Beef Farming 0 knowledge!

Puma king

Long time listener, first time caller!

Gonna be taking over a small beef farm in the future. I couldn't possible know less about how/what to do!! Apart from reading the journal and seeking advice from neighbours etc. is there any books, teagasc info, online info or something that would give me a run down of the basics at least!!
when you are thinking basic...I need you think even simpler!

Lady Haywire

The front end goes moo, the back end produces poo :P

Maybe to get a few more detailed answers for your upcoming beef nuptials, are we talking many acres/cattle? Bulls/bullocks/heifers? I'm presuming when you say beef farming you mean finishing to kill at the factory, it would be termed a suckler farm if the calves are born on the farm.

Whatever system it is, would it be possible to spend a day or even an evening a week there now to get a feel for it.

Mooooo

If you can join a local discussion group, would be a big help teagasc may help you out there. Don't know or need to know specifics but if you will be taking over the place in the future can you spend time there now to see how it's done?

TPF2012

Check out the beef section of the teagasc website, mainly the publications. Enough material there to keep you occupied for a few weeks.

_Brian

Lady Haywire wrote: »

The front end goes moo, the back end produces poo :P

it.

Real useful to know when dosing or taking temps

Bullocks

Get a good ag advisor and explain you're starting from scratch. If you get a good one they will prove invaluable.
The green cert can be done too if you had the time and it might help with the takeover of Tue farm

Puma king

Mooooo wrote: »

If you can join a local discussion group, would be a big help teagasc may help you out there. Don't know or need to know specifics but if you will be taking over the place in the future can you spend time there now to see how it's done?

Yea I am going to start spending as much time there as I can from now. Would prefer to have a bit more of an idea of what's going on/what my plan is before going to a discussion group- but I see from few other threads how beneficial they are. Cheers for advice

Puma king

Lady Haywire wrote: »

The front end goes moo, the back end produces poo :P

this is the type of quality information you just don't find on the Teagasc website; keep it coming!

It's a suckler farm. Cheers for info.

Puma king

TPF2012 wrote: »

Check out the beef section of the teagasc website, mainly the publications. Enough material there to keep you occupied for a few weeks.

Cheers- will have a gawk at that!

tractorporn

Puma king wrote:

Gonna be taking over a small beef farm in the future. I couldn't possible know less about how/what to do!! Apart from reading the journal and seeking advice from neighbours etc. is there any books, teagasc info, online info or something that would give me a run down of the basics at least!! when you are thinking basic...I need you think even simpler!

Anything to be said for doing the green cert? If your starting from zero experience it could be a useful exercise to get a good grounding and some practical experience.

Lady Haywire

Puma king wrote: »

this is the type of quality information you just don't find on the Teagasc website; keep it coming!

It's a suckler farm. Cheers for info.

Sucklers can be a bit more work at certain times of year. Do you know if there's a bull or the farm or if a man is got in to AI, (that's artificially inseminate btw:P) Calving videos can be watched on Youtube but again it's actual experience you could do with there as you always believe it'll be a simple, cool, calm & collected job and then......PANIC, EVERYONE PANIC when something actually does go wrong.

If you really are starting with nothing it might be no harm to actually pick up a leaving cert Ag Science book, if you aren't considering the green cert.

Local discussion group as suggested above would be very good for picking up on bits and pieces that you might otherwise miss out on, simple things like worm doses or lick buckets.

Who2

If you know nothing about farming then sell the sucklers because with a couple of hard years it will break the best of lads and too much to go wrong with it. Get an honest (ish) dealer because it's easier look after sucklers than find one of those. Then get him to pick you up heifers and go fattening them. Keep good records and you won't be long learning.

Puma king

tractorporn wrote: »

Anything to be said for doing the green cert? If your starting from zero experience it could be a useful exercise to get a good grounding and some practical experience.

Would have been ideal but full time job wouldn't allow me to get the days off even for the distant one.

Who2

Puma king wrote: »

Would have been ideal but full time job wouldn't allow me to get the days off even for the distant one.

If your serious about going farming and want grants and the likes you'll just have to make time for the green cert.

Good loser

Who2 wrote: »

If you know nothing about farming then sell the sucklers because with a couple of hard years it will break the best of lads and too much to go wrong with it. Get an honest (ish) dealer because it's easier look after sucklers than find one of those. Then get him to pick you up heifers and go fattening them. Keep good records and you won't be long learning.

Plus 1 on that. Sucklers would be a nightmare for a beginner.
Much better store to beef or calf to beef. Move slowly.

Will you live near or on the place?

Puma king

Good loser wrote: »

Plus 1 on that. Sucklers would be a nightmare for a beginner.
Much better store to beef or calf to beef. Move slowly.

Will you live near or on the place?

Yea I will be living very close to it- but work is a good distance from home.

_Brian

Good loser wrote: »

Plus 1 on that. Sucklers would be a nightmare for a beginner.
Much better store to beef or calf to beef. Move slowly.

Will you live near or on the place?

I wouldn't recommend a calf enterprise for someone with zero stock or farming knowledge. Many "experienced" farmers can't do well rearing sucks.

Salrub

If you are going sucklers, you would want to be around or have someone checking them a few times a day when they are due to calf. Nothing worse than losing a calf when you are not there to help in any way

_Brian

I think dry stock might be the best option.

Sucklers calving and loosing calves and cows is a big risk if work is far away and you can't be there regularly and easily.

Sucks, I said before would be risky.

Of course, depending on OPs age letting the place might be the best advice, if a bit against the spirit of the thread.

charolais0153

Can I ask why you want to start farming given that you have zero experience

thegreatgonzo

Puma king wrote: »

Would have been ideal but full time job wouldn't allow me to get the days off even for the distant one.

I don't know how you'd be able to manage the farm in that case, like others have said sucklers can be a lot of work and calving cows won't really respect your work schedule:D