Profit per suckler cow?

Feckoffcup

Does anyone do a breakdown of the costs and profit's (if any ) of a suckler cow?

charolais0153

Feckoffcup wrote: »

Does anyone do a breakdown of the costs and profit's (if any ) of a suckler cow?

120e

Grueller

I'm afraid to because I'd have a clearance sale shortly after.

Limestone Cowboy

There's so many variables between each farm it's an impossible question to answer.

Siamsa Sessions

Feckoffcup wrote: »

Does anyone do a breakdown of the costs and profit's (if any ) of a suckler cow?

Might be worth looking at Teagasc's eProfit booklets. They're on their website and as far as i remember they break down the profit/margin by hectare and by animal.

dohc turbo2

Teagasc say it costs between 700-800 to keep a cow for 12 months

tomwaterford

I have for a long time suspected a well run sheep farm on good ground would match them


But that could be my own bias at play :pac:

charolais0153

tomwaterford wrote: »

I have for a long time suspected a well run sheep farm on good ground would match them


But that could be my own bias at play :pac:

Match? More work but more money also

tomwaterford

charolais0153 wrote: »

Match? More work but more money also

But is it more profit??

blue5000

Limestone Cowboy wrote: »

There's so many variables between each farm it's an impossible question to answer.

^^^This, so many variables, so many different systems, calf to weanling/calf to store/calf to finish/calf to finish+buy in a few more to finish

Then you have different cow types.
Different soil types.
Different wintering systems/lengths, you could have a 3 month winter down south or an 8 month winter in the north.

I think I'll stop now.

But the simple answer OP is add up all your variable costs and divide it by the number of cows you have.

farawaygrass

charolais0153 wrote: »

Match? More work but more money also

More work? Not imo. A 100 flock of ewes v 25 suckler cows. Bar say three weeks st lambing, and only two being very hard, then the rest is the same. You will get the odd animal sick in both sheep and cattle that need attention.

tomwaterford

farawaygrass wrote: »

More work? Not imo. A 100 flock of ewes v 25 suckler cows. Bar say three weeks st lambing, and only two being very hard, then the rest is the same. You will get the odd animal sick in both sheep and cattle that need attention.

I was always under impression it was 8 sheep equals a cow,so we'd be talking 200 ewes to your 25 cows

Bur I do think sheep require more small jobs done vs the large jobs of suckler (and are safer)

At 500 a cow profit it takes 62.50 euro a ewe to match it....surly weaning the 1.7 lambs a ewe could match it?

Bass Reeves

4 geese equal one ewe and 4 ewes equal one cow. Not an exact science. Most lads on lowland that are serious about sheep will hit a stocking rate of 3-5 ewe/acre selling lambs to slaughter. Stocking rates for sucklers are varible. Loads of data suggest an overall Irish stocking rate of one cow/HA. Most well run places are stocked near one cow/1.5 acres.

The real senario is if you had a 200 acre farm and wanted to do drystock full time what are your options. 135 suckler cows selling weanlings or 100ish cows carrying calves to slaughter at 16-24 months. The other option is 800 ewes.

carrollsno1

Bass Reeves wrote: »

4 geese equal one ewe and 4 ewes equal one cow. Not an exact science. Most lads on lowland that are serious about sheep will hit a stocking rate of 3-5 ewe/acre selling lambs to slaughter. Stocking rates for sucklers are varible. Loads of data suggest an overall Irish stocking rate of one cow/HA. Most well run places are stocked near one cow/1.5 acres.

The real senario is if you had a 200 acre farm and wanted to do drystock full time what are your options. 135 suckler cows selling weanlings or 100ish cows carrying calves to slaughter at 16-24 months. The other option is 800 ewes.

Would definitly pick the 800 ewes over sucklers anyday might keep 5 sucklers along with them as a hobby but thats all theyd be

Who2

If your thinking about going into sucklers; I wouldn't. Too much work for nearly no profit. 700 per cow would be the run of keeping one. If you were to vaccinate with every vaccine and go in on a learning curve it could cost 900. Between trying to keep them alive, feed them and them trying to kill you, then it's purely for a love of breeding that most do it for. Going off my profit monitor I would be making money, but in real terms honestly I'm not. You won't have much to spend on sheds and luxuries but you won't have to worry about a tax bill either.

farawaygrass

Bass Reeves wrote: »

4 geese equal one ewe and 4 ewes equal one cow. Not an exact science. Most lads on lowland that are serious about sheep will hit a stocking rate of 3-5 ewe/acre selling lambs to slaughter. Stocking rates for sucklers are varible. Loads of data suggest an overall Irish stocking rate of one cow/HA. Most well run places are stocked near one cow/1.5 acres.

