Cattle sold, lower weights, better rate, same overall price...

locky76

Hey folks,
I've most of the summer finishers gone and the weights and grades are down on last year by one sub grade (R+ has gone to R= etc. etc.) with the weight back by 30 to 40kgs live weight (18 to 25 kgs hanging up).
The overall price I've gotten however is the same as last year with the increased prices at the moment making up the difference...
However i'd imagine the margin is down also as I had to hold them about three weeks longer to get them finished.
I'd be interested to hear how other people getting on finishing cattle at the moment?

Marooned75

Normally finish of grass but after last year am going to give meal to finish for next 6 to 8 weeks. In QA so now need them to grade under 30 months,otherwise waste of time trying to grade of grass under 30 months.

nhg

We sorted out a batch earlier in the week by age for finishing, in order to finish off by the 30mths, on grass since 5th April & now on aprox 3kg nuts as well.

Will sort out another batch for finishing by size over next few days.

adne

nhg wrote: »

We sorted out a batch earlier in the week by age for finishing, in order to finish off by the 30mths, on grass since 5th April & now on aprox 3kg nuts as well.

Will sort out another batch for finishing by size over next few days.

How long will u continue them on 3kg of nuts, will this be increased over time.
Got a batch on grass, usually finish on grass alone around oct, thinking ifnut them could get them away quicker

rocky bilboa

locky76 wrote: »

Hey folks,
I've most of the summer finishers gone and the weights and grades are down on last year by one sub grade (R+ has gone to R= etc. etc.) with the weight back by 30 to 40kgs live weight (18 to 25 kgs hanging up).
The overall price I've gotten however is the same as last year with the increased prices at the moment making up the difference...
However i'd imagine the margin is down also as I had to hold them about three weeks longer to get them finished.
I'd be interested to hear how other people getting on finishing cattle at the moment?

what carcass weight do you aim for off of grass? only going to start feeding here next week.

Farmer Pudsey

locky76 wrote: »

Hey folks,
I've most of the summer finishers gone and the weights and grades are down on last year by one sub grade (R+ has gone to R= etc. etc.) with the weight back by 30 to 40kgs live weight (18 to 25 kgs hanging up).
The overall price I've gotten however is the same as last year with the increased prices at the moment making up the difference...
However i'd imagine the margin is down also as I had to hold them about three weeks longer to get them finished.
I'd be interested to hear how other people getting on finishing cattle at the moment?

If you are buying replacements the margin should be the same as replacments are comng in cheaper than other years. However costs over the next yera may be higher that last year.

bob charles

makes no odds what the cattle made this year over last year, its replacement cost thats everything, only day you make money finishing is the day you sell out completely

thetangler

bob charles wrote: »

makes no odds what the cattle made this year over last year, its replacement cost thats everything, only day you make money finishing is the day you sell out completely

Correct

locky76

bob charles wrote: »

makes no odds what the cattle made this year over last year, its replacement cost thats everything, only day you make money finishing is the day you sell out completely

unless you're breeding your own...

locky76

rocky bilboa wrote: »

what carcass weight do you aim for off of grass? only going to start feeding here next week.

For angus cattle going to the factory this time of year: 365kgs for bullocks & 290kgs for heifers.

Dampintheattic

bob charles wrote: »

makes no odds what the cattle made this year over last year, its replacement cost thats everything, only day you make money finishing is the day you sell out completely

Same holds true for losing money, does it?

Tipp Man

Recently i argued that "efficient" and "productive" farming in beef is a waste of time (which got a lot of peoples backs up) but this really highlights what i was saying

Locky had poorer grades and lighter carcases this year (still done well Locky) and still did as well as last year.

The major major determinant of profit in beef is price - measuring grass, having all U grade cattle blah blah blah are all great - but the price determines what profit you make - what those other factors contribute to profit is minor in comparison

Marooned75

Get a system to suit your set up no point in following the crowd if ya can't make it pay.Be it calves to stores or stores to finishing no point loosing money just to follow the crowd.

simx

Marooned75 wrote: »

Get a system to suit your set up no point in following the crowd if ya can't make it pay.Be it calves to stores or stores to finishing no point loosing money just to follow the crowd.

Exactly, I am changing my system starting next year, saying goodbye to sucklers, im sure there will be plenty of surrounding neighbours saying im at nothing and soon forth but sher anyway

munkus

It's hard to know what system balances low cost with decent returns. At the mart on Tuesday and 3 24 month fresian bullocks came in. They averaged about 515kgs and didn't look good. They were sold for €950 each. When you consider they were probably bought for 150 quid as calves and had probably never tasted a nut, they might have left more money than most on sale that day.

royaler83

Marooned75 wrote: »

Normally finish of grass but after last year am going to give meal to finish for next 6 to 8 weeks. In QA so now need them to grade under 30 months,otherwise waste of time trying to grade of grass under 30 months.

adne wrote: »

How long will u continue them on 3kg of nuts, will this be increased over time.
Got a batch on grass, usually finish on grass alone around oct, thinking ifnut them could get them away quicker

What kinda cattle ye lads are finishing off grass alone?!

Struggled to finish dairy bred bullocks and heifers on grass and meal last year, in fact it was a nightmare givin the year we had. I'd say I'd still be looking at them if they hadn't been getting meal :rolleyes:

Surely giving them at a minimum 3kg a day would get your weights up and get rid of them quicker?!

moy83

munkus wrote: »

It's hard to know what system balances low cost with decent returns. At the mart on Tuesday and 3 24 month fresian bullocks came in. They averaged about 515kgs and didn't look good. They were sold for €950 each. When you consider they were probably bought for 150 quid as calves and had probably never tasted a nut, they might have left more money than most on sale that day.

