beef price tracker

blue5000

Cavanjack wrote: »

Saw culls in Kilkenny today over 500kg barely making €400.

Holsteins? I was talking beef cows.

Cavanjack

blue5000 wrote: »

Holsteins? I was talking beef cows.

Yeah thought they were good value any man that would be fattening them cows. Just looking online, didn't look too bad, black types. only saw a few minutes of it.

Hard Knocks

gerryirl wrote: »

Well I have proof of that. I had stores cattle in the mart yesterday. I weighted them Saturday. Did the same with other cattle before so its not a once off. I was the last pen in the mart(Murphys law) had them in shed at 7 am and they went into the ring at 5.30pm. Most lost 20-30 kgs while one fella lost 40 kgs. I had another lad before losing 40 kg. Its an awful hit I tell ya.

Not having drink available increases the weight loss

wrangler

blue5000 wrote: »

The regulars around the ring would know fairly quick if the scales was off. Lots of them run cattle through the crush and weigh them when they get home.

Anyone killing cows this week, I'm hearing 290ish for O grades? Rs are a good bit better, seems to be a good market for good, well fleshed cows somewhere.

Scales would be checked in a mart whereas the one in your yard mightn't be great. we've weighed factory lambs eight hours apart and some lambs dropped 4kg,

gerryirl

wrangler wrote: »

Scales would be checked in a mart whereas the one in your yard mightn't be great. we've weighed factory lambs eight hours apart and some lambs dropped 4kg,

I check mine against known weights a fair bit so it cant be too far out

wrangler

gerryirl wrote: »

I check mine against known weights a fair bit so it cant be too far out

I'm sure any business with a scales that's dealing with the public has to be checked regularly, we starve our lambs for up to 3hrs before weighing now trying to get an accurate weight

Bass Reeves

Muckit wrote: »

I'm no expert but sure would it not be stomach contents that would reduce? You don't get paid for that weight anyways.
Some lads swear that there's a difference between killing in morning vs bringing them in the night before. But I'm not convinced.

There was an article in the IFJ a few years ago. Large finisher in the UK would not allow cattle to stand in factory lairges overnight. It did not matter how far away or near the processor was cattle were loaded in the morning or early morning to arrive at processor just as slaughtering started.

Attie

[/QUOTE]There was an article in the IFJ a few years ago. Large finisher in the UK would not allow cattle to stand in factory lairges overnight. It did not matter how far away or near the processor was cattle were loaded in the morning or early morning to arrive at processor just as slaughtering started.[/quote]

Perhaps on welfare grounds.

Whenever Mr Goodman took over Newry first thing out the door was the live bridge.

wrangler

Why would they want to weigh them live....only one scales that counts

coolshannagh28

wrangler wrote: »

Why would they want to weigh them live....only one scales that counts

The farmer that just puts them on the lorry has no idea of live weight so cant even guestimate K/O % or dead weight .
Its a highly prized skill on this forum estimating live weights back from dead weight , grades etc this is ridiculous in this day and age with a commodity valued at up to 2k per unit ?

wrangler

coolshannagh28 wrote: »

The farmer that just puts them on the lorry has no idea of live weight so cant even guestimate K/O % or dead weight .
Its a highly prized skill on this forum estimating live weights back from dead weight , grades etc this is ridiculous in this day and age with a commodity valued at up to 2k per unit ?

I could imagine the rows that it'd cause....I know some get very upset when their lambs don't kill out well and they have a scales.
lambs can kill out between 40 and 50%, liveweight means nothing.
Some people weigh the tractor trailer on a local weighbridge on their way, but they really should have their own weigh cells. Farmers won't believe the factory live scales is right as usual so why have one

coolshannagh28

wrangler wrote: »

I could imagine the rows that it'd cause

Exactly , keep them in the dark....

wrangler

coolshannagh28 wrote: »

Exactly , keep them in the dark....

That must be it so....yea right

coolshannagh28

wrangler wrote: »

That must be it so....yea right

You are less cynical than I thought .

Attie

wrangler wrote: »

Why would they want to weigh them live....only one scales that counts

It's one great management tool.
Used properly it'll bring you eye in.

wrangler

Attie wrote: »

It's one great management tool.
Used properly it'll bring you eye in.

Definitely, everyone should have one at home, you don't be long finding out which factories have the severest trim etc. as you say it trains your eye as well...we'd always put our comment beside some lambs numbers when we're weighing and then see were we right when the grades come back.
But animals have to be fasted before weighing as well or else it means nothing.
Having a live scales at the factory would only be another excuse for complaint

Bass Reeves

Attie wrote: »

T

Perhaps on welfare grounds.

Whenever Mr Goodman took over Newry first thing out the door was the live bridge.[/QUOTE]

Nothing to do with welfare. His opinion on it was cattle standing in a strange lairage lost weight. He said it cost him 1-2% on killout depending on how long they stood there. The processors charge you 2% between fresh and cold weight no point in giving them another 1-2%.

On the live weigh brdge you would expect that it would be a helpfull management tool for farmers. I weighed cattle now and again before slaughter on 1-2 places %'s will vary very little. But I slaughtered overage cattle a few ago a bit of a distance away, a few of the K/O %'s were all over the place with 1-2 completely ridicilous.