The real senario is if you had a 200 acre farm and wanted to do drystock full time what are your options. 135 suckler cows selling weanlings or 100ish cows carrying calves to slaughter at 16-24 months. The other option is 800 ewes.

In them options there I would pick the 800 ewes. Serious expense and slot of work too with 135 cows

adam14

charolais0153 wrote:

Match? More work but more money also

A lot more money in sheep once set up for them

Who2

800 ewes would be hell, nice job when maggot season started. 135 sucklers any day.

Grueller

All joking aside lads €700 Is not the cost per year of a sucker unless you are including large borrowings. Worked it out last night out of interest when this thread came up at €570. Selling weanlings so meal bills may be reduced as against finishing systems.

Who2

Grueller wrote: »

All joking aside lads €700 Is not the cost per year of a sucker unless you are including large borrowings. Worked it out last night out of interest when this thread came up at €570. Selling weanlings so meal bills may be reduced as against finishing systems.

I thought the same. Fill in a profit monitor (honestly ) for three or four years and average it out. You'll be shocked. Something scribbled down with an evenings thinking back may give you the false illusion your making money but your better off knowing the truth with it. Have you allowed for everything? These figures would have all been taken from lads in baton groups, which in general would be making a reasonably good hand at farming, Theres lads out there with costs running in excess of 900

Muckit

Being the time of year and Oct deadline approaching, most lads will know soon enough if they dont already whether there's money in it or not. I'd suspect they'll be brackets around the bottom figure on the books.

stantheman1979

We've both here 130 sucklers selling as weanings and 850 ewes selling as fat lambs. Lambing and calving take place at the same time over 6-8 weeks. We're at it a good while so our facilities are good for both sheds, fencing etc and I can tell u there is very little margin in sucklers. It costs us €720 to run a cow and €63 per ewe average over the last 6 yrs. As a result we're going to reduce the cows to 50 and increase ewes to 14-1500 in the next few years. I love looking at and rearing good cattle but When you are set up for it sheep are far easier ran and managed than cattle imo.

charolais0153

stantheman1979 wrote: »

We've both here 130 sucklers selling as weanings and 850 ewes selling as fat lambs. Lambing and calving take place at the same time over 6-8 weeks. We're at it a good while so our facilities are good for both sheds, fencing etc and I can tell u there is very little margin in sucklers. It costs us €720 to run a cow and €63 per ewe average over the last 6 yrs. As a result we're going to reduce the cows to 50 and increase ewes to 14-1500 in the next few years. I love looking at and rearing good cattle but When you are set up for it sheep are far easier ran and managed than cattle imo.

How do u differentiate between cost of ewe vs cost of cow?

Grueller

Who2 wrote: »

I thought the same. Fill in a profit monitor (honestly ) for three or four years and average it out. You'll be shocked. Something scribbled down with an evenings thinking back may give you the false illusion your making money but your better off knowing the truth with it. Have you allowed for everything? These figures would have all been taken from lads in baton groups, which in general would be making a reasonably good hand at farming, Theres lads out there with costs running in excess of 900

That's where I got the €570. The last 3 years profit monitors. I am fairly honest on them (I think). The most I could be out would be 30 - 40 I think.

Who2

Grueller wrote: »

That's where I got the €570. The last 3 years profit monitors. I am fairly honest on them (I think). The most I could be out would be 30 - 40 I think.

well you must be at something special. There's no one in my btap group can get out at 570. Are you running an intensive or extensive system? And either way how much stock and Land will it take for you to make 35k per year?

rangler1

stantheman1979 wrote: »

We've both here 130 sucklers selling as weanings and 850 ewes selling as fat lambs. Lambing and calving take place at the same time over 6-8 weeks. We're at it a good while so our facilities are good for both sheds, fencing etc and I can tell u there is very little margin in sucklers. It costs us €720 to run a cow and €63 per ewe average over the last 6 yrs. As a result we're going to reduce the cows to 50 and increase ewes to 14-1500 in the next few years. I love looking at and rearing good cattle but When you are set up for it sheep are far easier ran and managed than cattle imo.

