2 cattle as pets.

Stressica

ok once you've gotten over the shock of the above title ^.

if i only have 2 cattle do i need a slurry tank/pit?

I was told be expected to be out by about €40,000 before I even have the cattle because of so much red-tape.

I know there is alot of red-tape etc but as I have all the forms ER1 for a hernumber and the other requirments are being fullfilledetc

opinions please?

Thanks.

yellow50HX

Stressica wrote: »

ok once you've gotten over the shock of the above title ^.

if i only have 2 cattle do i need a slurry tank/pit?

I was told be expected to be out by about €40,000 before I even have the cattle because of so much red-tape.

I know there is alot of red-tape etc but as I have all the forms ER1 for a hernumber and the other requirments are being fullfilledetc

opinions please?

Thanks.

in a word "no"

It all depends of your plans for housing them in the winter. 40k would build you a decent sized slatted shed for about 30 animals. You can straw bed them a small shed, or outwinter them (like with horses).

Stressica

yeah but i am only going to have 2 cows, /:

and i plan on doing up an old cattle stall that was used when my dad was farming years ago, whether or not that is allowed yet, i must find out but for 2 cows, there is no way i need a shed large enough for 30 animals?

yellow50HX

Stressica wrote: »

yeah but i am only going to have 2 cows, /:

and i plan on doing up an old cattle stall that was used when my dad was farming years ago, whether or not that is allowed yet, i must find out but for 2 cows, there is no way i need a shed large enough for 30 animals?

if the floor is concrete then its not a problem. if its an old stall you'll have to plan a way of cleaning it out, (so it'll need to be big enough to get in a tractor (the days of the pike and wheelbarrow are long gone).

Stressica

yeah the floor is concrete so thats one good thing, i dont have a tractor, im not a "farmer" is it illegal to clean it out with a wheelbarrow?

and also is there a legal way slurry/cow dung has to eb approved, i grow alot of veg, could i store it to use as manure/fertalizer or would that cause trouble?

Many thanks.

Manoffeeling

If you arn't drawing SFP, then they won't look at you. But IF you claim 1 cent in SFP, then they will haunt you. They will own you!

reilig

Stressica wrote: »

yeah the floor is concrete so thats one good thing, i dont have a tractor, im not a "farmer" is it illegal to clean it out with a wheelbarrow?

and also is there a legal way slurry/cow dung has to eb approved, i grow alot of veg, could i store it to use as manure/fertalizer or would that cause trouble?

Many thanks.

I can't understand why someone would tell you that you need a tractor for 2 cows. Of course a wheel barrow will be fine. A few minutes every day will keep it in shape.

Your biggest problem will be storing the farmyard manure in a way that does not cause pollution. You may have to install a small effluent tank to catch runoff from the shed as well as runoff from the stack of manure that you clean out of the shed. It will cost you a small bit of money to install, but not a lot.

You can use the manure for veg. No approval is needed.

Stressica

Ok thank you Rellig, i thought having a tractor was a bit ott for 2 cows.

approx how much for the small tank could you imagine? or could a neighbouring farmer take away the manure?

are there any grants going for this kind of stuff?

and anyway this would really only cause a problem over winter, during summer obviously they will be out in pasture providing we dont get the ridiculous wet summer like this year. but 2 cattle wont poach it up too fast.


I have the forms for the herd number, I have a qoute for the portable crush.

Thanks again.

yellow50HX

reilig wrote: »

I can't understand why someone would tell you that you need a tractor for 2 cows. Of course a wheel barrow will be fine. A few minutes every day will keep it in shape.

Your biggest problem will be storing the farmyard manure in a way that does not cause pollution. You may have to install a small effluent tank to catch runoff from the shed as well as runoff from the stack of manure that you clean out of the shed. It will cost you a small bit of money to install, but not a lot.

You can use the manure for veg. No approval is needed.

