best time to sell store bullocks?

NewBeefFarmer

Which way is the correct way to look at this? The reason I ask is, there seems to be nice money now for store bullocks. My bullocks (14 month olds) will be averaging 480/530kgs at the moment.


I know people said to me before here, Nov is a great time to sell, and go to the mart as heavy as possible. but have things changed?
Pudsey I know said go as heavy as possible.



2 Options


Sell now, as most buyers are in the marts. Yes, a lot of cattle will be on sale now but the demand is there. Local mart had around 1200 animals last Saturday.
Farmers are buying now for fear they won’t get bullocks for the winter.
You have ticked the box for the minimum hold period.


Or


If I have the grass, keep them until I have to sell. Probably end of Oct/early Nov
Sell when the number of cattle in the mart is low not high (supply and Demand). . . less bullocks for sale in oct/nov versus now.
Go to the mart with the bullock as heavy as possible. weight is money.


Regards
NBF

Marooned75

Stick to original plan

Pharaoh1

In exactly the same situation NBF same size bullocks.

I usually sell in two batches maybe 3rd week Oct (after 1st SFP) and 1st week Nov.
I've never noticed any pattern with the prices it really depends on the mart trade that day.

I still have at least 25 days grazing ahead and I won't leave heavy covers for the winter. I'll be starting the last round in the 1st/2nd week of October cleaning out as best I can and closing as I go.
Forecast is for warmer weather so growth should continue for another while.
My key consideration is to maximise weight gain and graze out the paddocks properly and hopefully set up correctly for the spring.

I usually meal feed 1 to 2 kg for a few weeks before sale but I have plenty of grass so I might not bother this year. Also the money budgeted for this was all spent in the Spring:mad:.

NewBeefFarmer

Pharaoh1 wrote: »

In exactly the same situation NBF same size bullocks.

I usually sell in two batches maybe 3rd week Oct (after 1st SFP) and 1st week Nov.
I've never noticed any pattern with the prices it really depends on the mart trade that day.

I still have at least 25 days grazing ahead and I won't leave heavy covers for the winter. I'll be starting the last round in the 1st/2nd week of October cleaning out as best I can and closing as I go.
Forecast is for warmer weather so growth should continue for another while.
My key consideration is to maximise weight gain and graze out the paddocks properly and hopefully set up correctly for the spring.

I usually meal feed 1 to 2 kg for a few weeks before sale but I have plenty of grass so I might not bother this year. Also the money budgeted for this was all spent in the Spring:mad:.

what price are you hoping for per kg, i averaged 2.12 per kg last year end of oct.

if i do the same this year again ill be happy, any thing extra is a bonus

nuts? are ya nuts?

i gave up on that. . well. . what i do is a quieten them down and feed them nuts when bought in, for a week or two, not too much now, not even a kg each per day. i just want them to get used of me, and using nuts to move them etc.

farming wise im still going with:

you can only loose your profit in March not make it.

if he looks young, looks light and looks starving. he'll do me, why would i want him heavy in march? ill bring him back heavy in Nov:rolleyes:.

running expenses, if ones travel expenses where 70% of ones salary would you go to work, i wouldnt. would i go if it were even 50% prob not. farming no different. Im a no frills farmer, and ive noticed while going back through my dads files (god rest him) i feel like im farming the way we did in the 90s.
grass too long, the cattle will eat it. grass too strong cattle will eat it.
saying that, id love an cruiser and in iforwilliams. . . i refuse to pay the running price for both never mind the out lay. . ..

good news is im sending my tractor in for a good service over the winter

Sharpshooter82

the heavier the better

farmernewbie

NewBeefFarmer wrote: »

Which way is the correct way to look at this? The reason I ask is, there seems to be nice money now for store bullocks. My bullocks (14 month olds) will be averaging 480/530kgs at the moment.


I know people said to me before here, Nov is a great time to sell, and go to the mart as heavy as possible. but have things changed?
Pudsey I know said go as heavy as possible.



2 Options


Sell now, as most buyers are in the marts. Yes, a lot of cattle will be on sale now but the demand is there. Local mart had around 1200 animals last Saturday.
Farmers are buying now for fear they won’t get bullocks for the winter.
You have ticked the box for the minimum hold period.


