Happy New Year to you all – shhh, it hasn’t rained for a week but we don’t want to get too excited too quick.
We have been busy ‘fluking’ all cows and weighing pedigree cattle for the Signet Beefbreeder records. The autumn weaned / finishing cattle seem to have taken a long time to get going, but now showing better growth rates.
Limousin Bull Roundhill Gailleo purchased at Roscrea Ireland October 2012 now part of the Killerton Herd
Looking back on 2012 – it was good to see that the average finished price was around 40pence/kilo higher than 2011 but this has been swallowed up with extra costs (mainly feed and housing). In the autumn of 2012 we found our finishing cattle were heavier but nevertheless grading well so we decided to market our stock with another south west abattoir which does not penalise heavier animals.
The out-wintered cattle on stubble turnips have been spoilt by having silage instead of straw as a feed supplement and are looking well, despite having had months of wet weather.
Young Limousin Bulls of the Killerton Herd Autumn born 2011
Limousin Heifers Spring Born 2012 The Killerton Herd
The autumn cereals are just beginning to green up but there are also a lot of bare batches – we shall wait and see if any patching has to be done.