Keep or sell stores

cacs

I have a bunch of stores 13-15 months old. Trade is flying would you sell or keep until the grass comes in may June. Trade is flying at the minute. Weights 350-450kg suckler lim x

Bass Reeves

If you were keeping ideally you should keep until you can get them to 550kgs+. At that weight they are very attractive to finisher's. Really hard to crystal ball gaze.

If you cannot keep until that weight I would sell the lighter ones

cacs

Bass Reeves wrote: »

If you were keeping ideally you should keep until you can get them to 550kgs+. At that weight they are very attractive to finisher's. Really hard to crystal ball gaze.

If you cannot keep until that weight I would sell the lighter ones

Cheers Baze

Albert Johnson

cacs wrote: »

I have a bunch of stores 13-15 months old. Trade is flying would you sell or keep until the grass comes in may June. Trade is flying at the minute. Weights 350-450kg suckler lim x

I'd be inclined to let them off sooner rather than later given the current trade. May is still a long way off and what will it cost to keep them until then and they won't be significantly heavier either. If there averaging 400kg then I'd be expecting €1000 a piece and maybe more if real nice types.

Your nearly into March now and there seems no shortage of customers around the ring inspite of the weather and other woes. I'd be of the opinion that if you fed until May that you'd be as well to put them to grass yourself until the back end and try to have them 550kg or more average as Bass recommended. I always thought that with store's you either sold in mid spring or kept until the autumn, provided you have the space for them the hard work is done come turnout imo.

jntsnk

I’d sell if they were in top condition. Silly money for stock at the moment

tanko

jntsnk wrote: »

I’d sell if they were in top condition. Silly money for stock at the moment

Can you give an example of this "silly money"?

Jb1989

tanko wrote: »

Can you give an example of this "silly money"?

I have seen plenty of plain prices too, nothing much silly either.

Cavanjack

tanko wrote: »

Can you give an example of this "silly money"?

Looking at the journal I Saw a 480kg yearling store make €1265. Now that’s crazy. Takes a good bullock to come into €1500 at the minute

cacs

Albert Johnson wrote: »

I'd be inclined to let them off sooner rather than later given the current trade. May is still a long way off and what will it cost to keep them until then and they won't be significantly heavier either. If there averaging 400kg then I'd be expecting €1000 a piece and maybe more if real nice types.

Your nearly into March now and there seems no shortage of customers around the ring inspite of the weather and other woes. I'd be of the opinion that if you fed until May that you'd be as well to put them to grass yourself until the back end and try to have them 550kg or more average as Bass recommended. I always thought that with store's you either sold in mid spring or kept until the autumn, provided you have the space for them the hard work is done come turnout imo.

That’s great advice last year I was running 3.6 live units/ha. I have a small farm and I was pushing grass all year. It was an exceptional year for grass. I kept the them until late August there weights were 570-670 kg they averaged €1150 . I was happy enough with all that was going on. It’s was tough going trying to keep grass in front of everything but it was the cheapest weight I put on them. They were doing 1.1kg per day for every day at grass and no nuts. There is just so much uncertainty this year it’s hard to know is it worth the risk keeping them.

Albert Johnson

cacs wrote: »

That’s great advice last year I was running 3.6 live units/ha. I have a small farm and I was pushing grass all year. It was an exceptional year for grass. I kept the them until late August there weights were 570-670 kg they averaged €1150 . I was happy enough with all that was going on. It’s was tough going trying to keep grass in front of everything but it was the cheapest weight I put on them. They were doing 1.1kg per day for every day at grass and no nuts. There is just so much uncertainty this year it’s hard to know is it worth the risk keeping them.

That's fair going imo and good live weight gain, however that was then and this is now. It was a pity that despite being a super year for grass and thrive in stock that the cattle price took a serious hammering from mid summer on. There's always swings and roundabouts when dealing with nature and it's not easy to know when your doing the right thing.

If your already tightly stocked I'd be afraid that if this weather continues that it'll be a late spring with little growth. This could put you under serious pressure to keep grass/fodder in front of everything and hit weight gain hard. If I was in your situation I'd strongly consider letting off at least some of the heavier store's given the current trade. Last year was an exceptional year in several ways and I wouldn't bank solely on the same happening again. As above I don't see the point of holding out much more than another few weeks, imo it's either sell now or hold until late summer.

cacs

Albert Johnson wrote: »

That's fair going imo and good live weight gain, however that was then and this is now. It was a pity that despite being a super year for grass and thrive in stock that the cattle price took a serious hammering from mid summer on. There's always swings and roundabouts when dealing with nature and it's not easy to know when your doing the right thing.

If your already tightly stocked I'd be afraid that if this weather continues that it'll be a late spring with little growth. This could put you under serious pressure to keep grass/fodder in front of everything and hit weight gain hard. If I was in your situation I'd strongly consider letting off at least some of the heavier store's given the current trade. Last year was an exceptional year in several ways and I wouldn't bank solely on the same happening again. As above I don't see the point of holding out much more than another few weeks, imo it's either sell now or hold until late summer.

Yea I was thinking the same maybe letting 450-500 ones off and 350-400 bring them to the mart and be prepared to bring them home. I have good grass now but I had cattle out this week 12 months ago. We are at least two weeks off that at a minimum this year. The weather will dictate everything
Thanks for all the advice.

Albert Johnson

cacs wrote: »

Yea I was thinking the same maybe letting 450-500 ones off and 350-400 bring them to the mart and be prepared to bring them home. I have good grass now but I had cattle out this week 12 months ago. We are at least two weeks off that at a minimum this year. The weather will dictate everything
Thanks for all the advice.

That's a reasonable plan and your welcome, I hope it goes well and keep us updated. If you've good grass now with all the weather woes of the last 2 months then your obviously doing something right. Spare a thought for those of us dreaming of turnout sometime around May day!!!