I had sucklers myself and sheep too I sold the cows a few years ago for similar reasons to yourself and I now just buy in weanling and finish them it is less stressful for sure especially when you work full time off farm I still have a few sheep but I usually take a bit of time off at lambing
@@paulthompson8467 Aye Paul, what works for one man doesn't work for another and you're in the same boat as myself! Weanlings would be nice to buy in, less straw and risks etc but think I'll try the calves on milk again and see how that goes. Smaller cattle are handier worked with and easier on the ground which is nice too especially after the past few weeks we've had. Thanks for the comment, glad you've found a system that suits you. Don't know what the future is for sucklers? Time will tell
@@digitalguyzzzI normally bought them in maybe 2/3 weeks old and would have put them on to eringold once a day powder worked for me then weaned them off. Also had the lend of an automatic calve feeder for a couple of months was a savage job. Calves got milk when they needed it just had to check if they drank yeno. Sucklers not an easy life! Thanks for the comment 👍🏻
I work with a couple of people who buy calf’s on milk or runners it’s hard doing this but way easier than suckler cows and having a good family life too Best of luck whatever you decide to do Still can’t beat producing a good suckler calf pride in knowing worked and a good result at the end
@@aidanmurphy6845 Hi Aidan. Aye, you're right. Still a lot of risks with calves on milk but at least you can leave them in the evening and shouldn't have any emergencies to look at over night! Thanks for the comment. Still have a soft spot for the sucklers but giving it a break for a year or two and you never know, might buy a few of these stabiliser cattle in the future to restart the suckler herd 👍🏻 Cheers
@@captainteeling7002 Absolutely, you're right! The worst thing is everyone thinks the farmers are taking home a fortune! Need to be on a big scale now to do well in farming it's starting to look like 🤔 Thanks for watching and your comment 👍🏻
Compound fert £340 a ton and Diesel about 90p so we are getting away a bit cheaper up here. I'd love a telehandler just trying to keep up the payments on one!
@JohnSAgri Thanks, we got Some Fertiliser in Belleek, and it worked out cheaper than buying it from Connacht Gold, and Diesel is @ 98p just on the border at Belleek and cheaper than in Ballyshannon or Sligo
@@DM-eq1fq Had no bother with flies this year thankfully. Sometimes would do them with 'spot on' but as it's been so cold and breezy this year haven't seen them bothered with flies 👍🏻
@@DM-eq1fq I have used a few but main ones is an angus-Matteo, a limousin-Knell and a Simmental-Earp... All good bulls, fairly easy calving. Really like earp 👍🏻 Didn't lose any calves in the calving with any of them bulls all natural born 👍🏻
We buy calves in and anything out of dairy stock will not be as good as those you have in the field. Buying in drop calves has a lot of expense and risk of pneumonia etc. With a lot of lads moving into calves, quality calves will be getting harder bought.
@@DM-eq1fq Hi, thanks for watching and your comment 👍🏻 Aye the diary stock won't be as good as the beef bred calves but when you do the sums you mightn't need need as much for them at the other side to make money 🤔 Definitely quality stores will be harder to buy going forward with the suckler herd numbers dropping each year... Hard to know what the future is for the suck cow?
Won't be enough calves for everyone if everyone goes out of cows we run 120 cows but they calve out in spring easy care no hassle basically 120 cows is a part time job we run 1800 ewes that's a full time job
Cheers for your comment Thomas 👍🏻 With a lack of good grading calves you should get better prices for your beef bred calves in the future. Dairy farmers are nearly all moving towards A.I. so with sexed semen, they should get the heifers they want then the rest all beef calves. Just won't be as good quality. Glad you've found a system that works for you 👍🏻 What breed of cows have you?
@@JohnSAgri trouble with the dairy bred calves we reared some few years back anything with any Jersey in them were a total waste of time was talking to a dairy farmer today was getting 410 for bbxholstein at 4 weeks old wouldn't cost much more to keep the suckler cow especially when you take it that calf will be 200 less to kill its 600 odd before you turn around
Stabiliser great suckler cattle.. If I was to start up again would be on the look out for a batch of them 👌🏻 Dairy man doing well out of those calves, he does have all the risk and the cost of raising them the first month too I suppose. What works for one man doesn't work for another. For my set up I was buying them in cheaper than that Fleckveigh xBB and they were powerful wee calves and one killed out at U grade. It seemed to work for me better than the sucks. Keep at the sucklers though if the sums are working for you 💪🏻
I had sucklers myself and sheep too I sold the cows a few years ago for similar reasons to yourself and I now just buy in weanling and finish them it is less stressful for sure especially when you work full time off farm I still have a few sheep but I usually take a bit of time off at lambing
@@paulthompson8467 Aye Paul, what works for one man doesn't work for another and you're in the same boat as myself! Weanlings would be nice to buy in, less straw and risks etc but think I'll try the calves on milk again and see how that goes. Smaller cattle are handier worked with and easier on the ground which is nice too especially after the past few weeks we've had. Thanks for the comment, glad you've found a system that suits you. Don't know what the future is for sucklers? Time will tell
@@JohnSAgrigood video about hay
@@farmboi390thank you for watching 💪🏻
What age roughly do you buy them in? And how long do you keep them? I have sucklers cows and it’s tough work the last few years. Thinking of changing.
