Monday was making 40 there. Hex bulls 310 hex heifers 290.

I wonder will the ones that didn't sell last week make an appearance in marts this week?

whelan2

Panch18 wrote: »

Albert I don’t have any proposals or solutions I’m afraid. Just telling it as I see it. And I just think that farming is on its knees. We are getting zero reward for our produce and our work.

I think that we are in the worst situation for farming,possibly ever, but definitely in my lifetime. We are working harder and harder yet getting poorer and poorer relative to the rest of society. The amount of money drained from farmers before it even gets to them has never been greater, it is unsustainable

Aye so what's the plan for the Bank Holiday weekend?

_Brian

whelan2 wrote: »

Aye so what's the plan for the Bank Holiday weekend?

Sunday is looking cool, breezy and dry.

Perfect for a troop upnthe side of a mountain somewhere.

GrasstoMilk

Bass Reeves wrote: »

How to change the present issue is the question. those that think a veal program are deluded. Veal is a high cost game with lots of inputs and low margin it is a numbers game. it was tried 2-3 times before and failed. Unless dairy farmers want to do it themselves or suckler famers no sane beef man will consider it unless there is a guaranteed finished price and there is no hope of that.

The Advive from Teagasc and other to dairy farmers to offload calves as early as possible is flawed. Calves were started to be offloads at 7 days last year and some lads were adjusting the boirth date this year to off load earlier I imagine. If a calf rearer is willing X at 3-4 weeks or at 6 weeks of age for a calf and if it is not paying the dairy farmer to carry him to that age. Then there is an issue. because some of these calves are worthless at 7-10 days old. Dairy farmer have been preaching it is not worth their while to carry a calf to 3+ weeks of age because of the cost. They cannot presume that beef farmers will take the calves anyway at 7-10 days.

The next issue is mop up bulls. Dairy farmers have to start using bulls that will give a value to calves not pick the easiest calving rubbish out there. Bull will have to be genomic tested. 30-40 years ago you had to have a licence for a bull just like a shotgun. The guard called other wise. while there speakeasy bulls around because of the choice of good bulls these were not as commom as lads taught. however over time the fine was too easy to pay. Maybe we need to get back to a situation where beef bred mop up bulls are genomic tested and licenced for the use of a better word. Extreme easy calving are as bad as extreme hard calving bulls.

Dairy farmers have to accept that calves will not be as profitable as previous and these calves that have no value will have to either be raised to an older age or another disposal method used. I am not sure if the dairy industry will be happy with a slaughter at birth policy over the medium term.

For me to rear a calf to 3 weeks of age I need 90-100€ at least. It will cost 60€ plus to get him to that age.
The issue is not the calves its Larry and Brexit. There was always money to be made from friesan fattened at 30 months but now Larry has it all to himself and pays what he wants.
He's the issue, we never had big holstein cows and always turned a few pound out of fattened bullocks, it just so happens that dairy is much more profitable than keeping a few bullocks on land cows can graze.

My calves last year made from 80-160 at 14 days old. This year they're only getting 30-40€, the calf hasnt changed but the market has

wrangler

Panch18 wrote: »

What are you talking about?? I’m not having a personal dig at anybody with a different farming system. I haven’t even mentioned farming systems

But if you want to bury your head in the sand as to how crap milk prices, in fact all Agri prices, are now compared to 30 years ago you do that. That’s what these “industry” guys need, fellas stuck under a cow 24-7 so that they can’t see the fool that being made of them

You can't compare with thirty years ago, there was a quota on milk production and even at that there was butter mountains, same with beef, not a quota but a substantial (compared with now)minimum price because of intervention.......basically the processors could tell the supermarket buyers to give the price or they'd dump the produce .
Farmers themselves have made it a race to the bottom, but I've been saying that this ten years

kk.man

whelan2 wrote: »

I wonder will the ones that didn't sell last week make an appearance in marts this week?

