Stap scheme

harry blogs

How much is it worth to be in the stap registered scheme
Know about having to register all medicines , attend meetings & include all detailed lambing records
But what kind of money is there out of it

Username John

harry blogs wrote: »

How much is it worth to be in the stap registered scheme
Know about having to register all medicines , attend meetings & include all detailed lambing records
But what kind of money is there out of it

If you were thinking of joining purely for the money - then don't. Its the knowledge that is prob the biggest thing out of it.

I was in it last year, but will prob pull out this year, as I dont think I am learning enough to justify going.

Username John

Said I'd add my comment here, rather than start a new thread.

What's the feeling on STAP - do people think its worthwhile?

As I said in above post, I will be gone this year, the main reason being I didn't feel I was getting enough from it. (Plus, I didn't buy a star ram, which I think was a requirement in either year 1 or 2)

Anyone else find the same, or was I just unlucky in my group?

eire23

Username John wrote: »

Said I'd add my comment here, rather than start a new thread.

What's the feeling on STAP - do people think its worthwhile?

As I said in above post, I will be gone this year, the main reason being I didn't feel I was getting enough from it. (Plus, I didn't buy a star ram, which I think was a requirement in either year 1 or 2)

Anyone else find the same, or was I just unlucky in my group?

Think its finished this year anyways john so you might have got lucky and a new group starting next year.Think you will only be allowed be in either btap or stap then.

Reguarding what you get out of it?I think it all depends on the group your in, if theres good sheep men in it or lads with cattle and just a lock of sheep and in it for the few pound. Thats my take on it anyways.

Cran

eire23 wrote: »

Reguarding what you get out of it?I think it all depends on the group your in, if theres good sheep men in it or lads with cattle and just a lock of sheep and in it for the few pound. Thats my take on it anyways.

Think this is it really, some really good guys in my group but many in it only to get the cash. Which is fine, but they really only wake up when cattle are mentioned seem to consider sheep as poor relation

Main problem I have with it is as a part timer constantly being told to do things just dont have time to do.....

Green farmer

I think there's one more year left in the scheme. Our scheme is loosing abit of steam. Several guys are disappearing. I think it was fairly easy to comply with tasks in year 1, as you pick the easy ones, however you have to pick the slightly harder ones in year 2, and scraping the end of the barrel with ones you don't really have interest in doing in year 3.
Pity really as I feel you can learn about your farm and sheep from faecal testing etc. Got a 5 star rated ram for scheme, but next time I've to buy a ram I'll go back to buying from a breeder I trust regardless of star rated or not.

Connemara Farmer

I find our group good, lots of interest, well organised, good humour. We had a sneaky spy in with the group to assess us, after the fact he said we were the best group he'd seen.

eire23

Connemara Farmer wrote: »

I find our group good, lots of interest, well organised, good humour. We had a sneaky spy in with the group to assess us, after the fact he said we were the best group he'd seen.

He probably says that to all the groups con:pac:
We didnt have an inspector but it was mentioned a couple of times that it could be a possibility.

Connemara Farmer

eire23 wrote: »

He probably says that to all the groups con:pac:
We didnt have an inspector but it was mentioned a couple of times that it could be a possibility.

Nope, he didn't tell us, it came to us through different channels well after the fact

eire23

Connemara Farmer wrote: »

Nope, he didn't tell us, it came to us through different channels well after the fact

It probably was a welcome change from him to be listening to a good group!

Wooly Admirer

Best thing to be introduced into the sheep industry for years. Dairy lads have thrived using discussion groups over the years and continue to do so without any financial incentive.
A bad advisor should not be the making or breaking of a group. The group should be driven by the farmers themselves - I know this can be hard when people may not know eachother too well, but there no point saying the group is crap because the advisor is crap.
The best dairy groups run themselves - the advisor facilitates by inviting speakers, organising trips etc. The farmers decide whats discussed, they arrange the next farm, they provide most of the advice - they learn from eachother.

MayoAreMagic

Green farmer wrote: »

Pity really as I feel you can learn about your farm and sheep from faecal testing etc. Got a 5 star rated ram for scheme, but next time I've to buy a ram I'll go back to buying from a breeder I trust regardless of star rated or not.

Interesting. Did you not notice any difference in the progeny of the 5 star rated ram Green farmer?

Green farmer

I won't go into it, but the star rating of a ram is only as good as the accuracy of the information that the breeder chooses to supply sheep ireland with. I'm not happy with what I got. but it's up to everybody to make up their own mind. There are plenty of good sheep with star ratings. Having said that there are plenty of good sheep without a rating.

Wooly Admirer

Green farmer wrote: »

I won't go into it, but the star rating of a ram is only as good as the accuracy of the information that the breeder chooses to supply sheep ireland with. I'm not happy with what I got. but it's up to everybody to make up their own mind. There are plenty of good sheep with star ratings. Having said that there are plenty of good sheep without a rating.

How are the rams €uroStars - could you get them off the Sheep Ireland site and stick them up?

