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Is farming actually profitable?

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    #122
    Gman1987
    Registered Users Posts: 375 ✭✭Gman1987


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119320770#Comment_119320770

    Forget the cows, buy in a few dry stock instead and keep things as simple as possible for yourself.



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    #123
    Picking Dasies
    Registered Users Posts: 31 ✭Picking Dasies


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119320846#Comment_119320846

    AI. Camera set up on outfarm that will help with identifying in heat cows / calving etc, worked for me this year with all cows done.

    I suppose im wondering what cow / calf combination will get me the best balance.

    Have a few unhelpful cows which are going this back end and i want to gradually replace with easier stock.

    I was thinking Hereford / Sim cows?



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    #124
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119320846#Comment_119320846

    4 or 500 is a lot of cost for a bull.

    Wouldnt the bull live away on grass 9 months of the year. And do with a bit of hay or silage for the rest of the time?



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    #125
    Picking Dasies
    Registered Users Posts: 31 ✭Picking Dasies


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119320904#Comment_119320904

    Dry stock is an option but i find the suckler takes care of themselves for most part of the year, if you look after them well and i love to see the calves!

    Obviously the AI / Calving is the most time consuming.



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    #126
    monseiur
    Registered Users Posts: 1,248 ✭✭✭monseiur


    Can I ask a quick question here in relation to farm grants. We visited the OH's uncle in north Mayo at the weekend. He runs roughly 150 ewes on his farm which is low level bog land. Just last week the department wrote to him advising him that he was understocked and that he must up his numbers to have a certain minimium no. of sheep per hectare (not sure of the no. mentioned) but he would have to nearly double the no. of ewes. He does not get the ANC grant but gets what he calls area aid which I guess is the Basic Payment. He was of the opinion that there was no minimium no. of stock required to qualify for the Basic Payment but the rules may have changed. The letter also mentioned his being considered an 'inactive farmer' ! Have the rules & regulations changed recently ? This lad is in his seventies and depends to an extent on the grant to pay for feed, fencing contractors, sheep shearers etc. but he'd be lost without it as it's the only life he knows.



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    #127
    Grueller
    Registered Users Posts: 5,228 ✭✭✭Grueller


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119320953#Comment_119320953

    He'd eat 4 bales silage minimum and probably 5. Dose him, maybe a hoof pared, a few € for the cost of replacement in time, straw (no bull should be on slats imo), a drop of diesel to feed and clean him out, his share of electricity, insurance, fencing, shed repairs, contractor costs for his share of the dung, maybe an injection for something. Not to mention the cost of the grass that you mention for 9 months.



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    #128
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119321366#Comment_119321366

    Well in my case he’s staying outside on ground that isn’t fertilised.

    So:

    3 bales

    A pour on

    I agree with you on the slats



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    #129
    Danzy
    Registered Users Posts: 13,829 ✭✭✭✭Danzy


    Depends on your land, soil types etc. Location. How early you can get them out.


    I've been on a few farms in the south of county Cork during the week. I thought I knew what good land was, I had no Idea.


    You also need scale.


    Remember though, all of Europe places a premium on cheapness of food supply.


    I know some great handlers who are sick of it, long Winter and costs killing it for them.


    So it depends..



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    #130
    White Clover
    Registered Users Posts: 4,632 ✭✭✭White Clover


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119323716#Comment_119323716

    I often heard it said that as you travel the road from Youghal to Bandon via Cork, all the land between there and the coast is some of the best in the country.



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    #131
    Bass Reeves
    Registered Users Posts: 18,666 ✭✭✭✭Bass Reeves


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119320953#Comment_119320953

    Even if you put him on unfertilised ground that has a value because you could have other animals on it and spread less fertlizer elsewhere.

    I used to cost grazing at 50ish c/ day. A bull would cost that anyway. 9 months is 135 euro. 3 bales this year is 105 euro. Herd test dosing,etc another 20-30 euro. Allow fixed costs of 50 euro. That slight over 300 euro.

    The biggest issue with a bull is he spends most of the year by himself there fore he takes up more area and more time that most other stock

    Slava Ukrainii



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    #132
    farawaygrass
    Registered Users Posts: 1,937 ✭✭✭farawaygrass


    you’ll make hardship for yourself if you plan on only housing cows for jan and feb (location is a big factor obviously).

    I assume you are in college/working. It’s no fun pulling on waterproof clothing in November/December to go out in the dark and wet.

    you said ai, and you have experience from it this year. If it’s working great, but it can be time consuming and frustrating.

    the thing about a bull is I find they can be in the way when not with cows.

    a great cross is an Angus on bbx cows, if you can get the bbx that will throw shape into the calf. Them calves will sell like hot buns for you.



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    #133
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119323821#Comment_119323821

    If the bull does the job and say gets 25 or 30 in calf then he is good value at that price.

    The biggest cost with a bull is him not getting them in calf, poor calves off him or even worse him throwing absolutely massive calves that can’t be born unassisted.

    When you buy a young bull you might only be able to run him on 15 or 20 but he won’t eat as much I suppose.



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    #134
    Hard Knocks
    Registered Users Posts: 4,034 ✭✭✭Hard Knocks


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119321114#Comment_119321114

    The ANC replaced the Area Aid snd he must have a min stock level maintained for min 7 consecutive months. Does an advisor do his paperwork? if so you, your OH and the uncle need to visit the advisor and see what to do



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    #135
    Picking Dasies
    Registered Users Posts: 31 ✭Picking Dasies


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119323826#Comment_119323826

    Thanks. I'm working but have looked after the father farm for couple of years only. We don't house till 1st week Dec usually, a number of neighbours strip grazed a few cows well in to Jan last but it was a mild winter. We have the land to keep them out that bit longer. I had cows going out 1st week March this year. Always hardship involved but i was just wondering what others would consider a good breeding mix. Cheers.



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    #136
    DBK1
    Registered Users Posts: 2,215 ✭✭✭DBK1


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119324030#Comment_119324030
    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119321114#Comment_119321114

    ANC replaced the disadvantaged area payment. Area aid, along with a few others, all got replaced by the BPS.

    BPS requires a minimum stocking density of 0.15 livestock units per hectare for 7 consecutive months of the year. A ewe would be classed as 0.15 of a livestock unit so after that it depends how many hectares he is farming to work out his stocking density.



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    #137
    Bass Reeves
    Registered Users Posts: 18,666 ✭✭✭✭Bass Reeves


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119325605#Comment_119325605

    BOS requires no stocking level. ANC dose. BOS requires you to keep the land in good agriculture condition that is all. That will change in the next round of CAP where you can have 20 % of land base in scrub or non agriculture condition

    Slava Ukrainii



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    #138
    DBK1
    Registered Users Posts: 2,215 ✭✭✭DBK1


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119325634#Comment_119325634

    Correct, apologies, ANC was what i had meant to have there.



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    #139
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    ANC rules have also changed this year. Previously, 0.15 livestock units per hectare with entitlements was what would get you across the line.

    Now, it's 0.15 units for every hectare you have, whether it has entitlements on it or not. So what stock qualified a farmer last year, may not qualify the same farmer this year.

    If he's short numbers due to this, lambs count as 0.15 soon as they're born. But, there are important things to go with that, the lambs would need to be on farm for 7 months I believe and he'd need to have the tags bought before the lambs were born. They'd need to be in the register which would have to be sent into the department. Following that, obviously the same lambs need to be retained in the flock or sold, and the dept have to be satisfied with all that before the farmer gets paid.

    He needs to talk to a good advisor, I would suggest today. I'm not an advisor so don't rely on this post.



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