I think that day is coming to an end too. Message from Tullow Mart yesterday;
'Weekly Cattle tomorrow Fri 14th March at 11am. Calf Sale in Ring 2 at 11.30am, we have no facility for Jersey or Crossbred calves this week. Tullow Mart'

Timmaay

wrangler wrote: »

You can't compare with thirty years ago, there was a quota on milk production and even at that there was butter mountains, same with beef, not a quota but a substantial (compared with now)minimum price because of intervention.......basically the processors could tell the supermarket buyers to give the price or they'd dump the produce .
Farmers themselves have made it a race to the bottom, but I've been saying that this ten years

This is it, always a race to the bottom, all we can do is try to slow down the race.

yewtree

Panch18 wrote: »

What are you talking about?? I’m not having a personal dig at anybody with a different farming system. I haven’t even mentioned farming systems

But if you want to bury your head in the sand as to how crap milk prices, in fact all Agri prices, are now compared to 30 years ago you do that. That’s what these “industry” guys need, fellas stuck under a cow 24-7 so that they can’t see the fool that being made of them

What relevance has what happened 30 years got? What other industry is operating the same way it did 30 years ago?
Agricultural prices are what they are you can either make it work or you can't.
Farmers are not the only industry that work longer than 40 hours/week ask any small business owner. If farmers can never get away from the farm they are just badly organised.

wrangler

Adam henson gave it fairly straight at an Alltech conference
https://www.independent.ie/business/farming/agri-business/farmers-need-to-ditch-the-underpaid-whinging-image-bbc-star-tells-dublin-conference-37914781.html?fbclid=IwAR3ElL3yHQAQz9ZyDh9E4pUB5uG2mCeBC3SRt2jvhZHjMRu_s8HMlWo4jtk

He has his finger in several pies and probably got thousands to tell us that, apparently he charges £2000 to open a show

K.G.

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

For me to rear a calf to 3 weeks of age I need 90-100€ at least. It will cost 60€ plus to get him to that age.
The issue is not the calves its Larry and Brexit. There was always money to be made from friesan fattened at 30 months but now Larry has it all to himself and pays what he wants.
He's the issue, we never had big holstein cows and always turned a few pound out of fattened bullocks, it just so happens that dairy is much more profitable than keeping a few bullocks on land cows can graze.

My calves last year made from 80-160 at 14 days old. This year they're only getting 30-40€, the calf hasnt changed but the market has

i suppose that is the mindset that has to change.there is going to be no profit in dairy bred bull calves anymore-larrys strategy has seen to that and theres another thing gone missing in ireland-calf rearing skills.as many fellas gave up milking cowsin the quota years they had the skills to transfer to rearing calves.that generation is now gone or has transfered to sucklers so you have very few custumers with the skills required to rear calves.export helped for a couple of years but this year and last has shown that it isnot the solution to compact calving.we either go down the disposal route or facilitate their marketing in ireland.in much the same way as one time pig farmers would plenty lads drawing slurry from them but now are paying to move and are renting land to use it

1373

Panch18 wrote: »

What are you talking about?? I’m not having a personal dig at anybody with a different farming system. I haven’t even mentioned farming systems

But if you want to bury your head in the sand as to how crap milk prices, in fact all Agri prices, are now compared to 30 years ago you do that. That’s what these “industry” guys need, fellas stuck under a cow 24-7 so that they can’t see the fool that being made of them

Hello , long time watcher , but never posted before .I i may add my bit to the debate . Everyone is on here saying what a problem we have with calves but the guys buying are hardly complaining . There might be an issue with quality but that was there last year also and prices stayed high , so quality is not the problem . The suckler man is getting no better prices than the dairy calf [ O3 is fine for the factory ] so maybe the problem is there are simply too many calves in the country , simple supply and demand

Say my name

Larry is getting the blame here now but it was the IFA that championed the introduction of the QPS grid based payment system.

https://www.independent.ie/business/farming/beef/review-of-factorys-beef-grid-shows-it-has-cost-farmers-78m-35158300.html

Remember the prices for heavy dairy stock before the introduction of this in 2009. This was supposed to be the saviour of suckler farming. And now the suckler farmers are in trouble and are breaking away from the IFA. So it seems it was only a sticking plaster.

