weanling to store

blonde10

anyone in this game,wondering what do people look for in a good weanling to store animal,also how much would ye go on a good weanling,surely good weanlings should in turn make good stores,what breed and weight,cheers

TITANIUM.

blonde10 wrote: »

anyone in this game,wondering what do people look for in a good weanling to store animal,also how much would ye go on a good weanling,surely good weanlings should in turn make good stores,what breed and weight,cheers

good weanlings r making at least 500 with the weight. Charolais seems to be in fashion at the moment.

blonde10

what could you expect to pay for good ch store bullocks 1500/1600 more?

Sam Kade

blonde10 wrote: »

what could you expect to pay for good ch store bullocks 1500/1600 more?

Are you buying or selling

charityboy

How many do you want

TITANIUM.

blonde10 wrote: »

what could you expect to pay for good ch store bullocks 1500/1600 more?

Around 2.20 to 2.40 /kg I reckon.

blonde10

what weight would you class as store weight,500/550kgs?

Muckit

Your goal is to get as much cheap weight on them as possible, grass being the key. You then decide what suits you, whether you want to keep them 1 or 2 grazing seasons, so to a light or a heavy store.

agriman27

I am in this game. I buy weanling heifers mostly, I have a very particular type of calf I like most lads do. Most important things for me is growthy, long calf with a good end, not over fed or pushed on in any way. If I see my type of animal I barely even look at the weight at all. When your at it for a few years you find out the type of weanling makes a good store. Weanlings are not the most trouble free livestock to buy though:pac:

Muckit

Are you fussy about breed agriman27?

agriman27

Muckit wrote: »

Are you fussy about breed agriman27?

Usually buy Charolais because when ya sell again they are better but I would buy the odd limo now and then though

Muckit

agriman27 wrote: »

Usually buy Charolais because when ya sell again they are better but I would buy the odd limo now and then though

Yes same as that.

I also find the charolais society's slogan to be true. ...'Charolais - weigh better'

Toplink

agriman27 wrote: »

Weanlings are not the most trouble free livestock to buy though:pac:

Maybe you can highlight a few pitfalls!!!


I am thinking of buying a few next year, this is my first stab at farming.

Muckit

Main thing is to have a good look at them in the pens before hand. Watch out for snotty noses and drooped ears. Also best to make sure they have been weaned right, ie they are not bawling and are calm and not flighty and agitated.

Look for weanlings with a good bit of daylight under them. If they are very low they're not going to grow into much. After that you want a bit of width in front shoulders and behind. Don't go mad for the 'ball of butter'. If they've been pushed hard on creep it can be trying to compensate for defects in their genetics and their own natural ability to grow on. They will melt once you bring them home and put them in the shed.

Have a pen and 2 pieces of cardboard with you. On the first Jot down your name and herd number. Stick in your back pocket.

On the other jot down the lot numbers of the animals you pick out. If your not willing to hang around all day, find out the running order of the pens and only pick animals from the pens coming up at the start.

Now go into the sale. Keep away from the ring. Go up a level but still with a good view of the ring and the auctioneer. Look at the first pen or two coming in to see the run of prices it's easier to keep track of prices if you stick to a particular type/breed of animal.

If you are not used to bidding, don't be afraid to place a few bids on an animal and then stop. Your showing the auctioneer your there to buy, but at a price.

Once the animals you want come in. Don't bid straight away. Once they go on the market catch the auctioneers eye and make your bid. Again don't be afraid to stop if they are going over the price in your head.

When you do get an animal, it is very likely the auctioneer or his assistant won't know you. This is when you reach into your pocket and pass to lad in the ring or you can go around and walk into the sellers box and hand to assistant.


Don't expect to get things 100%. Nobody ever does. Not even bob :-) Everyone learns as they go along. Have fun. Best of luck!

Toplink

Thats a belter of a post Muckit. Thanks very much.

Brings me back to my days as a teenager when I used to go to the mart with my grandfather. A savage stocks-man in his day, I wish I had listened to him more back then.

I'll keep an eye out for you up the back in Gort next Thursday night!

limo_100

Muckit wrote: »

Main thing is to have a good look at them in the pens before hand. Watch out for snotty noses and drooped ears. Also best to make sure they have been weaned right, ie they are not bawling and are calm and not flighty and agitated.

Look for weanlings with a good bit of daylight under them. If they are very low they're not going to grow into much. After that you want a bit of width in front shoulders and behind. Don't go mad for the 'ball of butter'. If they've been pushed hard on creep it can be trying to compensate for defects in their genetics and their own natural ability to grow on. They will melt once you bring them home and put them in the shed.

