Big heifer sale

squinn2912

Well lads are any of you watching the big heifer sale? Running into nearly £4K for monsters at 750 kgs gonna calve in June & July. No dob coming up. I think it’s insanity. Or a fix.

jfh

squinn2912 wrote: »

Well lads are any of you watching the big heifer sale? Running into nearly £4K for monsters at 750 kgs gonna calve in June & July. No dob coming up. I think it’s insanity. Or a fix.

Where is this from?

Finty Lemon

A Ponzi job.

Pay no attention and get yourself a few nice black and white bull calves instead.

Albert Johnson

squinn2912 wrote: »

Well lads are any of you watching the big heifer sale? Running into nearly £4K for monsters at 750 kgs gonna calve in June & July. No dob coming up. I think it’s insanity. Or a fix.

I watched it for a few minutes and the average seemed to be around £3000 although this was only across the roughly 15 lots I observed. It's a serious outlay for a heifer that's not calving until next summer/autumn and it will take another couple of hundred to run her from now until then, your looking at the best part of 18 months before you have a weanling to work with.

I think the covid lockdowns are in part the reason that good quality suckler's are a flying trade all backend despite the beef trade being average at best. There's a large proportion of the population who have been unable to spend there (considerable) disposable income due to the lockdown and its effects. There's no foreign holiday's, no night's out, large weddings, dirty weekend's etc and the money saved is burning a hole in people's pockets. By and large the people I see with super quality show type stock aren't relying on them for there primary income and farm as a lifestyle choice as opposed to necessity.

It's the same with many other sectors that included a recreational or hobbyist contingent. Horse's and dog's are getting dearer by the day, I'm told that demand for caravans and camper-vans is far outweighing supply atm and has done since the spring. The better half was looking to source a few more purebred texel in lamb ewes and there hundreds a head dearer than this time last year. In conclusion there's a proportion of society with cash in hand and a much reduced means to spend it. Some of them are farmer's at least in name and there more than prepared to splash the cash ringside simply because they can. Take a look back at Martin O'Connor's sale or Walter Brennans amongst others, it's being going on all backend.

patsy_mccabe

Where?

Albert Johnson

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

Where?

The Jalex heifer sale on marteye for James Alexander. I think it’s over now but I'd imagine that you could watch the sale or at least the highlights on the marteye Facebook page.

I see the top so far is £9000, that beats even O'Connors record. It's some outcome for what I think is there first sale? I know nothing about there setup but they seem to do everything very well and professionally. Will we see the first suckler heifer to cross €10,000 in the south this year?

charlesanto

Sale Video Here

tanko

Anyone know which lot number made the £9K?

Albert Johnson

tanko wrote: »

Anyone know which lot number made the £9K?

55 I think.

squinn2912

tanko wrote: »

Anyone know which lot number made the £9K?

It was the red heifer she’s a bought one from
Perth I think

funkey_monkey

tanko wrote: »

Anyone know which lot number made the £9K?

If your go on to the marteye Facebook page they have a video of that sale and a few others too.

SuperTortoise

Were these pedigree? and what breeds?

bogman_bass

SuperTortoise wrote: »

Were these pedigree? and what breeds?

No these are crossbred yokes

tanko

SuperTortoise wrote: »

Were these pedigree? and what breeds?

Commercials, mostly Blue and Lim crosses and some Sim crosses. Big heavy well muscled heifers.

funkey_monkey

SuperTortoise wrote: »

Were these pedigree? and what breeds?

Catalogue here: https://www.jalexlivestock.com/jalex-select-2nd-january

All good shapes, but would be far too heavy for our ground.

SuperTortoise

Anyone know what the bull made, lot 56?

Who2

Its great to see these high prices for quality stock, but as was mentioned its very like a ponzi scheme. In two years time after a few c sections a few lacking milk and a couple of lost calves there wont be as many lads there to buy these sort of stock. There will be a couple of lads will make a turn but the majority will get a roasting and when they don't get the margin back on those weanlings they wont be back for more.

tanko

SuperTortoise wrote: »

Anyone know what the bull made, lot 56?

£4250 i think.

richie123

So you give 3 grand for a heifer she calves in June and in two half years time you'll expect at least 3 grand or more for that heifer or bull again ?? something not adding up here..

squinn2912

tanko wrote: »

£4250 i think.

Yea that was his price. He wasn’t cheap but it was something round about the value. I agree with Who2 but this man is selling these big 700kg plus heifers a long while now just this is the first ring sale from home. I’d say a lot of them girls will be candidates for a section their meal would want to be reduced now. It was never a good idea to buy a heifer, beef or dairy, so far away from calving with no idea how she might milk.

funkey_monkey

Feeding too much meal to heifers is a bad idea as it can increase udder fat which in turn reduces milk quantity.
Silage and minerals is the most of what is needed. Some might need a bit of meal to keep the condition.

Hershall

In fairness to jalex they give serious money for top quality weanling and store heifers around the country. Good to see them getting on well the breeders will do well again!!!

charolais0153

Albert Johnson wrote: »

The Jalex heifer sale on marteye for James Alexander. I think it’s over now but I'd imagine that you could watch the sale or at least the highlights on the marteye Facebook page.

I see the top so far is £9000, that beats even O'Connors record. It's some outcome for what I think is there first sale? I know nothing about there setup but they seem to do everything very well and professionally. Will we see the first suckler heifer to cross €10,000 in the south this year?

A weanling heifer made 10000 in carrick fair 2019

Albert Johnson

charolais0153 wrote: »

A weanling heifer made 10000 in carrick fair 2019

I was at the fair last year but the cold and hunger got the better of me and I was across the road enjoying a supermacs when that heifer was sold. There's a good few high profile herds now at the springer game and the bar has been lifted greatly in the last 12 months in terms of prices and quality. Martin O'Connor is seen as the main man but James Alexander topped them all yesterday. When the agri shows get to take place again and the prize money is put back in circulation will it drive demand for top quality stock even higher I wonder?

Who2

Albert Johnson wrote: »

I was at the fair last year but the cold and hunger got the better of me and I was across the road enjoying a supermacs when that heifer was sold. There's a good few high profile herds now at the springer game and the bar has been lifted greatly in the last 12 months in terms of prices and quality. Martin O'Connor is seen as the main man but James Alexander topped them all yesterday. When the agri shows get to take place again and the prize money is put back in circulation will it drive demand for top quality stock even higher I wonder?

I doubt it will, most don’t realise the work involved in showing. Genetics and breeding are a long term game and while there’s a better chance of breeding high priced cattle with these heifers it’s a long haul with a lot of unseen work involved. I’d say at least 50% of the heifers sold yesterday will end up being run with the old mans stock bull and while a good few will be kept separate on two foot of straw for a couple of weeks the novelty will wear off fairly quick.

charolais0153

Albert Johnson wrote: »

I was at the fair last year but the cold and hunger got the better of me and I was across the road enjoying a supermacs when that heifer was sold. There's a good few high profile herds now at the springer game and the bar has been lifted greatly in the last 12 months in terms of prices and quality. Martin O'Connor is seen as the main man but James Alexander topped them all yesterday. When the agri shows get to take place again and the prize money is put back in circulation will it drive demand for top quality stock even higher I wonder?

Prize money doesn’t matter a jot