Theres very little money in all enterprises apart from dairy.Alot of mon dairy farms are run so no tax is paid on farm as the off farm job used up credits.There was many a lad glad to go home farming when the bang came in 08
They really dont on our silage ground on a 40 acre block in a wet year their is 25 different areas/springs you avoid our have the mowers raised to avoid burying them in the ground…
It was actually the damage done in 18 by contractors at slurry and spreading fertilizer that i went and bought all my own gear
If there’s €800 per head to made out of rearing calves why would anyone bother milking cows twice a day for over 10 months a year in the hope of making €1,000 per head from the cows?
Also why have you wasted most of your farming life messing around with 30 month old friesian bullocks when you could have had 3 calves for every bullock and been making €2,400 profit per year from the space the bullock was taking up!?
Nevermind the part about cutting wintering costs in what has effectively been a 7 month winter.
So a lad with 120 acres of decent land between calves,basic and Acres payment might be looking at a 6 figure income.
🤪
Same here, I can't let my contractors big slurry tank near the place, but I can cover nearly all the farm with my 1300 gallon tank and knowing every drain and dry patch and when to know where to avoid.
A lot of people are farming only out of fear of what the neighbours think. Its very brave to make such decisions before you have to make them due to illness or injury.
Saying that I would make the Bull McCabe look like a townie sissy
Sure tis only proper order. 🙄
I been at beef for 20+ years now. It took me ten years to learn the ropes and get a shed build. The shed is key IMO.
Take a 40k income its 640 net a week 33250 euro a year. Problem for most ladsfarming is they consider there income what is left at the year end.
Saw 3 reared Friesian calves in a mart last week 3 months on paper but could be near 4 months. They were flakers. 160 euro is what they sold for. They be 35ish coming out of the shed this tine next year and squeezed at that.
Probably 600 hitting the shed autumn 12 months. And hanging 370+ kgs the May/June after. They be grossing 1900+ euro @ 5.1/ kg.
I expect to have 900-1k out of them net. So you be spending a nice bit to hide some of that. Problem is most lads want to turn cattle too fast. Its all about maximising profit the animals.
I would not agree. Its all about managing the system both the tax system and the farming system. Too many lads turn cattle too often. There is only a decent margin for one lad.
There is a significant mental block in handling money. It's all about discipline when you have it or do not have it. I could not have 3 calves for every bullock. I be swopping down to from 5 store to beef to 3 calf to beef units. I do not live on the farm its 12 miles away. I did calves before but its a hard ask from 12 miles away.
As you get larger the tax system tends not to favour you as much, so to get the equivalent income gets harder. You also start getting g caught with attention to detail. However he be near enough in real terms but he be an idiot to be giving it to the tax man.
Why do you change mower so often. If it’s just your own work she should still be as new.
So you can get those reared freisans into 600k next autumn for under €500?
Sprinkle of angel dust maybe haha
Id say hes making a lot of what he says but isnt depending on it for an income, Which is fair enough.
Dairying is more profitable but a lot more work which obviously doesnt suit everyone , age health ect .
Mother of sweet baby Jesus
Youll have the calves on farm for circa 800 days? So basically a euro a day will cover their entire expenses on farm, whats the breakdown of the entire amount of meal/fertilizer per head going into them and whats the stocking rate
While they are a few months old, the figure of 1.50 a day for the first year of a calf isn't going to be far off, leaves about 250 euros for the last 430 days.
Ok.
but he says he wouldn’t contract rear heifers for less than 1.8€ a day because there’s no margin in it 🤔
I move them calves from calf nuts to a weanling crunch onto a beef ration in six weeks. Graze them in small tight paddocks giving them fresh grass every day and getting a few yearlings to graze it out after.
6 week transition ration 400/ton @1kg/day 16.8 euro
108 daysbeef ration (30th Sept) @0.5kgs/day @340/ton 25.5
60 days to housing 1kg/day @ 340/ton 20.4
80 days (winter ration) 1kg/day 27.4
grazing cost as calves 40 euro
silage as calves 120 days@50c/day 60 euro
grazing cost as yearlings 80 euro
silage 2nd winter 120-150 days @90c/day 120-135 (note1)
Dosing vacination, multi min, vet and testing 75 euro (note 2)
Meal to Finish 70 days @3kgs/head @300/ton 63 (note3)
grass from Mid March-June year 50 euro
machinery 100 euro
misc 80 euro
Transport, Mart fees, slaughter fees 50 euro
823 euro total to finish, stocked at 165kgsN/HA last year not sure where it will be this year as we have expanded. Will move to buying a tad earlier and holding in the system slightly longer. Cost is the killer in the beef game if you can control them you be ok.
