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Starting out in Farming.

  • 29-01-2016 10:34AM
    #1
    littlevillage
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,645 ✭✭✭


    I have a small farm of land 40 acres approx in the west of Ireland. (Its been rented out for 10 years to other farmers but the rents are getting smaller by the year). I am thinking of keeping back some land this year and getting started farming up again on my own.

    When by dad was farming we used to have suckler cows and beef cattle on the Farm.


    Is this still the easiest and most profitable type of farming around ?

    I don't want to be working on the farm morning, noon, night (I have a full time off farm job and like a bit of socializing and a sleep-in at the weekend too etc. :p ). So maybe an hour or two per weekday evening and a few hours of a weekend is my max.

    This is my plan.

    I am thinking of buying 2-3 heifers later in the Spring, put them in calf and sell the bull calves maybe keep the heifers and build up from there.

    What is the best time of year to buy heifers ? and what will they cost ? and how can I be sure if they are going to go into calf and that they will calf with little or no trouble ? any particular breeds I should focus on ?

    Regarding selling the bull calves, am I better to sell them after a few weeks/Months or keep them for a 1 or 2 years (or longer) ?


Comments

  • #2
    littlevillage
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,645 ✭✭✭littlevillage


    I am getting some grants already as I have a couple of donkeys as pets (they make up the headage requirement), can I apply for anything else ?


  • #3
    Miname
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,984 ✭✭✭Miname


    It depends how far west you are as there's some farms of forty acres that will only support 5 or 6 cows. Suckling is one of the tougher beef enterprises but one of the most rewarding (not financially). If it's out around Connemara don't let a bull in until at least may as you probably don't have housing for all of them and straw around there costs too much. Calve them down March and flog them on around October. Best of luck.


  • #4
    littlevillage
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,645 ✭✭✭littlevillage


    Miname wrote: »
    It depends how far west you are as there's some farms of forty acres that will only support 5 or 6 cows. Suckling is one of the tougher beef enterprises but one of the most rewarding (not financially). If it's out around Connemara don't let a bull in until at least may as you probably don't have housing for all of them and straw around there costs too much. Calve them down March and flog them on around October. Best of luck.


    Couple of miles outside Galway city, the land is reasonable .. bit wet at the moment but still able to sustain grazing. You are right, I would have only a few small sheds so could not keep more than 1 or 2 cows inside during the winter and even that would be pain. Don't think its feasible to go building anything bigger without the possibility of it paying for itself long term.


  • #5
    Bullocks
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,893 ✭✭✭Bullocks


    littlevillage wrote: »
    Couple of miles outside Galway city, the land is reasonable .. bit wet at the moment but still able to sustain grazing. You are right, I would have only a few small sheds so could not keep more than 1 or 2 cows inside during the winter and even that would be pain. Don't think its feasible to go building anything bigger without the possibility of it paying for itself long term.

    What do the the lads renting it do ? Summer grazing /silage ? It could be easier to buy a few early in the year and sell before they have to be housed so you're not out in the dark evenings of the winter


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