Alternatives to beef/sheep (besides milking cows)

Muckit

Anybody else researching viable alternative enterprises to beef?

I said

Muckit wrote: »

Anybody else researching viable alternative enterprises to beef?

Forestry

Muckit

Not an option as land floods in winter. Would be good option otherwise as have sawmill here nearby

whelan2

goats or are they too sheepy?

Muckit

Pet farm not an option either as 2 within 15 miles of here, one with the biggest indoor bouncy castle. .. now that was just poor genius.

Feckthis

Muckit wrote: »

Anybody else researching viable alternative enterprises to beef?

Maybe going sheep full time would be better than keeping sucklers I'd say. Lamb prices are good at the moment.
Other than that organic farming seems to be a viable enterprise if you can grow your own crops as well as keep a few animals.

frazzledhome

Rear dairy heifers

Miname

pigs, poultry or equestrian

mahoney_j

Rent the land to a dairy farmer!!!!!!,sorry tongue in cheek comment!
Forestry,contract rearing,pet farm,

Muckit

whelan2 wrote: »

goats or are they too sheepy?

Yes l've been looking into these. Housing could be easily converted. I think housed fulltime is the only solution for irish climate and to ease handling.

A lot to them with trying to synchronize the herd to kid all year round.

Parlour would be much more basic than for cows. A raised timber platform as opposed to a pit.

The other issue would be the male kids. Looking at possibly culling at birth. Don't know how l feel about this. But suppose plenty of dairy cow farmers are/will be at it with jerseys.

I think one would be looking at processing the milk yourself- milk, cheese, yoghurt, ice cream. You're then looking at distribution as well.

TUBBY

What about BEEF.

IMO but don't shout it, it is clear from this forum and all journalism and local chat that there is a mass exodus from beef.
as people say on here it is supply and demand so stick tight and things will improve.

frazzledhome

TUBBY wrote: »

What about BEEF.

IMO but don't shout it, it is clear from this forum and all journalism and local chat that there is a mass exodus from beef.
as people say on here it is supply and demand so stick tight and things will improve.

Yea lots of talk but numbers not dropping and won't as dairy hrs increases.

Can't understand the dream world people are living in. The factories want lighter cheaper cattle. People don't seem want to heed this even with beef price on the ground

Feckthis

Muckit wrote: »

Yes l've been looking into these. Housing could be easily converted. I think housed fulltime is the only solution for irish climate and to ease handling.

A lot to them with trying to synchronize the herd to kid all year round.

Parlour would be much more basic than for cows. A raised timber platform as opposed to a pit.

The other issue would be the male kids. Looking at possibly culling at birth. Don't know how l feel about this. But suppose plenty of dairy cow farmers are/will be at it with jerseys.

I think one would be looking at processing the milk yourself- milk, cheese, yoghurt, ice cream. You're then looking at distribution as well.

Are you near the border muck it? I looked into this a little myself one time and the biggest problem was getting a buyer for the milk if not from the north of the country.
If you decided on this how many goats would you go for?!

Damo810

frazzledhome wrote: »

Yea lots of talk but numbers not dropping and won't as dairy hrs increases.

Can't understand the dream world people are living in. The factories want lighter cheaper cattle. People don't seem want to heed this even with beef price on the ground

Agree, numbers won't fall, more cows calving down and you would think there would be more culls too every year.

As for weight in beef, I think most people don't mind that too much, the problem at the end of the day is price. Was it you who said beef at 3.60/kg is like milk at 23c/l. Madness.

Feckthis

Damo810 wrote: »

Agree, numbers won't fall, more cows calving down and you would think there would be more culls too every year.

As for weight in beef, I think most people don't mind that too much, the problem at the end of the day is price. Was it you who said beef at 3.60/kg is like milk at 23c/l. Madness.

Think that was €4.00kg equals to 23c/lt. Indeed madness.

mix_up

Damo810 wrote: »

Agree, numbers won't fall, more cows calving down and you would think there would be more culls too every year.

As for weight in beef, I think most people don't mind that too much, the problem at the end of the day is price. Was it you who said beef at 3.60/kg is like milk at 23c/l. Madness.

id have thought a booming beef trade was no better than a below average milk price

how many good years in ten do beef farmers witness ?

Damo810

Feckthis wrote: »

Think that was €4.00kg equals to 23c/lt. Indeed madness.

Correct, makes it even worse! Would anyone be milking if milk was 20.7c/l?

mf240

Open a golf coarse and a hure house.

Kovu

mf240 wrote: »

Open a golf coarse and a hure house.

