Calf price chitchat

GrasstoMilk

Say my name wrote: »

Sold 5 fr bull calves Enniscorthy Mart.
From 145 to 50. Average 114.
Four AA bulls and heifers 255 to 145.
One fr heifer twin to bull e15.
All in around the 4 to 5 week of age.

What were prices like overall?

Say my name

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

What were prices like overall?

They were the best prices for fr bulls up to then anyway.
I wasn't at it but there were lots of fr bulls at €5 and €10. My father was watching all these calves sell before ours and was getting worried. He got a bit of a land then when the first of ours opened at €130.
Holstein calves then at 30 to 50.

patsy_mccabe

I was amazed yesterday watching the calves sell how tuned in the buyers were to quality. I guess the difference is there right true to slaughter.

Base price

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

I was amazed yesterday watching the calves sell how tuned in the buyers were to quality. I guess the difference is there right true to slaughter.

Quality in FR bull calves can often be masked by feeding of transitional milk particularly if the calves are 4/5 weeks of age.

Bass Reeves

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

I was amazed yesterday watching the calves sell how tuned in the buyers were to quality. I guess the difference is there right true to slaughter.

If calves are done well for the first 12 weeks what ever set backs/store periods they have after they will continue virtually unaffected after. However 150 euro extra in a calf is about 40kgs DW or a step on the grid and 30-35kgs DW. Even if animal dropped into O- or from O- into a P it only a 45 euro setback. A few animals will drop two places on but the main reason will be not carried to maximum finish. However it is all relayive to price on the day

Jjameson

Say my name wrote: »

They were the best prices for fr bulls up to then anyway.
I wasn't at it but there were lots of fr bulls at €5 and €10. My father was watching all these calves sell before ours and was getting worried. He got a bit of a land then when the first of ours opened at €130.
Holstein calves then at 30 to 50.

I was looking into the ring for a good while. A real good friesian calf €225. Good blue bull calves 300 to 410€. Age and qaulity really paying. Reasonable 3 to 4 week old Friesians 80 to 130 and not But then younger or poor quality very hard to sell but with knackary charges and the cost of vet meds it’s easy understand why.

GrasstoMilk

Say my name wrote: »

They were the best prices for fr bulls up to then anyway.
I wasn't at it but there were lots of fr bulls at €5 and €10. My father was watching all these calves sell before ours and was getting worried. He got a bit of a land then when the first of ours opened at €130.
Holstein calves then at 30 to 50.

Ah they must have known the seller well

lab man

got to buy 5 in kilrush clare today 4 bulls 1 hfr smx hfr 125
bb bull good sq calf 125
3 sq long freisan off british fr. cows 72 each . 50 calves there all toghther for sale

orm0nd

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

Saw a lot of calves selling today in Ennis. Crazy prices. One guy had a bunch of black whiteheads bulls and they all made over €300 with some to €375. Most black lims made €180 to €230. Fr bulls around the €50 mark. The odd good one to €120.
Nice chars bulls and heifers made high €300's also.

I was there with a load of weanlings for a fellow, saw a ch heifer for 425 {super calf off contential cow} and a few young lm heifers around 150. Only walked through the calf ring.

Say my name

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

Ah they must have known the seller well

The seller won't have as many fr bulls next year!
I've the Angus bull for the cows and a yearling fr for the heifers. I picked up the fr bull as a calf from Gordon last year.

Castlekeeper

Say my name wrote: »

The seller won't have as many fr bulls next year!
I've the Angus bull for the cows and a yearling fr for the heifers. I picked up the fr bull as a calf from Gordon last year.

You're brave putting an unproven Fr with heifers, is he off easy calving bloodlines? As an aside,and contrary to advice I don't breed replacements off heifers anymore, I find it better to use proven cows suited to our system.

Say my name

Castlekeeper wrote: »

You're brave putting an unproven Fr with heifers, is he off easy calving bloodlines? As an aside,and contrary to advice I don't breed replacements off heifers anymore, I find it better to use proven cows suited to our system.

Haven't had calving difficulties here (touchwood) in the last 8 to 10 years.
It all depends on trust in the farmer who I buy the bull calf off. I had a relation who was a farm manager on a large herd who was picking my future sires for the last while. And my criteria were to pick a good square bull calf from a cow that calved herself with no assistance.
The calf has to be from a cow with milk volume and good %'s and proper udder and obviously no relation to my own stock.
I've gotten the width into the heifers now and I run the yearling bull with them and then the cows the next year. It's working very well with me.
I'm gone to a new supplier now and I told him my criteria and hopefully the bull obliges like the four before him did.
I'd find it very hard to go back to A.I now as I wouldn't be seeing the calf and could I trust that that farmer didn't give assistance in the birth of that bull.