Well it depends on what the plan is with all that dung. If the plan is to clean it out every day and put it in a heap/dungstead then yes a small concrete apron and a small tank would be needed to store the run off. however if you plan on throwing in fresh straw every few days then you can leave in the shed until the spring and then clean out the shed in one go and left it in a heap in the fields to break down.

dung can be left in the fields during the open season which is jan 15th to oct 15th (i think), lads here can clarify.

if your going to use the dung on teh veg then you'll need somewhere to store it to allow it to breakdown, earth worms and compost heaps are the best

Bean_Flicker

Stressica wrote: »

yeah the floor is concrete so thats one good thing, i dont have a tractor, im not a "farmer" is it illegal to clean it out with a wheelbarrow?

.

Am I the only one after reading a post like that think it is to disturbingly easy to acquire a herd number?

royalmeath

If someone has a couple of acres what is wrong with them putting a few cattle on it. But anyone advicing this guy to build any kind of effluent or storage tank is barking mad. Its simple if you have a shed that youi can bed the cattle in for the winter then work away, but if you dont and you have to wheel the dung in and out everyday then go and get your head examined.

st1979

You dont need to spend a penny. Please cop on everyone. First of all no sfp and 2 cattle will mean no inspections. Secondly if u want to be really good girl u straw bed the house with enough straw or wood chip or whatever it takes to soak up the urine so there is no run off and dont clean it out before 15 of January at which stage u throw it in a heap or spread and u can clean it out as often as u like between 15 Nov and 15 Jan. No need for effluent storage or tractors u can buy small square bales. But in reality with 2 pet cows u probably let em in and out to a field over winter depending on weather like u would with a horse.

st1979

Forgot to add u need a herdnumber which is easily got from your local dvo . Department vet office. To get it u will be inspected to see if u have any cattle crush or way of handling your cows for a tb test. This could be a simple gate hung from a wall 2' from another wall if u know what i mean or maybe your old shed has tie up stalls. And for this advice i will only charge 20000, a bargain half what your orginal advice was going to cost u. Let me guess it was your father/husband/brother telling u that u need a 40k shed just to put you off

leg wax

st1979 wrote: »

You dont need to spend a penny. Please cop on everyone. First of all no sfp and 2 cattle will mean no inspections. Secondly if u want to be really good girl u straw bed the house with enough straw or wood chip or whatever it takes to soak up the urine so there is no run off and dont clean it out before 15 of January at which stage u throw it in a heap or spread and u can clean it out as often as u like between 15 Nov and 15 Jan. No need for effluent storage or tractors u can buy small square bales. But in reality with 2 pet cows u probably let em in and out to a field over winter depending on weather like u would with a horse.

st1979 wrote: »

Forgot to add u need a herdnumber which is easily got from your local dvo . Department vet office. To get it u will be inspected to see if u have any cattle crush or way of handling your cows for a tb test. This could be a simple gate hung from a wall 2' from another wall if u know what i mean or maybe your old shed has tie up stalls. And for this advice i will only charge 20000, a bargain half what your orginal advice was going to cost u. Let me guess it was your father/husband/brother telling u that u need a 40k shed just to put you off

well said, no need for any big spend for 2 cows.

Stressica

You dont know how much better this is making me feel

Today Ive heard nothing but negatives from everyone about the idea.

Ive got a decent qoute (900) for a crush, which is portable, the old stall has tie ups too which i didnt even think of so thats another possibility, these cattle are 2 pets anyway are easy to handle.

I have all the herd number forms, its just a matter of filling them out.

I have composters as i loke to grow organic veg and I plan to grow even more, I really want to be sellf- sufficient and the straw/manure mix will make excellent compost for the veg patch and also make great compost too, if that makes sense.

One thing I was tole by my father, is it true that I cannot keep cattle just as pets, that they legally will have to be slaughtered after a year? I really hope he is just mis-informed /:

Yeah it was my father he said Id need to put in a large tank for storing slurry + a huge shed which I thought was completly ott, which is why I came on here to ask for advice

bbam

yellow50HX wrote: »

the days of the pike and wheelbarrow are long gone.