@@digitalguyzzzI normally bought them in maybe 2/3 weeks old and would have put them on to eringold once a day powder worked for me then weaned them off. Also had the lend of an automatic calve feeder for a couple of months was a savage job. Calves got milk when they needed it just had to check if they drank yeno. Sucklers not an easy life! Thanks for the comment 👍🏻
You done well hell of good job with the suclklers
@@DonalHarte Cheers 👍🏻 Takes the AI bulls I think. And a good milky cow!!
I work with a couple of people who buy calf’s on milk or runners it’s hard doing this but way easier than suckler cows and having a good family life too
Best of luck whatever you decide to do
Still can’t beat producing a good suckler calf pride in knowing worked and a good result at the end
@@aidanmurphy6845 Hi Aidan. Aye, you're right. Still a lot of risks with calves on milk but at least you can leave them in the evening and shouldn't have any emergencies to look at over night! Thanks for the comment. Still have a soft spot for the sucklers but giving it a break for a year or two and you never know, might buy a few of these stabiliser cattle in the future to restart the suckler herd 👍🏻 Cheers
Agri diesel €1.15 per litre, Fertiliser €500 per Tonne, Bale wrap @ €95 per roll, not a lot of wiggle room.
@@captainteeling7002 Absolutely, you're right! The worst thing is everyone thinks the farmers are taking home a fortune! Need to be on a big scale now to do well in farming it's starting to look like 🤔 Thanks for watching and your comment 👍🏻
@JohnSAgri Not a bother ,just for the craic, what is the price of the red diesel with ye and Fertiliser??
Compound fert £340 a ton and Diesel about 90p so we are getting away a bit cheaper up here. I'd love a telehandler just trying to keep up the payments on one!
@JohnSAgri Thanks, we got Some Fertiliser in Belleek, and it worked out cheaper than buying it from Connacht Gold, and Diesel is @ 98p just on the border at Belleek and cheaper than in Ballyshannon or Sligo
@@captainteeling7002 Every penny counts.. Worth driving a few extra mile to get some cheap fert! The grass doesn't grow without it!
👍👍👍.
@@ciaranconeely8579 cheers for watching 👍🏻
John do you have any issues with flies in the summer in field like that enclosed by hedges?
@@DM-eq1fq Had no bother with flies this year thankfully. Sometimes would do them with 'spot on' but as it's been so cold and breezy this year haven't seen them bothered with flies 👍🏻
👌
@@garymadden2656 Cheers Gary 👍🏻👍🏻
What bulls do you usually serve the BB with?
@@DM-eq1fq I have used a few but main ones is an angus-Matteo, a limousin-Knell and a Simmental-Earp... All good bulls, fairly easy calving. Really like earp 👍🏻 Didn't lose any calves in the calving with any of them bulls all natural born 👍🏻
We buy calves in and anything out of dairy stock will not be as good as those you have in the field.
Buying in drop calves has a lot of expense and risk of pneumonia etc. With a lot of lads moving into calves, quality calves will be getting harder bought.
@@DM-eq1fq Hi, thanks for watching and your comment 👍🏻 Aye the diary stock won't be as good as the beef bred calves but when you do the sums you mightn't need need as much for them at the other side to make money 🤔 Definitely quality stores will be harder to buy going forward with the suckler herd numbers dropping each year... Hard to know what the future is for the suck cow?
Won't be enough calves for everyone if everyone goes out of cows we run 120 cows but they calve out in spring easy care no hassle basically 120 cows is a part time job we run 1800 ewes that's a full time job
Cheers for your comment Thomas 👍🏻 With a lack of good grading calves you should get better prices for your beef bred calves in the future. Dairy farmers are nearly all moving towards A.I. so with sexed semen, they should get the heifers they want then the rest all beef calves. Just won't be as good quality. Glad you've found a system that works for you 👍🏻 What breed of cows have you?
@@JohnSAgri stabiliser
@@JohnSAgri trouble with the dairy bred calves we reared some few years back anything with any Jersey in them were a total waste of time was talking to a dairy farmer today was getting 410 for bbxholstein at 4 weeks old wouldn't cost much more to keep the suckler cow especially when you take it that calf will be 200 less to kill its 600 odd before you turn around
Stabiliser great suckler cattle.. If I was to start up again would be on the look out for a batch of them 👌🏻 Dairy man doing well out of those calves, he does have all the risk and the cost of raising them the first month too I suppose. What works for one man doesn't work for another. For my set up I was buying them in cheaper than that Fleckveigh xBB and they were powerful wee calves and one killed out at U grade. It seemed to work for me better than the sucks. Keep at the sucklers though if the sums are working for you 💪🏻