Is that including fixed costs, sheep figure is good if it is.
I discovered very quickly the improvement in income when I changed from mixed farming to all sheep, We've heavy land here so there was a long wintering period with the sucklers, also bringing the progeny to beef at 20 -22 mths was no help to profit either......plenty of opportunity to keep costs low with sheep if you want too

rangler1

Who2 wrote: »

well you must be at something special. There's no one in my btap group can get out at 570. Are you running an intensive or extensive system? And either way how much stock and Land will it take for you to make 35k per year?

€500/ha net margin would be about the run of the best I'd say. Derrypatrick were referring to 600/ha a while back

patsy_mccabe

Annoys me when people say there is no money in suckling. Ask them where is the money in beef so and they go very quiet. The reality is over 90% of suckler farmers are working off farm so dairying isn't an option. Maybe sheep but that's a learning curve too.

razor8

Grueller wrote: »

All joking aside lads €700 Is not the cost per year of a sucker unless you are including large borrowings. Worked it out last night out of interest when this thread came up at €570. Selling weanlings so meal bills may be reduced as against finishing systems.

Post your costs here and we'll have a go at checking if it's realistic or not

Grueller

Tell me what your including in case I am missing something.

Who2

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

Annoys me when people say there is no money in suckling. Ask them where is the money in beef so and they go very quiet. The reality is over 90% of suckler farmers are working off farm so dairying isn't an option. Maybe sheep but that's a learning curve too.

It annoys me too patsy but you have to admit there's nothing in them. I keep enough to know for sure and I've tried various systems. Let's say I keep 100 cows even at a cost of 600 they'll cost 60000 to keep. If you've 85 calves alive and fit to sell come weaning you will be doing ok. The break even cost at that is 706 euro so it's achievable to maybe make something but you'd still need to get another 412 euro to make 35 k or putting it in real terms 1118 euro average for your 85 calves. In my eyes that's a serious average to achieve and keep costs at 600. Now try out costs at 700 and come back and tell me where the money is in sucklers. The truth is everyone else down through the years wasn't lying. There's no money in them just work.

Bass Reeves

Relation of mine claims he can run a suckler cow for around 350/head. He finishes his bulls at sub 24 months at around 450 kgs. The heifers either at 18-20 months or at 26-28 months off grass. Now his is a bare bone operation he has a digger for winter feeding and a 30 year old tractor with no door that he bought for 7-8K about 10 years ago. The digger is older.

However he is a workaholic. He spreads most of his own slurry, has lands 10 miles away and moves the cattle with a jeep and trailer. The thing is he work shift work as well. It is not unusual to see him eating his dinner at 10pm or later. He has 60 suckler cows. Silage is a big bulk cut in mid June and second cut bales in September. More than likely he draw any from the out farm home himself. It is a real bare bone operation.

What annoyed me on Thursday was in the editorial in the FJ there wanting that both tillage and sucklers should be supported more. Why so if those that cannot produce grain at a profit at present it gives those that can a better chance. As well most tillage operators have the option of going into dairying if fulltime farming. If we subsidise sucklers further we are giving Larry extra cheap beef to keep a lid on the price. I would have sympathy for a certain cohort of suckler farmers who's land is poorer quality and neither finishing or dairy is a realistic option.However encouraging unprofitable production has an effect on finished production prices

blue5000

Agree, any direct payment for sucklers will only end up in larry's arse pocket. But your relation's off farm wage is going in there too along with a lot of money earned off farm by wives and part timers also.

patsy_mccabe

Bot nobody has still answered my question - What is the alternative to suckling?
What are the profits like for finishing, diary calf to beef?

charolais0153

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

Bot nobody has still answered my question - What is the alternative to suckling?
What are the profits like for finishing, diary calf to beef?

Imo. There is money in sucklers albeit not enough. The top farmers are going to make money in suckling , finishing or calf to beef but a bad farmer that thinks there is an easy way to make money is wrong

Who2

charolais0153 wrote: »

Imo. There is money in sucklers albeit not enough. The top farmers are going to make money in suckling , finishing or calf to beef but a bad farmer that thinks there is an easy way to make money is wrong

But it's a question of what's a reasonable figure. 35k is around about as low as I could get away with and still meet my bills with my wife working. The best farmer in the country isn't making 35k off sucklers. That fella bass was on about is only fooling himself if he reckons he's keeping his cows for 300 odd. The silage alone for a cow is costing the most of that for a 6 month winter. I love suckler farming but there comes a point and lately I've just started to realize it's a pure waste of time. When I have to sacrifice every spare cent and minute that I should be spending on or with my family, then it's not working. I started saying to myself once I buy this and build that or do this then I should be able to lift money out. Now when I've most of those things done then there's another list and still no extra money.

razor8

Grueller wrote: »

Tell me what your including in case I am missing something.

