Whitehead Calves - advice

mick2706

New to the site here lads but some great heads knocking around here to be fair...
I'm after renting the farm at home off the auld fella this year which consists of about 75 acres of tillage (planted winter barley) and 17 acres of grass. I've been offered 20 whitehead bull calves to take in about 2 weeks time which will be about 10 weeks old then for €290 a piece. My plan was to cut silage and a bit of hay off the grass as every local lad i hear is saying cattle are making mad money. What would ye make of them at that price? I'm new to the game despite having fierce interest and doing weekend work at it for years so all opinions would be appretiated!!!
What would they be likely to make if you were finishing them for the factory?

Thanks,

Mick

alderdeer

Fair play to ya and best of luck with your farming venture, The calves sound a bit on the high side to me but its hard to say without seeing them, you will be looking at them a long time before they will be fit to kill and the way trade is at the moment i dont think anyone could predict what they will be worth then some time in 2013. If you would like to keep some stock a few handy yearlings would probably be more suitable, Id rather 10 heifers for my 6k and they would be easier keep

mick2706

sound for that alderhead, i'm fine with the tillage but out of my dept with the cattle side of things. what kind of heifers would you go for?

yessam

Buy cattle a bit stronger and sell them off the grass before the winter to cut out housing and silage costs.

Is this ground not suitable for tilage

AtillaTheHun

those calves sound very over priced!!!
to get the ball rolling 150-200 more like it?
cattle are silly money atm. Is the grass good quality. Could you sell silage off it? Not too late to get fert on it for 1st cut if you get it out pronto.

to work out factory price
assume kill out of 56% of Live Weight.
from memory a bunch of 20month heifers had carcasses of 270kg. Assume price of 3euro/kg. that way you wont be disappointed when the current price (3.40)drops. So 810 minius 10-15euro transport. 3kg a day for 80days cost you 50euro per head. so your break even price (not including grazing costs) 750euro.

So dont spend any more than 550 per animal. assuming you go for 12month old type animals.

I sold bulls in Jan at 430kg LW for 355+weight.

galwayhillbilly

I'm looking to buy a few calves myself not as many as the OP but I havent been able to find any bulls or heifers for less than 270 except for friesian bulls. I am looking for heifers for about 200 each 4 or five this year if you know anywhere I can get them, it would be much appreciated.

I cant help thinking there will be a pile of weanlings for sale next autumn with no market for them. would it be an idea to wait until then? With only a small bit of stock on the land, I should have plenty of hay or silage depending on weather. Could I take a gamble and wait till sept/oct to buy?

keep going

lads if you think those calves are dear you better not go to the mart you might get a little bit of a heart attack, fellas are getting 250 for reared fr bulls

charityboy

i would consider those calves to be good value at that money ,and also no milk replacer to fork out for ,i have aax bulls at tenweeks and they are standing me 350 euro between milk meal and buying them so if anyone can get 10 week old white head bulls for 150 to 200 euro dont be shy with the location of these

manjou

Was in mart on sat whitehead heifers 300+ and bulls same so calves look great value as at 10 weeks they are well reared and ready for grass

galwayhillbilly

Given that calves are making such good prices out there, there is obviously a lot of optimism about the markets next autumn and beyond, is there profit to be made at this price? If i could make 50 -100 a head profit buying now and selling in the autumn i would buy 20, but I'm not sure profit is to be had at 300+ per animal any thoughts?