:eek::eek:
Not round here..
Use the barrow every single week, it uses no Diesel and I never go to the GYM

greysides

One thing I was tole by my father, is it true that I cannot keep cattle just as pets, that they legally will have to be slaughtered after a year? I really hope he is just mis-informed /:

It's you that have been mis-informed.

By all means keep your cattle............... for as long as you like.

You'll need to consider winter feeding. If you are going away on holiday you'll need to make provision for having someone look after them.

Have you decided on heifers/cows/bullocks?

capslock88

your father really doesn't like the idea does he?!...no that's more rubbish you can keep them as long as you want (no slaughtering deadlines) as long as they are fit and healthy which could be 10-15yrs or longer for the majority of cattle..your set-up sounds grand, mobile crush shud be fine tho you could probably get a crush like the one explained above made for less...all what st1979 said is spot-on...nothing to be stressed about...enjoy your pets..!

Stressica

Thanks, now this part Might set a few hearts racing... I am saving 2 cattle from slaughter, i have been around them everyday nearly for the last year and, they fall asleep with their heads in my lap /:
They are 2 hereford crosses.
Please dont make me seem im completly whacko because I know cows are not seen as "pets" /:

Having said that, I do want opinions/feeback whether people thinks its really a stupid thing to do?

Regardless I have been planning on getting two cattle for a while now, so if because they are "beef" cattle causes some problems (legality wise) I may settle for 2 yearling heifers.

My father is fine with the whole idea, he was just worried that cos of all the red-tape I wouldnt be able to finance (40k shed etc ) which i know know iw not nessescary,

Rovi

Stressica wrote: »

Thanks, now this part Might set a few hearts racing... I am saving 2 cattle from slaughter, i have been around them everyday nearly for the last year and, they fall asleep with their heads in my lap /:
They are 2 hereford crosses.
Please dont make me seem im completly whacko because I know cows are not seen as "pets" /:

Don't give it a second thought; you might be surprised how many (otherwise hard-nosed 'commercial') dairy/suckler herds have an ould biddy or two about the place.

yellow50HX

Stressica wrote: »

Thanks, now this part Might set a few hearts racing... I am saving 2 cattle from slaughter, i have been around them everyday nearly for the last year and, they fall asleep with their heads in my lap /:
They are 2 hereford crosses.
Please dont make me seem im completly whacko because I know cows are not seen as "pets" /:

Having said that, I do want opinions/feeback whether people thinks its really a stupid thing to do?

Regardless I have been planning on getting two cattle for a while now, so if because they are "beef" cattle causes some problems (legality wise) I may settle for 2 yearling heifers.

My father is fine with the whole idea, he was just worried that cos of all the red-tape I wouldnt be able to finance (40k shed etc ) which i know know iw not nessescary,

Well anyone who has had dairy cows will know what you mean re pets. As most dairy cows are raised on the farm the owner will know them fom when the were calves and know their mothers and grandmother too. The cow type makes no difference (beef, dairy, etc). You said they were saved from slauther then they must be dry cows? If they are dry then you won't need to worry about milk.

Stressica

wow, i really need to here that haha

But yeah and the farmer has no problem, they'll be sold to the factory anyway so he's cool with it, probably lucky he's a family friend

you cant deny we have a special bond haha and



yeah they are heifers, about 18months i think....

yellow50HX

st1979 wrote: »

You dont need to spend a penny. Please cop on everyone. First of all no sfp and 2 cattle will mean no inspections. Secondly if u want to be really good girl u straw bed the house with enough straw or wood chip or whatever it takes to soak up the urine so there is no run off and dont clean it out before 15 of January at which stage u throw it in a heap or spread and u can clean it out as often as u like between 15 Nov and 15 Jan. No need for effluent storage or tractors u can buy small square bales. But in reality with 2 pet cows u probably let em in and out to a field over winter depending on weather like u would with a horse.