Note1: That may be a bit tight as I expect that these stores would be heavier on average than present stores however I have an odd 3 year at present
Note2: Can probably shave a bit off the 75
Note 3: I cannot see it being a 10 week average feeding period as I expect as the stores would be heavier than I buy at present that they would finish faster.
No need of angel dust, fancy rations, taking out paddocks growing maize, expensive continual reseeding, three cuts of silage etc.
haha yourself
I see I got you interested figures are above. Befrore lads start on about slurry and fertlizer they are included in grazing and fertlizer costs. the shed I build can take 100 cattle build in 2008-9 and 2013. 4X16' slatted pens and 3X approx 13' slats costing 65K net of grants(no grant for second part of shed it was a tank put under a straw beed area) depreciated at high tax rate it costing 32/33K. really paid for itself this year it allowed us to put in 50 low cost yearling as we expanded.
I say I am fairly bang on the ball, was using it as my income sourse for last five years as I semi retired. Pays most of the bills from the cat food, house insurance to the car diesel. The property tax and the holiday home managment fee go through the account even though no tax benefit.
Its all about attention to detail, see where you can shave costs and see is a cost justified. No fancy LC, just a RAV4 that pulls the 10X5 IW. Two small tractors one fully depreciated and not a lot left in the other one.
Have you achieved the turnout dates for all the classes of weanlings\1-2 year old\2 year old plus finishing group this year you've listed above...
Your fields must resemble the battle of the Somme if you have
They were milking 150 cows and were recently sold by Carnew mart, a local dairy man milking 120 cows was hoping one of his two sons would return home and take over the farm after he turned 60, the first told him no interest with a good job in Dublin, the second lad told him he would come home to plant him when he died and then to the auctioneer to sell the place he didn’t want cows, he got out of cows three years ago and set the place and took up golf and him and the wife go travelling all over the world and drinks a few pints now, the two lads opened his eyes to life.
WTF would I rear dairy heifers for less than I can make from beef. TBH 1.8/ day is a bargaining position. However on the rearing heifers I am just too efficient trying to find a dairy farmer that the perfect fit is not a runner.
Ya I came from a mountain farm. Just tilled a scarfice paddock from this year. A couple hours with a chain harrow. Had to get about 16 bullocks off silage ground in mid March.
That the breakfast
The first generation earn it, the second use it, the third generation abuse it.
But I prefer to be the 1st or 2nd generation.
you’re telling us above youll gross 1900€ /hd for 30 month bullocks and 1000€ of it will be profit
quick maths tells me that you’re saying your costs are 1€/day yet you saying you’d need 1.80/day min to rear dairy heifers. It doesn’t add up
It's quite simple, when you're contract rearing you can't be a fool, you have to include a labour cost.
he should be adding in a labour cost on the beef for it to be a true comparison
Lads, half on topic, do yee think it'd be feasible to get out of the cows temporarily for a few years?
The father here is a year from retirement and struggling and for a few reasons, I can't give up the off-farm income for at least another 3 years.
The only way I see things working here is to go drystock for a couple of years till I know what I'm at. Not mad about the office job, but it's consistent hours and guaranteed pay.
TBH I think you have answered your question there.
There's too many variables to give an opinion but don't keep at just for the sack of it or the keep the parents happy.
To be fair, if he was taking milk from your tank for say his cottage cheese business, would you charge him your 35c cost of production or the 43c you could sell it tonthe coop for?
that’s goes for ant farm enterprise
I do not ever talk about labour costs I will not be a busy fool. I expect a margin at present its fairy decent.
As I said I do not deal in labour costs. I expect a retun on my investment. The problem with rearing dairy heifers is there is variables. Last year the dairy farmer might have arrived with 55, this year he might only have 40 arriving in May, ''O sorry I taught I told you last Christmas''. There is the risk of non payment and the invariable risk that would be with that. opitmum stocking would not be achieved all the time. most dairy farmer expect there stock omly on the farm. the following year then he might want you to take 60+ which maight effect the beef operation on the side. 5 less heifer would meam over 3K less of turnover in any year at 1.8/day.
he be a fool to do it at 43c/L. he have the risk of dealing with a small company v a co-op. at any stage they could go bust. would they pay within 12-20 days within end of month. would they have extra terms and conditions different to a co-op. would they collect you milk if you went down with TB
Its always feasible you just have to understand the farm will earn less. A robot is an answer as well if less than 70 cows.if you go to drystock you may never go back to milking
thank god I’ve a very good contract reader ….going on ypurcramblings here you just look down on them ….I’ve a set minimum number going every year and if there’s more and he can take them and I want extra no issue ….our fee is set …bank transfer end every month ..we both know what’s included and not …if I never saw my calves when they leave here early may to come back as I calf heifers in November pre calving wouldn’t concern me
