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Is this cull cow fit for kill or sell in mart

  • 14-10-2012 5:02pm
    #1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,274 ✭✭✭


    2004 cull cow Hr X FR , not sure whether to blood her and sell in mart or let her off to the factory as is... was going to give her beef nuts for another 2 weeks and let her off.

    Im a bit wary of factory as killed an older cow last year and she didnt fair so well would have done better in mart, she was over 20 years and graded O- 3+, 256.6kg cold @274c E700

    Any ideas from the pictures what this lady would grade? is there enough flesh on her?
    Thanks in advance:)

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Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 42 cowbox


    Send her to the mart I would say and let someone else flesh her up. she is in good enough condition.. I had really good fat cows a few months back and sent them to the factory and was very dissapointed what i got for them. Then I had a few really old and not as good ones and they made great money in the mart. Sure u can always throw her in the trailer and bring her home if your not happy what u're getting for her. Ya can't exactly go back in to the meat plant looking for your cow back if you get a poor price.:D


  • Registered Users Posts: 9,158 ✭✭✭tanko


    I wouldnt be giving her any nuts. She looks like an R-5- to me, she may be overfat. I'd bring her to the mart.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 11,786 ✭✭✭✭whelan1


    Umart as if you are not happy you can bring her home


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,296 ✭✭✭leg wax


    go to the mart,the first pic of her i think you can see her ribs and her tail head is not over fat so keep feeding her from what i can see ,as a grade i will put her as a 0.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,274 ✭✭✭Bodacious


    Thanks lads/ladies for replies, she getting a bit of meal for 5 months now as was unreluctantly rearing a calf and it was handy to keep her quiet while the calf got under her and was on good grass so i dont know know how much more weight/condition a finisher can put on her.. she not a large framed cow like .. but i see what ye are saying with the mart ... can always take her home but ill have to get her brucelosis tested, if she was ready for factory i can just send her packing!!:)


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,034 ✭✭✭Bizzum


    Couldn't see her ever pulling an R. I'd be calling her an O and maybe 3h/4 depending what feeding's behind her.
    Great shine off her coat!


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,552 ✭✭✭pakalasa


    I don't think she's a R either. Once they stop milking, you'd be amazed how quick they put on condition. I'd mart her too, she could do with more feeding.


  • Registered Users Posts: 202 ✭✭countygorey


    I think she is an o 3 -


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,279 ✭✭✭snowman707


    we killed a similar size cow about 4 weeks ago , (PB MO think she was a 2004 as well)

    she had far better flesh though, was not in milk and was getting about 4 kgs of a maize mix for 6/7 weeks

    she netted about €1340

    if selling now I would mart her. other wise would meal her for a month at least


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,274 ✭✭✭Bodacious


    snowman707 wrote: »
    we killed a similar size cow about 4 weeks ago , (PB MO think she was a 2004 as well)

    she had far better flesh though, was not in milk and was getting about 4 kgs of a maize mix for 6/7 weeks

    she netted about €1340

    if selling now I would mart her. other wise would meal her for a month at least

    hi snowman,

    that was great money.. probably big framed cow though, this lady is a small framed cow so anywhere near 1000 dead or alive would leave me very happy


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,025 ✭✭✭Tipp Man


    Doesn't look near fit to me - brisket is empty and tail not particularly well fleshed.

    She'll never come into much mind IMO but she could flesh fast as she is now dry


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,326 ✭✭✭Farmer Pudsey


    Factory prices not great at present especially for singles, can you get her weighted someplace she will kill around 50% I think, very few of them hereford cows kill anything but ''O'' alot of factory's now pay by weight for these type of cows over 600lbs (272kgs) and over 800lbs (363kgs).

    What will it cost you to test her 50 euro's, you can bring her back from the mart but the vet will not refund you the test fee's. If she is getting meal for a while she will be filled on the inside. To feed her for six weeks will cost 50 euro's on ration alone but if you have grass she will do well and the price might:cool: rise 20 or 30 cent/kg it all a gamble ever 10 cent rise will be 30 euro's the extra weight will cover most of the feeding costs.

    If she has flesh the hook if not the mart, as the factories have lots of cattle at present they will not be completing at the ring for finished cattle.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,371 ✭✭✭red bull


    no contest go to mart


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,371 ✭✭✭red bull


    No contest go to mart


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,274 ✭✭✭Bodacious


    Verdict ; O+ 4+, 326.5 kg @ 320p E1044 ABP Waterford, happy with that as easiest option, very busy with work and just let her off.

