At the mart...

In my view its as basic as this, any farmer with livestock has a duty of care towards every animal and that doesn't end until they are in someone else's ownership.

If you can't/won't provide care to all of your stock then you are not fulfilling your obligations. I dont understand how any farmer could put calves in a mart for 12 hours or more and not come back for them or ensure they are fed and cared for.. Quite frankly it would turn my stomach if its true

Totally agree and mirrors what is called in the agri media of social licence.

If this craic is going on, what are the Department inspectors doing at the mart?
 
Most of the dairy farmers that I know do things very well including animal welfare, however there are a few mainly younger lads who seem to be totally ruthless. I have heard it being described as the “ New Zealand influence “.
There is also a lack of help on a lot of farms, we are trying to do way too much, because of the squeezing of labour used on farms.
 
There is also a lack of help on a lot of farms, we are trying to do way too much, because of the squeezing of labour used on farms.
A lot of that is down to the fact that a lot of on-farm tasks have been reduced to the simple metrics of cost-effectiveness and profitability. If carrying out a certain procedure isn't making you any money then it's not worth doing. The knock-on effects don't seem to come into the equation.
 
A lot of that is down to the fact that a lot of on-farm tasks have been reduced to the simple metrics of cost-effectiveness and profitability. If carrying out a certain procedure isn't making you any money then it's not worth doing. The knock-on effects don't seem to come into the equation.
Probably true and fundamentally a sound business truism however every business also has a set of basic required processes and procedures to eg. Protect staff, attain and retain quality certification etc. And they need to be carried out to a certain standard without exception regardless of profitability.

Animal welfare is no different in farming I'd argue.
 
There will need to be some action taken before next year. Extremely poor carry on by some dairy farmers, bringing in calfs clearly not as old as stated on the cards, the calf mart I looked at the last month was awash with poor calves that they couldn't get a bid on, good FR and coloured calves on the other hand made very good money. Lads who don't have the facilities to keep up with expanding numbers simply dumping calves into the mart rather bringing them in when they are ready, two weeks ago there was 100 or more calves unsold the lads in the mart were there until 3am feeding calves milk then couldn't get lads to come collect them the next day. The mart manager should be checking calves as they are being taken in and 2 sales a week for the short few weeks, having over a thousand calves being sold until nearly 11 o clock at night is a waste of time when there is a poor market any poor calf in the later stage of the mart is not going to sell people have their business done.
They should be banned for 6 months of sales if they don’t come to collect them.
There is also a lack of help on a lot of farms, we are trying to do way too much, because of the squeezing of labour used on farms.
it’s no excuse,if you can’t manage cut numbers.


At the Mart today calves have taken a huge hit,price of feed is the cause,good job we only sent black and white heifers and not some blues.
 
Haven't brought calves to the mart in a few years. Have a few different lads come every year to buy a few. Lad came yesterday for 1 calf for a cow and left with 16. No boats this last while and alot of uncertainty with other farming stuff has the whole calf scene in trouble.
 
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Anyone buying or selling these days? We sold 10 weanling bullocks last week (castrated at 6 months old). Prices were respectable but not in line with the rise in beef prices or our potential rise in costs this year. But its understandable because feeders are probably facing into higher costs than us in the coming year.

We sold 10 coloured heifers to a returning customer from the house during the week and were very happy. And sold another 10 heifers in the mart yesterday about €100 a head behind the bullocks for similar quality and weight.

Have a few more to go in the next few weeks and then a last bunch of later born animals for early may.

The heavy store trade picked up little bit yesterday. There was great buying for any animal 550kg or more. Anything fleshy attracted a lot of bidders - I assume they're going for slaughter Monday.

Have stores to sell or slaughter in the coming weeks. At this stage the mart looks to be the best option.
 
Tipping away buying a few 500kg plus stores for grass, €2.60/kg for good straight stores up to €3/kg.
When you say €100 behind the bullocks, how much did both make per kg?
We gave up on “pounds over the kg” a good while ago.
What are your cattle weighting for age?
 
Tipping away buying a few 500kg plus stores for grass, €2.60/kg for good straight stores up to €3/kg.
When you say €100 behind the bullocks, how much did both make per kg?
We gave up on “pounds over the kg” a good while ago.
What are your cattle weighting for age?
Bullocks averaged 2.95/kg and averaged 380kg. All under 12 months.

Heifers the same age averaged €2.79/kg with average weight 365kg.

I'm sure in your situation its hard to know what there's value in buying. If you have grass there's value in short keep cattle compared to weanlings with current beef prices.
 
Bullocks averaged 2.95/kg and averaged 380kg. All under 12 months.

Heifers the same age averaged €2.79/kg with average weight 365kg.

I'm sure in your situation its hard to know what there's value in buying. If you have grass there's value in short keep cattle compared to weanlings with current beef prices.
Are the heifers straight out of the shed and were they getting meal?

What we are buying at the minute will be ok if beef prices stay good and only fall by 25 or 30c, if they fall back further to €5.00 base, it’ll just be an exercise for the summer, however if that does happen, the arse will fall out of store cattle, as it is the store trade can only be weaker next autumn.

Anything can happen, there’s great intentions by many farmers, to farm away as normal. While using less fertiliser and feeding less meal.
The weather will determine much of what will happen.
Something will happen, less grass will be grown, cattle will be sold earlier than normal, less fodder will be made, less grass available for finishing store lambs.

There will be opportunities.
It’s our aim to have plenty of feeding in the yard next autumn.
 
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Are the heifers straight out of the shed and were they getting meal?

