At the mart...

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

Generally these are the poorer quality calves too.

I have seen quite a few of these over the last few weeks as Male bulls, around 200-250kgs being bought for 450 and less. To my mind, with them reared, it just wouldn't pay to be messing around with those sort of calves.
 
Generally these are the poorer quality calves too.

I have seen quite a few of these over the last few weeks as Male bulls, around 200-250kgs being bought for 450 and less. To my mind, with them reared, it just wouldn't pay to be messing around with those sort of calves.
What type of stock?
P grade Frieslans or a bit better?
I haven't bought any calves yet and am wondering if there will be runners to be bought in May with little more than the cost of rearing in the price difference.
Getting decent quality could be tricky though .yearlings at the price you mention would be far better value
 
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.
I agree, but the few times that I have been in the factory in the last 6 weeks, there's lorry loads of lighter cattle in the lairage and its obvious that they are fresh from the mart as you can see the number mark on their backs.

Different marts in different parts of the country I suppose. 95% of what is sold in the local mart is suckler bred. Those cattle would probably be in the top 25% but nowhere near the best sold on the day.
 
I was told calves were a flying trade over the last few days, even shipping calves. Fine weather and lads probably have the first batch of calves let out and ready to restock for another go
 
According to an auctioneers from a big Dale last week, shipping calves 50kg plus are making 50 to 80 euros. Strong quality fr bulls up to 180
Jersey x or light fr unsaleable
 
I was told calves were a flying trade over the last few days, even shipping calves. Fine weather and lads probably have the first batch of calves let out and ready to restock for another go
Im not sure about calves as it was only second hand info I have not being looking at them but the cattle are definitely well back.
I don't think the same volume of lads are feeding calves this year, the part time lad is back fully working along with the input costs.
 
What type of stock?
P grade Frieslans or a bit better?
I haven't bought any calves yet and am wondering if there will be runners to be bought in May with little more than the cost of rearing in the price difference.
Getting decent quality could be tricky though .yearlings at the price you mention would be far better value

Generally P grade Freisians but you might the odd O- out of them.

Good frame cattle, not small crossbreds.
 
I have a cow that was thin and under the weather at christmas time, I took the calf of her and have been feeding her roughly 6kg of meal a day since, she is looking a lot better now, would I be better selling her in the mart or factory. I don't know anything about fattening cattle for the factory so would need to get someone to look at her to see if she needs to be fed more if I was going to the factory.
 
I have a cow that was thin and under the weather at christmas time, I took the calf of her and have been feeding her roughly 6kg of meal a day since, she is looking a lot better now, would I be better selling her in the mart or factory. I don't know anything about fattening cattle for the factory so would need to get someone to look at her to see if she needs to be fed more if I was going to the factory.

Mart.
 
Sold the last 2 bullocks, one of them had to have an operation as a calf because of a urinary tract blockage and the sight of the blockage was unsightly. So I put the 2 of them on adlib meal for the last few week to make sure he was factory fit.
He weighed in at 790kg and made €2,120
His younger comrade weighed in at 645kg and made €2010
 
Sold the last 2 bullocks, one of them had to have an operation as a calf because of a urinary tract blockage and the sight of the blockage was unsightly. So I put the 2 of them on adlib meal for the last few week to make sure he was factory fit.
He weighed in at 790kg and made €2,120
His younger comrade weighed in at 645kg and made €2010
That's great money. Feeding definitely paid well !
 
Watching the best of the cows over the last week. €5 a kilo won't get allot of them out of the mart price. They were making more than the heifers and bullocks of equilivent weight and shape. Prime beef .........
 
The lighter bullock made a lot better price,was he a better bred animal @gone
The younger/lighter bullock made a mad price.
I wouldn't have said there was much between them grade wise, but the heavy bullock may have been tending towards too fat and the urinary tract issue probably took a bit from him.
 
Lighter cattle seem to have gotten a good lift in price over the last week. Good quality CH weanlings were making up to €3.50/kg 250 to 300kg
Even one person either at the mart or bidding on line can make a difference. Thought Ennis is a bit back to day, but that could be due to quality on offer.
 
Have a suckler cow that lost her calf this week - she is a mud fat SIX and she has a massive elder on her - would there be any issues selling her at the weekend at the mart, or would I better off drying her off and then selling her in a few weeks 🤔
 
Have a suckler cow that lost her calf this week - she is a mud fat SIX and she has a massive elder on her - would there be any issues selling her at the weekend at the mart, or would I better off drying her off and then selling her in a few weeks 🤔
Sell her straight away or factory her ,don't try an dry her off as she will loose too much condition
 
Local dairy man I buy some bulls off has a regular client for heifer calves, he can't shift his yearlings at the moment so can't buy calves,I can't see that changing either.
There were customers for early beef calves but they are harder sold now I believe
 
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