Attie

Don't know if there are still "discussions" on hot and cold weight but used too be a regular occurrence.
Many animals were put back over the cold bridge so owner could verify the weight I presume it's still the case.
I'm talking about cattle here this is where the live bridge came into it's own once you know how well the animals are feed and live weight you can have a good stab at dead weight.

blue5000

CHOPS01 wrote: »

What do you reckon is the weight loss on cattle travelling/waiting lets say 8/9 hours longer?

Fat cover is what gets burnt off them when they're stressed.

Cavanjack

Any quotes for bullocks this week?

Bass Reeves

Heard that the processors intend to pull prices by 10c/kg next week. Base price to be 3.65/3.70/kg depending on where in the country you are. Store prices are getting too strong again in there opinion and lads killing cattle at 2+/3- rather than winter finish or feed on these cattle.

Willfarman

It seems to be a badly kept secret all right bass! 3.60 is what the bottom will be is the story being put out. I know it’s in line with previous years but it’s putting the carrot on a disastrous year for my summer grazing enterprise.

50 cattle bought 480kgs @960€; inc commission last oct. mix of fr aa and fair to good continentals. 7 month winter then after a good initial thrive complete stall and back to silage and meal feeding into a falling market. 40 gone to date and scarcely clearing €1400. averaging over half a tone of ration with 10 still eating 6 kgs a day and won’t be fit for a month.

Bass Reeves

Willfarman wrote: »

It seems to be a badly kept secret all right bass! 3.60 is what the bottom will be is the story being put out. I know it’s in line with previous years but it’s putting the carrot on a disastrous year for my summer grazing enterprise.

50 cattle bought 480kgs @960€; inc commission last oct. mix of fr aa and fair to good continentals. 7 month winter then after a good initial thrive complete stall and back to silage and meal feeding into a falling market. 40 gone to date and scarcely clearing €1400. averaging over half a tone of ration with 10 still eating 6 kgs a day and won’t be fit for a month.

We are all in the same boat. Was luck enough early in the year shifted cattle that left margin. But over last month cattle going out are leaving nothing.Bought light Friesians in the yard at 540 last August they are only averaging 1K exactly on the hook. More to go this week. Real killer is not being able to avail of cheaper stores because of fodder situation.

mf240

What do you think they will be like in March or April.

Bass Reeves

mf240 wrote: »

What do you think they will be like in March or April.

Stores will be dearer than now but I expect that they will not be on fire. Hearing of more lads that winter finish not doing it this year. Kill could stay well below 30K from after Christmas to June. If it dose beef prices will be higher than last spring. But even if 30c/kg high will the extra 100 euro cover the extra cost of ration and straw. As well silage being fed is valued at 35/bale. The lighter weigh and poorer grading of cattle that is killing lads at present just as much as the extra cost in the system.

Those Friesians I am killing will have eaten 40-50 ish euro of ration over last 7-9 weeks. The real killer was they were in the shed for 5 weeks longer in the spring that is another 35 euro in cost. Killing 20kgs lighter than normal and on the farm 20 days longer along with a lower grade is costing 150 euro on end price IMO. They are leaving a miniscule margin.

Like I said the killer is a similar store this year would only cost 450 euro maybe a tad less this would have softened the hit a bit.

Bass Reeves

Just as a matter of interest looking at these two bunches of bulls what are they worth. The first lad has put weights up we assume he is totally correct. looking at the second lot I put a guess at 450kgs. WE will assume that R grade bulls make 4/kg after Christmas.

https://www.donedeal.ie/beefcattle-for-sale/124-feeding-bulls-14-18-months-450-550kgs/19864596

https://www.donedeal.ie/beefcattle-for-sale/cheap-feeding-bulls/19773205.

blue5000

Thanks Bass and Will for putting up the figures as they really are. Has anyone had the balls to ask their agent/procurement manager what Spring prices will be like? Or even after Brexit?

Who2

blue5000 wrote: »

Thanks Bass and Will for putting up the figures as they really are. Has anyone had the balls to ask their agent/procurement manager what Spring prices will be like? Or even after Brexit?

Mine told me he’s optimistic for February on but reckons it’s to get worse from now to then

charolais0153

Bass Reeves wrote: »

Just as a matter of interest looking at these two bunches of bulls what are they worth. The first lad has put weights up we assume he is totally correct. looking at the second lot I put a guess at 450kgs. WE will assume that R grade bulls make 4/kg after Christmas.

https://www.donedeal.ie/beefcattle-for-sale/124-feeding-bulls-14-18-months-450-550kgs/19864596

https://www.donedeal.ie/beefcattle-for-sale/cheap-feeding-bulls/19773205.

The first ones are accurate in weight anyways they have 60-70 kilos on them compared to the other lads.
First lads 1000
900 for the other lads.

riemann

blue5000 wrote: »

Has anyone had the balls to ask their agent/procurement manager what Spring prices will be like? Or even after Brexit?

In the short-term the processors have decided well in advance what their prices will be. They are aware of the nos coming on stream because of the 30 month limit.

Expect a bottom out in the next few weeks, with a stabilisation and slight recovery as we approach the Christmas market.

Medium term I always look to the previous few years as a guide, barring a horse meat like scandal one can expect price trends to realise.

As regards Brexit I'd be very weary of anyone soliciting advice, it's unknown territory. On a personal level I can see a massive delay, maybe even a 2nd referendum. The Irish beef industry is in a perilous position should a worst case senario materialise, in reality I can't see that happenning as there is simply too much as steak if you will. For me it's not a time for taking massive risks or over stocking, I'll be observing from as far as possible. It doesn't help that these are the years the new CAP will be calculated on, but common sense must prevail.