Suckler farmers anonymous

blue5000

390kid wrote: »

I’m 390 kid, my addiction started at a early age fooling around with some red whiteheads that where always here, but that wasn’t enough i wanted bigger wilder cattle and when the humble numbers at home couldn’t settle my addiction I went to the neighbours for my fix, big red women that would ate ya and golden bull calf that I’d be more suited to Cheltenham than the grazing fields around here. I thought I turned a corner this year as they all went with Tb but as where nearly open again to buy I’m bouncing to get them, Jaysus might even chance a purebred or a extremely dear roan one. Will it wear out or should I seek more help

Would you fancy a few black pollies with go faster tiger stripes on them (1/4 aubrac)? They'd survive on the clippings of a hedge, calve by themselves and go in calf with just the smell of a bull in the next field. I can't guarantee it but I'd nearly think they are immune to TB as well. They are descended from the 16 cows I had left after a major breakdown 5 or 6 years ago.

These ladies have been especially trained to clean out a LIPP paddock better than any topper, they'd even trim the hedges for you outside the hedgecutting closed dates. You'd want a second or third strand of wire here and there though just in case you had to get them into the yard some day or had to keep them out of the silage ground. One strand is grand for when you wouldn't see them every day and they could move themselves if they got a bit hungry or the JFC trough stopped leaking in a paddock.

I know I sound like an enabler but have to reduce numbers a bit as I ticked the later box for the beam scheme Just couldn't reduce the numbers in time.

minerleague

blue5000 wrote: »

Would you fancy a few black pollies with go faster tiger stripes on them (1/4 aubrac)? They'd survive on the clippings of a hedge, calve by themselves and go in calf with just the smell of a bull in the next field. I can't guarantee it but I'd nearly think they are immune to TB as well. They are descended from the 16 cows I had left after a major breakdown 5 or 6 years ago.

These ladies have been especially trained to clean out a LIPP paddock better than any topper, they'd even trim the hedges for you outside the hedgecutting closed dates. You'd want a second or third strand of wire here and there though just in case you had to get them into the yard some day or had to keep them out of the silage ground. One strand is grand for when you wouldn't see them every day and they could move themselves if they got a bit hungry or the JFC trough stopped leaking in a paddock.

I know I sound like an enabler but have to reduce numbers a bit as I ticked the later box for the beam scheme Just couldn't reduce the numbers in time.

Have a look at Cross Timber Bison ( Youtube) tryin to dose his bull if it they are too quiet for you !

390kid

blue5000 wrote: »

Would you fancy a few black pollies with go faster tiger stripes on them (1/4 aubrac)? They'd survive on the clippings of a hedge, calve by themselves and go in calf with just the smell of a bull in the next field. I can't guarantee it but I'd nearly think they are immune to TB as well. They are descended from the 16 cows I had left after a major breakdown 5 or 6 years ago.

These ladies have been especially trained to clean out a LIPP paddock better than any topper, they'd even trim the hedges for you outside the hedgecutting closed dates. You'd want a second or third strand of wire here and there though just in case you had to get them into the yard some day or had to keep them out of the silage ground. One strand is grand for when you wouldn't see them every day and they could move themselves if they got a bit hungry or the JFC trough stopped leaking in a paddock.

I know I sound like an enabler but have to reduce numbers a bit as I ticked the later box for the beam scheme Just couldn't reduce the numbers in time.

Sure we could just chance anything to get the fix

390kid

emaherx wrote: »

Doubt it, that's not how addictions work, he'll be selling himself on the street for Roan Heifers.

Jaysus il hardly cover the price a one

Finty Lemon

Angus = magic mushrooms
Black whiteheads = marijuana
Simmental = LSD
Limousin = Coke
Charolais = crack
Blues = mainline heroin

Outrageous money being asked at the minute on DD for incalf heifers

charolais0153

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Outrageous money being asked at the minute on DD for incalf heifers

You'd have to question who's buying incalf heifers atm

charolais0153

charolais0153 wrote: »

You'd have to question who's buying incalf heifers atm

A few suckler addicts maybe money from the UAE

Finty Lemon

Finty Lemon wrote: »

Angus = magic mushrooms
Black whiteheads = marijuana
Simmental = LSD
Limousin = Coke
Charolais = crack
Blues = mainline heroin

Freisan bullocks - dutch gold

hereford bullocks - budweiser

Jerseys - braseire (small crappy bottle in lidl)

893bet

Deleted User wrote: »

Outrageous money being asked at the minute on DD for incalf heifers

How long from calving?

