Getting out of cattle

Madden171

Hi
I'm selling all my suckler cows and calves this year as I can't get land to hold what I have, what time of year is the best time to sell cattle I have a pedigree limousin bull I'm going to let bull them before they go.

moy83

Madden171 wrote: »

Hi
I'm selling all my suckler cows and calves this year as I can't get land to hold what I have, what time of year is the best time to sell cattle I have a pedigree limousin bull I'm going to let bull them before they go.

Good suckler cows will sell well any time really but spring would be a good time for in calf cows or calved cows .

Genghis Cant

The advantage of selling nowish is that lads are still buying for grass and you are selling a cow with calf at foot and in some cases back in calf!
A young cow with calf at foot and back in calf is attractive to many buyers.

leg wax

sell now and new owner can put what ever bull they want on the cow as they see fit,

jimmy G M

leg wax wrote: »

sell now and new owner can put what ever bull they want on the cow as they see fit,

Genghis Cant wrote: »

The advantage of selling nowish is that lads are still buying for grass and you are selling a cow with calf at foot and in some cases back in calf!
A young cow with calf at foot and back in calf is attractive to many buyers.

+1 Sell now. If selling at the mart, contact them and let them know, they might advertise the sale for you. Stick an ad up on done deal as well advertising the stock and letting people know when & where they are for sale.

Or you could always sell privately in the yard if you want.

Madden171

Would I be better to wean calves of 4/5 months off cows and sell separately would you get a better price that way or just sell and foot not back in calf ?
Thanks

blue5000

I might be wrong, but I think cull cow numbers from the dairy side will be down this year.
This should make culls from the suckler herd worth more, but then again you never know. It might make more economic sense for you to wean a bit early and fatten your older cows anyway, younger ones would make more with a calf at foot, but the shrewd lads around the ring would buy them with slaughtering them in mind anyway. My advice would be go to a few marts and see what similiar stock to yours are making, a cow with a calf at foot can be worth anywhere between 1200-2200, depends on the stock.

Madden171

Yes I think your right I'll go round a few marts and look at the prices see when the best time would be to sell..

simx

blue5000 wrote: »

I might be wrong, but I think cull cow numbers from the dairy side will be down this year.
This should make culls from the suckler herd worth more, but then again you never know. It might make more economic sense for you to wean a bit early and fatten your older cows anyway, younger ones would make more with a calf at foot, but the shrewd lads around the ring would buy them with slaughtering them in mind anyway. My advice would be go to a few marts and see what similiar stock to yours are making, a cow with a calf at foot can be worth anywhere between 1200-2200, depends on the stock.

Any suckler sale as far as I can see can be hot or cold, but overall a good time to sell atm, more so than mid/late summer

Farrell

Madden171 wrote: »

Would I be better to wean calves of 4/5 months off cows and sell separately would you get a better price that way or just sell and foot not back in calf ?
Thanks

Sadly you could always make more selling privately. As a farmer you'd prefer both going together

farmersfriend

Madden171 wrote: »

Yes I think your right I'll go round a few marts and look at the prices see when the best time would be to sell..

A lot of farmers like to buy breeding stock straight off farm,

Miname

It all depends on the animal, older cows id dry off and hold onto the calves, younger cows with good calves at foot will sell well regardless. Dry cows round me always sell well in august september before the big glut come out but theres a few lads that specialise in culls that mainly drive that on. Get the bull out the door now, rather tha hold, you might get some lad that wants a bull to mop up, otherrwise with an older bull you could be left with him another year.

Mac Taylor

There was a clearance sale in Loughrea recently, about 20 cows. 2 were bought local to me. Smx cow with a 2 month old ch bull calf (third calved) scanned back in calf - 1750. Big milky cow. A springer Smx with young ch bull calf made 1450. Might give you a ball park to aim for

Muckit

Mac Taylor wrote: »

There was a clearance sale in Loughrea recently, about 20 cows. 2 were bought local to me. Smx cow with a 2 month old ch bull calf (third calved) scanned back in calf - 1750. Big milky cow. A springer Smx with young ch bull calf made 1450. Might give you a ball park to aim for

God they're poor enough prices seen as cull cows are doing well at the moment. Cow or calf or both mustn't have been great.

If op you have the grass and not in a rush to sell, l'd wean calves early and fatten your cows. You'll get the most money this way.

onyerbikepat

I know of a guy that specialises in buying empty sucklers with calves at foot. Weans the calf and fattens the cow. Must be making money at it, as he keeps at it, year after year.

Deepsouthwest

Sooner rather than later if they were my cattle, there's bound to be a few extra sucklers coming out for sale with guys switching to milk nxt yr

Western Pomise

onyerbikepat wrote: »

I know of a guy that specialises in buying empty sucklers with calves at foot. Weans the calf and fattens the cow. Must be making money at it, as he keeps at it, year after year.

You would imagine a fella doing that must run into trouble an odd time with cows getting summer mastitis post weaning.