Starting off, Complete beginner

Kevhog1988

Ok guys, More annoying questions from me. Basically myself and dad have bought some land (7.5 acres) and we want to start farming in a small way. We were looking at buying aax calves and rearing them. I am thinking we would have room for 5 calves and 5 weanlings on rotation. The question i have is can anyone recommend something which would give us a bit of cashflow between our first calf and when it gets sold after 18 months as we will be looking at inputting for 18 months before any return. I was thinking possibly rearing a few lambs etc for the first year and then getting out of them?

_Brian

How about 5 calves and 3 weanlings the first year. The three would turn cash round sooner, but that's all, turn it round, maybe a small profit.

Or 10 calves straight off and only winter five, selling the other five.


My only advice is know your AAx source. There are some shockingly small Angus calves coming out of dairy herds and they are hard to grow on into much size. I think it's less of a problem with HEx sucks.

rangler1

theemigrant wrote: »

Ok guys, More annoying questions from me. Basically myself and dad have bought some land (7.5 acres) and we want to start farming in a small way. We were looking at buying aax calves and rearing them. I am thinking we would have room for 5 calves and 5 weanlings on rotation. The question i have is can anyone recommend something which would give us a bit of cashflow between our first calf and when it gets sold after 18 months as we will be looking at inputting for 18 months before any return. I was thinking possibly rearing a few lambs etc for the first year and then getting out of them?

Pet lambs cost about €60 here to rear, farmers are charging €20 for them so its a non runner I'd say, what about 10 inlamb ewes

Kevhog1988

rangler1 wrote: »

Pet lambs cost about €60 here to rear, farmers are charging €20 for them so its a non runner I'd say, what about 10 inlamb ewes

paid 10 for my pet lambs last year. but yes milk replacer is big money

Kevhog1988

_Brian wrote: »

How about 5 calves and 3 weanlings the first year. The three would turn cash round sooner, but that's all, turn it round, maybe a small profit.

Or 10 calves straight off and only winter five, selling the other five.


My only advice is know your AAx source. There are some shockingly small Angus calves coming out of dairy herds and they are hard to grow on into much size. I think it's less of a problem with HEx sucks.

Thats not a bad idea, sell 5 as weanlings.

_Brian

theemigrant wrote: »

Thats not a bad idea, sell 5 as weanlings.

Just don't expect huge returns at that stage.

Kevhog1988

_Brian wrote: »

Just don't expect huge returns at that stage.

im not but it would keep a bit of cashflow if that makes sense??. I guess im looking at it from a business perspective also. If i cant make it pay with cattle i will take horses in on livery but i really cant be doing with other arsehole horse owners if i can help it.

Bullocks

rangler1 wrote: »

Pet lambs cost about €60 here to rear, farmers are charging €20 for them so its a non runner I'd say, what about 10 inlamb ewes

I don't know why more people don't buy a few in lamb ewes with the price of calves the past year it would make more sense to me anyhow

djmc

Bullocks wrote: »

I don't know why more people don't buy a few in lamb ewes with the price of calves the past year it would make more sense to me anyhow

I suppose a lot of lads that have cattle don't have a flock number.
I had asked about sheep to be told if you have time to be looking for them and want to fall out with the neighbors go for it.
Maybe that's just hill breeds but for the return I would be slow to chance it.
Fencing would also be a cost to start up.

Kevhog1988

djmc wrote: »

I suppose a lot of lads that have cattle don't have a flock number.
I had asked about sheep to be told if you have time to be looking for them and want to fall out with the neighbors go for it.
Maybe that's just hill breeds but for the return I would be slow to chance it.
Fencing would also be a cost to start up.

neighbours a sheep farmer 😂😂

djmc

theemigrant wrote: »

neighbours a sheep farmer 😂😂

Do ye still get on

ihatewinter

If land is near you, maybe keep a pig or two for the freezer. Though you'd want a good fence plus an electric fence to keep them contained. Or raise a good few turkeys or geese for xmas if you had a way of getting buyers

CloughCasey1

Buy 10 calves hex now. Rear them over winter and sell as yearlings without a big winter. Start again next nov. No silage needed any you can use all the ground set aside for grass alone. You could keep a few ewes and the lambs would help eat the grass that calves will struggle to keep ate in the spring. They will be gone by late summer when calves will need more grass. You could use the ewes to clean out what calves leave behind from then on. Have you renting another few acres in the head?

Bullocks

djmc wrote: »

I suppose a lot of lads that have cattle don't have a flock number.
I had asked about sheep to be told if you have time to be looking for them and want to fall out with the neighbors go for it.
Maybe that's just hill breeds but for the return I would be slow to chance it.
Fencing would also be a cost to start up.

