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Calf rearing

  • 02-12-2015 1:30pm
    #1
    cartridge
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7 ✭


    Hi Everyone, I am going rearing 50 calves this year along with my suckler herd and was wondering if fresians or angus would be the better option.


Comments

  • #2
    _Brian
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18,721 ✭✭✭✭_Brian


    That's a matter of some opinion.

    You could split it up and see how it goes, that would be covering options both ways.

    How many sucks are you rearing at the moment?? 50 would be quite a steep learning curve.


  • #3
    cartridge
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7 ✭cartridge


    Hi Brian, I have reared calves in the past so would have experience and i wouldnt see 50 as to much of a problem as im going to use shine once a day, i was just wondering whether to go for herefords, angus or fresian, whatever is the most profitible.


  • #4
    _Brian
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18,721 ✭✭✭✭_Brian


    If you search back there has been much discussion on profitability of Fr vs AA or He.
    Hex and AAx can be hard to buy at good money, recently I felt both were overpriced but have seen prices posted by some in the calf price thread that are becoming much more reasonable.

    Fr sucks seem to leave near as much but many don't like having Fr. I found them healthy as any and leave some profit.

    For my money if hex heifers were coming at a good price it's what I'd go for. Healthy with a good thrive, less runts than AAx which is a serious problem.


  • #5
    Feckthis
    Closed Accounts Posts: 504 ✭✭✭Feckthis


    Don't think about what breed at calf sales think about value. Arrive early at the sales. Have a good look around at the calves and write down lot numbers that you fancy and beside them what price you would give for them. Don't go over what you wrote down. I have often come home empty handed.
    Watch out for some AAX calves. It's hard to know with them sometimes.


  • #6
    cartridge
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7 ✭cartridge


    What prices were the angus and herefords calves making in the spring of 2015 cause i know what your saying, if they are to expensive fresians would be a better buy.


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  • #7
    ganmo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,748 ✭✭✭ganmo


    cartridge wrote: »
    What prices were the angus and herefords calves making in the spring of 2015 cause i know what your saying, if they are to expensive fresians would be a better buy.

    In the mart? Around 250


  • #8
    CloughCasey1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,741 ✭✭✭CloughCasey1


    Feckthis wrote: »
    Don't think about what breed at calf sales think about value. Arrive early at the sales. Have a good look around at the calves and write down lot numbers that you fancy and beside them what price you would give for them. Don't go over what you wrote down. I have often come home empty handed.
    Watch out for some AAX calves. It's hard to know with them sometimes.

    Same as that. Except completely ignore AAX altogether.


  • #9
    cartridge
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7 ✭cartridge


    Thanks for all the replys, much appreciated.


  • #10
    Deepsouthwest
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,282 ✭✭✭Deepsouthwest


    cartridge wrote: »
    What prices were the angus and herefords calves making in the spring of 2015 cause i know what your saying, if they are to expensive fresians would be a better buy.

    No quota issues this yr, so I reckon calves will be cheaper


  • #11
    CloughCasey1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,741 ✭✭✭CloughCasey1


    Deepsouthwest wrote: »
    No quota issues this yr, so I reckon calves will be cheaper

    That's what they said last yr but they weren't. And I'd have thought lads would have held off a bit on expansion this yr with the price of bainne?


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  • #12
    Deepsouthwest
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,282 ✭✭✭Deepsouthwest


    CloughCasey1 wrote: »
    That's what they said last yr but they weren't. And I'd have thought lads would have held off a bit on expansion this yr with the price of bainne?

    Not being smart, but no one said that last yr, nearly everyone was tight with quota, not gonna be the case this yr. I hope I'm wrong, I'll be selling calves!


  • #13
    whelan2
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 30,221 ✭✭✭✭whelan2


    Deepsouthwest wrote: »
    Not being smart, but no one said that last yr, nearly everyone was tight with quota, not gonna be the case this yr. I hope I'm wrong, I'll be selling calves!
    had a lad on today looking for 20 calves in february


  • #14
    _Brian
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18,721 ✭✭✭✭_Brian


    whelan2 wrote: »
    had a lad on today looking for 20 calves in february

    Did ya do a deal ??


  • #15
    whelan2
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 30,221 ✭✭✭✭whelan2


    _Brian wrote: »
    Did ya do a deal ??
    no, I will call down to him in the next few days, will have a fair few br/fr calves in the spring and not too many aa


  • #16
    Sam Kade
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,313 ✭✭✭✭Sam Kade


    ganmo wrote: »
    In the mart? Around 250
    The man selling them as calves at that price gets most of the profit out of them :)


  • #17
    Carrigogunnell
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 193 ✭✭Carrigogunnell


    It's hard to know what breed is most profitable fr aa wh. What I do know tho is when the sh*t hits the fan u have a more saleable animal in the aa and wh. When the price bottomed two yrs ago it was pretty hard to get a fr killed were if u had a bit of colour u had a better chance at getting some of them away.


  • #18
    Dawggone
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,506 ✭✭✭Dawggone


    I would strongly suggest a good bit of restraint in buying calves. The export market could be very weak as demand has dropped in cont. europe for veal and beef.
    No point paying big money for calves and expect the IFA (or whoever) to blockade factories in a year or two.

    Prices of limxhol that I had to send to Spain as no market here for them...


  • #19
    CloughCasey1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,741 ✭✭✭CloughCasey1


    Dawggone wrote: »
    I would strongly suggest a good bit of restraint in buying calves. The export market could be very weak as demand has dropped in cont. europe for veal and beef.
    No point paying big money for calves and expect the IFA (or whoever) to blockade factories in a year or two.

    Prices of limxhol that I had to send to Spain as no market here for them...

    What money would the same calves make here do ya reckon?


  • #20
    Dawggone
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,506 ✭✭✭Dawggone


    CloughCasey1 wrote: »
    What money would the same calves make here do ya reckon?

    I don't rightly know but many were 6 weeks old, so guessing €250-300??

    Sent another batch yesterday and will post prices when I get paid in a fortnight or so.


  • #21
    _Brian
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18,721 ✭✭✭✭_Brian


    Dawggone wrote: »
    I would strongly suggest a good bit of restraint in buying calves. The export market could be very weak as demand has dropped in cont. europe for veal and beef.
    No point paying big money for calves and expect the IFA (or whoever) to blockade factories in a year or two.

    Prices of limxhol that I had to send to Spain as no market here for them...

    Sensible post..
    If the export market is weak and prices down I expect there will be large numbers reared here and subsequent beef prices will again be impacted..

    Is the Spanish market strong, can calves be sent from here to Spain in the spring?


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  • #22
    Base price
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,459 ✭✭✭✭Base price


    _Brian wrote: »
    Sensible post..
    If the export market is weak and prices down I expect there will be large numbers reared here and subsequent beef prices will again be impacted..

    Is the Spanish market strong, can calves be sent from here to Spain in the spring?
    The majority of FR bull calves that are exported head to Spain and Holland. Belgium used to import but they have changed their rules on IBR and it affect export numbers Spring of this year.


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