Have a pen and 2 pieces of cardboard with you. On the first Jot down your name and herd number. Stick in your back pocket.

On the other jot down the lot numbers of the animals you pick out. If your not willing to hang around all day, find out the running order of the pens and only pick animals from the pens coming up at the start.

Now go into the sale. Keep away from the ring. Go up a level but still with a good view of the ring and the auctioneer. Look at the first pen or two coming in to see the run of prices it's easier to keep track of prices if you stick to a particular type/breed of animal.

If you are not used to bidding, don't be afraid to place a few bids on an animal and then stop. Your showing the auctioneer your there to buy, but at a price.

Once the animals you want come in. Don't bid straight away. Once they go on the market catch the auctioneers eye and make your bid. Again don't be afraid to stop if they are going over the price in your head.

When you do get an animal, it is very likely the auctioneer or his assistant won't know you. This is when you reach into your pocket and pass to lad in the ring or you can go around and walk into the sellers box and hand to assistant.


Don't expect to get things 100%. Nobody ever does. Not even bob :-) Everyone learns as they go along. Have fun. Best of luck!

what weight do you buy muckit is it around 350kg?? and what do you buy at would it be roughly round 900??

Muckit

Toplink wrote: »

Thats a belter of a post Muckit....

I'll keep an eye out for you up the back in Gort next Thursday night!

This is just the way l do things. Everyone has tgere own ways. A lot of lads would buy and sell me on here. Every new thing you do is hard because you have a lot of questions and lack experience. But like anything, the more times you do it, the better you get at it.

Re gort....would you believe l never once set foot in it as it would be too far away.

Best of luck! And remember. There'll be more Thursday nights than this Thursday. Don't feel you have to buy. You could use this Thursday as a 'warm up'.

My father only ever bought off the back of a lorry, so I had to learn the whole buying at a mart the hard way... for myself. The first time I bid l actually bought the animal that had gone out of the ring before the one I wanted! That was the first and last time I made that mistake!

Muckit

limo_100 wrote: »

what weight do you buy muckit is it around 350kg?? and what do you buy at would it be roughly round 900??

I'm buying them this year around the 300ish mark. Working out around the €800 mark for the charolais l'm after. 900 way over my budget. I find heifers round that weight lads want for the bull next summer and they are driven sky high.

I bought weanlings 50kg lighter last year but just an experiment to see what pays off better.

moy83

Muckit wrote: »

I'm buying them this year around the 300ish mark. Working out around the €800 mark for the charolais l'm after. 900 way over my budget. I find heifers round that weight lads want for the bull next summer and they are driven sky high.

I bought weanlings 50kg lighter last year but just an experiment to see what pays off better.

How long do you keep them before they are fit for the factory ? Is it all heifers or do you buy a few bull aswell ?

Robson99

Muckit wrote: »

Once the animals you want come in. Don't bid straight away. Once they go on the market catch the auctioneers eye and make your bid.

Jasus if there is one thing that drives me nuts when im buying is this. If you are interested in the animal open her up or get bidding on her early on. I would never bid on an animal if I wasnt on her before she went on the market. I always look on it as being cheeky. Maybe its the way I was taught.

bob charles

Muckit wrote: »

The first time I bid l actually bought the animal that had gone out of the ring before the one I wanted! That was the first and last time I made that mistake!

you must have frightened the life out off the regular boys if the animal you bought was a Jersey and the animal you wanted to buy was a big Charolais

Muckit

Robson99 wrote: »

Jasus if there is one thing that drives me nuts when im buying is this.

God it's easy drive you nuts :-)
Animal isn't for sale til it goes on the market. Put on another bid if you want the animal

bob charles

Muckit wrote: »

God it's easy drive you nuts :-)
Animal isn't for sale til it goes on the market. Put on another bid if you want the animal

animal would never be for sale if everyone was waiting for the animal to be on the market. If your in, be in from the word go, our else drop in if someone drops out

Robson99

Muckit wrote: »

God it's easy drive you nuts :-)
Animal isn't for sale til it goes on the market. Put on another bid if you want the animal

Ya but 2 or 3 lads doing the work then someone just jumps in when on the market. I know some auctioneers who wouldnt take a bid from lads who only start waving when on the market.