Before I got my few sheep people told me the same . My fencing is poor but I find them mannerly enough with 2 strands of electric for the few I have .
6 inlamb ewes left me with 9 lambs weaned and should've been a few more but I was inexperienced at lambing .
Bought them at Christmas, lambed end of feb and could have sold most of the lambs in August if I wasn't keeping replacements.
Killed two tasty ram lambs for the freezer that was better than any financial gain .
They didn't cost as much as suck calves would have in the same time either

Willfarman

How bout 10 reared early spring friesians Bulls sub 500. Squeeze em. Bit of hay and couple kg meal till grass. Then flog em next August before glut. Should be 500kg plus.. 900 to a thou. You can't lose!!!!

ganmo

Bullocks wrote: »

Before I got my few sheep people told me the same . My fencing is poor but I find them mannerly enough with 2 strands of electric for the few I have .
6 inlamb ewes left me with 9 lambs weaned and should've been a few more but I was inexperienced at lambing .
Bought them at Christmas, lambed end of feb and could have sold most of the lambs in August if I wasn't keeping replacements.
Killed two tasty ram lambs for the freezer that was better than any financial gain .
They didn't cost as much as suck calves would have in the same time either

Sheep that are used to good fences won't go looking for holes but ya can get some bitches that will test every gap until they find one

Bullocks

Willfarman wrote: »

. You can't lose!!!!

I saw nice fr bulls on DD last night and told the old fella "you couldn't lose money on them " He had a choice response

Willfarman

:

Bullocks wrote: »

I saw nice fr bulls on DD last night and told the old fella "you couldn't lose money on them " He had a choice response

ha ya they're not for everyone's taste!

Bullocks

Willfarman wrote: »

:

ha ya they're not for everyone's taste!

Oh he likes freisans, it was you couldn't lose money on them bit that he said wasn't true of any farming

Willfarman

That's what experience does to you.. It makes you afraid!

Don't mind em immegrant.. Your profit is in the bank. I'l take my small percentage upfront please. Preferably cash.

Miname

With 7.5 acres is be going with sheep. They are easier minded, only a small bit of meal or silage to winter them,no testing costs, no weeds on the ground and just a lot less hassle. If you even had twenty ewes lambing down with say 32 lambs to flog, it would be a better return than the majority of calf to store systems at that scale. Don't underestimate the time it will take to look after ten calves, the sheep are more self sufficient with less associated costs. Best of luck anyways.

Willfarman

Maggots foot rot. Lambs head out no legs. Rotten lamb stuck in ewe, dead on their back, dead on their side, dead from fluke, caught in the wire, caught in the briars, ewe no milk, ewe mastitis, ewe don't want to know her lamb, dog up the road running them, mange, prolapse, dying randomly....

But there no work wit em at all really!

ganmo

Willfarman wrote: »

Maggots foot rot. Lambs head out no legs. Rotten lamb stuck in ewe, dead on their back, dead on their side, dead from fluke, caught in the wire, caught in the briars, ewe no milk, ewe mastitis, ewe don't want to know her lamb, dog up the road running them, mange, prolapse, dying randomly....

But there no work wit em at all really!

no such thing as a sick sheep...only dying ones

Kevhog1988

Miname wrote: »

With 7.5 acres is be going with sheep. They are easier minded, only a small bit of meal or silage to winter them,no testing costs, no weeds on the ground and just a lot less hassle. If you even had twenty ewes lambing down with say 32 lambs to flog, it would be a better return than the majority of calf to store systems at that scale. Don't underestimate the time it will take to look after ten calves, the sheep are more self sufficient with less associated costs. Best of luck anyways.

I didnt think sheep ate silage? are they not the same as horses that they cant handle it??.

ganmo

theemigrant wrote: »

I didnt think sheep ate silage? are they not the same as horses that they cant handle it??.

They handle it fine.

rangler1

theemigrant wrote: »

I didnt think sheep ate silage? are they not the same as horses that they cant handle it??.

If you've a small amount of sheep the bale will go off before they finish it, can be wastefull. we feed straw and meal here, very clean and handy for ould ones

Kevhog1988

rangler1 wrote: »

If you've a small amount of sheep the bale will go off before they finish it, can be wastefull. we feed straw and meal here, very clean and handy for ould ones

I would be feeding the horses hay anyway so would use that. Silage is a dose to move when you only have a 135

Kevhog1988

ok so, For to apply for my flock number what do i need??.
I am thinking get sheep first whilst i do a bit of work to the place and get it ready for calves. Sheep can surely live out all year and come home to the shed for lambing as i have no shed built here yet.

Willfarman

A field. A few sheep pens in the corner. Reasonable fence. A source of drinking water. Be inspected after you apply which yo need A long term lease or ownership of ground. Green cert is a help. Bank account and Pps details.

Kevhog1988

Willfarman wrote: »

A field. A few sheep pens in the corner. Reasonable fence. A source of drinking water. Be inspected after you apply which yo need A long term lease or ownership of ground. Green cert is a help. Bank account and Pps details.

Yes have all that

Kevhog1988

Also do i need an accountant etc??

ihatewinter

No you don't really. An accountant will cost up to 500 euro. I've done my own accounts for the last 3 years. Hadn't a clue starting out but figured it out by looking at helpsheets and examples on Revenue Commissioners website. I wasn't going to part with a 500 euro

mayota

theemigrant wrote: »

Also do i need an accountant etc??

A good farm accountant could save you alot more than his fee.

barnaman

Mayota right accoutnant is worth having and a good one is brilliant but hard found. Most accountant seem to be €1,000 a year and a bit. You will not be making enough this year to justify one I reckon but if you are siill in England might be worth getting one just to see if any issues there.