What we are buying at the minute will be ok if beef prices stay good and only fall by 25 or 30c, if they fall back further to €4.00 base, it’ll just be an exercise for the summer, however if that does happen, the arse will fall out of store cattle, as it is the store trade can only be weaker next autumn.

Anything can happen, there’s great intentions by many farmers, to farm away as normal. While using less fertiliser and feeding less meal.
The weather will determine much of what will happen.
Something will happen, less grass will be grown, cattle will be sold earlier than normal, less fodder will be made, less grass available for finishing store lambs.

There will be opportunities.
It’s our aim to have plenty of feeding in the yard next autumn.
Yes, everything sold out of the shed and got 3kg of a nut daily since Christmas. Lucky to have secured a price for nuts through the group up to 1st march. With the way prices are gone, we probably won't be able to feed nuts next year - but it will depend on what happens I suppose.

I said it on here last week, locally there's great intentions to farm away at the same level without the fertilizer. Realistically there will be bumps in the road as you say, weather and grass growth being the bigger ones. I think there's already loads of lighter stock being bought in marts and going direct to slaughter which should tighten numbers later in the year.

Its a year for trimming the fat. We have some big changes coming here and part of that will see us drop cow numbers - its not a bad year to do it with cull cow prices. Fodder will be our biggest concern and weather will have the biggest impact on that - other years we were able to buffer fodder with grain but that won't be viable next year so we will be relying on weather going our way.
 
You’ve good stock, your getting the best out of them, I couldn’t see a way for us to make anything worth our while out of them.

Given how well your doing, I think you’ll still be feeding a bit to those cattle.
You’ve fed about 200kg per, head, did it cost €55, it might cost €80 next year.
At €80, it’s less than 30kg of live weight at €2.79/kg.
it’ll pay for itself in thrive and you’ll have the cattle looking the part.
Your type of stock will be dear next spring.
Just my thoughts.
 
You’ve good stock, your getting the best out of them, I couldn’t see a way for us to make anything worth our while out of them.

Given how well your doing, I think you’ll still be feeding a bit to those cattle.
You’ve fed about 200kg per, head, did it cost €55, it might cost €80 next year.
At €80, it’s less than 30kg of live weight at €2.79/kg.
it’ll pay for itself in thrive and you’ll have the cattle looking the part.
Your type of stock will be dear next spring.
Just my thoughts.

We had a very good quality nut at 310/ ton which we would be quoted 400 for now. Its reasonable enough to feed 100 euro of feed to a weanling if prices are good. I just have no concept of what prices will be at the end of this year and there's little I can do about it but wait and see I suppose.
 
The reality most of them calves being given away are value to the buyer ,I cant see how they could go wrong .I always keep calves up to 6 weeks + before selling and you could never really have good enough you feel .It is not like any of them calves are stagering ,some might be a bit leggy that makes them look underfed ,it is just the market this year is poor for all calves
Ah stop will ya, those calves that are been given for free are as close to be starved as you could imagine, there seen to be worthless by lads and in return there always the ones that seem to get worst care. I have seen this first hand this year and the calves were a disgrace, the lad who got them for "free" is pretty much new to farming. Some of these are 5 weeks on paper and are small than a yoke coming out from a jex first calver, there isn't a day goes by that one or more aren't sick there so far behind now is hard to see where they will be at the end of the year, there in fact not free at all, at the rate there going the 40e calf is looking much more valve now. The time that is been put into them is cruel and what harm there is a lot of it mine, he's a good friend of mine and and I feel due care to the calves to try my best for them as the start they had was awful, not lost one yet from 20 and hopefully they will turn the corner soon. Free calves my bo**ox
 
Ah stop will ya, those calves that are been given for free are as close to be starved as you could imagine, there seen to be worthless by lads and in return there always the ones that seem to get worst care. I have seen this first hand this year and the calves were a disgrace, the lad who got them for "free" is pretty much new to farming. Some of these are 5 weeks on paper and are small than a yoke coming out from a jex first calver, there isn't a day goes by that one or more aren't sick there so far behind now is hard to see where they will be at the end of the year, there in fact not free at all, at the rate there going the 40e calf is looking much more valve now. The time that is been put into them is cruel and what harm there is a lot of it mine, he's a good friend of mine and and I feel due care to the calves to try my best for them as the start they had was awful, not lost one yet from 20 and hopefully they will turn the corner soon. Free calves my bo**ox
If they haven't got the colostrum you're fighting a losing battle and in reality that bit of care isn't being given in some places
 
Anyone buying or selling these days? We sold 10 weanling bullocks last week (castrated at 6 months old). Prices were respectable but not in line with the rise in beef prices or our potential rise in costs this year. But its understandable because feeders are probably facing into higher costs than us in the coming year.

We sold 10 coloured heifers to a returning customer from the house during the week and were very happy. And sold another 10 heifers in the mart yesterday about €100 a head behind the bullocks for similar quality and weight.

Have a few more to go in the next few weeks and then a last bunch of later born animals for early may.

The heavy store trade picked up little bit yesterday. There was great buying for any animal 550kg or more. Anything fleshy attracted a lot of bidders - I assume they're going for slaughter Monday.

Have stores to sell or slaughter in the coming weeks. At this stage the mart looks to be the best option.

If they are fleshy, they are not fat. Anything 550-600kgs, is being bought for further feeding for the lean months of late April and May till grass cattle/cows start coming on in volumes in mid June.

If you are getting that kind of money for those cattle fair play, they would be in the top 5% of lots here anyway but that is a geography thing.
 
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