Yes, im still here. ME FOOT Though!! ME FOOT!!!!

NewBeefFarmer

just a quick post lads. Although i am not posting, i drop by almost every day to have a quick read.
my 3 bullocks are doing fine, still out on grass, kinda strip grazing. short sweet grass. doesnt last mind you. . the wire is moved a lot.

guess what though. fractured my ankle. cattle pin in shed, yup. . i crossed it. . . twisted. . yup. . crutches. . yup .. im laid up. .

I just hope it doesnt snow or the 3 boys will have to come in to the kitchen as i cant get to the shed!. .:D:D

happened 3 weeks ago so im well on the mend. first job for me when im up and fit is sort out winter water situation. . then bring in a few bales to the shed and use them at will.. .

kinda dryed up a bit in the west over the last week,. so im pushing the electric fence out along the flat sections as i would call them. too soft up until this week to let me bullocks at it.

Plan is now to sell the 3 i have in Jan/Feb, and at the same time buy 6-7 maybe 10 around the same weight. . . reason is that i dont want a different mix of animals. Will probably sell the lot then in Sept/Oct.

Wonder should i feed the 3 i have some nuts priour to selling? beef nuts is it? just run of the mill Connaught Gold Beef Nuts?. . how much to each animal per day? and for what period before selling?

as always. i am here. . but hope to post more often now.. .

what a sunny day today! . .
Cheers NBF

sinewc

well...
In my opinion, it kinda depends on where your selling them, Mart or factory, and what age & weight they are. if you are killing them then meal is a flat out necessity during winter. start at like 2kg per head per day and bring them up to 6+kg gradually. this can seem costly to a new beef farmer but like i said, while there indoors and going to the factory, meal is a necessity. if they are only stores then good quality silage should be adequate. if you want to put a shine on them for sale in the spring then maybe give them like 1-2kg a day for 3 weeks to a month before selling. (dont over do it) but you'll need good silage. the auld connaught gold would be ideal. probably cost you €8 a week if they are only stores.

thats my opinion.
si

polod

Do ya think it would soon be time to update the name to 'BeefFarmer' ?

NewBeefFarmer

polod wrote: »

Do ya think it would soon be time to update the name to 'BeefFarmer' ?

:D:D
Dam. .. lol . . ive noticed that myself. .. it was grand for asking questions. when i was starting out. . . but now that things are falling in to place its kinda rediculous. . .

not to mention answering any posts!!

hmmmmmm. . wonder can i change it!

NewBeefFarmer

sinewc wrote: »

well...
In my opinion, it kinda depends on where your selling them, Mart or factory, and what age & weight they are. if you are killing them then meal is a flat out necessity during winter. start at like 2kg per head per day and bring them up to 6+kg gradually. this can seem costly to a new beef farmer but like i said, while there indoors and going to the factory, meal is a necessity. if they are only stores then good quality silage should be adequate. if you want to put a shine on them for sale in the spring then maybe give them like 1-2kg a day for 3 weeks to a month before selling. (dont over do it) but you'll need good silage. the auld connaught gold would be ideal. probably cost you €8 a week if they are only stores.

thats my opinion.
si

thanks, well it will be to the mart. so i was thinking alright that a month prior to selling, meal or nuts. . . . .and u reckon 1-2 KG per day per head. ..

sound. .ill keep it in mind

can you tell me, i hear Nuts, Rations, Meal, Bull Nuts. . . what if i go in to connaught gold will i actually be asking for. . i read on here that Bull nuts are a waste of money, just get the rations .. or something to that effect.

cheers for the reply

Bizzum

Remind us again NBF what age, breed, and weight cattle you are dealing with, this would govern the feeding regime!

keep going

polod wrote: »

Do ya think it would soon be time to update the name to 'BeefFarmer' ?

as long as it dosent become "xbeeffarmer"

NewBeefFarmer

Bizzum wrote: »

Remind us again NBF what age, breed, and weight cattle you are dealing with, this would govern the feeding regime!

2 LMX 400KG each
1 AAX 400KG

bought in Sept

Tipp Man

NewBeefFarmer wrote: »

2 LMX 400KG each
1 AAX 400KG

bought in Sept

if you are selling again in the spring in the mart then i would go easy on the nuts - very few buyers will be fooled by the "shine"

I would pay a lot more for a bullock that was outwintered and covered in hair and ****e than a shiny fella

Just my opinion

sinewc

i'm not sure what connaght gold sell in the line of meal, if i was doing it i'd pick up a bag of beef 15(ration) from liffey mills.

it's true you dont want a finisher nut but i'm sure connaght gold will have a middle of the road meal. i don't really have an opinon on the nuts vs ration debate.

personally we feed nuts to everything but thats only cause we find it cleaner and all and it's bulk delivered and all stock are slaughtered.

just go in and tell them what your plan is and they'll sort ya out.

maybe you'll find a sucker to buy them off ya while your in there. i'd say your gonna make a mint off them.

sinewc

Tipp Man wrote: »

if you are selling again in the spring in the mart then i would go easy on the nuts - very few buyers will be fooled by the "shine"

I would pay a lot more for a bullock that was outwintered and covered in hair and ****e than a shiny fella

Just my opinion

ya but nbf did say they would be housing them shortly, nuts very beneficial then. the scales will make up the difference.

