Changes you made in response to drop in beef prices

restive

Just thought it might be interesting to see what changes (if any) farmers have made in response to lower beef prices.

Myself I bought in some friesans for the first time this year. I do not see the sense in spending big money on quality animals that the factories will not pay for.

blue5000

Bit of a gamble, used 60 units urea on first cut silage. Now I'm not saying this is for everyone, but there is roughly 250 ton off 21 acres in the pit. Lot of clover here.

Muckit

blue5000 wrote: »

Bit of a gamble, used 60 units urea on first cut silage. Now I'm not saying this is for everyone, but there is roughly 250 ton off 21 acres in the pit. Lot of clover here.

Never bother putting on any more than 60units of N any year. bit over 3bags/acre replenish this year on silage ground. Always seem to get a good crop. I sometimes wonder is all this '100 units' you hear on paper only to help the fertilizer companies.

Getting the most from grass is also top priority here. Made a good few bales off grazing ground that only got a bag or so to the acre.

I've still stuck with buying mostly chx cattle. But the beauty of drystock is like restive says, you can change tack quickly if you want to.

I would find it hard to change to the black and whites. But I wouldn't rule it out in the future.

Muckit

Should major changes be made to a lad's farming enterprise in response to current beef prices?

mf240

Hope to buy a few in the mart if they get cheap enough.

restive

mf240 wrote: »

Hope to buy a few in the mart if they get cheap enough.

Are mart prices actually falling?

_Brian

restive wrote: »

Are mart prices actually falling?

I heard that between beef prices and fewer buyers round with good weather that this week was a slaughtering match on prices.. I suppose some lads just have to sell.

larrymiller

I've cut back feeding the kids 3 meals a day, from now on no more supper

ellewood

larrymiller wrote: »

I've cut back feeding the kids 3 meals a day, from now on no more supper

Thinking of selling one of the 3 kids here to pay a few bills myself and then the other2 can go back to 3 meals a day - now to pick which 1 :-)

larrymiller

ellewood wrote: »

Thinking of selling one of the 3 kids here to pay a few bills myself and then the other2 can go back to 3 meals a day - now to pick which 1 :-)

Keep the 2 strongest ones.

ABlur

I made hay instead of silage cos it was €4 vs zillion euro for baling it. Now my neck is stuck to the right from watching the haybob for five days and I have to bring in the feckers and no space for them!

Cavanjack

We've started eating more beef seeing that it can be got so cheap in the butchers and supermarkets now. We used to only have beef twice a week but now it's so affordable we can eat it up to six times a week

mahoney_j

larrymiller wrote: »

I've cut back feeding the kids 3 meals a day, from now on no more supper

Why not once a day,worked great for me on calves for last few years!!!.serious thrive