Getting into Cattle

Camerov

Camerov

Well-Known Member
After some advice / interested to hear what others would do with this set up:

95ac of permanent pasture which needs improving, ring fenced & water in every field.

2 sheds: One 60ft x 80ft clear span with side open with feed barrier the rest Concete blocked 8ft high then Yorkshire boarding

The other 75ft x 100ft fully enclosed with central passage way Concrete blocked 6ft high then Yorkshire boarding. (Not clear span)

Both have hardstanding floors but would be concreted & water in both.

Very early days in ideas but was thinking along the lines of filling the bigger shed with calves to rear as it’d be easy to split into pens & is more enclosed from the elements but has good ventilation. Keep some calves back & put in the other shed to bring on/finish further making use of the shed & grass? Then when that batch of calves have gone bring in another whilst the ones we’ve kept back are being taken on further?

Have briefly looked into calf rearing contracts & awaiting figures back, not sure whether that’s the way forward or whether to ‘paddle my own canoe’ & find a good supply myself?

Not interested in sheep, used to have them in the past & they just seem to want to escape or die or some days do both. Don’t really want to get into calving anything either.

Any ideas greatly appreciated & fully open to suggestions
 
Camerov said:
After some advice / interested to hear what others would do with this set up:

95ac of permanent pasture which needs improving, ring fenced & water in every field.

2 sheds: One 60ft x 80ft clear span with side open with feed barrier the rest Concete blocked 8ft high then Yorkshire boarding

The other 75ft x 100ft fully enclosed with central passage way Concrete blocked 6ft high then Yorkshire boarding. (Not clear span)

Both have hardstanding floors but would be concreted & water in both.

Very early days in ideas but was thinking along the lines of filling the bigger shed with calves to rear as it’d be easy to split into pens & is more enclosed from the elements but has good ventilation. Keep some calves back & put in the other shed to bring on/finish further making use of the shed & grass? Then when that batch of calves have gone bring in another whilst the ones we’ve kept back are being taken on further?

Have briefly looked into calf rearing contracts & awaiting figures back, not sure whether that’s the way forward or whether to ‘paddle my own canoe’ & find a good supply myself?

Not interested in sheep, used to have them in the past & they just seem to want to escape or die or some days do both. Don’t really want to get into calving anything either.

Any ideas greatly appreciated & fully open to suggestions
Click to expand...
On our side of the water it would be a dairy setup in the morning but failing that contract rearing is a simple setup, regular income. Not quite guaranteed but reliable all the same. You could do that with part of it and get into a few stock of your own at the same time.

Do you have it on long term lease?
 
jay gatsby said:
On our side of the water it would be a dairy setup in the morning but failing that contract rearing is a simple setup, regular income. Not quite guaranteed but reliable all the same. You could do that with part of it and get into a few stock of your own at the same time.

Do you have it on long term lease?
Click to expand...

That is the downside to where we are as there’s not much dairy locally, there is one next door but not milking a lot & do everything themselves. Most round here seem to be sucklers or finishers

It belongs to us anyway & is the same yard where we run the contracting business out of. It’s been rented out for years due to a generation gap but now wanting to bring everything back in house.
 
Camerov said:
That is the downside to where we are as there’s not much dairy locally, there is one next door but not milking a lot & do everything themselves. Most round here seem to be sucklers or finishers

It belongs to us anyway & is the same yard where we run the contracting business out of. It’s been rented out for years due to a generation gap but now wanting to bring everything back in house.
Click to expand...
Ah ok, unfortunately as you're probably aware you'll likely not have as much out of it farming it yourself but maybe look at purchasing Male stock from dairy farms, and bringing them through to stores or finishing? Simple enough system and relatively inexpensive to get into the stock.
Any interest in egg or chicken production seeing as you have contacts in that game?
 
jay gatsby said:
Ah ok, unfortunately as you're probably aware you'll likely not have as much out of it farming it yourself but maybe look at purchasing Male stock from dairy farms, and bringing them through to stores or finishing? Simple enough system and relatively inexpensive to get into the stock.
Any interest in egg or chicken production seeing as you have contacts in that game?
Click to expand...



That was my initial plan to buy calves & bring through to stores or finish if I was to go it alone & not on a contract. We used to run a suckler herd years ago & take the calves to stores on grass with some cake before my grandfather retired & rented it out but that was 15 years + ago so was just researching other ideas if that makes sense.


The egg job seems to be on its knees over here. Did look into the broilers but the £2 million investment is a bit off putting & it’s very hard to get planning as most are against big units. We are looking into b & b pigs & have been to see a couple of units which appeals to me as it’s regular/guaranteed income every month so is good for cash flow & doesn’t take up massive amounts of time per day which is why I was looking into cattle to run along side it to fill the day up & make use of the grass & shed space available.
 
jay gatsby said:
Ah ok, unfortunately as you're probably aware you'll likely not have as much out of it farming it yourself but maybe look at purchasing Male stock from dairy farms, and bringing them through to stores or finishing? Simple enough system and relatively inexpensive to get into the stock.
Any interest in egg or chicken production seeing as you have contacts in that game?
Click to expand...



That was my initial plan to buy calves & bring through to stores or finish if I was to go it alone & not on a contract. We used to run a suckler herd years ago & take the calves to stores on grass with some cake before my grandfather retired & rented it out but that was 15 years + ago so was just researching other ideas if that makes sense.


The egg job seems to be on its knees over here. Did look into the broilers but the £2 million investment is a bit off putting & it’s very hard to get planning as most are against big units. We are looking into b & b pigs & have been to see a couple of units which appeals to me as it’s regular/guaranteed income every month so is good for cash flow & doesn’t take up massive amounts of time per day which is why I was looking into cattle to run along side it to fill the day up & make use of the grass & shed space available.
 
ABP (I think) run an Angus calf to beef scheme.
Worth a look perhaps?
They find the animals and pay the final price based on costs.

Or that's what I undertood from the scheme. I could be wrong
 
AYF said:
ABP (I think) run an Angus calf to beef scheme.
Worth a look perhaps?
They find the animals and pay the final price based on costs.

Or that's what I undertood from the scheme. I could be wrong
Click to expand...
guess whos the winner there......



to the OP
rent it to your nearest neighbour,get the cheque once a year and no hastle
 
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