Contracting
Diesel
Annual fencing maintenance
Electricity
Dosing
Vaccines
Vetenery - antibiotic etc
Maintance machinery/jeep/equipment etc
Accountants fees/advisory fees
Scanning/tagging etc
Fertiliser
Feed/meal/minerals
Hay/straw/silage if purchased
Replacements costs

50HX

Who2 wrote: »

But it's a question of what's a reasonable figure. 35k is around about as low as I could get away with and still meet my bills with my wife working. The best farmer in the country isn't making 35k off sucklers. That fella bass was on about is only fooling himself if he reckons he's keeping his cows for 300 odd. The silage alone for a cow is costing the most of that for a 6 month winter. I love suckler farming but there comes a point and lately I've just started to realize it's a pure waste of time. When I have to sacrifice every spare cent and minute that I should be spending on or with my family, then it's not working. I started saying to myself once I buy this and build that or do this then I should be able to lift money out. Now when I've most of those things done then there's another list and still no extra money.

i had the exact same conversation with someone recently and the response i got was, let the farm generate a small income- you still have an asset at your disposal if ever needed

Who2

50HX wrote: »

i had the exact same conversation with someone recently and the response i got was, let the farm generate a small income- you still have an asset at your disposal if ever needed

If that asset is costing 30 hrs a week it's an expensive asset

50HX

Who2 wrote: »

If that asset is costing 30 hrs a week it's an expensive asset

are you working off farm??

Who2

50HX wrote: »

are you working off farm??

Yes

50HX

same as myself so

i see where you are coming from but recently had to step back and have a good look at it

low margin on any beef system

i...like yourself love sucklers...yes they are work but sure what isn't work

herself would be giving out from time to time about the amount of time i spend farming but in fairness she understands it's good for me as i've done the working for multinationals bit and hated it ( she's full time off farm)

tough enough when the kids are smallies but it's great in the evenings to shove a pair of wellies on em and let em loose

everyone's "reasonable figure" is differnt

squinn2912

Consensus seems to be that beef farming isn't a viable source of income. The tone of most contributions is very negative. I'd like to ask why some of you men are still involved in farming if you feel this way? Why are you in discussion groups (costing more time and diesel on yourselves to travel to meetings etc)? Do you anticipate that the situation will improve in the future or are we all in an exercise of futility?

Who2

squinn2912 wrote: »

Consensus seems to be that beef farming isn't a viable source of income. The tone of most contributions is very negative. I'd like to ask why some of you men are still involved in farming if you feel this way? Why are you in discussion groups (costing more time and diesel on yourselves to travel to meetings etc)? Do you anticipate that the situation will improve in the future or are we all in an exercise of futility?

It's become a disease or addiction only problem is cures are hard got and there's no rehab for farmers

Bass Reeves

blue5000 wrote: »

Agree, any direct payment for sucklers will only end up in larry's arse pocket. But your relation's off farm wage is going in there too along with a lot of money earned off farm by wives and part timers also.

His off farm income is immaterial to his systems profitability or non profitability. Wives income is the same. If you can generate profit in a farming system it where you derive other income should not come into the equation.

Who2 wrote: »

But it's a question of what's a reasonable figure. 35k is around about as low as I could get away with and still meet my bills with my wife working.The best farmer in the country isn't making 35k off sucklers. That fella bass was on about is only fooling himself if he reckons he's keeping his cows for 300 odd. The silage alone for a cow is costing the most of that for a 6 month winter. I love suckler farming but there comes a point and lately I've just started to realize it's a pure waste of time. When I have to sacrifice every spare cent and minute that I should be spending on or with my family, then it's not working. I started saying to myself once I buy this and build that or do this then I should be able to lift money out. Now when I've most of those things done then there's another list and still no extra money.

