Beef price tracker 2

MfMan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122634391#Comment_122634391

Deemed over 30 as far as I know. Had that once and didn't get the bonus, was told he had to be under when killed.

Dunedin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122634391#Comment_122634391

he’s officially over 30 months. However your agent should be able get him as in spec especially with cattle scarce.

I had two bullocks over 2 weeks over 30 months this year and got the full price on both. Now maybe it’s different for the breed bonus as I’m talking about the base price and QA bonus which I got for both.

Anto_Meath

Yes the calf was out of a straight Jersey you would cop it quick enough.. it the New Zealand Frx cows with the Jersey breeding that is then crossed to a AA bull that's hard to spot..…

Conversations 3

What's the price looking like this week?

148multi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122637920#Comment_122637920

You have to look out for speckled patch on belly or bag, but hard alright.

Anto_Meath

Mixed load going end of week, €4.80 for an R grade cow. €5.05 for bullocks & €5.10 for heifers on the grid. My agent said he doesn't see a movement either way over the coming few weeks.

Conversations 3

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122649098#Comment_122649098

Agent was texting me to see what I had left, so hopefully he'll be stuck for a load and I can negotiate a bit.

I says

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122649134#Comment_122649134

agent I’ve fallen out with offered 5.15 aax cross to get back in good books. **** him he had his chance

weatherbyfoxer

€5.50 flat on offer for angus heifers at the minute

jfh

I've heifers that will require a month of feeding, thinking I'd be better off housing those now, ground conditions are fine, but weather is looking very mixed, and I think they might be better off on silage, anyone else in the same boat?

148multi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122662415#Comment_122662415

Grass this time of the year is only fit for suckler cow or dry ewes

leoch

Heifers all in today silage and hi maize from now on

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122662765#Comment_122662765

Would not agree. Quality still there at present where I am anyway.

Farmer Dan

Last week was the best weeks weather in a long time, grass still 100% and recovering slowly after grazing. Ground getting a chance to soak the last 2 days after the rain on Thurs.

I wouldn't throw in the towel yet, they'll be in long enough yet.

Cavanjack

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122662765#Comment_122662765

I’d agree that Cattle will not finish on grass alone this time of year but with meal and grass they will still fatten away.
Any store or animal that is going back to grass next year is far better off outside. I’d hope to keep bought in weanlings out until mid December if I could.
I’ve strong bulls grazing away and they are flying with plenty of grass ahead of them.
Housing them too early leads to full tanks in January.

I says

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122662765#Comment_122662765

Ground that got slurry 5ish weeks ago is the best grass I’ve grown all year in this weather. Strip grazing it now, cattle thriving on it.

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122664246#Comment_122664246

Hate strip grazing

jfh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122662415#Comment_122662415

Just to clarify, these are heifers that will be finished in 6 weeks, just started mealing them. Anything that will be gone within the month is staying out, heavy rain today so I will be leaving them out another few days

leoch

Wat are u feeding and how much

weatherbyfoxer

Feeding a batch of 500kg angus heifers at grass here at the minute..Will kill them in 3 weeks off grass,their comrade bullocks will go in tomorrow to start on meal and silage,will feed these till the 1st or 2nd week of December and kill them then.Not too bothered feeding alot of strong cattle at grass,sooner put them in and leave the grass for younger stock.this time of year 2 nights rain can leave feeding meal to cattle out a mess and they will not thrive the sames as in a shed when they are out standing under bushes with wet backs and wet grass running through them

I says

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122664637#Comment_122664637

I hate watching them walk grass into the ground. Twas hard got this year so they’ll not waste it. Back to paddocks in the spring.

grass10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122664859#Comment_122664859

The main downside to killing your Angus heifers and steers this young is you'll get a very poor k o % compared to keeping them for an extra month or 2 you'll do better in the mart with them, definitely don't sell them on the grid

weatherbyfoxer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122665025#Comment_122665025

Will avrages 265kg carcass and offered 5.50 flat last week so should average €1450 each.No way they will make that in the mart

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122665025#Comment_122665025

If cattle have any sort of flesh on them the factory is nearly always the best option. Feedlots need to buy cattle at a discount to there factory value to turn a profit.

Neighbour killed HE heifers his own breeding a few weeks ago 5.30 flat@275kgs average making 1460 average. He have needed 2.7/kg in the mart at least to match it.

grass10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122665272#Comment_122665272

Your neighbour sold flat not on the grid big difference, with many winters the factories are constantly paying above kill value for many different breeds especially Angus but balance the books out with the lads going in the gate most of who can't compare live price to kill value, last winter I saw many examples of fat angus heifers less than 1 hour in marts making the equivalent of 6 euro per kg and on the same week grid reference was 5.10 those animals were easily 100 euro better in the mart

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122665436#Comment_122665436

They were all FS 3's and mainly O+'s with an odd O=&R. Agents do not give decent flat prices unless the cattle are in spec. Neighbour has good square cows

DBK1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122665436#Comment_122665436

You must be a factory agent grass10 because what you’re saying couldn’t be any further from the truth.

You are right about 1 thing, it’s lads that don’t know the value of their stock that are keeping the factory prices down, but for the opposite reason you say. It’s lads underselling finished or near finished cattle in the marts that keep a floor on factory prices and keep the agents and procurement managers smiling and in jobs.

The main issue is lads not understanding how to work out their percentages from live weight to dead weight while allowing for the weight loss you’ll get between yard and mart. It’s very very rare that a near finished animal makes more in the mart than they will in the factory.

How else do you think the lads buying in the marts and going straight to the factory are making a living? It’s not unusual to see finished stock making €100+ per head less than their factory value in the mart and that’s what keeps the factory prices down. Why would they need to put the price up when they can buy them cheap in marts.

locha

I’ve seen it both ways. Mainly you are better going to Factory but on occasion when factories are really holding the line on the base you can get better in the mart. Main thing is you need to know your weight and reasonable handle on fat score - then the factory for me is best.

Anto_Meath

I see in the local mart, it appears if the local factories are short numbers on a Monday for killing, good heavy cattle that are through the ring before 1 o clock can often make more than they would in the factory. Not much but maybe €50 - €100. The agents are buying them and they are in the factory by about half 2 and then killed. After 1 O' Clock they slip back in price. So over the course of the day it would blance out. If your cattle are fit to kill it pays better to kill them yourself..

grass10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122666549#Comment_122666549

Mart trade has changed a lot in the last 5 years nearly all finished or almost finished prime animals are bought now by factories, large private feedlots or northern buyers the days for all the cattle dealers/agents as some people call them buying finished cattle and killing themselves immediately are long gone the factories are pricing up the mart cattle to a level that the dealers cannot make a profit of course their is always cheap days at marts but the mart trade is actually stopping the factory price from dropping as lads have now a very viable alternative option for selling their cattle, the majority of Angus finished cattle are making more in marts than factories for approx 9 months ever year