USA drought, bad weather here, expected meal prices, livestock planning...

johngalway

Afternoon all,

What do ye expect to happen regarding the price of ration for next Spring (I know, it's a long way off and a lot can happen). With the drought in the USA, rumblings from Russia of not exporting, and pretty poor weather here so far, is it a given there'll be a big jump in bagged feed prices?

There's also the quality of hay/silage produced this year to be reckoned with.

I am thinking of delaying my lambing for next year, rather than having it earlier as I had been thinking of, to make the most of any potential growth and reduce my dependence on bagged ration/hay to some degree anyway.

Anyone else thinking ahead yet?

reilig

johngalway wrote: »

Afternoon all,

What do ye expect to happen regarding the price of ration for next Spring (I know, it's a long way off and a lot can happen). With the drought in the USA, rumblings from Russia of not exporting, and pretty poor weather here so far, is it a given there'll be a big jump in bagged feed prices?

There's also the quality of hay/silage produced this year to be reckoned with.

I am thinking of delaying my lambing for next year, rather than having it earlier as I had been thinking of, to make the most of any potential growth and reduce my dependence on bagged ration/hay to some degree anyway.

Anyone else thinking ahead yet?

Trying to feed a lot more creep to weinlings this late summer and autumn so that I can get rid of the weinlings earlier. Autumn born weinlings will be sold at the end of August. Most are suitable for export. Jan/feb calves will be sold in october and anything later than that will hopefully leavy the farm just after housing in the first week of november. usually have 10 to 12 late calves and keep them over the winter till mid feb. Don't know if I'll have the silage or if meal prices will remain low enough to justify keeping them this year. So hopefully if weinling prices stay reasonably good, i'll get rid of them and only carry essential stock over the winter.

Only 1/4 of the silage crop saved yet. Had planned on a second cut of 20 acres, but with it only cut last week, its too late for that now - and I need the extra grass to make up for shortfalls in grazing. Will have to cut my cloth according to my measure at this stage, but for now I'm pushing them on to try to get rid of them early.

Have 3 pedigree limousin bulls that i'm supposed to feed over the winter. If weinling prices remain reasonably strong, I don't know if I can justify giving them a lot of meal to put them in shape over the winter and average €2000 each for them when with no extra work, I may be able to get rid of them in November as weinlings suitable for export and pull €1200 each for them (If I can get them in shape by then). As i said before, its only a hobby, but with prices so uncertain, it might be best to move them on without investing time and money into them. It may be a hobby, but I don't want to lose a fortune on them.

J DEERE

Ordinary 14% beef ration will be well over 300/tn by the end of the year. Combine this with poor silage made this year and it won't make economic sense to hold weanlings over the winter. I think that their will be a glut of weanlings on the market this Autumn, buyers will be hesitant to buy as beef prices are too unpredictable and its a gamble buying and feeding them at that price for ration. So I'd say weanlings will be well back. Forward stores will probably hold reasonably well, export type stock too maybe.

The next six weeks will tell an awful lot.

johngalway

I creep fed my lambs last year but had a few problems with dirty back ends. Whether that was all the water in the grass or combined with the feed I'm not sure. Had them FEC'd a couple of times and dosed as per vet which helped but it persisted.

No creep this Summer. What I'm not keeping will go to market probably late October/early Nov. The only few I'll feed are what I'll fatten for ourselves.

bob charles

I hope to do the opposite to what everyone else will be doing. I have fed lots of cheap meal in the past and not made a shilling. I have fed very expensive meal and made a good few quid. He who dares wins .... some of the time

1chippy

I'm withyou on this one Bob. First year in years were holding on to all weanlings and even buying in another few. They wont be getting any major amounts of meal though.

rancher

johngalway wrote: »

I creep fed my lambs last year but had a few problems with dirty back ends. Whether that was all the water in the grass or combined with the feed I'm not sure. Had them FEC'd a couple of times and dosed as per vet which helped but it persisted.

No creep this Summer. What I'm not keeping will go to market probably late October/early Nov. The only few I'll feed are what I'll fatten for ourselves.

Never found any difference in FECs of dirty lambs and clean lambs, suffolks are generally the dirtiest breed yet they thrive faster than any breed, did you dose for cocci or minerals

johngalway

rancher wrote: »

Never found any difference in FECs of dirty lambs and clean lambs, suffolks are generally the dirtiest breed yet they thrive faster than any breed, did you dose for cocci or minerals

Yeah dosed for cocci, they had access to mineral buckets if they wanted them. It was a bit demoralising as they didn't do as well as they should have, being on grass and getting fed. Was fattening one particular fella up for a friend of mine, had to put him into the shed to dry him up, on meal and hay, so maybe it was all the water in the grass I'm still not sure nor happy about it.