cattle dealing? is there money in it?

seany1994

Thinking of going into cattle dealing .I've pretty good knowledge on cattle . My main idea was to buy cattle at marts and carry them to Kildare to be slaughter . Been watching a cattle dealer in a north kerry mart and he seems to be making a nice bit from that method .also has anyone heard of getting a agent card?

Kovu

I've seen a lot of it, been at the ringside and travelled a lot of the country in cattle lorries. And not a chance in hell would I do it again.

seany1994

.Kovu. wrote: »

I've seen a lot of it, been at the ringside and travelled a lot of the country in cattle lorries. And not a chance in hell would I do it again.

But that's the thing I've been working with a small cattle dealer the last 3 months .We go to all marts in North kerry ,limerick and north cork .He mainly buys friesian bullocks for finishing and cows for a few old lads round the place .

The thing is I actually have a Hugh interest in it .I like been on the road and been at the ring side .
The lad i work with was telling me that I be better off getting a agent card instead of a dealer card becuase I need a yard and shed but can't seem to find any info on it .

Did you buy cattle for factory ?

Kovu

seany1994 wrote: »

But that's the thing I've been working with a small cattle dealer the last 3 months .We go to all marts in North kerry ,limerick and north cork .He mainly buys friesian bullocks for finishing and cows for a few old lads round the place .

The thing is I actually have a Hugh interest in it .I like been on the road and been at the ring side .
The lad i work with was telling me that I be better off getting a agent card instead of a dealer card becuase I need a yard and shed but can't seem to find any info on it .

Did you buy cattle for factory ?

It wasn't me, was my OH at the time. Weanlings & suck calves so I have no experience with factory men. It's a hard game, I suppose an interest helps but a lot of dealers/agents have a rep of rogues.
Most people that I know/knew in it, their fathers before them were dealers and passed on through them. I'd say starting out could be difficult because if you don't have experience at the ringside you would be screeeeeeewed over big time with lads rising the price and knocking you out of the bidding and then dropping out and leaving you with the dear ones.

seany1994

.Kovu. wrote: »

It wasn't me, was my OH at the time. Weanlings & suck calves so I have no experience with factory men. It's a hard game, I suppose an interest helps but a lot of dealers/agents have a rep of rogues.
Most people that I know/knew in it, their fathers before them were dealers and passed on through them. I'd say starting out could be difficult because if you don't have experience at the ringside you would be screeeeeeewed over big time with lads rising the price and knocking you out of the bidding and then dropping out and leaving you with the dear ones.

I've experience at the ring side .sSome days I would be bidding on behalf of my boss . Tis hard in the ringside especially when you have the big men trying to knock ya down .I've have left a few priced cows on fellas that ever tryed intemdate me .I m known in most marts becuase of my boss . It's just to find info on getting a agent card

severeoversteer

I do be fed up of the marts just buying my own stock not a mind dealing in them

Sam Kade

So you know the ends and outs of dealing and you come on here to ask is there money out of it.

Farmer Pudsey

At present the days of cattle dealing seem limited. 4 owner limit is squeezing out dealers as buying and selling take two of a possible 3 movements. Not sure if a factory agent card is the answer either. Most factory's have only 2-3 really serious agents that can supply virtually unlimited cattle. After that most agents can only supply a couple of doubles 50-60/week. Most have build up business over 10+ years. Factory's are not really interested in an agent buying 50 cattle throught the mart as they do not want there own agents competing with each other,

Also finance is now an issue. Marts can no longer give credit to dealers. And any credit given is of only 3-7 days. Have you got 50-100K to finance you dealing.

lakill Farm

At this stage continue playing with your bosses money and keep building up your knowledge, a cash fund and contacts.