Some marts have the animal on the market from the word go. When bidding stops you either take it or leave it. I think its a good way

Muckit

moy83 wrote: »

How long do you keep them before they are fit for the factory ? Is it all heifers or do you buy a few bull aswell ?

It's all heifers for the moment moy. Farm is well fenced around boundaries. I am currently buying every backend oct/nov. I keep til they are ~28-30mths. I only send an odd few straight to factory. Think l get on better in mart. It's less hassle when working part time. One day out vs dribs and drabs to factory. I think you get shafted by factory if they're not 100% ready. Mart is more forgiving.

They are mainly fed on a rotational grazing system. Good quality silage and a small amount of meal to weanlings in winter. It's as low input as it can be with low turnover of stock but putting maximum weight on them.

It's not the modern ifj way of doing things but suits me.

Muckit

bob charles wrote: »

you must have frightened the life out off the regular boys if the animal you bought was a Jersey and the animal you wanted to buy was a big Charolais

Feck all dairy cattle go through marts here. Thank christ

Robson99

Muckit wrote: »

It's all heifers for the moment moy. Farm is well fenced around boundaries. I am currently buying every backend oct/nov. I keep til they are ~28-30mths. I only send an odd few straight to factory. Think l get on better in mart. It's less hassle when working part time. One day out vs dribs and drabs to factory. I think you get shafted by factory if they're not 100% ready. Mart is more forgiving.

They are mainly fed on a rotational grazing system. Good quality silage and a small amount of meal to weanlings in winter. It's as low input as it can be with low turnover of stock but putting maximum weight on them.

It's not the modern ifj way of doing things but suits me.

Do you keep them 2 winters so muckit?

Muckit

bob charles wrote: »

animal would never be for sale if everyone was waiting for the animal to be on the market. If your in, be in from the word go, our else drop in if someone drops out

Ah ya if nobody is on her l'l throw on a bid. Everyone has there own oul way :-)

Muckit

Robson99 wrote: »

. I know some auctioneers who wouldnt take a bid from lads who only start waving when on the market.

Some marts have the animal on the market from the word go. When bidding stops you either take it or leave it. I think its a good way

An auctioneers job be it a car a house or a heifer is to sell and get the maximum amount of money for the seller. If he's not doing this he's not doing his job IMO. Why would he refuse bids?!?

Yes l've bought and sold in pedigree marts with cattle on the market from word go.

Muckit

Robson99 wrote: »

Do you keep them 2 winters so muckit?

Yep

bob charles

Muckit wrote: »

An auctioneers job be it a car a house or a heifer is to sell and get the maximum amount of money for the seller. If he's not doing this he's not doing his job IMO. Why would he refuse bids?!?

Yes l've bought and sold in pedigree marts with cattle on the market from word go.

I would say the auctioneers job is to know the value of the animal first and foremost. No point going to the cleaners on the buyers one week and the following week cleaning the sellers.

Muckit

bob charles wrote: »

I would say the auctioneers job is to know the value of the animal first and foremost. No point going to the cleaners on the buyers one week and the following week cleaning the sellers.

Yes bob l will agree. He has to be a valuer first and foremost

Muckit

But a pedigree bull in sterling for example. ...very hard for auctioneer to judge what he's worth. .... is his value not what someone is freely willing to pay for him ie market value. ... 'let the market decide'

To us 30000-40000 is mad money. But if someone wants to pay it and sees it as value should they not be allowed to? An auction by nature sells to the highest bidder

bob charles

Muckit wrote: »

But a pedigree bull in sterling for example. ...very hard for auctioneer to judge what he's worth. .... is his value not what someone is freely willing to pay for him ie market value. ... 'let the market decide'

To us 30000-40000 is mad money. But if someone wants to pay it and sees it as value should they not be allowed to? An auction by nature sells to the highest bidder

Thats different Muck than your normal weekly mart in Ireland. Most guys buy one bull every few years so they can be taken for a ride

limo_100

Robson99 wrote: »

Jasus if there is one thing that drives me nuts when im buying is this. If you are interested in the animal open her up or get bidding on her early on. I would never bid on an animal if I wasnt on her before she went on the market. I always look on it as being cheeky. Maybe its the way I was taught.

I would never bid until the animal is slowing down on the market because im there looking for value theirs no point in driving up the price on myself. Also by doing it this way the other bidders do be thinking to them self's o hang on im not gona get into a bidding war. I usually buy with one or bids normally

onyerbikepat

It's gas reading through the posts on mart bidding. Jazus, the animal is sold to the highest bidder. End of story. Doesnt matter whether you have 10 or just one bid. You don't own the animal untill the hammer comes down. No point acting like you do.

adne

bob charles wrote: »

I would say the auctioneers job is to know the value of the animal first and foremost. No point going to the cleaners on the buyers one week and the following week cleaning the sellers.

