Finishing Bulls and QA bonus

Goodeone

Hi all,

Not too familiar with beef finishing or the factory price system. We have a relatively small suckler farm and usually sell our bulls off grass at 17 months of age (born march/april) to a finisher, however this year due to the drought we were forced to house our 15 bulls in July and decided we would finish them ourselves. We are not a quality assured farm as we rarely slaughter cattle ourselves. I didnt think we needed to join Bord Bia QA scheme as the bulls would be over 16 months and over the carcass weight spec anyway. The bulls are doing well (the heaviest bull weighed 760kg 3 weeks ago)and I would expect to have some fit by the last week of september. However could the fact the cattle are not quality assured mean we may be forced to take a reduced price?

epfff

Yep.
Some processors wont quote you for them if they not qa although they not officially paying you anything for being qa.
The scarcer finished cattle are the more processors that will be interested so that for me is just proves that qa is just another stick to beat the stupid farmer.

wrangler

epfff wrote: »

Yep.
Some processors wont quote you for them if they not qa although they not officially paying you anything for being qa.
The scarcer finished cattle are the more processors that will be interested so that for me is just proves that qa is just another stick to beat the stupid farmer.

If they're not buying non QA cattle and they are buying QA cattle, then you're getting extra for being QA.....Non QA is worthless if they're not buying them.
If cattle are scarce supermarkets will buy whats there, if they're being offered loads of product they get particular.....much like farmers buying silage at the moment.
Suppliers need gimmicks to have the edge, same in the car industry, our new car will actually drive between the lines if you take your hands off the steering wheel/ fall asleep

cute geoge

Ashburn meats roscrea are good to take non qa cows and bulls .They normally pay a reasonable price for bulls so might be worth a shout

Bass Reeves

OP first time QA is a virtual given. All you really need is medicine and dosing record, feed reciepts will do as feed record. As far as I know they will fast track new applications when you tell them you have cattle to kill.

There is a phone number you can ring here
https://www.bordbia.ie/industry/farmers/Pages/default.aspx

Goodeone

Thanks for the info, i will start the paperwork over the weekend and hopefully get in contact with them on Monday

Dunedin

Bass Reeves wrote: »

OP first time QA is a virtual given. All you really need is medicine and dosing record, feed reciepts will do as feed record. As far as I know they will fast track new applications when you tell them you have cattle to kill.

There is a phone number you can ring here
https://www.bordbia.ie/industry/farmers/Pages/default.aspx

This is exactly the type of helpful information we gain from boards. Long time QA here so no idea what the process is for new entrants

OP, do let us know how you get on.

poor farmer

You won't get anything extra for over 16month quality assured bull's.
But a lot of factories won't take them without it.
Especially if the trade is poor.

buffalobilly

do none of the factorys pay a bonus for over 16 month bulls

blue5000

buffalobilly wrote: »

do none of the factorys pay a bonus for over 16 month bulls

I think ashbourne pay an extra 5c/kg for lim cull cows and stock bulls.

TooOldBoots

Is there anything to be gained from QA for the average suckler farmer who sells the Weanlings?

Grueller

TooOldBoots wrote: »

Is there anything to be gained from QA for the average suckler farmer who sells the Weanlings?

Bar when selling cull cows no

charolais0153

Grueller wrote: »

Bar when selling cull cows no

Its only 4c on them and thats even if you get it

Bass Reeves

charolais0153 wrote: »

Its only 4c on them and thats even if you get it

When supplies are tight it is immaterial but I know of one or two lads that had to hold cows as processors would not take them or else were quoting a lower price for non QA cows.

Pidae.m

You can't get non qa cattle killed in our local factory. I've literally seen cattle loaded up again and taken home.

wrangler

Pidae.m wrote: »

You can't get non qa cattle killed in our local factory. I've literally seen cattle loaded up again and taken home.

It doesn't make a lot of sense, most of the requirements for QA are necessary for Cross Compliance, it doesn't take much extra to be QA as well

Pidae.m

wrangler wrote: »

It doesn't make a lot of sense, most of the requirements for QA are necessary for Cross Compliance, it doesn't take much extra to be QA as well

That's exactly it. You've to have most of that stuff right if the dept truck on unannounced anyway.

blonde10

Exactly QA is only keeping right what your ment to do anyway...is there much goin for young Angus bulls say 16mts or older..we finish angus heifers at 30 mts just wondering is there mo ey in young angus bull beef.?

White Clover

blonde10 wrote: »

Exactly QA is only keeping right what your ment to do anyway...is there much goin for young Angus bulls say 16mts or older..we finish angus heifers at 30 mts just wondering is there mo ey in young angus bull beef.?

What kind of cows are them Angus heifers out of ?

blonde10

White Clover wrote: »

blonde10 wrote: »

Exactly QA is only keeping right what your ment to do anyway...is there much goin for young Angus bulls say 16mts or older..we finish angus heifers at 30 mts just wondering is there mo ey in young angus bull beef.?

What kind of cows are them Angus heifers out of ?

Not sure we buy them in and finish them

Cavanjack

blonde10 wrote: »

Not sure we buy them in and finish them

What sort of weights and grades do ya get the Angus into under 16 months?

blonde10

Cavanjack wrote: »

blonde10 wrote: »

Not sure we buy them in and finish them

What sort of weights and grades do ya get the Angus into under 16 months?

As i said at the min we finish heifers only,my question was"is there much go for AA bull beef as id like to see what they would finish like out of continental cows..

Cavanjack

blonde10 wrote: »

As i said at the min we finish heifers only,my question was"is there much go for AA bull beef as id like to see what they would finish like out of continental cows..

Oh sorry misread Your question. Back a few years ago when beef was good we got a bonus on Angus bulls heading for 24 months. Think it was summer 2015. Had a few as bulls last year and the year before but no bonus was available anywhere.

buffalobilly

what price does over 24 months bulls make
are they then treated as aged bulls ?

Cavanjack

buffalobilly wrote: »

what price does over 24 months bulls make
are they then treated as aged bulls ?

Usually just cut 10 cent on them if they are not more than a couple of months over the 24 months