Crossgar Scheme

[Joey Baker Cresswell]

I was wondering whether this Scheme was still operating and whether Stephen Adcock was still coordinating it? I have tried to contact him but not managed to get hold of him.

[Joey Baker Cresswell]

I had a chat with Steve last night and he says that most of this market is flooded now by Dexters reared in Ireland as the locals have cottoned on to it so less call for animals from over here. Pity there isn't a similar operation over here that appreciates the unique qualities of the Dexter. I sell quite a lot to private customers but not quite enough customers for the 12 or so steers I have each year - will just have to eat more myself!

[domsmith]

I was told the other day ABP at bridge of Allen had bought dexter cross carcasses as part of a native breed buying experiment. they were actively buying natve breeds from a list which dexter was on.
the farmer that told me, sold them dexter cross angus and was paid £3.2 p/kg he netted over £900 so clearly a bigger carcass.
said farmer then came to me to buy heifers to bull and breed some more! Few weeks later he rinngs again looking for more. he is changing his highlanders for dexters.

i have had a whole heap of enquiries from an advrt on this site for selling steers, some are going to Ireland some to england.

dominic

[ann]

I have spoken to ABP at York and yes they will take dexters but the problem is that you have to be registered with FABBL (farm assurance scheme) and it is quite expensive to join so you need to be putting quite a few steers their way. Before any deductions your carcase needs to be at least 270 kilo's dead weight for each 20 kilos below this they deducted so much of per kilo. there is also some deductions of each carcase for various things. So I worked out that you need to be getting quite good weights to make it worth while. I expect the AA/ DX would grade out well to get that sort of price. Clive will probably have some input on this as I believe he sell some of his to ABP

Ref selling steers on the website. May I ask the age you had then for sale at.

[domsmith]

I have sold 10 yearlings, all born between july and sept 2010. they have weighed between 230kg and 300kg and being totally honest i got £1.6 pkg. you might tink that cheap, but no commission or haulage all i have to do is weigh them and load them. so i have been very pleased and actually got more than planned for (good weights from good bulls!) all those sold are birth noified

i did ask the guy if they made deductions fr under size, he said not but i didnt think that would be right.
to be on the safe side i have used an angus bull again his year!

dom

[Broomcroft]

Yes Ann, I've sold a few steers and one heifer to ABP, as well as cull cows and bulls. Cull bulls have worked out well, cows all over the place from £100 to £500. I've only sent one heifer in and she was 200kg DW and I got approx £500, but that would be more now with higher prices.

One batch of steers I did didn't work out very well because I sent them in too early, having been told everything I do is normally over-finished!!! I will be sending some Angus-Dexter crosses in early next year at about 20-22 months as a trial, so that'll be interesting.

I had two freak pure dexter steers this year, and one weighed in at...wait for it...305kg deadweight and the other about 260. Both were nearly forty months but I got good money. Both grade O+ something.

I don't know how the price reductions at carcasses under 270 kg are worked out but from experience I have done quite well with carcasses in the mid-200's, but very small carcasses will be downgraded a LOT.

It is worth mentioning that they weigh and grade the carcass and send you an automatic email usually within 12 hours. And the weights tend to be higher than those you'll get from a local butcher I find.

One way of getting extra weight is to keep the bulls entire, BUT they will want them before they reach 16 months old (otherwise too much risk of tough meat), so that won't work.

Yes you need to be Farm Assured with SAI Global (FABBL). The cost is about £130 p.a., can't remember exactly, and of course you need to conform to their rules which is fine if you're a farmer, but doing it as a smallholder could give you problems. You'll need good records, manure plans, bio-security plans etc etc, nothing hard but it is a commitment and you have inspections.

To qualify for Farm Assured the animals themselves must have been on an FA farm for at least 90 days (I believe), so an FA person/farm buying your non-FA stock and keeping them 90+ days will be able to supply ABP.

I haven't heard of the native scheme Dom, but I will ask at our local branch, interesting.

[monica a waltho]

I would think £1.6 is good price for 12mths -16mths we sell steers at weaning from about £225-275
we just sold 2 steers at £325 and 375 they were 05/10 but we do not weigh ours

Ps we have Steers to sell if anyones interested

[ann]

I expect the 3.20 per kilo will be a dead weight price if it isn't then he has a fairy god mother. I think 1.6 per kilo life weight is quite good for a dexter. It beats feeding them right through winter.

thanks for the informative replies

[Mark Bowles]

3 Dexter cull cows at Newarke Market today were 74.5p (12 years old and short), 84.5p (8 years old, 464 kg non-short and carring fat)and 103p per kg(short), varying degrees of conditions and ages.

Dexters did not go through the ring without comedy quips from the auctioneer, don't you just get fed up with hearing this sort of banter all the time.