Bring back flat rate..

alps

kk.man wrote: »

I think that day is coming to an end too. Message from Tullow Mart yesterday;
'Weekly Cattle tomorrow Fri 14th March at 11am. Calf Sale in Ring 2 at 11.30am, we have no facility for Jersey or Crossbred calves this week. Tullow Mart'

Definitive and brave decision.

wrangler

Say my name wrote: »

Larry is getting the blame here now but it was the IFA that championed the introduction of the QPS grid based payment system.

https://www.independent.ie/business/farming/beef/review-of-factorys-beef-grid-shows-it-has-cost-farmers-78m-35158300.html

Remember the prices for heavy dairy stock before the introduction of this in 2009. This was supposed to be the saviour of suckler farming. And now the suckler farmers are in trouble and are breaking away from the IFA. So it seems it was only a sticking plaster.

Bring back flat rate..

There'd be some whinge then, if farmers would stick together they could make the factories only buy flat rate.
Farmers themselves wanted the department graders of the line but like dairy farmers now making up people to blame for their own mistakes, IFA have to take the blame again
I remember because all my cattle were going to Moyvalley and I was more than well treated there, I just used to wonder WTF was the issue hearing it at beef meetings

GrasstoMilk

wrangler wrote: »

There'd be some whinge then, if farmers would stick together they could make the factories only buy flat rate.
Farmers themselves wanted the department graders of the line but like dairy farmers now making up people to blame for their own mistakes, IFA have to take the blame again
I remember because all my cattle were going to Moyvalley and I was more than well treated there, I just used to wonder WTF was the issue hearing it at beef meetings

What dairy farmers are making up ppl to blame? Its everyone else as far as I can see.

Albert Johnson

Panch18 wrote: »

Albert I don’t have any proposals or solutions I’m afraid. Just telling it as I see it. And I just think that farming is on its knees. We are getting zero reward for our produce and our work.

I think that we are in the worst situation for farming,possibly ever, but definitely in my lifetime. We are working harder and harder yet getting poorer and poorer relative to the rest of society. The amount of money drained from farmers before it even gets to them has never been greater, it is unsustainable

The above viewpoint is unpopular but I can't argue that much of it is anything other than the truth. We've as a people have largely lost our respect for food and food producers imo. Much of the population is that far removed from how there food is produced that they never question where the constant downward spiral of pricing will end. A cheap and constant supply is now seen as a given right and I believe that agriculture is now only viewed as a necessary evil by many.

I'm at a loss as to how this trend could be reversed but nothing is outside the realms of possibility. I think that the constant strive for increased productivity although a bonus in many cases has blinded us to the downward spiral of returns in recent years. We're constantly working as producers towards improvement within the farm gate but we are let down by the processers imo. Dairying is able to withstand the storm currently but for how long if the same status quo continues, as for all other sectors I'm not very optimistic unless there's a polar change in how we're treated.

Gawddawggonnit

Xbred dairy herds bred to xbred ‘Herefords’ and ‘Angus’...wtf do you expect?

Xbred herds have seen this coming and couldn’t give a fcuk...”giddyup”!

If slaughtering newborns seems to be the solution, then why not just induce cows before term?
With about 10-15kgs of meat yield from a calf carcass the factories will probably charge for processing...so just induce before term?

I can’t believe the slant this thread is taking...grass fed, gmo free, bST free etc etc... slaughtering newborns, be grand?
Jesus wept.

grassroot1

Sheep breeder wrote:

What are the knackery charging to collect a calf?

Fecking robbers paid 50 last week

_Brian

Gawddawggonnit wrote: »

Xbred dairy herds bred to xbred ‘Herefords’ and ‘Angus’...wtf do you expect?

Xbred herds have seen this coming and couldn’t give a fcuk...”giddyup”!

If slaughtering newborns seems to be the solution, then why not just induce cows before term?
With about 10-15kgs of meat yield from a calf carcass the factories will probably charge for processing...so just induce before term?