Yeah I see it like someone keeping horses, expect cows are better. Lol think you'll still need to get a herd number and get them tested yearly. Don't think there is the same red tape with horses.

Stressica

Yeah I love cows, such great animals.

and yeah I printed out the forms the other day, and testing/worming etc are minor things that are easily sorted out once foundations are down (so to speak)
I just didnt fill them out yet because I was convinced that it would be denied due to lack of facilities (slurrry pit, large cattle shed)

btw with regards to housing requirments, are there any set rules/regs that someone has to follow?

Ill be re-roofing the cow "house" in the next month or two as it wont be needed until next october-ish.

Will it have to be ready to use when the cattle are there (eg april/may)

Or will they accept that its being re-roofed?

yellow50HX

Stressica wrote: »

Yeah I love cows, such great animals.

and yeah I printed out the forms the other day, and testing/worming etc are minor things that are easily sorted out once foundations are down (so to speak)
I just didnt fill them out yet because I was convinced that it would be denied due to lack of facilities (slurrry pit, large cattle shed)

btw with regards to housing requirments, are there any set rules/regs that someone has to follow?

Ill be re-roofing the cow "house" in the next month or two as it wont be needed until next october-ish.

Will it have to be ready to use when the cattle are there (eg april/may)

Or will they accept that its being re-roofed?

The shed doesn't need to be done till later in the year. As for testing, a crush is great for testing. The crush is ideal for a larger number of animals, if your only keeping two then maybe calving gate may be just as good. You'll need something to holding them for other hoof care etc.

bob charles

yellow50HX wrote: »

The shed doesn't need to be done till later in the year. As for testing, a crush is great for testing. The crush is ideal for a larger number of animals, if your only keeping two then maybe calving gate may be just as good. You'll need something to holding them for other hoof care etc.

Is a crush needed if you are able to stall the animals. I doubt it somehow. when the person comes out for the DVO and see your two heifers stalled up I doubt they would insist on the crush.

Stressica

http://www.odonnellengineering.ie/caesarean-crate.html This is like the crush i am thinking of getting, from the same company, i dont think thats the exact one but it might be.. colouring looks a little different.

but im going to look into calving gates

even if its not needed if i have stalls, itd be handy for hoof care like was stated.

Ive looked on the agrigov website for any specifc housing requirements but i couldnt find any, but the house has a concrete floor and 3 access doors and was used for stalling cattle years ago and is in god nick other then a few slates and a few bits of wood that need replacing.

I think it was originally (as in a long time ago) a dwelling house for my dads greatgreat grandparents but like i said has the old stone troughs built in and a place to stall, i think it wiull be ok, I can always make it more "stall/barn like if needed" with a few gates or whatnot.

and anyway ive seen farmers winter cows/calves in old houses so i dont see toooo much of a problem, plus the fact that there are 3 "rooms" gives a place for srorage of feeds, im hoping they wouldnt find fault in it /:

ZETOR_IS_BETTER

I want to wish you all the best with your pets.
Some good advice on here bout keeping them. They wont cost you the world to keep.

st1979

Stressica stop stressing yourself. The department lads are not going to be rough with u. Its only a bit of enjoyment for u. Stick in the forms and show the lads your stalls if they ask and tell em if they are not sufficient you will get a crush. Re hoof care. Unlikely they will need much treatment and may need none but if u did its a case of calling the local hoof paring guy who comes with his own crush to do the job. Actually if u needed a crush once a year to test and the stalls arent good enough pay him the 50 quid call out so the vet can test and he can give the feet the once over. It would take 18yrs to pay for your crush at that rate.

