At the mart...

Got off another few yesterday. 2 fr bullocks 375kgs e450
1 wh bullock 455 e760
1 aa bullock 405 e600
I aa heifer 375 e490
Fierce disappointed especially the wh the same last yr made nearly 900.
Purchase price really does matter as they all cost the same to rear and bring as far as sale
 
Got off another few yesterday. 2 fr bullocks 375kgs e450
1 wh bullock 455 e760
1 aa bullock 405 e600
I aa heifer 375 e490
Fierce disappointed especially the wh the same last yr made nearly 900.
Purchase price really does matter as they all cost the same to rear and bring as far as sale

I was just talking with a friend of mine last night and your prices came into my head. It wasn't about all the money you'd make, but you'd have a lot more out of him if you kept them for 10 more months.
For a lad that would have fodder, he would do all right at buying them.
Say for example, the lad at 455kg. Put him in the shed and don't over do him for the winter but try to have him coming out at 500kg in early march. Good grass for March, April, May and June with a small bit of nuts near the end and have him 650kg. There's quite often good prices in the factories, but let's say that with bonuses and all, you get 3.90. At 50% kill out you could come out at €1260 or have €500 on him. If prices were good and you got qa and the Hereford bonus and came out with €4.20 a man could have €1365.

Would it be more financially rewarding for you to keep them and finish them and buy no calves or less calves for bucket feeding next year?
 
The prices that you are quoating there it may well be however i have a system here the last 2 years and i would like to keep that going which involves buying calves. If i also get a wet summer i would be goosed as land not able to carry that weight
I do the dairy heifer rearing also which in fairness to it this year the money is staying consistently the same no matter what way cattle go.
I try keep all calves till roughly 18 months and sell then which stretches out the time i can keep the heifers for the back end.
 
The prices that you are quoating there it may well be however i have a system here the last 2 years and i would like to keep that going which involves buying calves. If i also get a wet summer i would be goosed as land not able to carry that weight
I do the dairy heifer rearing also which in fairness to it this year the money is staying consistently the same no matter what way cattle go.
I try keep all calves till roughly 18 months and sell then which stretches out the time i can keep the heifers for the back end.
stick with what your at and try and improve by another 5%+. I see lads chopping and change systems and they get nowhere
 
At a mart that I was in this week, a number of 600kg cows made €1200 to €1250. There was a lad there with some nicely fed Limousin heifers that all come around 600kg and the best one came in at €1210. What's the logic in that?
 
At a mart that I was in this week, a number of 600kg cows made €1200 to €1250. There was a lad there with some nicely fed Limousin heifers that all come around 600kg and the best one came in at €1210. What's the logic in that?
That allot of the lads at cows are headless, The would fight tooth and nail over cows and the worse the cow, the bigger the arguments. those heifers sound value
 
Got a few away today. Its definitely a tale of 2 sides. I was very happy. 3 sets of doubles. Ch bullocks 580kg €1250. Sim bullocks 560kg €1200. Lim heifers 540kg €1200. All January and February 17 born. Some might remember pictures of them where I out wintered them last winter after housing cows early. They went to galway in February and cleaned up the silage ground. From mid June they were on moor ground that I had seeded with typhon and undersown with grass. I had strip grazed them in it during the drought and they really drove on. They only got meal for the last 3 weeks. I did not expect them to weigh as well as they did.

On the other hand I saw fr bullocks go through without a bid. 550kg Angus bullocks brought home at €850. Hereford bullocks 580kg selling at €920. 600kg Angus bullocks selling at €950.
 
Got a few away today. Its definitely a tale of 2 sides. I was very happy. 3 sets of doubles. Ch bullocks 580kg €1250. Sim bullocks 560kg €1200. Lim heifers 540kg €1200. All January and February 17 born. Some might remember pictures of them where I out wintered them last winter after housing cows early. They went to galway in February and cleaned up the silage ground. From mid June they were on moor ground that I had seeded with typhon and undersown with grass. I had strip grazed them in it during the drought and they really drove on. They only got meal for the last 3 weeks. I did not expect them to weigh as well as they did.

On the other hand I saw fr bullocks go through without a bid. 550kg Angus bullocks brought home at €850. Hereford bullocks 580kg selling at €920. 600kg Angus bullocks selling at €950.

I was literally in Roscrea for 10 minutes last Friday.
Saw 370 kg black Whead heifers make €580. Slightly squarer similar same owner 400 kg made €790. Holstein bullocks of 400 kg might get a bid of 400. Poor AA or Hex out of Ho cows might scrape 100 with their weight.
 
I was literally in Roscrea for 10 minutes last Friday.
Saw 370 kg black Whead heifers make €580. Slightly squarer similar same owner 400 kg made €790. Holstein bullocks of 400 kg might get a bid of 400. Poor AA or Hex out of Ho cows might scrape 100 with their weight.
The lads that bough dairy calves last spring to sell in 7-8 weeks time or next spring for the grass are going to get some cleaning. dairy bred stock no matter the colour be free next spring.....
 
