Beef price tracker 2

Anto_Meath

Friend rang the factory just over a week ago to get in a mix of 20 cattle which included 5 cull suckler cows. Was told to ring back today & they might be able to take them next week. I was standing beside him in the Mart yesterday & the factory rang him to see if he could have the 5 cows down for 6 this morning. He told them if he was going with 1 he was bringing all. They told him come on. They must be short of stock.

somewhat disappointed

Surely Cattle prices have to go up the Turks will be back for our Weanlings and Factories will have to get in line if they want the flesh?

kk.man

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120939691#Comment_120939691

No why should they...if I was a factory owner I wouldn't... they control the UK and Ireland kill. They now have a massive feedlot to pull from. They will have the margins protected at all costs.

Siamsa Sessions

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120940214#Comment_120940214

Correct.

As @wrangler often said on here, factories could pay even less and they’d still have lads lining up to give them cattle.

Farmers are always on a slippery slope towards cattle going overage, over fat, over-stocked and need to buy replacements, silage running out, grass getting scarce, etc.

You can’t pause nature and factories have built their empires on that fact.

Rusheseverywhere

https://ahdb.org.uk/news/why-have-gb-beef-prices-fallen

From only week ago

"With Irish cattle supplies expected to tick up towards the end of the year, and demand forecast to remain subdued in key export markets, this may point to further pressure on Irish prices."

The last sentence of article.

kk.man

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120941087#Comment_120941087

Irish cattle puts manners on the British price. Its vital to have meat plants in both jurisdictions.

StevenToast

How bad is it this week?

Bass Reeves

Send what I would consider my worst load of bullocks to the factory yesterday. All Friesians those small butty ones that will neither grow, finish or put on weight. There was also an 38 month old Bullock that that we bought as a single that we were not watching the board probably regarding his age.

1XO=......4XO- and 2XP+. Three were over 30 months so QA on three only.

Average DW weight 305kgs from 293-336kgs. 38 month Bullock lightest.

Average LW at purchase 345kgs

Average cost 580 inc fees

Average length of time on farm 11.5 months.

Average factor price 1335 net of slaughter fees

Gross return 755 euro

Net margin 305 euro allowing 450 costs (472 inc mart and Slaughter fees)

They did ok grading saved the bacon IMO probably very marginal on that bunch. However they wouldn't be gone without feeding for about 7-9 weeks which depended on when they went into the finishing bunch.

MIKEKC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120962572#Comment_120962572

Is 450 not a big high for the length of stay on farm. Thought 400 should cover it

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120962933#Comment_120962933

I would not like to be fooling myself. I will probably feed slightly over 200kg/head at a bit over 70 euro at present it's 35c/kg of ration. However they wouldn't be out the door without it. Too many push up the meal bill too few reduces the output. While I have reduced numbers from last year my output (numbers) would be high for a grass based system especially for poor conversion animals.

450 it is.

MIKEKC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120962986#Comment_120962986

Thanks for that info .Must go through my costs again. Buy 450 kg in autumn selling from now on . Feed meal for first winter. Would be very hard to feed meal at grass. Would get trampled on at my age.

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120963014#Comment_120963014

Feeding meal at grass is all about set up. If they are used to an electric fence you can fence them out while you fill the troughs or fence a corner outside the gap to feed them in.

I had two bunches feeding 17 in one and 15 in the other. I was feeding them inside the gaps most of the time except during the very wet weather.

I am 61. I do not feed meal in the shed while housed

I says

I’ve to tighten up my paddock grazing and grazing groups. Horsing meal into the heaviest cattle to keep them fit, grass quality has got away from me.

More water troughs and pigtails for next year.

Hard Knocks

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120963100#Comment_120963100

I use the tall white posts when strip grazing the meadows this time of year in a leader follower system. Once you get the calves trained they fly. Leaves it easier to wean when at grass too

MIKEKC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120963100#Comment_120963100

74 here with two new knees so need to watch myself.

Aly Daly

I am looking for a bit of advice as a hobby beef farmer,I normally only keep friesans but there is a big tall Blonde bullock (approx 720kg) who will be 30mths on September 5th.I don't intend to sell the friesan bullocks until oct/Nov,would I lose much letting him go over 30 months to stay with the others.He is on very good grass but has had no meal as yet,I intend to start feeding everything this weekend,the farm is QA.Thank you in advance.

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120967605#Comment_120967605

If he has not got fat cover on him I be holding him. If he has fact cover hang him under the thirty months.

Dickie10

are there many non suckler beef farmers on this forum? like beef farmers that dont calve cows? it kind of puts me off all the beef open days like Grange etc, they seem to be dominated by talk about sucklers cows, bulls and breeding and very little on systems like buying in weanlings and yearlings to finsh systems. anytime you ask questions on it the advisors sound like their bluffing a lot? is it more economics and business more than science and thus they get a bit stuck for answers?

epfff

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120967605#Comment_120967605

Very little.