Overall just do it you cause u look like u will enjoy it. And remember these pets arent just for Christmas, roast beef is good any day of the year :-)

royalmeath

I just cannot recommend keeping cattle as pets, they make an awful mess on the sofa.
In all honesty these animals were brought into this world with two possible functions.
1. To rear her own young
2. For human consumption.
This is the only reason these cattle were even born, they could live an awful long time and dont lose sight of the fact that
the are animals and should not be humanised. I have a yard full of yearling heifers that i have known from day one, I am
very fond of them as all farmers are but I know when the are finished their milking lives off to the factory they will go and while
you might be sorry to see them going up the ramp the cheque you get the next day is a good tonic.

yellow50HX

Stressica wrote: »

http://www.odonnellengineering.ie/caesarean-crate.html This is like the crush i am thinking of getting, from the same company, i dont think thats the exact one but it might be.. colouring looks a little different.

but im going to look into calving gates

even if its not needed if i have stalls, itd be handy for hoof care like was stated.

Ive looked on the agrigov website for any specifc housing requirements but i couldnt find any, but the house has a concrete floor and 3 access doors and was used for stalling cattle years ago and is in god nick other then a few slates and a few bits of wood that need replacing.

I think it was originally (as in a long time ago) a dwelling house for my dads greatgreat grandparents but like i said has the old stone troughs built in and a place to stall, i think it wiull be ok, I can always make it more "stall/barn like if needed" with a few gates or whatnot.

and anyway ive seen farmers winter cows/calves in old houses so i dont see toooo much of a problem, plus the fact that there are 3 "rooms" gives a place for srorage of feeds, im hoping they wouldnt find fault in it /:

I think when it comes testing the animals need to the able to be restrained safely (no baler twine round a tree holding up a few old pallets and broken gate). for most people that would be a crush due to the number of animals.
that mobile crush looks the job alright but i think you may need a tractor to keep it in place. The old stalls may be ok but if they are like my nan's place then i'd be a bit wary about stalling them for testing. the sides of the crush will stop the cow from kicking out so there isnt much protection in those old stalls. Have a look in done deal for a 2nd hand crush gates or calving gates. If you have a strong wall put in a steel girder and blot it to it then hang a gate off the the end. No need to spend a fortune on a simple but safe solution.

Rovi

Re the crush and testing and all that, I suspect that these cattle are (or will be!) quiet enough and so well used to being handled that the vet would be able to do the test standing in the middle of the field.
It might be no harm to get them used to wearing and being led by a halter rope; that would allow you to tie them off to a convenient tree or gate post if they start getting reluctant or frisky during normal 'maintenance' or veterinary examination.

I'm also liking st1979's idea of getting the local hoofcare guy in with his mobile crush for test day and an annual check-up.

yellow50HX

Rovi wrote: »

Re the crush and testing and all that, I suspect that these cattle are (or will be!) quiet enough and so well used to being handled that the vet would be able to do the test standing in the middle of the field.
It might be no harm to get them used to wearing and being led by a halter rope; that would allow you to tie them off to a convenient tree or gate post if they start getting reluctant or frisky during normal 'maintenance' or veterinary examination.

I'm also liking st1979's idea of getting the local hoofcare guy in with his mobile crush for test day and an annual check-up.

i'd be wary with using a halter with even the quitest animal, espically if it is getting poked and injected by a stranger. Nothing to stop her swinging around or letting fly with the back leg when she gets jabbed in the side. cows can be very quite and will be like pets but they are still pretty strong. as any of us that have got a lash from a cow will testify its not a nice experince. better to be safe then sorry.

Stressica

royalmeath wrote: »

I just cannot recommend keeping cattle as pets, they make an awful mess on the sofa.
In all honesty these animals were brought into this world with two possible functions.
1. To rear her own young
2. For human consumption.
This is the only reason these cattle were even born, they could live an awful long time and dont lose sight of the fact that
the are animals and should not be humanised. I have a yard full of yearling heifers that i have known from day one, I am
very fond of them as all farmers are but I know when the are finished their milking lives off to the factory they will go and while
you might be sorry to see them going up the ramp the cheque you get the next day is a good tonic.