I can’t believe the slant this thread is taking...grass fed, gmo free, bST free etc etc... slaughtering newborns, be grand?
Jesus wept.

I suppose it’s good for lads to throw out ideas. It’s not like they will ever be acted on.

Base price

Gawddawggonnit wrote: »

Xbred dairy herds bred to xbred ‘Herefords’ and ‘Angus’...wtf do you expect?

Xbred herds have seen this coming and couldn’t give a fcuk...”giddyup”!

If slaughtering newborns seems to be the solution, then why not just induce cows before term?
With about 10-15kgs of meat yield from a calf carcass the factories will probably charge for processing...so just induce before term?

I can’t believe the slant this thread is taking...grass fed, gmo free, bST free etc etc... slaughtering newborns, be grand?
Jesus wept.

I was talking to a DAFM Vet during the week about the issue with cross bred calves and he was adamant that we don't go down the NZ route of inducing cows or culling newborns on farms. He told me that when he worked in NZ cows were induced at 7/8 months and farm workers would walk through the paddocks with a spiky hammer culling the fetuses as they lay on the ground. He also told me that on farms where inducing didn't take place the newborns were either culled on farm or collected daily live by contractors.
We have adopted some of the NZ dairy practices but we don't need to adopt their dismal animal welfare issues.

wrangler

Base price wrote: »

I was talking to a DAFM Vet during the week about the issue with cross bred calves and he was adamant that we don't go down the NZ route of inducing cows or culling newborns on farms. He told me that when he worked in NZ cows were induced at 7/8 months and farm workers would walk through the paddocks with a spiky hammer culling the fetuses as they lay on the ground. He also told me that on farms where inducing didn't take place the newborns were either culled on farm or collected daily live by contractors.
We have adopted some of the NZ dairy practices but we don't need to adopt their dismal animal welfare issues.

A neighbour was at the knackery today, he reckoned that not all the dead calves died of natural causes...... only saying

whelan2

Are there any boats going with calves at all?

Base price

whelan2 wrote: »

Are there any boats going with calves at all?

There is a marine weather warning for gales tonight and into tomorrow on the Irish Sea so I doubt any will go over the weekend.

whelan2

Base price wrote: »

There is a marine weather warning for gales tonight and into tomorrow on the Irish Sea so I doubt any will go over the weekend.

Did any go during the week? Or was it too windy

Base price

wrangler wrote: »

A neighbour was at the knackery today, he reckoned that not all the dead calves died of natural causes...... only saying

I reckon that it is taking place but those farmers may get a visit from their local DVO. Council Vets are obliged to report unusual deaths.

Base price

whelan2 wrote: »

Did any go during the week? Or was it too windy

I don't think so. We have calves ready to go and they are still here.

Cavanjack

yewtree wrote: »

What relevance has what happened 30 years got? What other industry is operating the same way it did 30 years ago?
Agricultural prices are what they are you can either make it work or you can't.
Farmers are not the only industry that work longer than 40 hours/week ask any small business owner. If farmers can never get away from the farm they are just badly organised.

Also there was no-one making money like farmers 30 years ago. Maybe it's just that other industries have caught up wage wise since. What was the wage of a factory worker back in the late 80's I wonder, would they have made
10k a year?

Who2

Cavanjack wrote: »

Also there was no-one making money like farmers 30 years ago. Maybe it's just that other industries have caught up wage wise since. What was the wage of a factory worker back in the late 80's I wonder, would they have made
10k a year?

If they were they were wealthy, I was in a large family home today that took 4K pound to build in 81. Interest rates at 17 or 18 %

Base price

Cavanjack wrote: »

Also there was no-one making money like farmers 30 years ago. Maybe it's just that other industries have caught up wage wise since. What was the wage of a factory worker back in the late 80's I wonder, would they have made
10k a year?

I started working as a secretary in the early 80's during a recession, high unemployment and when most of my school friends emigrated to either the UK or US. A few years before we had a number of petrol shortages due to the OPEC oil crises. I got paid £145 per week and I was delighted to have a job close to home. In those days farming was considered as a safe and stable profession.