What you think

badgerhowlin

I'm not in the farming game yet.
My father has let the land out for 5 years and this is year 4.

Come next Jan I am thinking on getting 20 Arces off him, to strat off with. Increase but 10 arces a year or so.(if we can work it that way.)
Please tell me what you think, i want to get some idea if its a good idea or bad idea before I go to him with this. Any suggestions will be greatfull.

• Buy in 10-15 calves. (3-4 bulls) probable Charolais or Limousin
• Hold onto all them for 18 months or so. Sell the bullocks as beef
• Following spring buy in more caves, same again 10-15 calves. (3-4 bulls)
• Put the 1st lot of stock in calf at about 26 months or so.
• Keep any heifer and sell the bull calves, OR keep them and sell them as bullocks for Beef.
• And repeat. Buy in heifers if required.

Im not looking to make a fortune or to become a farmer full time for a few years

J.O. Farmer

I think 26 months is very old for putting heifers in calf. Most lads would like them calving then.
I don't think there's much point in buying the 3-4 bulls. If you want to get into heifers they all won't make the grade for bulling anyway. Even if they do a good bulling heifer could be worth as much as a bullock.
Finally I should have started with that you were probably better buying weanlings. Continental calves go the price of a cheap weanling and you still have the cost of rearing them. After that you need to figure out what system suits you and your farm.

Farmer Pudsey

Badger what type is the land. Is it good bad or indifferent. What amount of land is involved.

badgerhowlin

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

Badger what type is the land. Is it good bad or indifferent. What amount of land is involved.

Land is good dry land. Total land we have is 100 arces. Wanting to start off Small and build up and learn as I go along.

J.O. Farmer wrote: »

Finally I should have started with that you were probably better buying weanlings. Continental calves go the price of a cheap weanling and you still have the cost of rearing them.

Had a little talk to a few friends and they said might be best to do as you said and buy weanlings. Then finish them off.
Am I correct in thinking the stocking rate for the 20 arces Im wanting to take over. Dont want to max out the land with stock as I will need to have silage for the winter. So 10-15 weanling would be enough wouldnt it.

Farmer Pudsey

You will buy bucket fed yearlings at present for not much more than calves. You seem to want to build up a suckler herd. I think that suckler's are on the way out. If sexed semen is commercially sucessfull in 3-5 years time loads of beef calves from the dairy herd will compete with these.

Would you not consider buying yearling bullocks at the present, these friesians can be bought for 1.5 with there weight. They will finish at 33ish months. Easier to build up a herdand turn over money to reinvest