Tiger Woods would be great PR for it too....

Miname

.Kovu. wrote: »

Tiger Woods would be great PR for it too....

mcelroy wouldnt be far behind him.

Charliebull

If you thinking of changing, stick to what you know best muckit, contract rearing would be a good shout, you have a good set up in place with paddocks and your location is ideal

Muckit

Yeah contact rearing might be a runner.

With all drystock at the moment, easy throw em on a trailer and easy to get into something else. Might be worth a go. Must look into it.

severeoversteer

Muckit wrote: »

Not an option as land floods in winter. Would be good option otherwise as have sawmill here nearby

you must be near ballygar so,
have a relation working there

severeoversteer

how about deer farming, certainly different

tillage?

TUBBY

organic muckit if ya haven't invested heavily in slatted sheds might be an option.

tanko

A lad near me got into ostrich farming about 20 years ago. He spent a fortune putting up fences. It didn't go very well and he ended up getting rid of them. They were rare looking yokes.

I know a man who got rid of his sucklers and makes his living breeding and selling pedigree dogs. He adapted a slatted shed to house them and seems to be doing well out of it.

Kevin the sheep

Free range pigs I have 10 acres of a bog with two acres of natural woodland at top end cows get about two weeks grazing a year out of it so instead I'm gona put pigs on it will make more (not a lot) than it is now and they might clean it up a bit ? Easy to sell free range pig over factory pig won't leave a fortune but little work with them. You also could look into doing free range turkeys easily kept also and middlein return from them lad next door does it

_Brian

Kevin the sheep wrote: »

Free range pigs I have 10 acres of a bog with two acres of natural woodland at top end cows get about two weeks grazing a year out of it so instead I'm gona put pigs on it will make more (not a lot) than it is now and they might clean it up a bit ? Easy to sell free range pig over factory pig won't leave a fortune but little work with them.

Where is te market for them??
I bought plea need if a fella a few years ago and he had 120 ready to kill but the market was dead, reckoned he was to loos €20-40 a head on them.

Rang him the following year and he had gone out of business.

Kevin the sheep

The pig market goes up and down faster than any other sector In my opinion. factory will take them off you they have to inspect to see there free range and that a friend of mine does it as I said you won't make a lot out of it but not much work

manjou

Instead of contract rearing calves and heifers what about dry cows take in when dried of and send back on point of calving.Easier managed and less targets to be met.So much a day

ellewood

manjou wrote: »

Instead of contract rearing calves and heifers what about dry cows take in when dried of and send back on point of calving.Easier managed and less targets to be met.So much a day

How much a day do ya reckon?

Charliebull

manjou wrote: »

Instead of contract rearing calves and heifers what about dry cows take in when dried of and send back on point of calving.Easier managed and less targets to be met.So much a day

is this a common practice manjou or something new

_Brian

Kevin the sheep wrote: »

The pig market goes up and down faster than any other sector In my opinion. factory will take them off you they have to inspect to see there free range and that a friend of mine does it as I said you won't make a lot out of it but not much work

I think you'd be swapping one poor margin business for another poor margin business.. Fencing 10 acres for pigs would be trouble enough.

blue5000

What other skills do you have Muckit?

_Brian

Muckit wrote: »

Yes l've been looking into these. Housing could be easily converted. I think housed fulltime is the only solution for irish climate and to ease handling.

A lot to them with trying to synchronize the herd to kid all year round.

Parlour would be much more basic than for cows. A raised timber platform as opposed to a pit.

The other issue would be the male kids. Looking at possibly culling at birth. Don't know how l feel about this. But suppose plenty of dairy cow farmers are/will be at it with jerseys.

I think one would be looking at processing the milk yourself- milk, cheese, yoghurt, ice cream. You're then looking at distribution as well.

Processing has both plus and minus sides to it.. I've thought about this too..

On the plus side you're adding more value to your product and so will gain more margin per liter produced and shipped on.. It allows you to carry smaller numbers for your margin..
Unfortunately there is probably more financial outlay to get this up and going, funding is hard got, I know Leader was banned from supporting food based enterprise but I've been reliably informed that the next round of funding starting next year "is likely" to allow for supporting food production.
Another draw back is that you'll be spending more time "processing" and "marketing" your product, not a world that everyone is cut out for..

Muckit

I don't want to make this tread exclusively personal to me. I'm interested to know if others too have looked into different enterprises.

Thanks for everyone's input so far.

Markcheese

Muckit wrote: »

Not an option as land floods in winter. Would be good option otherwise as have sawmill here nearby

Don't trees like alder quite happily put up with flooding ? ?