NewBeefFarmer

sinewc wrote: »

ya but nbf did say they would be housing them shortly, nuts very beneficial then. the scales will make up the difference.

you see, the weather right now. . . is excellent. i managed to stick my foot in to a welly and walk out to them this evening. . .lovely grass 6-7inch high. (green aftergrass from the silage cut in July)..

i have acres and acres of it. . but if the weather turns which it will. .i dont want the land dug up and id be afraid for the lads to be out in the cold and wet. . .. .although. .. to be really honest. . no matter where they have grazed since i bought them, i have let them have access to the shed at all times. .. so they can go in and shelter. . .

thing is, i have round bales from 2010. . 30 in total , and i want them gone this winter. . i could keep grazing with the 3 i have. sell them, and then feed the new boys in feb march with the silage. . .

first timer at this. . . Im right though from now on letting them have access to shelter right? . . bit of a walk though. . 300 -400 meters. . they have stayed out this last week, but the weather is mild. . . they werent long going in though 2 weeks ago. . and coming out only to go eat. . ..

u and i would do it to i suppose. . .:D:D

Bizzum

Are they gonna be wintered on slats or a bedded shed?
What is your silage like?

Tipp Man said what I'd be thinking. It will be a balance between larding fat on to them and keeping them thriving nicely. An AA bullock in particular can easily enough get fat as a slug!

NewBeefFarmer

Bizzum wrote: »

Are they gonna be wintered on slats or a bedded shed?
What is your silage like?

Tipp Man said what I'd be thinking. It will be a balance between larding fat on to them and keeping them thriving nicely. An AA bullock in particular can easily enough get fat as a slug!

bedded shed, and will probably be allowed to grazz the hills. . a lot of hills for them. .

works will when the weather is fine, and helps to minimise the muck in shed, and also keep the hill really short as it cant be topped.

Bizzum

NewBeefFarmer wrote: »

bedded shed, and will probably be allowed to grazz the hills. . a lot of hills for them. .

works will when the weather is fine, and helps to minimise the muck in shed, and also keep the hill really short as it cant be topped.

Few lb to keep them warm so. Being in and out should give them a nice coat too!

NewBeefFarmer

Bizzum wrote: »

Few lb to keep them warm so. Being in and out should give them a nice coat too!

im tired. but whats lb

Bizzum

NewBeefFarmer wrote: »

im tired. but whats lb

Lbs is pounds or 454g:)

NewBeefFarmer

Bizzum wrote: »

Lbs is pounds or 454g:)

yaaaa. thats what i thought, but cant make since of your post. . probably will in the morn . .

sinewc

sounds like they've the life of reilly. by the sounds of that system they wont need meal at all if they've some silage and grass to pick at, they'll have the best of both worlds & nice coat and you'll get on just fine. they will have a tendency to become over fat (like the other guy said) if you over do them on meal and your silage might start to go off if you open a full bale. leave them the run of it if ya can so long as it doesn't snow.

get one of those ash plants aswel, way better than crutches!!!

my opinion. they'll be smashing

NewBeefFarmer

sinewc wrote: »

sounds like they've the life of reilly. by the sounds of that system they wont need meal at all if they've some silage and grass to pick at, they'll have the best of both worlds & nice coat and you'll get on just fine. they will have a tendency to become over fat (like the other guy said) if you over do them on meal and your silage might start to go off if you open a full bale. leave them the run of it if ya can so long as it doesn't snow.

get one of those ash plants aswel, way better than crutches!!!

my opinion. they'll be smashing

cheers for the comfort. . .. ya i think they will be fine .. .
father in law says i dont know how lucky i am to be able to let them out on grass when i like. . some farmers have no choice. . . . the grass is gone for most of them by Mid Nov. .
my lads would have enough grass for all winter but i want the silage gone. . its second cut from 2010. . so should be nice. . i reckon. ..:rolleyes: not that id know:D

sinewc

NewBeefFarmer wrote: »

cheers for the comfort. . .. ya i think they will be fine .. .
father in law says i dont know how lucky i am to be able to let them out on grass when i like. . some farmers have no choice. . . . the grass is gone for most of them by Mid Nov. .
my lads would have enough grass for all winter but i want the silage gone. . its second cut from 2010. . so should be nice. . i reckon. ..:rolleyes: not that id know:D

problem is that they'll only eat a bale every 3 days. thats if they're locked in the shed. they'll eat less if they have access to grass too. you haven't a prayer of getting through that amount of fodder. i don't mean to be negative or anything but in the case of "feast or famine", you've definitely got the feast. it's a problem some folks would love.

NewBeefFarmer

sinewc wrote: »

problem is that they'll only eat a bale every 3 days. thats if they're locked in the shed. they'll eat less if they have access to grass too. you haven't a prayer of getting through that amount of fodder. i don't mean to be negative or anything but in the case of "feast or famine", you've definitely got the feast. it's a problem some folks would love.

dont worry, i they would be getting access to fresh pastures once a bale is open. . . . as u said urself. . i cant imagine a bale sitting more that 2-3 days without it going dead and they wont touch it then. .

i do beleive its grass or silage. not both. .

maybe week on week off:D

Charlie Charolais

NBF,

get some photos up, they must be the 3 most famous cattle in the country!