At the mart...

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.

What mart was this mucky?
 
Anyone sell any wealnings yet? What way are they going?
A friend of mine sold a few last night. A good one is a good price. 350kg €1000.

But those lighter weanlings that were making €3 /kg the last few years. (eg 250kg making €750 ). That's not happening. Another friend was disappointed that the ones he averaged 750 for last year were down 100 on average this year.
 
Anyone buying or selling?

Neither, but have been at marts. Weanlings are back quite a bit in the last 4 weeks. A few of the quality ones achieved good prices back in early october, but what's coming out now is just the ordinary ones. As I said earlier in this thread, there's no big buying for the lighter golden Charolais like there has been in years gone by. No €750 for a 250kg bull calf.

A friend of mine sold spring 17 born store bullocks yesterday. They were all just over 500kg and he averaged €2.30/kg. Good quality limousin bullocks. He was happy, but the older and stronger ones from the bunch averaged €2.50/kg in September.

I feel that weanling marts were well back in numbers around here these last few months. Maybe more store cattle and certainly more cull cows.
 
I sold 3 black Limousin heifers today 2 Feb 17s and 1 april. 495 kg made €970.
Plain stock a bit slow , lots unsold. Told by a.man who had stock out last week and today , that he was sorry he didn't show them all last week.
Big change this week in Roscrea. You don't unload your stock into the pen , and then take them into chute for reading and putting on the numbers. Mart staff now take them from unloading pen , and you go up on to the overhead walkway , which has been extended , and now has 2 stairs to bring you down to the chutes. Mart staff were complaining that people coming down these stairs were spooking the cattle as they line up to go into the chutes.
 
I sold 3 black Limousin heifers today 2 Feb 17s and 1 april. 495 kg made €970.
Plain stock a bit slow , lots unsold. Told by a.man who had stock out last week and today , that he was sorry he didn't show them all last week.
Big change this week in Roscrea. You don't unload your stock into the pen , and then take them into chute for reading and putting on the numbers. Mart staff now take them from unloading pen , and you go up on to the overhead walkway , which has been extended , and now has 2 stairs to bring you down to the chutes. Mart staff were complaining that people coming down these stairs were spooking the cattle as they line up to go into the chutes.

Sounds like they were nice square heifers jf? Out of British FR cows?

I'm afraid we are all going to have to get used to measures like in Roscrea pretty soon. The bigger issue comes at loading time IMV unless some policing of the chutes is done!
 
Sounds like they were nice square heifers jf? Out of British FR cows?

I'm afraid we are all going to have to get used to measures like in Roscrea pretty soon. The bigger issue comes at loading time IMV unless some policing of the chutes is done!

They were 5 stars , 2 were genomic tested.
1 was out of a lovely square Br Fr cow , 1 out of a fairly HO FR heifer , and the 3rd out of a Friesany LM suckler , but it was 2 monts younger.
I only washed out the trailer when the mart was nearly over , and lots were loading . Seemed a tad chaotic , but not helped by a few lads who think they own the mart , and leave theirs trucks parked in a loading bay most of the day.:angry:
 
They were 5 stars , 2 were genomic tested.
1 was out of a lovely square Br Fr cow , 1 out of a fairly HO FR heifer , and the 3rd out of a Friesany LM suckler , but it was 2 monts younger.
I only washed out the trailer when the mart was nearly over , and lots were loading . Seemed a tad chaotic , but not helped by a few lads who think they own the mart , and leave theirs trucks parked in a loading bay most of the day.:angry:

Your last point was exactly what I was thinking of! It's not an unusual occurrence around here either.
 
I sold 3 black Limousin heifers today 2 Feb 17s and 1 april. 495 kg made €970.
Plain stock a bit slow , lots unsold. Told by a.man who had stock out last week and today , that he was sorry he didn't show them all last week.
Big change this week in Roscrea. You don't unload your stock into the pen , and then take them into chute for reading and putting on the numbers. Mart staff now take them from unloading pen , and you go up on to the overhead walkway , which has been extended , and now has 2 stairs to bring you down to the chutes. Mart staff were complaining that people coming down these stairs were spooking the cattle as they line up to go into the chutes.
A friend bought 3 suckler bred limousine heifers in ballinasloe last Saturday. March and April born. 300 to 310 kg. The highest price was €630.

Think he's gone back for more today. His calf rearing enterprise is worthless when he can buy quality cattle at those prices
 
just in from the mart now. small sale 130 bull's 100 heifers.
small crowd aswell. Trade so-so
all depends on quality .
Marts around here struggle to get going after Christmas .
It's February before they get going right.
 
The older cattle to carnew and the younger to enniscorthy. You’ll get on fine on the dates your thinking as buyers do be chomping at the bit while the lot numbers are scarce.
 
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