I'd agree but its hateful to see auctioneers taking opening bids of say 700 for a 500 kg animal, they should not open below a certain level

agriman27

I never realised some lads find it cheeky to start bidding when the animal is on the market, I often do it. It's not really something people discuss much even between my mates. I will keep it in mind in the future. Suppose I'm relatively new to it yet. I made some mistakes when I started out to the marts aswell jez I still cringe when I think:eek:

Muckit

agriman27 wrote: »

I never realised some lads find it cheeky to start bidding when the animal is on the market, I often do it. It's not really something people discuss much even between my mates. I will keep it in mind in the future. Suppose I'm relatively new to it yet. I made some mistakes when I started out to the marts aswell jez I still cringe when I think:eek:

'You won't please everyone so you might as well please yourself'.

If this week has proved anything, it is that a lad is perfectly within his right to bid whatever way he likes so long as he is willing to honour his bids

Money talks, b***sh*t walks.... or runs (far away) in some cases

Toplink

If a lad bought a few decent weanlings in Feb say around 300kg or so. What sort of weight gain is realistic on average if they were sold the following November.

Farmer Pudsey

If there is one thing that p!sses me off is when I have sorted out Bob and his lot is that some other f##king farmer tries to take my few cattle off me.

I vary the bidding I buy anything with legs and a head as long as I can see a decent margin on his tail. I will open cattle low and I have often opened lot after lot of cattle from 200 euro calves to 800 euro bull weanlings. It great fun to start opening cattle 100 below there value when the ringsiders are opening them 200 below. Boys cannot get the signals sorted.

jimmy G M

posted in error

Muckit

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

If there is one thing that p!sses me off is when I have sorted out Bob and his lot is that some other f##king farmer tries to take my few cattle off me.

Well aren't you the big man:P Pride comes before a fall. Unless you are in the sellers box, they are not your cattle until you are the highest bidder at the fall of the gavel. Nobody, not me, not you, not even bob has the right to 'claim' cattle

jimmy G M

Brother & I rent a bit of land and run a very simple low cost system. Buy circa 10 light, youngish weanling heifers this time of year and let run on 25 acres over the winter. Maybe a kilo of nuts each per day, possibly 3 or 4 round bales in Jan / feb.
Buy 8 - 10 more in april and run the 20 rotating on the land over the summer. Sell in Oct. Repeat the cycle.

Animals bought in Nov/Dec last year average weight 238kg, average price €528
Animals purchased in Spring average weight 285kg average price €730
Majority sold in past few weeks.

Animals bought in Nov/ Dec average weight 465, average sales price price €1010
Animals bought in Spring averaged weight €460 average price €1014
Spring animals averaged just over 1kg/day weight gain 5 ½ months.


Over wintered animals gained €227kg and gross profit of €460 on average
Spring animals gained €175 kg and gross profit of €385 on average.


Direct Costs minimal;Transport/dosing/mart/vet €50hd
Fert €800 say € 40 hd
Feed €40hd for stock kept over winter

I could include a land cost (rented @ €100 acre) however am disregarding as this would be a cost regardless of enterprise and is more than covered by REPS, SFP & DA. ( REPS finishing nxt year )

No machinery / tractor but have use of fathers if needed. Work load average 4 hours per week?
Other costs insurance fencing €20hd?

Also sold 70 bales of Silage on the stem @ €10 / bale this summer.

Simple system which works for me and gives a return for low labour & capital input.

Await comments telling me all I am doing wrong.

bob charles

I have often opened cattle way over market value when there is someone on my tail:D

bob charles

Muckit wrote: »

'You won't please everyone so you might as well please yourself'.

If this week has proved anything, it is that a lad is perfectly within his right to bid whatever way he likes so long as he is willing to honour his bids

Money talks, b***sh*t walks.... or runs (far away) in some cases

Its not that there is anything wrong with it, Its just I cant see it making sense if your just coming in for a bid or two at the end and either dropping out again or buying. I would think the auctioneer will miss you out with such late bids etc. auctioneers job is most important when the trade is bad and he has only say one customer and the wall. If the wall keeps bidding the customer wont be long disappearing. Nothing worse being driven on by the auctioneer to big prices when there is no other customer

munkus

jimmy G M wrote: »

Brother & I rent a bit of land and run a very simple low cost system. Buy circa 10 light, youngish weanling heifers this time of year and let run on 25 acres over the winter. Maybe a kilo of nuts each per day, possibly 3 or 4 round bales in Jan / feb.
Buy 8 - 10 more in april and run the 20 rotating on the land over the summer. Sell in Oct. Repeat the cycle.