Then start small at calves or sheep. Small outlay compared to 1400 euro plus animals

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

At present the days of cattle dealing seem limited. 4 owner limit is squeezing out dealers as buying and selling take two of a possible 3 movements. Not sure if a factory agent card is the answer either. Most factory's have only 2-3 really serious agents that can supply virtually unlimited cattle. After that most agents can only supply a couple of doubles 50-60/week. Most have build up business over 10+ years. Factory's are not really interested in an agent buying 50 cattle throught the mart as they do not want there own agents competing with each other,

Also finance is now an issue. Marts can no longer give credit to dealers. And any credit given is of only 3-7 days. Have you got 50-100K to finance you dealing.

simx

Would believe there's money in it alright, but ya need contacts, if can't sell in another mart ya have to have another man to be able to sell them cattle to private, keep things turning, you have to have a love for it if anything, hanging around marts all day, maybe not selling any cattle for 2/3weeks, if selling to lads private treat them as best you can, a lot of dealers get on trick out of a lad and that's the end of coming back there, a lot of where bad names for dealers come from too, a wise man said to me before that cattle dealers when they're finished have nothing to show for it only, a wore out lorry, and a wore out body from standing around marts all day, eating bags of tayto and cans of coke out the back of a lorry, tough game to be at, best of luck with it if you do choose to go ahead with plans

I said

QA is already trying to do away with dealers number of movements and that

seany1994

Sam Kade wrote: »

So you know the ends and outs of dealing and you come on here to ask is there money out of it.

Erra I wouldn't say I know the all ins and out of it . I know the buying side of cattle dealing but I don't know jack **** on selling them .only been hearing few lads round the mart talking there's money doing it this way and that way ya know but I suppose I had it coming :P

moy83

seany1994 wrote: »

Erra I wouldn't say I know the all ins and out of it . I know the buying side of cattle dealing but I don't know jack **** on selling them .only been hearing few lads round the mart talking there's money doing it this way and that way ya know but I suppose I had it coming :P

One thing I never heard in a mart was dealers telling each other how to make money !
I reckon there is money to be made buying and selling cattle but I wouldn't rush into it either . You have a good opportunity at the minute in that you are going to alot of marts and might be able to pick up a bargain on a quiet day so long your boss doesnt mind .
It might be as easy to make a twist on the odd animal at small money instead of having to go full time at it and keep buying on much smaller margins just to keep going

seany1994

moy83 wrote: »

One thing I never heard in a mart was dealers telling each other how to make money !
I reckon there is money to be made buying and selling cattle but I wouldn't rush into it either . You have a good opportunity at the minute in that you are going to alot of marts and might be able to pick up a bargain on a quiet day so long your boss doesnt mind .
It might be as easy to make a twist on the odd animal at small money instead of having to go full time at it and keep buying on much smaller margins just to keep going

A group of lads on the catwalk .a cattle dealer walks by and that's when you hear the stories about there money making .

One of the best stories I heard was a well known cattle dealer from limerick Once loaded a artic load of cattle with a teleporter onto half pipe dump trailer! Went to the factory that night and had everyone payed down the line in the factory . Can't bate mart stories !.

I know it will take a long time to get going. Think your right . Mite buy a few young FR bull calves and keep them at the bosses farm until big enough to make some bit off them . Tend to notice alot of the "mane" farmers like to buy FR bulls to finish and there cheap . Have them on maverick for awhile ya?

Cattlepen

If yer young enough, go and get an apprenticeship to a tradesman. Forget about a dying trade like dealing. As the man said earlier, QA has put the nail in the coffin. That and other things like the cost of running a truck. Also, the country has become a small place with the road networks. No where is remote anymore and most farmers through rural ireland now have sheds to house cattle and access to merchants for feed. Gone are the days of pulling a stroke or a smart trick. The man you are talking bout in kildare, if I'm correct, is well respected as was his father. He runs a tight ship and only buys the top notch beast. Even at that, I'd say his margin is tight.
Good luck with whatever you do but I ithink at this stage. Dealin is nostalgia

Willfarman

If you are a snake in grass kind of guy with the morals of the devil himself you would make a few bob at the game. Bar that you would struggle!

stack18

The days are gone of buying the cheap Cattle and bringing to the clients that can be fooled into buying them and with the quality assurance now if you don't have the good Cattle they won't pay. They trickery of Cattle dealing is gone out the window the good farmer buys own stock. In our local Mart a young person starting buying for export agent it was easy for him to be the big man waving his hand with the exporters money who in turn went belly up. It's a messy game and if your getting a weekly wage guarantee your better.

seany1994

Cattlepen wrote: »

