Store lambs

Feckthis

Hi, what prices are store lamb going for between 30-35kg. Thanks

Connemara Farmer

Expensive I hope, will be selling some Saturday.

razor8

Feckthis wrote: »

Hi, what prices are store lamb going for between 30-35kg. Thanks

Would depend on breed, sex and flesh but generally anything from 1.50 to 2.20 a kg live

rangler1

razor8 wrote: »

Would depend on breed, sex and flesh but generally anything from 1.50 to 2.20 a kg live

Supposed to have been dear In Loughrea today

Feckthis

Ok another question...How much should I pay for store lambs to go on stubble and sell in the spring? Thanks.

razor8

Feckthis wrote: »

Ok another question...How much should I pay for store lambs to go on stubble and sell in the spring? Thanks.

I work on the adage that theory is sometimes useful if put into practice. In our farm business we are focused on generating profit. It is profit that allows us to enjoy the farming lifestyle.

We analyse and review all our profit centres, for the sheep enterprises this is divided into two i) the breeding ewe and ii) finishing lambs prime. We don’t trade in store lambs on the open market as we produce a good number of our own. There is however a clear distinction between the breeding ewe and lamb finishing enterprises as we have an’ internal’ trade with lambs sold and purchased at weaning time with lambs priced at market rates. The focus on prime lamb finishing is to supply lamb to specification with a 90+ % hit rate for 8+ months of the year. The spread in lamb supply is achievable with different start of lambing dates between MA ‘A’ and ‘B’ ewes and hogget ewes.

Whilst it is acknowledged we are all price takers and the weather can influence outcomes we set about managing risk and a big one is price. We use a mixture of committed supply, price contracts and forward buy most of our inputs. These will be locked in 6 months or so in advance. To have a feel that the pricing is good we monitor the markets and much of this information is freely available. For example B+L NZ, MLA, EBLEX, GIRA, Rabobank, the weekly rural news media and others provide good market information. We are also in regular contact with the processor / marketer discussing what is happening on farm and in the markets with the understanding that we can both enjoy some flexibility. We monitor market prices, exchange rates and lots more with weekly updates just like we monitor soil temperature, grass growth and pasture cover, ewe condition score, lamb growth rates etcetera. We prepare financial budgets and feed supply budgets both regularly updated and adjust the farm plan and work in response to this information. This is keeping our finger on the pulse and it is true sometimes more money is made by being in the office shuffling paper than checking what is going on in the back paddock. Yes there is some seat-of the-pants intuition and decision making going on but we don’t gamble or take a punt that maybe the price will be alright without doing our homework first.

So going forward I think that lamb prices next season will be similar or slightly better than what we are currently enjoying but input costs will require close inspection. We are currently in the planning process just waiting for docking tallies to be finalised to lock in a good percentage of our supply to May 2015. We elect to play the market with some supply over the summer and autumn to give us an out option if the summer gets too dry. The most significant risk on the horizon which could be disruptive to lamb prices is China, we are countering this by ensuring a high percentage of our lamb supply will fit the US market. In a nutshell that is the theory and we will exert control over what we can.

By the way I stole this from BFF

Green farmer

That would be an ecumenical matter.

ganmo

I was just thinking that there's very few dry stock lads in Ireland forward buying

Feckthis

razor8 wrote: »

I work on the adage that theory is sometimes useful if put into practice. In our farm business we are focused on generating profit. It is profit that allows us to enjoy the farming lifestyle.

We analyse and review all our profit centres, for the sheep enterprises this is divided into two i) the breeding ewe and ii) finishing lambs prime. We don’t trade in store lambs on the open market as we produce a good number of our own. There is however a clear distinction between the breeding ewe and lamb finishing enterprises as we have an’ internal’ trade with lambs sold and purchased at weaning time with lambs priced at market rates. The focus on prime lamb finishing is to supply lamb to specification with a 90+ % hit rate for 8+ months of the year. The spread in lamb supply is achievable with different start of lambing dates between MA ‘A’ and ‘B’ ewes and hogget ewes.

Whilst it is acknowledged we are all price takers and the weather can influence outcomes we set about managing risk and a big one is price. We use a mixture of committed supply, price contracts and forward buy most of our inputs. These will be locked in 6 months or so in advance. To have a feel that the pricing is good we monitor the markets and much of this information is freely available. For example B+L NZ, MLA, EBLEX, GIRA, Rabobank, the weekly rural news media and others provide good market information. We are also in regular contact with the processor / marketer discussing what is happening on farm and in the markets with the understanding that we can both enjoy some flexibility. We monitor market prices, exchange rates and lots more with weekly updates just like we monitor soil temperature, grass growth and pasture cover, ewe condition score, lamb growth rates etcetera. We prepare financial budgets and feed supply budgets both regularly updated and adjust the farm plan and work in response to this information. This is keeping our finger on the pulse and it is true sometimes more money is made by being in the office shuffling paper than checking what is going on in the back paddock. Yes there is some seat-of the-pants intuition and decision making going on but we don’t gamble or take a punt that maybe the price will be alright without doing our homework first.

So going forward I think that lamb prices next season will be similar or slightly better than what we are currently enjoying but input costs will require close inspection. We are currently in the planning process just waiting for docking tallies to be finalised to lock in a good percentage of our supply to May 2015. We elect to play the market with some supply over the summer and autumn to give us an out option if the summer gets too dry. The most significant risk on the horizon which could be disruptive to lamb prices is China, we are countering this by ensuring a high percentage of our lamb supply will fit the US market. In a nutshell that is the theory and we will exert control over what we can.

By the way I stole this from BFF

Are you a politician by any chance . I didn't get an answer to my question there.

