alternative to keeping cattle

kincaid

we keep about 7 each year just to qualify for the subsidy but recently its not been profitable at all.

Inchilad

kincaid wrote:

we keep about 7 each year just to qualify for the subsidy but recently its not been profitable at all.

How many acres?

kincaid

its very small 18 acres

Tail painter

kincaid wrote: »

we keep about 7 each year just to qualify for the subsidy but recently its not been profitable at all.

You could sell silage off it and then set it to someone from June 1st. Once you farm it up to May 31st, you will qualify for BPS.

tractorporn

kincaid wrote:

its very small 18 acres

Dairy goats? Free range chickens? Sheep?

All count towards stocking rate.

meathchap

interesting, we keep cattle, 5-6 for sub too but sheep might be a better bet, how is sheep worked out for the stocking rate compared to cattle

tractorporn

meathchap wrote:

interesting, we keep cattle, 5-6 for sub too but sheep might be a better bet, how is sheep worked out for the stocking rate compared to cattle

A ewe and lamb unit is 0.15 of a livestock unit. So 7 ewes is just over a livestock unit. One cow is a full livestock unit. A one to two year old bullock is 0.6 of a livestock unit and a two year old bullock is a full livestock unit.

meathchap

tractorporn wrote: »

A ewe and lamb unit is 0.15 of a livestock unit. So 7 ewes is just over a livestock unit. One cow is a full livestock unit. A one to two year old bullock is 0.6 of a livestock unit and a two year old bullock is a full livestock unit.

thanks so i assume its the same with goats,

how do the chickens work out then

tractorporn

meathchap wrote:

thanks so i assume its the same with goats,

For meat goats yes but for a dairy goat it is 0.25 of a livestock unit so 4 goats make a full livestock unit

meathchap wrote:

how do the chickens work out then

Table birds are 0.005 of a livestock unit so 200 birds for a full unit and laying hens are 0.015 of a livestock unit so round 70 birds for a full livestock unit.

J.O. Farmer

tractorporn wrote: »

Dairy goats? Free range chickens? Sheep?

All count towards stocking rate.

Donkeys only their feet need trimming and you won't make anything on them.

1 donkey is a full unit.

meathchap

J.O. Farmer wrote: »

Donkeys only their feet need trimming and you won't make anything on them.

1 donkey is a full unit.

I see some farmers have them but is there much point in keeping them when you make nothing on them and they eat a hell of alot too

new2me

you guys mention goats donkeys but wouldn't you have to register these by tagging etc


also i notice hens was mentions so how does them work then?

wrangler

kincaid wrote: »

its very small 18 acres

18 acres of good land would carry 90 breeding ewes, which at 1.5 lambs/ewe would yield €14500, produce them as cheap as you can after that.....net profit here is about €40/ewe

tractorporn

new2me wrote:

you guys mention goats donkeys but wouldn't you have to register these by tagging etc

Yeah but the op has cattle atm which also have to be tagged and registered so no change there.

new2me wrote:

also i notice hens was mentions so how does them work then?

You will have to register as a flock with DAFM and keep a flock register. Afaik if you have under 50 laying birds you don't have to register as an egg producer as well.

PeterCasey

Would store lambs be an option for you fatten them for butcher lambs, that's what I do with about the same acerage its away from the house any extra grass I have make bales out of it sell them on.