Castlekeeper

Say my name wrote: »

Haven't had calving difficulties here (touchwood) in the last 8 to 10 years.
It all depends on trust in the farmer who I buy the bull calf off. I had a relation who was a farm manager on a large herd who was picking my future sires for the last while. And my criteria were to pick a good square bull calf from a cow that calved herself with no assistance.
The calf has to be from a cow with milk volume and good %'s and proper udder and obviously no relation to my own stock.
I've gotten the width into the heifers now and I run the yearling bull with them and then the cows the next year. It's working very well with me.
I'm gone to a new supplier now and I told him my criteria and hopefully the bull obliges like the four before him did.
I'd find it very hard to go back to A.I now as I wouldn't be seeing the calf and could I trust that that farmer didn't give assistance in the birth of that bull.

Stock bulls! And I thought I was being contrary! Interesting policy.

GrasstoMilk

Castlekeeper wrote: »

Stock bulls! And I thought I was being contrary! Interesting policy.

https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/george-goes-dairy-farming-the-right-number-of-cows-for-the-system-in-co-wexford/

You might get your own video soon Say!

Say my name

Castlekeeper wrote: »

Stock bulls! And I thought I was being contrary! Interesting policy.

I started down the bull calf route as previously it used to be only British freisian or Holstein bulls available at the bull sales. No high ebi middle of the road types that I wanted. And again can you trust the calving difficulty of a bull at a sale or that assistance was given. There's too many gangsters out there.
It the same with horses. If you see the animal as a foal you know what type foals that foal will throw.

Say my name

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/george-goes-dairy-farming-the-right-number-of-cows-for-the-system-in-co-wexford/

You might get your own video soon Say!

Hopefully not! Maybe George might fall down a hole..

I had Gordon pegged for good stock and good bull calves last year before all the publicity.

older by the day

With that fecking virus will the marts be going in a few weeks.

Reggie.

older by the day wrote: »

With that fecking virus will the marts be going in a few weeks.

Good question. What about the grass walks and such or even the ploughing?

older by the day

4 week old fr bulls 45 euro, Angus bulls 3wks 160. Angus heifers 3wks 160; easy calving Angus from heifers 70euro. In skibb today. The fresians were good enough quality but a hard trade

Castlekeeper

Say my name wrote: »

I started down the bull calf route as previously it used to be only British freisian or Holstein bulls available at the bull sales. No high ebi middle of the road types that I wanted. And again can you trust the calving difficulty of a bull at a sale or that assistance was given. There's too many gangsters out there.
It the same with horses. If you see the animal as a foal you know what type foals that foal will throw.

I wouldnt count only on that as it would depend on the back breeding too I'd say, throwbacks occur regularly.
I'd be more for the well proven animal on both sides and hope for the best after that. There's nothing worse than rearing stock only for them to turn out average.

dar31

older by the day wrote: »

4 week old fr bulls 45 euro, Angus bulls 3wks 160. Angus heifers 3wks 160; easy calving Angus from heifers 70euro. In skibb today. The fresians were good enough quality but a hard trade

Any prices on Hereford bulls.
I've 2 good 3week old ones going to carnew tomorrow

older by the day

dar31 wrote: »

Any prices on Hereford bulls.
I've 2 good 3week old ones going to carnew tomorrow

All depends on if their are farmers buying. Red Hereford are doing well 250. 200 for nice black Hereford. Farmer buyers are scarce down here and very few dairy farmers are rearing now so the marts are packed.

Buford T. Justice XIX

There's an extra 600 places approved in the lairage in Cherbourg and more in development. That's an extra 1,800 calves a week with 3 sailings a week being able to be transported.

https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/approval-granted-for-facilities-for-600-extra-calves-in-cherbourg-ifa/

alps

Very high seas forecast all week...

Base price

alps wrote: »

Very high seas forecast all week...

The feckin weather can't accommodate our calving pattern :rolleyes:

alps

Base price wrote: »

The feckin weather can't accommodate our calving pattern :rolleyes:

Maybe our calving cant accommodate the weather pattern.😉

Jjameson

dar31 wrote: »

Any prices on Hereford bulls.
I've 2 good 3week old ones going to carnew tomorrow

180 to 350. Depends how good obviously.

moll3

dar31 wrote: »

Any prices on Hereford bulls.
I've 2 good 3week old ones going to carnew tomorrow

a miller of a one made 450 in abbeyfeale today

3 the square

moll3 wrote: »

a miller of a one made 450 in abbeyfeale today

What were other prices like there today ?

moll3

3 the square wrote: »

What were other prices like there today ?

wh bulls 180/300
aa bulls 80/240