A subject for another thread

[Jac]

I may not have had Dexters as long as some however, at nearly 60 years old I have had animals for most of my adult life both rare breed and those that are not. I do feel that my opinion is just as valid as anyone elses.

Rob is saying that the price of beef has almost doubled in the last 10 years and he has also said that most people keep Dexters for beef. I haven't heard anyone say that Dexters have increased in price even though you have to kill them to get the beef. Something somewhere does not add up. Apart from this latest blip, is there no demand for beef or is there no demand for Dexter beef because I cannot say I have noticed that people are buying less from me.

By the way I don't feed conventional bales couldn't afford to it was just an example. They were a £1 a bale off the field for years and years and years and ............

[Jac]

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[Jac]

As for living in the past, as an archaeologist and living history presenter I do this professionally!

and straw was 30p Round bales can't even remember any was the round baler invented then?

[Rob R]

Rob is saying that the price of beef has almost doubled in the last 10 years and he has also said that most people keep Dexters for beef. I haven't heard anyone say that Dexters have increased in price even though you have to kill them to get the beef.

Steers have increased in price, although it's hard to say, with Dexters being so variable and noone counting the overall averages.

[ShaunP]

I have been following this thread but to me it doesnt seem to be going any where.

I usually buy 2 steers each year to fatten for my and family members. I have paid between £200 to £225 for usually 15/16 month old and they go from me before they are 30 months old. This year I have also been offered a couple of heifers and I will beef them.

Now the last 2 steers wielded a total of 100kgs of meat that I valued at around £11.00kg in boxes. So my meat value was £1100 less kill, butcher and feed costs.

I cant see where this is going. What makes a dexter suddenly worth £1000. If I can get animals at the price I pay I dont want to rush out and spend an awful lot more. Now I know they are talking about breeding quality, but I dont want an over size monster pouching the ground eating me out of house and home. My small system works for me as long as I get £11.00kg in a box. Cant see what pushing the price up of the breeding stock is going to do for me!!!!

Shaun

[Jac]

I have paid between £200 to £225 for usually 15/16 month old

Someone is subsidising you to eat.

[ShaunP]

I have paid between £200 to £225 for usually 15/16 month old

Someone is subsidising you to eat.

Is that my problem????

[Rob R]

I have paid between £200 to £225 for usually 15/16 month old

Someone is subsidising you to eat.

Is that my problem????

No. Everyone is subsidised in what they eat in this country, be it the EU payments, cheap rent because the owners are receiving the EU payments or private individuals who have another income. I expect food prices to rise by at least 100% in the next ten years due to supply and demand.

[Jac]

I have paid between £200 to £225 for usually 15/16 month old

Someone is subsidising you to eat.

Is that my problem????

No, it is the person that sold them to you in the first place who has the problem and that is what the theme of this thread is about.

[ShaunP]

But I am not forcing them to sell them to me at that price. There are some people that want to keep a few cows, breed a few, and sell them on. If I can use my land to produce some high quality beef at a reasonable cost then I consider, good for me.

I see what you are saying, if you are getting £1000 for your cows, then what is your problem if someone else is prepared to sell at £200 - £250??

[Rob R]

I see what you are saying, if you are getting £1000 for your cows, then what is your problem if someone else is prepared to sell at £200 - £250??

That's what I don't understand. If quality shows and is rewarded, surely the £250 buyer gets their moneys-worth and no more, no less?

If someone is prepared to take the underpriced ones off the market that must also be good as it means they're not sat there in the classifieds dragging the prices down. If an animal sits on the classifieds for months at a higher price, people don't begin to think it's worth that, they assume it must be worth less.

[Rob R]

When an animal comes up for sale that I would like to buy, I rarely have the money to hand there and then. I tend to wait before making an offer to save up and always run the risk of losing out to someone with ready cash, it's happened a few times over the years.

[Jac]

surely the £250 buyer gets their moneys-worth and no more, no less?

Yes, they do but that sets the bench mark for the price of a Dexter to people who know nothing about them.

[ShaunP]

I dont want to bred. I am happy going what Rob said, the 4 that I am picking up in the next 2 weeks havent hit the classifieds. They are from people that I have dealt with before. One of them is happy that he knows I will take 2 animals from him every August, I pay up and turn up. No messing around with the people that respond to adverts and waste time. I dont know what his breeding stock cost him, but they are calm, productive aninals. As long as I get to 100kgs of meat I am happy.

So if I was to buy a steer from your stock, how much would you want and what increase in yield will I get??

Shaun

[Jac]

I don't sell males Shaun (unless as breeding bulls) because I need the beef for my customers. I rarely run anything on past 20 months to achieve weights of 100 kgs. I don't keep them in a barn all year round and pump them full of grain, they are fed on grass and good quality ad lib haylage however, in bad years for the hay crops then I supplement with beet pulp and oats and a small amount of beef nuts.

Nobody is knocking you for doing what you are doing my other half is partial to McVities chocolate biscuits and Hobnobs but he only buys them when they are £1 a pack. Trouble is, you rarely find quality Dexters on special offer.