Some lads expect to make an income from sucklers on 20-30 cows like there father did. The reality with modern machinery and contracting the time required to manage a farm now compared to 20-30 years ago is half the time. However some lads have left costs get completely out of control.

TBF to the lad I was speaking about he went through his costs. His system would be the opposite of Teagasc advice. Cows would be set stocked and outside until Late November early December along with everything else. Cows would go back out as the calve but yearling could be inside until May. This year the heifers were sold for export for 2.5/kg at 16-19 months of age. He has 70 cows.



Contracting

---

Large cut o silage at about 120/acre lad doing bales and gets young lads to do a bit of drawing and stacking.
Diesel

---

would it be 20/cow
Annual fencing maintenance

---

Set stocked minimal fencing 10/cow
Electricity

---

The farm would not draw a huge amount my own out farm is about 30-35/month
Dosing

---

Not a huge cost if using generic's 5/cow
Vaccines

---

I say not in his vocabulary
Vetenery - antibiotic etc

---

He be a good stockman vet for the odd section
Maintance machinery/jeep/equipment etc

---

Minimal machinery by this lad as I pointed out
Accountants fees/advisory fees

---

He has other business interests but would the farm part cost 600/year or less than 8/cow. No advisor will do his own SFP
Scanning/tagging etc

---

not sure if he scans but with tags for calves would it be 10/cow
Fertiliser

---

would be a cost but take out silage element would it be 30-40/cow
Feed/meal/minerals

---

Meal fed at weaning and until end of first spring 1kg/day for 180 days @ 25c/kg however would stop the cow cost part at Christmas with minerals for cows 40/cow
Hay/straw/silage if purchased

---

minimal straw as cows go out when calved
Replacements

---

costs cull cows cover costs of replacements his culls come into 1400 euro.

Give it that silage costs him 130/cow, diesel at 20,electricity at 10/cow dosing 5/cow vet 35/cow, machinery 20/cow, accountant 8/cow, scanning/tagging 10/cow, fertlizer 35/cow minerals/ration 40/cow, straw 10/cow. That is around 320/cow. Scale help in reducing costs as some of the machinery costs would be reduced by being used for the finishing part of the operation

charolais0153

Bass Reeves wrote: »

His off farm income is immaterial to his systems profitability or non profitability. Wives income is the same. If you can generate profit in a farming system it where you derive other income should not come into the equation.




Some lads expect to make an income from sucklers on 20-30 cows like there father did. The reality with modern machinery and contracting the time required to manage a farm now compared to 20-30 years ago is half the time. However some lads have left costs get completely out of control.

TBF to the lad I was speaking about he went through his costs. His system would be the opposite of Teagasc advice. Cows would be set stocked and outside until Late November early December along with everything else. Cows would go back out as the calve but yearling could be inside until May. This year the heifers were sold for export for 2.5/kg at 16-19 months of age. He has 70 cows.



Contracting

---

Large cut o silage at about 120/acre lad doing bales and gets young lads to do a bit of drawing and stacking.
Diesel

---

would it be 20/cow
Annual fencing maintenance

---

Set stocked minimal fencing 10/cow
Electricity

---

The farm would not draw a huge amount my own out farm is about 30-35/month
Dosing

---

Not a huge cost if using generic's 5/cow
Vaccines

---

I say not in his vocabulary
Vetenery - antibiotic etc

---

He be a good stockman vet for the odd section
Maintance machinery/jeep/equipment etc

---

Minimal machinery by this lad as I pointed out
Accountants fees/advisory fees

---

He has other business interests but would the farm part cost 600/year or less than 8/cow. No advisor will do his own SFP
Scanning/tagging etc

---

not sure if he scans but with tags for calves would it be 10/cow
Fertiliser

---

would be a cost but take out silage element would it be 30-40/cow
Feed/meal/minerals

---

Meal fed at weaning and until end of first spring 1kg/day for 180 days @ 25c/kg however would stop the cow cost part at Christmas with minerals for cows 40/cow
Hay/straw/silage if purchased

---

minimal straw as cows go out when calved
Replacements

---

costs cull cows cover costs of replacements his culls come into 1400 euro.

Give it that silage costs him 130/cow, diesel at 20,electricity at 10/cow dosing 5/cow vet 35/cow, machinery 20/cow, accountant 8/cow, scanning/tagging 10/cow, fertlizer 35/cow minerals/ration 40/cow, straw 10/cow. That is around 320/cow. Scale help in reducing costs as some of the machinery costs would be reduced by being used for the finishing part of the operation

How much land ?