    She got fed for 4 weeks on beef nuts but at 4+ fat score did she need it?!


  • Registered Users Posts: 445 ✭✭poor farmer


    Does that mean that she came into around a grand.
    Great thread.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,274 ✭✭✭Bodacious


    Does that mean that she came into around a grand.
    Great thread.

    Yep, E1010.51 after deductions, paid 1100 in 2008 for her with good simm bull calf at foot, got 2 char bull calves out of her and she lost a simm bull this year but reared a suck so she owed me nothing at this stage.


  • Registered Users Posts: 6,326 ✭✭✭Farmer Pudsey


    Bodacious wrote: »
    Verdict ; O+ 4+, 326.5 kg @ 320p E1044 ABP Waterford, happy with that as easiest option, very busy with work and just let her off.

    She got fed for 4 weeks on beef nuts but at 4+ fat score did she need it?!

    Did you get a price rise compared to what you would have sold her for four weeks ago. Did she eat much beef nuts. Do you think in the four weeks did she put on much weight. She would have weighted I think between 620-650 liveweight. How much nuts and how much did they cost I do not thinh you got a price rise in the meantime. If you had to feed her silage as well you were losing if not you made money not a lot but a little provided she was on less that 4kg/day.
    Bodacious wrote: »
    Yep, E1010.51 after deductions, paid 1100 in 2008 for her with good simm bull calf at foot, got 2 char bull calves out of her and she lost a simm bull this year but reared a suck so she owed me nothing at this stage.

    You should cost her against a replacment not against her cost 4 years ago.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,274 ✭✭✭Bodacious


    Did you get a price rise compared to what you would have sold her for four weeks ago. Did she eat much beef nuts. Do you think in the four weeks did she put on much weight. She would have weighted I think between 620-650 liveweight. How much nuts and how much did they cost I do not thinh you got a price rise in the meantime. If you had to feed her silage as well you were losing if not you made money not a lot but a little provided she was on less that 4kg/day.

    Hi Pudsey,

    yeah i not sure if i gained anything by feeding her for the 4 weeks because she was in fair condition as it was when i posted the first picture.. but what id like to know is fat score of 4+ excessive ie would O+ 3= have paid me more? she ate probably E50 worth of nuts. I have to stress though this is my smallest cow and is by no means a big framed continental cull cow, 700 would test her in the mart IMO

    Hi Pudsey,

    yeah i not sure if i gained anything by feeding her for the 4 weeks because she was in fair condition as it was when i posted the first picture.. but what id like to know is fat score of 4+ excessive ie would O+ 3= have paid me more? she ate probably E50 worth of nuts and no silage, all grass. I have to stress though this is my smallest cow and is by no means a big framed continental cull cow, 700 would test her in the mart IMO
    You should cost her against a replacment not against her cost 4 years ago.

    I understand fully what you are saying here...I would though if i needed her get a similar spring calving springer in my area for E1100 but i knew in May she was out the gate, i have in calf heifers that would be better anyway, i bought in heifers also but none cost over a 1000 to get to calving next spring stage


  • Registered Users Posts: 9,158 ✭✭✭tanko


    I know its almost a month later and she got some nuts, but i wasnt too far out after all. You were lucky she didnt go into a 5 for fat. In my experience when you bring a cow like her to a factory, they will always say that the cow is a grade or two less in conformation and a grade or two more in fat than you expect her to be.

    According to this weeks journal, for last weeks factory prices, ABP Waterford paid 310 c/kg for 0=4+ cows. The national average was 327. I reckon she would have made the same price per kilo a month ago.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,274 ✭✭✭Bodacious


    tanko wrote: »
    I know its almost a month later and she got some nuts, but i wasnt too far out after all. You were lucky she didnt go into a 5 for fat. In my experience when you bring a cow like her to a factory, they will always say that the cow is a grade or two less in conformation and a grade or two more in fat than you expect her to be.

    According to this weeks journal, for last weeks factory prices, ABP Waterford paid 310 c/kg for 0=4+ cows. The national average was 327. I reckon she would have made the same price per kilo a month ago.

    hi Tanko,

    Yep you were bang on, county gorey and bizzum were very close also!

    I kinda thought of letting her off when I took the picture and still not sure whether I should have killed her then? I breed and sell weanlings ... No great experience of finishing


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