Charliebull

Muckit wrote: »

I don't want to make this tread exclusively personal to me. I'm interested to know if others too have looked into different enterprises.

Thanks for everyone's input so far.

dont be going all shy on us now muckit;)

restive

Markcheese wrote: »

Don't trees like alder quite happily put up with flooding ? ?

Land that floods is usually protected against planting as a Natural Heritage Area.

Username John

Muckit wrote: »

Anybody else researching viable alternative enterprises to beef?

What the definition of viable?

1) To rear a family - sell it
2) To supplement a family - rent it
3) To provide a few quid, but maybe not enough to financially justify the time spent - any sort of dry stock

I admit that's a very dim, glass half empty view. But I am happy to be told otherwise...

restive

Maybe we can start giving nature walks and charge German tourists like tour guides do. B&B?

Timmaay

manjou wrote: »

Instead of contract rearing calves and heifers what about dry cows take in when dried of and send back on point of calving.Easier managed and less targets to be met.So much a day

Everyone keeps throwing up this excuse about hitting target weights! You'd swear it was as big a challenge as trying to land a man on the moon! With some sorta grassland management all early (Feb born) heifers will easily hit the target weights for AI 15 months later, the only animal's that are slightly tricky are the later born who will need to be served about 13months old, even still this is not a major challenge, with regular (ie every 3/4months) weighting you can keep track of them and feed meal if needs be.

Muckit

restive wrote: »

Maybe we can start giving nature walks and charge German tourists like tour guides do. B&B?

Yes. The whole area of 'foraging', especially this time of year, is getting more popular. Then cooking what you collect.

_Brian

I have a friend putting in a sort of wild'ish camping area.
He has a nice location with stunning lakeshore access, very remote. It's an area popular with German and French fishermen.
Plans to add boat and kyak rental at some stage.
I'd say done and marketed right it might bring in a few bob with minimal outlay.

Muckit

Username John wrote: »

What the definition of viable?

1) To rear a family - sell it
2) To supplement a family - rent it
3) To provide a few quid, but maybe not enough to financially justify the time spent - any sort of dry stock

I admit that's a very dim, glass half empty view. But I am happy to be told otherwise...

Wouldn't rule out any of your points. As you point out everyone has family commitments that must be met first and foremost. Makes little sense to me the longer l'm at it to be spending time on something that doesn't give back sufficient money or 'robs' time from family or other interests. Only so much time and it's ticking down for us all. At 37 l've 30 years farming under my belt, the guts of half a lifetime.

Living off farm presently l am starting to see the wood from the trees. Does it make sense to move further away from the day job to live beside something that is a drain on resources and isn't pulling it's weight?

'The main thing is the main thing, is the main thing.' And l'm quickly starting to realise what it is!!

Kovu

_Brian wrote: »

I have a friend putting in a sort of wild'ish camping area.
He has a nice location with stunning lakeshore access, very remote. It's an area popular with German and French fishermen.
Plans to add boat and kyak rental at some stage.
I'd say done and marketed right it might bring in a few bob with minimal outlay.

That's actually a very good idea. Go on holiday to France and there are campsites everywhere, all at a very good rate. In Ireland I have seen very few!

on the river

DEER FARMING:)

_Brian

.Kovu. wrote: »

That's actually a very good idea. Go on holiday to France and there are campsites everywhere, all at a very good rate. In Ireland I have seen very few!

Ya know before we bought our caravan we thought there were few enoug too and we'd been holidaying on campsites in France now for 11 years. But campsite numbers in Ireland are growing. This guy is aiming less at families and more at fishermen and couples.

He's keeping his spending small but as tey say on the telly, it's all Location, Location, Location.

PucaMama

tanko wrote: »

I know a man who got rid of his sucklers and makes his living breeding and selling pedigree dogs. He adapted a slatted shed to house them and seems to be doing well out of it.

a puppy farm??

dont think i need to point out the welfare issues in puppy farms.

where is this located

_Brian

PucaMama wrote: »

a puppy farm??

dont think i need to point out the welfare issues in puppy farms.

where is this located

Surely t can be done right though.
Lot of people get high and mighty about his when realistically they can be farmed like any other animal.

If pet ownership was better regulated ten it would get less bad press.

Damo810

_Brian wrote: »

Surely t can be done right though.
Lot of people get high and mighty about his when realistically they can be farmed like any other animal.

If pet ownership was better regulated ten it would get less bad press.

Theres enough pups on donedeal and in kennels without lads converting slatted sheds to start breeding them.