Animals bought in Nov/Dec last year average weight 238kg, average price €528
Animals purchased in Spring average weight 285kg average price €730
Majority sold in past few weeks.

Animals bought in Nov/ Dec average weight 465, average sales price price €1010
Animals bought in Spring averaged weight €460 average price €1014
Spring animals averaged just over 1kg/day weight gain 5 ½ months.


Over wintered animals gained €227kg and gross profit of €460 on average
Spring animals gained €175 kg and gross profit of €385 on average.


Direct Costs minimal;Transport/dosing/mart/vet €50hd
Fert €800 say € 40 hd
Feed €40hd for stock kept over winter

I could include a land cost (rented @ €100 acre) however am disregarding as this would be a cost regardless of enterprise and is more than covered by REPS, SFP & DA. ( REPS finishing nxt year )

No machinery / tractor but have use of fathers if needed. Work load average 4 hours per week?
Other costs insurance fencing €20hd?

Also sold 70 bales of Silage on the stem @ €10 / bale this summer.

Simple system which works for me and gives a return for low labour & capital input.



Await comments telling me all I am doing wrong.

4 hours per week? You probably spend more time on the bog!

jimmy G M

munkus wrote: »

4 hours per week? You probably spend more time on the bog!

Walk through animals on the way to/from work every day. 15 mins a day? You are right. I do spend longer in the jacks.

ordinary farmer

i bought 5 weanling heifers off a neighbour last nov were around 250kgs all were may born averaged 545 a piece nice mix 2 char 1 angus 1 lim and 1 blue shorthorn. old man that had them got f-all meal only shake of rolled barley from him, :P

was thinking of selling there in the next few weeks local man that buys heifers was interested offering 1080 a piece. they would be around 420-460kgs now and have got 2kgs beef nuts for last 7 weeks done very well were on nice cover of grass aswel all year. i didnt weigh up costs yet but no fertilizer bill as had an mountain of stable muck put out last backend and land grew great this year.

while ye are on the subject of bidding i was at a home auction of cattle last backend (farmer retiring) 1 dealer thats known for paying big was there and another man that nobody knew was buying they were fighting over stock and the stock bull came in and few bids around 1200 and 1300 were put on then bang out of know where whopper of a bid from the dealer put 1800 on him got the bull but was massive price for him think it was a statement from him that he wasnt messing around bought a lot of stock that day id say was 100 a head better then the marts were going.

Bodacious

adne wrote: »

I'd agree but its hateful to see auctioneers taking opening bids of say 700 for a 500 kg animal, they should not open below a certain level

Saw a farmer/come dealer one day when cattle were bad trying to open another mans calf 400 less than he was worth ... Hadn't a notion of buying but waving away silly offer... Auctioneer ate him and proper order too! He never bid after that ... Playing billy big balls with the boys in the playground ... I'd have given him the door!

I've done both but rarely open cattle ... See what they going and join in .. Never claimed (Auctioneer isn't blind and I'm not shy)
Sorry Bob, I have also done what bugs you.. Been distracted/ talking to someone and noticed something at value and stook my arm out at the bitter end. ! ;-(

Farmer Pudsey

Muckit wrote: »

Well aren't you the big man:P Pride comes before a fall. Unless you are in the sellers box, they are not your cattle until you are the highest bidder at the fall of the gavel. Nobody, not me, not you, not even bob has the right to 'claim' cattle

Not really Muckit. The mart I go to most of the time there will only be 3-4 fellas bidding from the back. The rest are the lads around the ring. Now maybe I should go down and join them. However I do not do that I will stand in front of the dealer and can catch his eye as often as I like. He will often come looking for me when things slow down. He will ignore me at times and that is his job, usually if he ignores me the cattle are going to go too dear anyway.

Waiting for cattle to go on the market might sound great however often some lots go out unsold. So generally those of us that bid from the back do not bid against each other as we may be looking for different cattle types and there is no point in coming in on a lad after he has fought off the ringsiders.

Then again maybe we should go down and join them.