Ok I respect your opinion but I completly disagree (but thats a completly different argument/debate and not why i started the thread)
I loved the bit about the mess on the sofa though lol
Im not humanising, exactley, im not dressing them up, im simply letting them live and forming a friendship with them, I dont see anything wrong with it, i see it like the bond people can share with a horse, people dont think thats too ott

Anyway, yeah I had planned on getting halters for them too, not only will they be easy to handle, itd be easy to lead them too on small distances with least stress. I dont think I would try testing them in the field, i know too well how strong these animals are, and if its me vs them pulling away in a field, i think we'd know who'd win.

Im having a look on dondeal now and with regards to the comment from Yellow5Ohx

"If you have a strong wall put in a steel girder and blot it to it then hang a gate off the the end" could you translate, i have no idea whata girder is haha

My idea at this time is to follow the idea of what someone said earlier,

deep-bed with straw, and clean out in feb/march, but if needed, I could put in a small tank for storage, ( € estimate approx? )

thanks.

yellow50HX

Stressica wrote: »

Ok I respect your opinion but I completly disagree (but thats a completly different argument/debate and not why i started the thread)
I loved the bit about the mess on the sofa though lol
Im not humanising, exactley, im not dressing them up, im simply letting them live and forming a friendship with them, I dont see anything wrong with it, i see it like the bond people can share with a horse, people dont think thats too ott

Anyway, yeah I had planned on getting halters for them too, not only will they be easy to handle, itd be easy to lead them too on small distances with least stress. I dont think I would try testing them in the field, i know too well how strong these animals are, and if its me vs them pulling away in a field, i think we'd know who'd win.

Im having a look on dondeal now and with regards to the comment from Yellow5Ohx

"If you have a strong wall put in a steel girder and blot it to it then hang a gate off the the end" could you translate, i have no idea whata girder is haha

My idea at this time is to follow the idea of what someone said earlier,

deep-bed with straw, and clean out in feb/march, but if needed, I could put in a small tank for storage, ( € estimate approx? )

thanks.

The strawbed would be the way to go, less work, just throw in the straw and the cows will spread it themselves. That said piking out 4 months of dung by hand is not fun.

As for the girder, it's a steel beam.
http://www.farmersguardian.com/digital-editions/dairy-farmer/workshop-tips-set-your-stall-out-for-easier-calving/39440.article

Timmaay

Rovi wrote: »

you might be surprised how many (otherwise hard-nosed 'commercial') dairy/suckler herds have an ould biddy or two about the place.

What's the oldest cow anyone has around the place? We were fattening up a 14yr old cow for the factory before Christmas, when she suddenly started springing! Calved only last night to a nice hereford (off the stock bull obviously)!

1chippy

Timmaay wrote: »

What's the oldest cow anyone has around the place? We were fattening up a 14yr old cow for the factory before Christmas, when she suddenly started springing! Calved only last night to a nice hereford (off the stock bull obviously)!

we have an 18 year old cow calving in 2 weeks. to look at her you would say she was only 5-6. Shes getting a hook this year though just to be on the safe side.

st1979

Stressica wrote: »

Ok I respect your opinion but I completly disagree (but thats a completly different argument/debate and not why i started the thread)
I loved the bit about the mess on the sofa though lol
Im not humanising, exactley, im not dressing them up, im simply letting them live and forming a friendship with them, I dont see anything wrong with it, i see it like the bond people can share with a horse, people dont think thats too ott

Anyway, yeah I had planned on getting halters for them too, not only will they be easy to handle, itd be easy to lead them too on small distances with least stress. I dont think I would try testing them in the field, i know too well how strong these animals are, and if its me vs them pulling away in a field, i think we'd know who'd win.

