When to buy bullocks and at what age?

Jimmy2020

Hi, I do not have a clue about drystock farming I'm currently at suckler cows (15 cows and the bull) partime and they are too much work.

I'll be changing farming system in the summer,/ August to drystock. Was thinking bullocks be easier kept than heifers and sell them in a mart to a finisher.

When and what age should you buy? Also should you have 2 batches/lots that you can sell at different times. Is there a higher chance of getting locked down when you farm drystock?

Thanks and sorry for all the questions

James

Siamsa Sessions

There's maybe a half-dozen different ways to skin the cat.

Buy a few stores in Autumn and fatten off grass the following summer. Buy a few yearling/weanling cattle in Spring and fatten 16 months later off grass in Summer.

The breeds don't really matter at this stage as you can safely assume you will make no money for the first 2 years. Aim to not lose too much. Try to fatten and finish yourself - selling them back as bigger stores in the mart is a sure loss.

I don't think getting locked down with TB will be an issue just because you buy in stock. I'm very much open to correction but I think it's more older dairy cows get TB rather than younger beef cattle.

Jimmy2020

Thanks for your reply, would you get rid of the bull now and sell cows dry do you think? Average age of cows 7 yrs

PoorFarmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121895814#Comment_121895814

What are you planning on doing with this years calves? Will you keep them on as your first batch to hold over as dry stock? Selling the cow with calf at foot from the yard might be an option too.

I would get rid of the bull now definitely if you are not keeping the cows. Won't be much going for sucklers that were running with the bull all summer if your plan is to sell in August/September. Too much of a chance to take for the cull cow buyer and any lad looking for a few sucklers will probably hold off until they get something that is near calving in the spring, even if they are a bit more expensive then he would have spent the same on feeding one of yours for the winter.

funkey_monkey

I agree. Sell bull now. Not much of a market for 7 year old cows other than fat. So yes, keep them away from bull, rear the calves and sell the cows fat at the shoulder of the year when weaning the calves.

Jimmy2020

I'll keep this yrs bull calves and buy in few more bullocks, I'll get rid of the heifer calves. Too much bother with them I fore see anyway.

funkey_monkey

I've tried keeping heifers and they are a pain when they are bulling.

tanko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121898646#Comment_121898646

They’re even more of a pain when the neighbors bulls get at them and you end up with a few sucklers.

older by the day

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058340818/when-to-buy-bullocks-and-at-what-age

Your going to have to be a right cute heure to make money out of any beef system. There are lads on here with all different systems. Buying top weanlings at 4 euros a kg to buying the cheapest scraggy cattle in the mart. The main thing is how to make a profit. Stocking rate, costs, time you have, all dictate your system.

I rear my own dairy bred calves. Allow I get the calf for free, and allow 2 euros a day, costs. I have to get over seven hundred for a yearling to make a profit. If you add the price of a calf I'm losing money at 7.

What are you thinking of doing. What would you like to stock the place with?

Markus Antonius

I also moved to a bullock only farm, buy in Spring, sell in autumn. Just make sure to have solid boundary fences as they simply do not respect them the way cows do and will wander.

I even had 2 that migrated to a neighboring field and befriended a bull. Had a job to seperate them.

50HX

Sell bull now

Fatten the cows & factory them at a decent price

Keep this years weanlings to finish

Purchase at xmas or early summer time for follow on stock depends on housing restrictions if any

Count Mondego

With dry stock, you're paid for every day they're in the farm. There's no quick money with them. The longer you have them the more you'll make, but it's more work feeding them over winter etc. Buying stores in spring and selling in Autumn is handy and low cost, but has the least return.

Jimmy2020

I'm just going to take a stab at drystock if it works out it works out. We have had sucklers here for 40yrs plus.

I'll eventually end up planting the land after I give drystock ago as I'm physically not able for suckler farming. The way I see it is forestry would be more beneficial to the kids than handing them a farm.

There is an electric fence going around the perimeter of the farm so hopefully it will contain a few bullocks when it's fully working. As far as stocking rates go I wouldn't have a clue I'll have to talk with the tegasc adviser on that one. There will be some people that disagree with what I am saying/ thinking but it won't affect them so it doesn't really matter to them.

Thanks for your thoughts and suggestions

Siamsa Sessions

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121899335#Comment_121899335

Best of luck - stay on this farming forum, asking plenty questions and offering your opinion/experience.

mr.stonewall

@Jimmy2020

Welcome to F+F, I was a long time lurker here and this place is a throve of knowledge here.

It's a big move getting out of the sucklers and it hard to make. Getting a system to work for you and around you is key.

Have you much housing for wintering stock. The reason is ask is buying in the spring is often the most expensive time and selling in the autumn is the opposite. Housing and fodder is what pinches some farmers forcing them to sell.