The lads that bough dairy calves last spring to sell in 7-8 weeks time or next spring for the grass are going to get some cleaning. dairy bred stock no matter the colour be free next spring.....

It might be a wake up call that's needed especially for traditional breeds when you move down to O- and suddenly lose the scheme bonus, quality assurance and get hit on the grid.

It will be another business plan Teagasc will be revising!
 
I was literally in Roscrea for 10 minutes last Friday.
Saw 370 kg black Whead heifers make €580. Slightly squarer similar same owner 400 kg made €790. Holstein bullocks of 400 kg might get a bid of 400. Poor AA or Hex out of Ho cows might scrape 100 with their weight.

Sorry I had the 400 kg heifer as €790. Wrong €690 it was.
 
I was literally in Roscrea for 10 minutes last Friday.
Saw 370 kg black Whead heifers make €580. Slightly squarer similar same owner 400 kg made €790. Holstein bullocks of 400 kg might get a bid of 400. Poor AA or Hex out of Ho cows might scrape 100 with their weight.

The lads that bough dairy calves last spring to sell in 7-8 weeks time or next spring for the grass are going to get some cleaning. dairy bred stock no matter the colour be free next spring.....

Where is it going to go when cattle start coming out in numbers? Factory prices down to €3.75 today takes another chunk off mart prices. A mart close to us is lamenting the loss of one of its biggest single buyers for this year who has told them that he will not be buying any weanlings this year and instead has sold his 1500 ton of silage. On a good year, he often bought 350 cattle there in a couple of sittings. There's loads more like him too. Every agri media message is geared towards dairy farmers and it can be summed up in 3 words "Cull, Cull, Cull".
 
Got a few away today. Its definitely a tale of 2 sides. I was very happy. 3 sets of doubles. Ch bullocks 580kg €1250. Sim bullocks 560kg €1200. Lim heifers 540kg €1200. All January and February 17 born. Some might remember pictures of them where I out wintered them last winter after housing cows early. They went to galway in February and cleaned up the silage ground. From mid June they were on moor ground that I had seeded with typhon and undersown with grass. I had strip grazed them in it during the drought and they really drove on. They only got meal for the last 3 weeks. I did not expect them to weigh as well as they did.

On the other hand I saw fr bullocks go through without a bid. 550kg Angus bullocks brought home at €850. Hereford bullocks 580kg selling at €920. 600kg Angus bullocks selling at €950.
Done well with the sims and lims. Thought the charolais would be dearer. What colour were they?
 
Done well with the sims and lims. Thought the charolais would be dearer. What colour were they?

They were white. I was happy enough with them, happier to have them gone. it leaves me in a position where I can budget better for grass and hopefully keep the rest out until November.
 
A neighbour was out with 11 FR weanlings that were born this time last year. Top one 400kg made €500. Bottom 375kg €450. Not much margin when you have to buy them as calves, buy milk replacer, buy meal, buy silage, buy straw, dose, test, lose one to scour and pay the knackery, testing, mart transport both ways, dung spreading etc. Etc.

Even at that he failed to come home empty handed and brought with him a dozen April born "things". I say things because they make the weanlings that he sold look like superstars. They are jex. I doubt if any of them weigh more than 50kg. They look like the pictures on trocaire boxes that showed the animals in famine stricken Africa.

He's a great man to talk and of course he is super proud of them and the fact that he bought them ourltside the ring (after they got no bid) for €250 apiece.

The only compliment that I could pay him was that at least they'll be small enough to shelter between the rushes. He won't need to buy straw for the shed. They'll survive the winter outside.
 
Sold heifers last week, 20/24 months, avg weight 495kgs, ar €2 a kilo, wasnt too happy with the price but at the same time i wouldnt say there was a lot in them for the buyer either!
 
I'd say that lads know better where they stand with fodder at this stage and they are happier to go out and buy.
That seems to be the case.a lot more confidence around as lads gather up silage stocks.weanlings seem to have firmed a lot in lrice.the lack of aftergrass from late cut meadows will impact yet though.
 
Got a few away today. Its definitely a tale of 2 sides. I was very happy. 3 sets of doubles. Ch bullocks 580kg €1250. Sim bullocks 560kg €1200. Lim heifers 540kg €1200. All January and February 17 born. Some might remember pictures of them where I out wintered them last winter after housing cows early. They went to galway in February and cleaned up the silage ground. From mid June they were on moor ground that I had seeded with typhon and undersown with grass. I had strip grazed them in it during the drought and they really drove on. They only got meal for the last 3 weeks. I did not expect them to weigh as well as they did.

On the other hand I saw fr bullocks go through without a bid. 550kg Angus bullocks brought home at €850. Hereford bullocks 580kg selling at €920. 600kg Angus bullocks selling at €950.
Great performance from Moor ground. Would Typhon grow on hill ground without Fert?
 
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