Im having a look on dondeal now and with regards to the comment from Yellow5Ohx

"If you have a strong wall put in a steel girder and blot it to it then hang a gate off the the end" could you translate, i have no idea whata girder is haha

My idea at this time is to follow the idea of what someone said earlier,

deep-bed with straw, and clean out in feb/march, but if needed, I could put in a small tank for storage, ( € estimate approx? )

thanks.

Dont bother with a tank it complicates things. Like how to empty the juice now u need a tanker hired in etc.
As i said i am guessing you would look after
your cattle like most look after their horse i.e probably better than they look after themselves. A deep bed will satisfy the department you can look up online the reccomended amount of straw u need per animal per week so u Dont have any seepage.
Practicaly though it might be easier to hand muck out every day and throw it in a field or where ever you will never get in trouble.
Keep every thing nice and simple for yourself and cheap. As then their is more chance of u doing it and not getting too bogged down with expensive obstacles.

A girder is a piece of iron like a H iron. Like what holds sheds up. In this case its used as a gate post. If u mounted a gate from the wall about 2 foot from the corner and put the girder at the end for the gate to lock into so now you can put your cow behind the gate and if u had an iron bar to stop her backing out. It could slide into a hole in the wall threw the gate.
Btw your doing nothing more stupid than most of us who have a horse about the place so work away

KatyMac

[ (the days of the pike and wheelbarrow are long gone).[/QUOTE]

No they're not. Hubby and I use 2 wheelbarrows. I fill, he empties! Only small shed that younger animals go into at night if the weather is bad, but the resulting heap ends up on my veggie patch later on.

KatyMac

Used to have a 'blue' cow she had 23 live calves and must have been about 26 when she was finally gotten rid of. Mighty animal, never sick, vet never saw her except to test and she knew every gap in every hedge on the farm! My oldest at minute is 12, due her 10th calf in March. She always has polled calves, great comfort with her!

InchicoreDude

KatyMac wrote: »

Used to have a 'blue' cow she had 23 live calves and must have been about 26 when she was finally gotten rid of. Mighty animal, never sick, vet never saw her except to test and she knew every gap in every hedge on the farm! My oldest at minute is 12, due her 10th calf in March. She always has polled calves, great comfort with her!

I love the way the old cows know all the 'quirks' of their farm. Like our farm had fields that are spread apart so we move cattle along the road alot during summer. And they always stop at their own field. And one year, there were water problems in one particular field so they broke out and walked back to our home house and stood outside the gate nearest the water trough while leaving their calves back in the field.

Anyway OP, why do you only want to keep this as pets? Would you not consider breeding them? I have read that you have housing for them in the winter. But do you actually have somewhere for them in Spring / Summer? Will you have a field with grass?

Stressica

Okay thanks for replies, Im stil really confused as to what to do?

Ideally I'd love to save these 2 but with beef prices at approx €1000 a head, im not sure does it make sense, considering they have been fattened for so long and theire legs might fail them after a while (id love opinions on this btw)

I really want to keep 2 cattle as pets though, not some novelty, or for eating, just as pets, like as someone said before, one does with horses... would it be better to start with 2 calves? ive been contemplating this recently and i'd be able to give them a good start from the get go (ie they wouldnt be fattened so i could monitor their weight)

I really am in love with herefords but I'd like to rescue two that would otherwise be going onto be fattened, so wouldnt really know where to start.

and someone asked, yes approx 20acres, that should support 2 cows i think

I was in the oldhosue the other day and took into acccount what you had said, and re-roofing is all that is needed and widening the doorway, but thats not an immediate issue, my dad said re-rooing would cost approx €2000, not sure how accurate that is, there are some good beams left and really only a few slates are missing but i think the whole roof would have to be done..

opinions welcome, thanks again.

xLexie

royalmeath wrote: »

I just cannot recommend keeping cattle as pets, they make an awful mess on the sofa.
In all honesty these animals were brought into this world with two possible functions.
1. To rear her own young
2. For human consumption.
This is the only reason these cattle were even born, they could live an awful long time and dont lose sight of the fact that
the are animals and should not be humanised. I have a yard full of yearling heifers that i have known from day one, I am
very fond of them as all farmers are but I know when the are finished their milking lives off to the factory they will go and while
you might be sorry to see them going up the ramp the cheque you get the next day is a good tonic.