With dry stock as many above have said, it's the long game, would you consider taking some to the hook. This give you an outlet in the event of TB. A system that a few guys around here run is buying dairy bred yearlings in may-july and hanging them up 12 months later. It's only one batch to store for the winter. Just food for thought

Jimmy2020

Thanks that's food for thought all right. 6 Bay slatted shed we have here so should be manageable. Is it worth going into bord bia if killing your own?

Good loser

Do not go for forestry - ever. The day you plant the trees the capital value of the land (your asset) halves. you're probably lightly stocked? maybe go for the organic route.

Sheep breeder

The best thing with the sucklers and bull is into the mart and sell now incalf or if they have calved, a clean break and not dragging the job out fattening or rearing the calves and castration etc, sucklers are a good trade and especially now near to grass there is always men to buy them. Decide what type of bullock system suits you and what types of breeds, stores back to the mart is all about matching cattle for sale like in 2 or 3 where you get away with one not as good as the other etc, with the slatted shed you could buy cheaper in end November and December time a lot cheaper that grass time and carry to resale can be picked to suit, have a friend up in Mayo who buys 200 store bullocks like this and puts them together for the special show and sales days and grass sales and does seriously well at it and runs some till the autumn sales and not a whole lot of work and a good return and suits him with full time work.

franksmissing

The best thing with the sucklers and bull is into the mart and sell now incalf or if they have calved, a clean break and not dragging the job out fattening or rearing the calves and castration etc, sucklers are a good trade and especially now near to grass there is always men to buy them. Decide what type of bullock system suits you and what types of breeds, stores back to the mart is all about matching cattle for sale like in 2 or 3 where you get away with one not as good as the other etc, with the slatted shed you could buy cheaper in end November and December time a lot cheaper that grass time and carry to resale can be picked to suit, here have a friend up in Mayo who buys 200 store bullocks like this and puts them together for the special show and sales days and grass sales and does seriously well at it and runs some till the autumn sales and not a whole lot of work and a good return and suits him with full time work.

I agree with you that bulls are a great investment! But even here you need to understand when to sell them at the right time to get maximum income!

Jimmy2020

When is the best time to sell? Do drystock cattle have a tendency of breaking out even when the have a full field of grass in front of them?

Water John

IWT go with either bullocks or heifers, not a mix, less messing going on. Main problem for bought in stock, I see, is that they don't know the farm. I have a guy who has a small lorry and moves stock for people. He also attends a few local marts and has contacts. Someone like that can source stock for you and buy at a better price.

Manorpark man

What about buying cull cows and a few bullocks? Buy cows Jan-April, try be mostly gone by end of May then bullocks coming fit from June to August or so, buy bullocks in October/nov when marts wedged with ones off grass

Sheep breeder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121907000#Comment_121907000

Cull cows mastitis, incalf, sick and down hill quickly and not for the simple life, bullocks are a quieter job.

Jimmy2020

Thanks for information it's greatly appreciated. I'll get rid of bull ASAP, most cows have calved so I'll sell dry August, I'll keep the bull calves and squeeze. Should that be done before the yr passes?

PoorFarmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121908768#Comment_121908768

Should be done before the year. When is you herd test? Might make sense to get them done then if it suits.

Jimmy2020

Test is Feb 25 calves will be under a yr

Conversations 3

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121906936#Comment_121906936

If there's a gap they'll go through it, feed some meal after you buy them and once they settle and get used to you they won't go anywhere.

Unless you get a flighty one from the west

Bass Reeves

@Jimmy2020

Get rid of the bull. Do ot put the cows back in calf. Fatten the cows next year and sell them either in the mart or factory. It's what is going to happen to them anyway. 80+% of suckler cows sold in the mart end up in the factory either straight away or after fattening. I even consider pulling the calves off them in June and fattening them. I can never understand the fascination with selling cows when changing from sucklers instead of fattening them

Forget about buying and reselling stores. If you have paddocks it's easy enough to carry either bullocks or heifers or even both. Finish you existing stock over the ⁸next two years. Finish off grass unless you have a 6 month winter every year.

Buy in your replacement's as either stores or weanlings. Buying as young cattle you are not up against established finishers as much

Jimmy2020

That's a good post bass reeves or else I'm half asleep. You mentioned there finish my existing stock off grass unless I have a 6 month winter. I presume you mean keeping this years calfs and finish them. I do have a 6 month winter and sometimes add a month on that. I'll have to meet with my teagasc advisor regarding stocking rates and available schemes I can enter. A lad down the Rd has drystock and is v lightly stocked, he just has enough stock to enter schemes and buys in little fertiliser. He avoids limos as he doesn't trust them. I'm based in the west so anything I buy in will be flighty conversation 3. Thanks