In theory your QA will drop from 20 to 8 cent so you lose 12 cent.

From my experience of blonde cattle they are slow to flesh. You description of 'big tall' would suggest he is true to his breading and will take feeding to hit 2+ or better fat score so you need to feed on.

After feeding he should grade better and ko better so you have chance of getting some of your loss back.

Dunedin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120967605#Comment_120967605

 Steers and heifers aged 30 to 36 months grading will attract a payment of 8c/kg provided all the in-spec criteria (above) are met so basically You’ll lose 12 cent.

but if he’s not fit then you’re better off keeping him and feeding him on.

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120967662#Comment_120967662

Good few on here that have different beef system from calf to store to beef.

Problem with Teagasc and most other beef advisors they are all calf to beef systems and most are high cost systems on fairly good quality or better land.

They are generally pushing high output systems involving finishing under 24 months. With the drop in quality in dairy bred cattle they tend to not realise the implications of it.

As well the amount of lads that do. Alf to beef are few enough. It's mostly calf to store or store to beef systems.

Costs are the killer in farming systems. It's often not possible to recover any margin( actually many high costs system reduce profitability) from higher costs and these system.often involve a serious workload. For instance in the demo farms they often bring cattle I to the yard to feed them them during the finishing period off grass every day to feed ration.

That is hugely time consuming as you have to wait for them to finish before hunting them back out again.

This forum is pretty good different lads doing different systems. Ask away any questions and we will see if we can answer them.

charolais0153

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120967662#Comment_120967662

https://www.teagasc.ie/media/website/publications/2015/Beef-Production-System-Guidelines.pdf

what more can teagasc do, everything they could possibly give you regarding , grassland management,animal husbandry is available for free . in grange newford or any of them places, all the cattle are slaughtered, so a weanling or yearling to finish system happens just after the cattle are weaned

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120967605#Comment_120967605

I always think its a mugs game trying to finish Friesian after September. You need really dry weather to have any chance. If they are heavy they need 5+kgs of nuts and probably access to silage as well.

I try to have most finished by end of September. Actually I slaughter the vast majority under 30 months most at an O- grade.

A Friesian Bullock will only break even at best from September on IMO. If you slaughtered Friesians over the last 4 weeks at an average of O-grading you got 4.5-4.7/kg. By now the vast majority are gone over 30 months unless they grade O= you are looking at a price (assuming they drop the base another 20-30c at a price of 4-4.15/ kg for O- grading Friesians

I have killed 27 friesians mostly under 30 months since mid May they have averaged above 1583 euro along with 3 over 36 month animals that averaged 1780. The underage ones would need need to hang 385 kgs to make that in October/ November at a 4.1 base They have averaged about 70/ head in ration costs. Across the lot they have averaged about 340 kgs DW

Aly Daly

Thanks for the advice, I will hang on to him,this is an excellent forum.

Aly Daly

You certainly have the figures down to a tee i will try & digest them further,I buy forward stores in Jan/Feb 25mths approx,I factory them mid October normally, about this time of year I start to feed 3kg & further into the Autumn 6kg.I have them close to the yard & I will put them in the shed on hay on really miserably wet days, I am on dry ground. I often have d/w of 440kg approx kilos @o=/3+.I try to buy British friesans around the 500kg mark.I am not making any sort of money but I love having them around the place.I will take a picture of a few of them if you would be interested to see them,they are starting too look like fine fellas & the nuts will improve them further obviously,I am sure my system is flawed in a lot of ways but they are certainly well looked after.

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120967989#Comment_120967989

That is great weight off grass and you obviously have a good eye buying them. If you are buying them for summer grazing system you probably need to keep them as long as possible. Getting them I to the yard is handy to feed for last 6-8 weeks is handy as well.

You probably graze out the complete farm. In October/ November and cannot get to grass until mid April. If you hand is decent the only change I would make is close some area from early October on so you can get out to gras earlier

Aly Daly

I have a paddock system &

20230812_114132.jpg

20230812_114118.jpg

20230812_114103.jpg

to explain it when they leave a paddock they wouldn't be back on it for a month maybe 5 to 6 weeks in strong growing period.It is topped & fert only if necessary.Here are pictures of the Blonde(29mth),a bw that I like[27mth) & in my opinion a good friesan(29mth).

StevenToast

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120968770#Comment_120968770

Lots of potential to pile on weight....nice stock...

Siamsa Sessions

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120968867#Comment_120968867

It’s around the rump and along the short ribs that they put down flesh to finish, is it?

(I’m trying teach myself about finishing and fat scores)

Aly Daly

What I notice here with very heavy factory fit cattle is:

Hip pins fleshy,fistful of fat over the ribs,big dewlap,fat in the scrotum.