What mart was that munkus ? Sounds like good money for them

Cavanjack

royaler83 wrote: »

What kinda cattle ye lads are finishing off grass alone?!

Struggled to finish dairy bred bullocks and heifers on grass and meal last year, in fact it was a nightmare givin the year we had. I'd say I'd still be looking at them if they hadn't been getting meal :rolleyes:

Surely giving them at a minimum 3kg a day would get your weights up and get rid of them quicker?!

Never finished cattle here without a bit of meal (well more than a bit last year). Last year was a disaster, the grass was running through them and only for plenty of meal on grass they'd never finish.
Like you it's all dairy bred crosses we finish here. Maybe full continentals could be finished without meal? Or Angus? I see a lad that writes on the indo kills Friesian bullocks off grass without meal. Oh to have land like that.

royaler83

Cavanjack wrote: »

Never finished cattle here without a bit of meal (well more than a bit last year). Last year was a disaster, the grass was running through them and only for plenty of meal on grass they'd never finish.
Like you it's all dairy bred crosses we finish here. Maybe full continentals could be finished without meal? Or Angus? I see a lad that writes on the indo kills Friesian bullocks off grass without meal. Oh to have land like that.

:eek::eek::eek: I honestly find that baffling

Farmer Pudsey

Cavanjack wrote: »

Never finished cattle here without a bit of meal (well more than a bit last year). Last year was a disaster, the grass was running through them and only for plenty of meal on grass they'd never finish.
Like you it's all dairy bred crosses we finish here. Maybe full continentals could be finished without meal? Or Angus? I see a lad that writes on the indo kills Friesian bullocks off grass without meal. Oh to have land like that.

royaler83 wrote: »

:eek::eek::eek: I honestly find that baffling

Do you find it baffling from the point that you think that it cannot be done. I know a few farmers that will not feed meal to fresians as they find it will not pay so they just kill then them when the grass runs out. What is finished is finished and anything they take the hit on. Another lad put the unfinished cattle back into the shed on silage in November and finishes the following year, Maybe they right.

moy83

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

Do you find it baffling from the point that you think that it cannot be done. I know a few farmers that will not feed meal to fresians as they find it will not pay so they just kill then them when the grass runs out. What is finished is finished and anything they take the hit on. Another lad put the unfinished cattle back into the shed on silage in November and finishes the following year, Maybe they right.

What kind of a hit will they have to take if they are not finished fully ?
I have fr bullocks that I was going to give nuts to at grass but the father reckons Id be better off not feeding them now and just give them a few months nuts in te shed again and they will be grand for the factory around christmas . Im clueless about how they will do in the factory but I suppose it will be a learning curve

mf240

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

Do you find it baffling from the point that you think that it cannot be done. I know a few farmers that will not feed meal to fresians as they find it will not pay so they just kill then them when the grass runs out. What is finished is finished and anything they take the hit on. Another lad put the unfinished cattle back into the shed on silage in November and finishes the following year, Maybe they right.

If amazing what a bit of age does for friesans.

royaler83

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

Do you find it baffling from the point that you think that it cannot be done. I know a few farmers that will not feed meal to fresians as they find it will not pay so they just kill then them when the grass runs out. What is finished is finished and anything they take the hit on. Another lad put the unfinished cattle back into the shed on silage in November and finishes the following year, Maybe they right.

I'm sure it can be done as lads are doing it but not so sure it can be done round here. As I say its a struggle here to finish limo x under 30 months on meal never mind friesians on no meal. The lads putting the unfinished ones back in the shed, were they not better finishing them inside rather than letting them out to finish on grass again where mayb grass is wanted for that years finishers?!

Sending unfinished cattle to the factory is also a definite way to lose money fast

moy83 wrote: »

What kind of a hit will they have to take if they are not finished fully ?
I have fr bullocks that I was going to give nuts to at grass but the father reckons Id be better off not feeding them now and just give them a few months nuts in te shed again and they will be grand for the factory around christmas . Im clueless about how they will do in the factory but I suppose it will be a learning curve

I'd imagine this would be the better option if a lad didnt want to feed meal on grass.

But always remember, what the hell do I know

Farmer Pudsey

The thing about Fr bullocks is that as they come in cheap they can go out cheap. They are bad converters and at best over a bad price in the autaum you might break even feeding concentrates over the winter. A 650Kg bullock will consume 10 kgs ration and 20kgs of silage/day(25%DM) and that is at the start when he goes in converting at 14-1 will give 1kg gain/day at best. Costs in the region of 4 euro/day sums do not add up unless you have a 50cent/kg difference between October and late February.. The fella that put them in late November ahs these heavy bullocks back out mid March and some finished in June. Feeds mid quality pit silage no ration.

Any Fr finished were either bullocks I bought in at 18m months or bulls I finished at over or under 2 years. This year I squeezed the yearlings and am already sorry. Anyway I am thinking of moving away from Fresian at present as the price gap with other cattle at finished stage is too high. There is a 50cnt/Kg gap opening up between same with underage/scheme bonus's and grade structure.

It is different finishing good quality cattle they will convert. Tipp Man is right about it beef price is one of the main determinates of profitability, The other is purchase price if an animal come in at the right price you have a chance to make money. In reality for Fr cattle and most other cattle make money for the owner someone else along the line before or after you has to lose money.

munkus

What mart was that munkus ? Sounds like good money for them


Hi Moy,

That was in Athenry last Tuesday.