Willfarman

Feckthis wrote: »

Ok another question...How much should I pay for store lambs to go on stubble and sell in the spring? Thanks.

I would aim for good well bred lowland type sheep around 35kgs. Ewes or wethers. They would cost v little under €80 at the minute. But if you have a good run for them until jan feb and feed them for on for then there could be a a small profit. Lambs might cheapen in a few weeks and even a couple of euro a head makes a big difference if you are doing a big number of them.

Connemara Farmer

Sold all mine today, poor enough prices. With the dry September we had I had no option because my farm is very shallow so that took it's toll on grass. Ho hum, will be really looking into feeding next year I think.

farm14

Willfarman wrote: »

I would aim for good well bred lowland type sheep around 35kgs. Ewes or wethers. They would cost v little under €80 at the minute. But if you have a good run for them until jan feb and feed them for on for then there could be a a small profit. Lambs might cheapen in a few weeks and even a couple of euro a head makes a big difference if you are doing a big number of them.

Dont know how you make money giving €80 for a store lamb. not much of a margin in that again you add up commision transport dosing vaccination meal.

Willfarman

farm14 wrote: »

Dont know how you make money giving €80 for a store lamb. not much of a margin in that again you add up commision transport dosing vaccination meal.

A spring price of €5.20 next spring at 23 kg would leave €40 gross. I'm only answering the OP's question as best I know. I would expect to cover commission and transport in the €80 myself.

Green farmer

To me , there's too much risk involved in paying €80 for store lambs. Could end up loosing money or lucky to break just as easily as making a profit

Feckthis

What weight would you be aiming at selling. If buying at 35kgs now and keeping until spring, And would you sell in the mart or to the factory?

dzer2

Feckthis wrote: »

What weight would you be aiming at selling. If buying at 35kgs now and keeping until spring, And would you sell in the mart or to the factory?

Hi FT
I know feck all about lambs but was advised to buy stores back in Aug which I did at 63 euro each @31 kg in weight. Half are fit now and are averaging 107 euro. Now this is a bit lopsided as I had oceans of grass.

Feckthis

dzer2 wrote: »

Hi FT
I know feck all about lambs but was advised to buy stores back in Aug which I did at 63 euro each @31 kg in weight. Half are fit now and are averaging 107 euro. Now this is a bit lopsided as I had oceans of grass.

Fair play, that's nice money for keeping for 2months. Did you put up sheep fencing?

dzer2

Feckthis wrote: »

Fair play, that's nice money for keeping for 2months. Did you put up sheep fencing?

No Have the exterior boundary well fenced and I wasn't pushed where they grazed. They were easily handled.

Willfarman

God. I love being right!

Username John

Willfarman wrote: »

God. I love being right!

Ah, but tis your modesty that makes you so popular...

Green farmer

Willfarman wrote: »

God. I love being right!

Not sure if you are. The discussion centred around if you could make money on paying €80 for a store lamb. I still have my home bred stores. I've been feeding them silage since October. For the last while their also eating a kg of meal a day and will be for the foreseeable future. Between drawing silage, mealing them and giving fresh straw bedding, I spend 2 hours a day looking after them. I think the jury is still out. To be honest I'll need top dollar in sales price to cover the costs of carrying them over the winter. That's not to mention the odd one or two that I lost along the way.

Willfarman

Username John wrote: »

Ah, but tis your modesty that makes you so popular...

I am extremely modest all right john. I should have more confidence😃😁

Willfarman

Green farmer wrote: »

Not sure if you are. The discussion centred around if you could make money on paying €80 for a store lamb. I still have my home bred stores. I've been feeding them silage since October. For the last while their also eating a kg of meal a day and will be for the foreseeable future. Between drawing silage, mealing them and giving fresh straw bedding, I spend 2 hours a day looking after them. I think the jury is still out. To be honest I'll need top dollar in sales price to cover the costs of carrying them over the winter. That's not to mention the odd one or two that I lost along the way.

thay system wouldn't pay no matter what the price. 125 - 80 is a 45 euro margin. Lambs done very well in October November on grass. If you have something to do with your time that pays you better you should go at that! But a lot of lads don't.

Cran

Willfarman wrote: »

thay system wouldn't pay no matter what the price. 125 - 80 is a 45 euro margin. Lambs done very well in October November on grass. If you have something to do with your time that pays you better you should go at that! But a lot of lads don't.

This sums it perfectly I think

Dickie10

any report on store lambs appearing in kenmare or maam cross marts yet? im on the hunt for around 80-90 at 28-30kg average ,ewe lambs how much would these be. got them left in the yard from kenmare for €68 average 2 years ago

IH784man

Them type of weights go for 70-80 euro each

Birdnuts

Prices are meant to be on the up on the back of demand from muslim festivels. Anyone seeing much evidence of this??

Country lad

Going. To be selling around 70 texel cross lambs weighing around 35 klo average weigh at weekend and would be very grateful if someone could tell me what price I should look for as be selling them to a local farmer

Willfarman

Country lad wrote: »

Going. To be selling around 70 texel cross lambs weighing around 35 klo average weigh at weekend and would be very grateful if someone could tell me what price I should look for as be selling them to a local farmer

85 euro mark..

Green farmer

Look up mart reports.ie might have results from near you listed.

eorna

What are lowland stores ( chX) around 30-32kg mark making around the place??
Thinking of getting rid of a few here..

IH784man

At raphoe mart today they were making 80 euro and more,big prices.

Tyson23

Hi all
What would you have to give for light horny, or crossbred lambs?
Anyone buy these type of lambs , when to buy and when to sell etc? Thanks in advance

ganmo

83 for 35kg today

orm0nd

ganmo wrote: »

83 for 35kg today

must have been choice ,, happy days