Hard Knocks

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

Bot nobody has still answered my question - What is the alternative to suckling?
What are the profits like for finishing, diary calf to beef?

Same boat here, I don't think there is anything else.
Hard to be at Marts buying stores when you're working.

There is pocket money currently but costs like insurance, vaccines, antibiotics etc take a good chunk

Who2

Bass it's not like you to be defending sucklers and it's usually the other way around but you've missed a few of the big ones on your costings as far as I can see. Sprays and fertilizer and lime.the cost of the cow then has to be spread over calves per cow. No vaccines and his vet bills will spiral no matter how good a stock man. Testing, transport, insurance and all it all adds up to massive money. What's his mortality rate like? The more I write in this thread the more I'm thinking of selling the sucklers.

kollegeknight

Hard Knocks wrote: »

Same boat here, I don't think there is anything else.
Hard to be at Marts buying stores when you're working.

There is pocket money currently but costs like insurance, vaccines, antibiotics etc take a good chunk

Same as. All I know is suckler cows. Have 78 bad acres. Have to wrestle the weather to get by. Currently have 13 cows and they barely make the 7k it costs to run the farm. This will be the first year touch wood since taking over that I won't have to touch the mothers bps, anc and glass. But even at that, there was an overdraft when I took over and a few grand will clear that.

I'm lucky that we have sheds. I spent 3k of my own money on fencing material this year. I don't count my time or child minding costs in any of that.

rangler1

Bass Reeves wrote: »

His off farm income is immaterial to his systems profitability or non profitability. Wives income is the same. If you can generate profit in a farming system it where you derive other income should not come into the equation.




Some lads expect to make an income from sucklers on 20-30 cows like there father did. The reality with modern machinery and contracting the time required to manage a farm now compared to 20-30 years ago is half the time. However some lads have left costs get completely out of control.

TBF to the lad I was speaking about he went through his costs. His system would be the opposite of Teagasc advice. Cows would be set stocked and outside until Late November early December along with everything else. Cows would go back out as the calve but yearling could be inside until May. This year the heifers were sold for export for 2.5/kg at 16-19 months of age. He has 70 cows.



Contracting

---

Large cut o silage at about 120/acre lad doing bales and gets young lads to do a bit of drawing and stacking.
Diesel

---

would it be 20/cow
Annual fencing maintenance

---

Set stocked minimal fencing 10/cow
Electricity

---

The farm would not draw a huge amount my own out farm is about 30-35/month
Dosing

---

Not a huge cost if using generic's 5/cow
Vaccines

---

I say not in his vocabulary
Vetenery - antibiotic etc

---

He be a good stockman vet for the odd section
Maintance machinery/jeep/equipment etc

---

Minimal machinery by this lad as I pointed out
Accountants fees/advisory fees

---

He has other business interests but would the farm part cost 600/year or less than 8/cow. No advisor will do his own SFP
Scanning/tagging etc

---

not sure if he scans but with tags for calves would it be 10/cow
Fertiliser

---

would be a cost but take out silage element would it be 30-40/cow
Feed/meal/minerals

---

Meal fed at weaning and until end of first spring 1kg/day for 180 days @ 25c/kg however would stop the cow cost part at Christmas with minerals for cows 40/cow
Hay/straw/silage if purchased

---

minimal straw as cows go out when calved
Replacements

---

costs cull cows cover costs of replacements his culls come into 1400 euro.

Give it that silage costs him 130/cow, diesel at 20,electricity at 10/cow dosing 5/cow vet 35/cow, machinery 20/cow, accountant 8/cow, scanning/tagging 10/cow, fertlizer 35/cow minerals/ration 40/cow, straw 10/cow. That is around 320/cow. Scale help in reducing costs as some of the machinery costs would be reduced by being used for the finishing part of the operation

Slurry spreading, polythene, concentrates for weanlings or does he leave them out too till december and let them melt, fertilizer and lime , bank charges,casual labour, insurance,
General figure for cow replacement is about €100/cow.
At least another 200/cow there, so we're getting near 600/cow
Tbh the way you describe it there, I'd be surprised if he had adequate grass before july,

Feckoffcup

Out wintering cattle is profitable, some farmers are lucky enough to be able to graze cows on land close to beaches, rough grass, sandy dunes etc.