That's horrible. I have 5 pet weanlings on my dads farm and 3 pet cows and they are so sweet and trusting no amount of money would be good tonic knowing you betrayed them. One of our cows is 12 years old, doesn't have calves anymore and doesn't have milk but we would never dream of sending her off to the factory, she is almost like part of the family now. She has been on our farm for longer than half my life, and I've had her as a pet longer than any dog.

xLexie

Stressica wrote: »

Okay thanks for replies, Im stil really confused as to what to do?

Ideally I'd love to save these 2 but with beef prices at approx €1000 a head, im not sure does it make sense, considering they have been fattened for so long and theire legs might fail them after a while (id love opinions on this btw)

I really want to keep 2 cattle as pets though, not some novelty, or for eating, just as pets, like as someone said before, one does with horses... would it be better to start with 2 calves? ive been contemplating this recently and i'd be able to give them a good start from the get go (ie they wouldnt be fattened so i could monitor their weight)

I really am in love with herefords but I'd like to rescue two that would otherwise be going onto be fattened, so wouldnt really know where to start.

and someone asked, yes approx 20acres, that should support 2 cows i think

I was in the oldhosue the other day and took into acccount what you had said, and re-roofing is all that is needed and widening the doorway, but thats not an immediate issue, my dad said re-rooing would cost approx €2000, not sure how accurate that is, there are some good beams left and really only a few slates are missing but i think the whole roof would have to be done..

opinions welcome, thanks again.

You have a bond with these cattle. Why would you be okay with forgetting about those ones and starting afresh with two calves?

Stressica

I know im not trying to put them aside, i love them dearly, i spend as much time with them as I can, just the financial side of things, (approx€3000 for them and €2000 for the roof, thats already €5000 and then crushes etc) and im trying to think of their life in the long term? I dont want to rescue them only to have them be killed a few months later because of their sheer weight which could put them off their legs?

anyway it was only just something i wanted to out out there, this whole situation has been driving me nuts latley as to what to do /:

Dont get me wrong, money is not going to decide whether they live or die, im just thinking over everything the last few days

Will you put them in calf? You need to consider the implications of this... calving , calves, milking etc etc.

If you don't put them in calf then you need to consider how to deal with them when they are in heat. Any bulls close by?

Stressica

i wont be breeding them, anyway they are at"slaughterweight" and ready to go to the factory, he's just waiting on the other cattle to catch up a bit.. but they are big /:

there are very few bulls nearby, but surely all farmers have to deal with this so obviously its managable, as long as fields are secure etc

greysides

Weight won't put them off their feet. If they are left get excessively heavy then it will affect them over time. Whatever age of cattle you start with they are going to grow and get heavier anyway. Especially if they are not rearing calves, as all they have to do is feed themselves. Two cattle on twenty acres would need grazing management to restrict what they could eat or they will put on weight quickly.

Stressica

yeah i'd obviously split it on some kind of rota basis, the grazing at the bottom of it (about 5/6acres of it? ) are poor-ish anyway as its bog, id love to topen a natural water-well thing there as its full os springs and there used to be one years ago, but i doubt that would be accaptable as a water supply for cattle (dont worry there are other working water supplies)

Thats not too bad, i alsso, as i grow alot of my own vegetables would like to grow alot for the cattle too, even as fodder for the winter, which would bring down costs a little

anyone know the approximate price of cattle their siize atm? ive looked online but dont understand at all the €/kg and dont know approz how much they weight , these are 2 large whitheads ready to go?

micky mouse

All those sort of beef animals are a good trade at the moment.You should go to your local mart and pick out ones that look something like what you have,that will give you an idea.

Stressica

good idea, never thought of that ....