Have you lambs on the ground from him yet?

Connemara Farmer

Green farmer wrote: »

I won't go into it, but the star rating of a ram is only as good as the accuracy of the information that the breeder chooses to supply sheep ireland with. I'm not happy with what I got. but it's up to everybody to make up their own mind. There are plenty of good sheep with star ratings. Having said that there are plenty of good sheep without a rating.

Comment was made at some group or event I was at that a 3 star ram with good accuracy could be better than a five star ram with poor accuracy, whether that's right or wron. It's a confusing system I find.

Cran

Connemara Farmer wrote: »

Comment was made at some group or event I was at that a 3 star ram with good accuracy could be better than a five star ram with poor accuracy, whether that's right or wron. It's a confusing system I find.

Aim should be buy from a breeder you trust, pick rams that you like and are correct, then look at Stars aim for anything over 40% accuracy. Less than 30% not really worth looking at to low I think

Green farmer

Connemara Farmer wrote: »

Comment was made at some group or event I was at that a 3 star ram with good accuracy could be better than a five star ram with poor accuracy, whether that's right or wron. It's a confusing system I find.

My ram is on the top 2-3% of the breed with five stars. the accuracy in the early thirties. Bought at a society sale. Once the dust had settled, I realised the quality of the ram is shockingly poor and not fit for breeding. All his offspring will see the factory.
As Cran correctly said buy from a breeder you can trust. I'll only buy from a breeder i trust from now on. I recently bought different ram,of a different breed, a llyen that I'm delighted with. The guy I bought him from was a very straight guy. I know even before a lamb hits the ground that I won't have any issues there.
If you buy from a decent breeder who sends the most of his rams to the factory and only sells the top 20%, then you'll more then likely get a decent ram and will return to buy time and time again to that breeder.
However if you buy off a guy that sells every ram born as breeding stock. Then your more likely to get rubbish like I did, and vow to never buy from that individual ever again.
Leaves a bad taste in your mouth about the breeder and a society that let them sell the ram in their sale, which is a pity because I know theirs also good decent breeders in the same society, but one bad experience will put you off a breed completely.

MayoAreMagic

Actually not surprised in the least Green Farmer. I know a lad near me with 4-5* rated rams, and frankly, nobody local would buy anything off him because it is well known that his sheep are rubbish. They just have a great run that himself and his neighbours protect like the crown jewels. They kill crossbred lambs directly off it. If one of yours wanders into it you never see them again. However, whenever some come out of this area they shrink down to nothing, and have no breeding in the world in them.

There is your 5 star rams.

The only way it will work is if people stop trying to exploit the system to promote their own sheep and make money and instead look to improve the breed. That isn't happening at present

eire23

I think nothing beats buying a ram direct from a farm and have a look at rams before their done up for sale. You get to have a good look around and see the kind of system their operating. is the flock comercially ran or mollycoddled and never see a bit of hardship. Other things like feet issues, worm resistance problems, looking at kill sheets etc can be discussed and you wont be long forming an opinion. Thats the way i bought my last ram and intend to do so again

Cran

eire23 wrote: »

I think nothing beats buying a ram direct from a farm and have a look at rams before their done up for sale. You get to have a good look around and see the kind of system their operating. is the flock comercially ran or mollycoddled and never see a bit of hardship. Other things like feet issues, worm resistance problems, looking at kill sheets etc can be discussed and you wont be long forming an opinion. Thats the way i bought my last ram and intend to do so again

Agree totally, and outside my pedigree stock rams this is how I buy them and tbh honest thinking of this approach even for some of them in the future. Sold most of my rams from the farm this year, and defo my preferred option. I can show buyers rams together with sires / dams and they can look at my commercials if they want, actually like showing my main flock off. Also can explain my breeding and recording policies in detail with questions being answer. I also hate showing and less sales I go too, less showing required
This was my first main year selling decent numbers, hopefully will sell more directly from the house and customers will return

paddysdream

If you were looking at it from a purely money point of view then its marginal to be honest.
My group has mainly people for whom sheep are either a secondary enterprise or keep the min. to qualify ie few serious sheep farmers.
Despite this found it useful and quiet interesting.

Regarding the ram purchasing,have ever only bought maybe 2 or 3 rams in the mart.Much prefer to buy at the house.Always feel that someone selling at home seems to be more concerned about"customer care" and "after sales service".
Find that a ram purchased at the mart, even at a breeders sale,will be a case of "thanks for the money and good luck".
Always helps to see where a sheep comes from and what the general run of stock is like ie has he just 1 or 2 decent rams and the rest are only fit for hanging(which could mean that the 1 or 2 are maybe not the best as regards breeding and look good due to other factors) or that the rams are in general of decent quality.

Also if you get on well with a particular ram its easier to return to the breeder and buy some of the same breeding or maybe ring early in the year and get a look before sale season starts.Harder in a mart sale to purchase the exact ram you might want if a few others have their eye on them.