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Opinion's please

  • 17-01-2018 10:28PM
    #1
    badgerhowlin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 653 ✭✭✭


    Hi,

    Opinion's please
    Suckler to beef (angus\charolais\Limousin)
    OR
    Dairy calf to beef (fresian\with beef sires)

    Thanks


Comments

  • #2
    Grueller
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,522 ✭✭✭Grueller


    badgerhowlin wrote: »
    Hi,

    Opinion's please
    Suckler to beef (angus\charolais\Limousin)
    OR
    Dairy calf to beef (fresian\with beef sires)

    Thanks

    I am that far into sucklers now that I am not getting out now without a fight. I am tied in for another 3 years under BDGP anyhow. I also have twenty six years of breeding in them. (Well only 15 if you count BSE clearing us out in the middle).
    Having said all that, if I were where you are today, I would be going dairy calf from those two options. Less money tied up, no cow eating her own bodyweight four times over each year, no middle of the night calvings, docile easier managed stock.
    My cows are outside in the lap of luxury producing feck all margin. Kept in the lifestyle they have grown accustomed to for one calf a year in return!!! Rear calves would be my advice.


  • #3
    _Brian
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 19,254 ✭✭✭✭_Brian


    The suckler to beef option is very silage intensive in comparison, when you remove the cow it frees up allot of ground for grazing and less silage made, it is an amazing change..
    Now, the only thing you could miss is the magical €200 a cow which is aparrently coming down the line, it would do something for covering the expense of keeping suckler cows, not enough, but something, it may just be a fairy tail though..

    Sourcing reliable beef bred dairy calves in any number can be anissue depending on where your located... If your left relying on marts its a bit hit and miss regarding quality and animal health..

    Which animal have you experience of ?? Sucks might seem like a quick way to get into numbers, but it can go terribly wrong if you don't have experience.

    Lastly...
    Either option sort of reminds me of someone asking should they poke a rusty screwdriver into their left eye or their right eye, the result is still going to be tough going to make any appreciatable profit when all expenses are taken into account..


  • #4
    kk.man
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 4,410 ✭✭✭kk.man


    badgerhowlin wrote: »
    Hi,

    Opinion's please
    Suckler to beef (angus\charolais\Limousin)
    OR
    Dairy calf to beef (fresian\with beef sires)

    Thanks
    Sucker to beef ...not much of a margin
    Calves... pure hardship, you want to know what your doing

    Get out there and lean the store to beef trade...much handier and profitable if u know what your at.


  • #5
    gerryirl
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 577 ✭✭✭gerryirl


    Teagasc are doing 10 farms calf to beef farms as show farms. fella over this way had an open day for it. big crowd. Its aimed at all the friesian calves. One thing by going that route is youll have plenty of stock around the place, making money on them is another thing. Too many ifs and buts in it for me. Everything in teagasc world is black or white in the real world it aint


  • #6
    blue5000
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 12,937 Mod ✭✭✭✭blue5000


    At sucklers myself, what sort of facilities have you already on the farm? Because neither system will make enough to pay for a roof over their heads at the moment. It's a lot like as Brian says, just make sure it's a clean screwdriver:rolleyes:

    With the suck calves it's a numbers game, and with the sucklers it's all about keeping them alive till they go to grass.

    If the seat's wet, sit on yer hat, a cool head is better than a wet ar5e.



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  • #7
    Cavanjack
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,870 ✭✭✭Cavanjack


    It's often possible to pick up friesian yearlings for the price it took to rear them, so maybe this is a better option than calf to beef.
    The same with suckler weanlings, when You can buy half decent bulls for €700 in the back end without the hassle of keeping a cow maybe this is a better option than suckling.


  • #8
    charolais0153
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,225 ✭✭✭charolais0153


    Cavanjack wrote: »
    It's often possible to pick up friesian yearlings for the price it took to rear them, so maybe this is a better option than calf to beef.
    The same with suckler weanlings, when You can buy half decent bulls for €700 in the back end without the hassle of keeping a cow maybe this is a better option than suckling.

    Half decent is all Youd buy for that. Not even full decent:D


  • #9
    Bass Reeves
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 20,926 ✭✭✭✭Bass Reeves


    OP dairy calf to beef. I see you mention friesian with beef sire. Nothing wrong with the Friesian either. Killed a Friesian bullock last week young lad bough him as a weanling in October'16 he came in with a bunch of four averageing 280kgs @350 each I think. He was a bit rigish but never developed a neck did not want him going back to grass because of that. Killed him last week before his second Birthday he graded O- and pulled the scales down to 397 kg. He grossed over 1500 euro. There would be few enough cattle of any breed beat him. Wish I had one of him in every load.

    Slava Ukrainii



  • #10
    badgerhowlin
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 653 ✭✭✭badgerhowlin


    Getting 15 acres from auld lad come August. to increase by same about each year. Total 120 acres.
    Farm was set up for dairy and beef years ago until he leased. It is used as out farm for dairy farmer now. I know him and a few other big dairy farmers next to me so could buy calves off them...

    Would be going into partnership with himself for a few year until both of us are happy that I know what I'm doing and going to stay at it.

    He says suckler are the way to go, but I'm thinking dairy\beef calves.

    Nothing set in stone yet, just getting opinions from people that are in the game already.


  • #11
    Buford T. Justice XIX
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,633 ✭✭✭✭Buford T. Justice XIX


    Mod note: The conversation on the proposed suckler cow subsidy moved to its own thread.

    https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057832278

    Buford T. Justice


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