893bet

893bet wrote: »

How long from calving?

The ones I saw were a few months out like the autumn

Albert Johnson

[Deleted User] wrote: »

The ones I saw were a few months out like the autumn

A lot of the hardened suckler men calve from August through to Xmas. This leaves them with a serious "weanling" to sell the following backend. I always thought it was a good way of adding further expense and workload to what was an already under pressure enterprise. My idea of suckling is low cost all the way, namely calve to grass and try and minimise wintering costs which are the real killer imo. However a lot of lad's argue that seeing as the cow will spend 6, 7 or maybe nearer to 8 months receiving feeding in the shed she might as well be producing something during that time.

Albert Johnson

Albert Johnson wrote: »

A lot of the hardened suckler men calve from August through to Xmas. This leaves them with a serious "weanling" to sell the following backend. I always thought it was a good way of adding further expense and workload to what was an already under pressure enterprise. My idea of suckling is low cost all the way, namely calve to grass and try and minimise wintering costs which are the real killer imo. However a lot of lad's argue that seeing as the cow will spend 6, 7 or maybe nearer to 8 months receiving feeding in the shed she might as well be producing something during that time.

6 months in the shed is a lot

I try and house in december and out early march

Albert Johnson

[Deleted User] wrote: »

6 months in the shed is a lot

I try and house in december and out early march

I'm not disagreeing with you but it's standard enough practice on a lot of marginal land. Cow's housed in late October and not getting back to grass until well into May. It depends on the weather from year to year but that would be the case for a lot of lad's in those areas most year's. I don't know have I ever seen as much housed cattle appearing in the marts in June as this year. Even up to this week I saw cattle that were coming directly out of sheds being sold in the mart. You'd have to wonder what lad's do be at keeping stock indoors virtually all year round.

farawaygrass

I wonder when the bdgp scheme is up this year will there be a rush to sell again or will the market keep them interested?
Also with autumn calving you have far less calving difficulties and calf sickness.

893bet

farawaygrass wrote: »

I wonder when the bdgp scheme is up this year will there be a rush to sell again or will the market keep them interested?
Also with autumn calving you have far less calving difficulties and calf sickness.

Less sickness in autumn? Not sure about that? We do half and half and that wouldn’t be our experience.

Base price

Suckler cow numbers have dropped by 40k between June 2020 to June 2021 and not surprisingly dairy cow numbers have increased by 36.8K over the same period.

https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/suckler-cow-numbers-fall-by-over-40000-in-12-months-to-june/

funkey_monkey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117576084#Comment_117576084

Ours are normally in mid October and out once their calf (April/May) gets strong enough (usually 1 - 2 weeks, depending on how pushed for space we are). Used to calf earlier in March and put them out in late April/May depending on grass growth. Hoping to see them out into November this year, but will need to scan them first and then split the herd to avoid poaching the ground. Some of our cows would be bought in as calves from dairy herds and they would fail a bit more noticeably than those with a tougher pedigree.

Some fella's who farm PT would have them housed in early October as the ground never seems to dry out at this time of year and its better for them, cattle and field if brought into the house for winter. No point screwing the system in Spring for a few weeks marginal grazing at the back end of the year. Cattle in and let the sheep take what is leftover.

kollegeknight

House at Halloween here abs usually out mid April after herd test.

the land gets wet quick but doesn’t dry quickly.

Who2

I try to have them in the last week of October and start putting out cows and calves from February on but everything usually early April.

I used to calve half my cows in the autumn it does add a lot of expenses. I don’t however mind calving down heifers from October on so as I can get them back in calf for January or February the following year without too much hassle.