If yer young enough, go and get an apprenticeship to a tradesman. Forget about a dying trade like dealing. As the man said earlier, QA has put the nail in the coffin. That and other things like the cost of running a truck. Also, the country has become a small place with the road networks. No where is remote anymore and most farmers through rural ireland now have sheds to house cattle and access to merchants for feed. Gone are the days of pulling a stroke or a smart trick. The man you are talking bout in kildare, if I'm correct, is well respected as was his father. He runs a tight ship and only buys the top notch beast. Even at that, I'd say his margin is tight.
Good luck with whatever you do but I ithink at this stage. Dealin is nostalgia

The lad i mention is from limerick . Buys cattle in marts and carry them to a factory in Kildare

exercise is the antidote

Cattlepen wrote: »

If yer young enough, go and get an apprenticeship to a tradesman. Forget about a dying trade like dealing. As the man said earlier, QA has put the nail in the coffin. That and other things like the cost of running a truck. Also, the country has become a small place with the road networks. No where is remote anymore and most farmers through rural ireland now have sheds to house cattle and access to merchants for feed. Gone are the days of pulling a stroke or a smart trick. The man you are talking bout in kildare, if I'm correct, is well respected as was his father. He runs a tight ship and only buys the top notch beast. Even at that, I'd say his margin is tight.
Good luck with whatever you do but I ithink at this stage. Dealin is nostalgia

Said that myself other day they are a dying breed! Young farmers are to smart for these fellas anymore! There is one fella in my area that buys for people that can't make it to the mart and only brings back exactly what was asked and price so he is well liked and in demand! But them other fellas I would rate the same as travellers(the bad ones)!

seany1994

exercise is the antidote wrote: »

Said that myself other day they are a dying breed! Young farmers are to smart for these fellas anymore! There is one fella in my area that buys for people that can't make it to the mart and only brings back exactly what was asked and price so he is well liked and in demand! But them other fellas I would rate the same as travellers(the bad ones)!

I couldn't agree more with ya . I see a lot of young part time farmers asking my boss to bring specific cattle to them . I still think it's not a dying profession .its just evolving . There is a lot of rogues dealers out there but I do know a lot of genuine dealers .fellas who have clients for years .

Farmer Pudsey

seany1994 wrote: »

I couldn't agree more with ya . I see a lot of young part time farmers asking my boss to bring specific cattle to them . I still think it's not a dying profession .its just evolving . There is a lot of rogues dealers out there but I do know a lot of genuine dealers .fellas who have clients for years .

Maybe there is a place for a dealer buying direct for a farmer, however the traditional dealer that bought cattle and resold is under pressure because of QA movements. However lad buying cattle for lads and putting direct into farmers name is a risky business as farmer may renege on dealer or mart. It has also limited scope for profit as usually cattle are bought on a fee and the dealer get to charge for transport as well. Expected rate 15-25 euro/head. However as dealers become more restricted around ring it will be more farmer driven.

It is the same with dealers buying for factory's there presence will be limited as QA will again come into play. Some are on a fee/animal while some those that buy and sell direct are finding themselves caught with QA.

stack18

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

Maybe there is a place for a dealer buying direct for a farmer, however the traditional dealer that bought cattle and resold is under pressure because of QA movements. However lad buying cattle for lads and putting direct into farmers name is a risky business as farmer may renege on dealer or mart. It has also limited scope for profit as usually cattle are bought on a fee and the dealer get to charge for transport as well. Expected rate 15-25 euro/head. However as dealers become more restricted around ring it will be more farmer driven.

It is the same with dealers buying for factory's there presence will be limited as QA will again come into play. Some are on a fee/animal while some those that buy and sell direct are finding themselves caught with QA.

saw a year and half animal in Mart Monday 6 owners and 4 days in last herd what good is this animal to a farmer.

Sheep breeder

the day of dealing is on the way out with the QA,the only way is buying on a commision basis, as for suppling kildare with cattle a lot of men at that and now getting very little for it only the agents fee and not an easy place to deal.
i recently heard of a factory agent in the east after a life time of dealing all he has to show for it is alcoholism and no family

LivInt20

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simx

LivInt20 wrote: »

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Well said

onyerbikepat

LivInt20 wrote: »

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A man of few words.

Farmer Pudsey

onyerbikepat wrote: »

A man of few words.

But well able to get his point accross