Or


If I have the grass, keep them until I have to sell. Probably end of Oct/early Nov
Sell when the number of cattle in the mart is low not high (supply and Demand). . . less bullocks for sale in oct/nov versus now.
Go to the mart with the bullock as heavy as possible. weight is money.


Regards
NBF

I am in the same situation as yourself. I have 20 to go. Bought them in April at approx 300kg for €800. Need to hold for 7 months so will sell Mid November.

Would be hoping that they weigh between 500 - 600kg and I get at least 2.25. Hoping they go for an average of €1100.

Looking at mart prices on farm forum it seems they are worth between 1100 to 1200 now. I will be out of grass in Nov so will have to give some Silage.

Hopefully prices hold up for November.

Sam Kade

farmernewbie wrote: »

I am in the same situation as yourself. I have 20 to go. Bought them in April at approx 300kg for €800. Need to hold for 7 months so will sell Mid November.

Would be hoping that they weigh between 500 - 600kg and I get at least 2.25. Hoping they go for an average of €1100.

Looking at mart prices on farm forum it seems they are worth between 1100 to 1200 now. I will be out of grass in Nov so will have to give some Silage.

Hopefully prices hold up for November.

What breed are they?

Farmer Pudsey

It all depends on how much they weight now and how much they will gain. Heavy cattle tend to find it harder to convert autaum grass. Light store cattle or weanlings do better on it. What can you expect to gain over eight weeks 30kgs most years.

Iknow one or two lads that sell in late August early September, however both of these replace there cattle at the same time. I would not worry about heavy covers over the winter. You can always buy earliers or over winter two or three cattle. For the last two years cattle prices firmed as you went into the October/November. Will they fall this year?? it is crystal ball gazing. I think I reccommended keeping as heavy as possible if they were suitable for to be finished over the winter by a finisher.

TBH anything to do with beef is gambling to a certain extent. What are these making now acording to the rag I make out 2.2-2.5/kg. If they average 500kgs they will come into 1100 now amybe more. Numbers of cattle this year will not be as tight as last year. Kill already holding 2.5K head/week more into the factory.

If it suited you to keep a few store over the winter or buy in January selling now may be an option. It is all a gamble.

Pharaoh1

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

It all depends on how much they weight now and how much they will gain. Heavy cattle tend to find it harder to convert autaum grass. Light store cattle or weanlings do better on it. What can you expect to gain over eight weeks 30kgs most years.

Iknow one or two lads that sell in late August early September, however both of these replace there cattle at the same time. I would not worry about heavy covers over the winter. You can always buy earliers or over winter two or three cattle. For the last two years cattle prices firmed as you went into the October/November. Will they fall this year?? it is crystal ball gazing. I think I reccommended keeping as heavy as possible if they were suitable for to be finished over the winter by a finisher.

TBH anything to do with beef is gambling to a certain extent. What are these making now acording to the rag I make out 2.2-2.5/kg. If they average 500kgs they will come into 1100 now amybe more. Numbers of cattle this year will not be as tight as last year. Kill already holding 2.5K head/week more into the factory.

If it suited you to keep a few store over the winter or buy in January selling now may be an option. It is all a gamble.

Indeed tis all one big gamble.
I sold last Oct/Nov at 2.20 per kg they were 512kg and made 1129 on average.
My idea is to control the things I can - weight gain, condition at sale (always give the tails a clip and do a general cleanup), set up the farm for early grazing, minimise/prevent poaching.
If you have something to graze a heavy cover ok but for those summer grazers like myself I wouldn't like to leave a cover that is say 1500kg today ungrazed until next March.
Never worry too much about mart prices even the journal trends and especially what the neighbour tells you can sometimes be misleading (if they are selling "cattle were a fierce price altogether" if they are looking to buy there is always "value")
Around too long also to know that no more than the weather no one can predict what cattle prices will be like in two months time.
OK there is a kind of trend throughout the year but check out 2011 and look at the way prices went.

I always sell in two batches to split the risk but you take your chances and you find you will have good days and bad days but they will average out.

farmernewbie

Sam Kade wrote: »

What breed are they?

Mainly CHX and a few LIM and BB's. I guess they will put on a few KG in two months. Have another month of grass then silage and nuts I would say to supplement the grass.