Beef price tracker 2

DBK1 · 11-06-2022 06:06PM

If I remember right Funkey I think you were on here a few weeks back talking about having no fert out and cattle still in the shed in the middle of May waiting for a grass bank to build up? I don’t mean to be harsh but that’s your issue.

Cattle go stale in the shed when they’re in it for too long and just stop thriving. Light stock like that should be out 2 months already by mid May and they’d have been 30 - 40kgs heavier than they were by keeping them in the shed.

Also the quality of silage they’re getting during the winter plays a big role in thrive. Again I apologise if I’m coming across as harsh but if you still didn’t have fert out on silage ground at that stage in the middle of May then I’m afraid the silage is never going to be good quality either.

Have you your first cut done yet? If so get 60-70 units of nitrogen on it ASAP and get a top quality second cut around the 15th - 20th of July. Feed that to your young stock next winter and have them out of the shed by Paddy’s day, then you’ll see a big difference.

White Clover · 11-06-2022 06:13PM

I’ve been doing heifer beef now for a good few years. Usually yearling to beef but occasionally calves bought in August and carried through.

The quality of the grazing and Silage is key. First Silage usually cut around May 10th. I’ll be frowned on for this, but I have been known to house Calves on 1st September. I can’t ever seem to get them to thrive on wet autumn grass and drawing meal to troughs with a foot of scutter around them isn’t for me.

A kg/day of weight gain is possible on good silage and 1kg of a good quality nut, usually a 20% protein one. Try to have overall diet at 15 or 16% protein.

Cut out the meal 3 weeks before turnout and keep grass under them for the summer.

My advice is don’t lose faith. Make a few changes and see how you get on.

Duke92 · 11-06-2022 07:52PM

Its not great you probably would have done better with fr or angus

there’s a few blues that are bringing very handy calves you’d be aswell off with angus and there’s a export market for them to aubrac are a bit handy to and don’t sell as well as the angus

mr.stonewall · 11-06-2022 09:04PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119189763#Comment_119189763

Very long time to have this type of stock in. They are light on ground and are the first out of the shed. Spring grass beats the best silage and meal.

Grass grows grass. Having a plan for closing up at the back end of the year, will mean you have grass for the spring. On very heavy ground here and it's all about being flexible at the start and end of the year grazing. Smaller groups and back fencing. My yearlings were housed twice this spring due to weather, but so be it, they grazed for 2 weeks at the end of Jan. Spent most of Feb in the shed, went back out at the end of Feb, but came in for 4 days around march 10th.

Getting this type of stock to graze silage ground next spring will make a massive difference to the quality of silage you have. And it focuses you on getting them out early. Forget about a bulk cut and look to make 2 good quality cuts. You are making bales so this will be easier. If you have Suckler cows and need a heap of average 1 cut silage for those hungry cows, pick 1 or 2 fields and focus this on making good grassy silage for your weanlings. Leaf not stem. I have the pit silage in now 2 weeks, bales that were made 4 weeks ago and the mower is ready for tomorrow to knock a heap of hay, (fingers crossed on this one). This will give 3 different grades of fodder for the winter. Pit and hay for the cows, bales and pit for yearlings. Pit for stores

Beef farming is a very simple game. Put as much weight on a cheap and quick as you can.

Small changes that are easy to do and try are worthwhile doing. Dont ever be afraid of getting it wrong. We all get stuff wrong everyday, but looking to improve and putting these into action will yeild results.

3 Easy changes I would highly recommend.

Less wintering time for these stock/Early spring grass

Making a small amount of high quality silage for this group of stock

Test your silage. Protein content is often overlooked.

mr.stonewall · 11-06-2022 09:07PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119189894#Comment_119189894

Aubrac are a good option if you plan to finish them

mr.stonewall · 11-06-2022 10:01PM

Back to the key point of this thread. Any one have quoted stock namely a flat price for AA.

Bass Reeves · 11-06-2022 10:13PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119189752#Comment_119189752

Never a fan of pour one's especially for fluke. Much prefer to deliver a dose with a needle. A kg of ration is not delivering enough minerals during the winter.

You need to shorten your winter young. Stock shod be out by April 1st at the latest and I would be trying for early March. It's a matter of closing 5-10 acres in Early mid October and no matter how much grass is on it in December do not graze it. Do not worry if the tip go yellow, do not worry.

The ground you graze in March close it for silage. 2k gallons of slurry and 70 units of N and cut and bale around the 20 th of May. Make good dry silage.

DBK1 · 11-06-2022 10:48PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119189796#Comment_119189796

Have you some stock still in sheds?

The next fine day that comes get your silage knocked. Contact your contractor now and book him, every day past the end of May that you delay cutting is costing you in either money or thrive next winter. You’re far better off with a lighter quality cut than a heavy stemmy cut with about as much feed value as woodchip.

DBK1 · 11-06-2022 10:53PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119189902#Comment_119189902

Excellent advice there for you @funkey_monkey . You won’t go too far wrong if you can follow that and you won’t believe the difference in your stock.

I have to reiterate stonewall’s point about the protein too. For young stock this is far more important than dmd and dm that most lads concentrate on. Cutting young leafy grass and leaving it on the ground for no more than 36 hours is the secret to keeping the protein up. A short fast wilt on leafy grass.

Good loser · 12-06-2022 01:29AM

I take in about 60 calves per annum for many years - bulls and heifers. Half are Fr bulls. Got a few BB from time to time and they were ALWAYS very poor for weight gains. And hard to put fat on.

mr.stonewall · 13-06-2022 11:22AM

I wonder is this story only the tip of the needle for the factories. If it is the kill numbers are going to plummet. Just shows the problem with labour everywhere in the economy

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/gardai-target-south-american-gang-after-raid-finds-significant-number-of-illegal-immigrants-working-in-meath-factory-41742640.html

Bass Reeves · 13-06-2022 12:22PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119195413#Comment_119195413

What factories are there in Meath as a matter of interest. Ashbourne meats is one, Clonee is another is there any other. As well remember it could be Pork, lamb or Chicken as well

mr.stonewall · 13-06-2022 12:58PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119195698#Comment_119195698

Dawn in slane, duleek and traditional meat

Bass Reeves · 13-06-2022 01:50PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119195892#Comment_119195892

Ya that is a fair few of them. Most of the bigger plants do it by the books. I would say they would be carrying out all the checks properly

148multi · 13-06-2022 02:22PM

Have been aware of this behaviour for years, how the factories were able to get away with it.

Bass Reeves · 14-06-2022 04:56PM

I was just doing the sums on that Simmental bullock in Gorthnalea LL as Friday. He was 1310 kgs and made 3790

https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/simmental-bullock-makes-e3790-at-gortatlea/

Assuming he lost 120 kgs in body weight going to the mart and killed 56% he would have gone Ng about 800DW. That gives him a DW price of about 475/kg. Would he have made more in the factory

kk.man · 14-06-2022 05:31PM

That bullock could tell a few stories with the age of him!

Carcass would be hitting off the floor...he be the last one killed on final day on earth.

14-06-2022 07:55PM

That bullock was down for 3 weeks last winter, he hurt his leg and couldn't get up. He made some recovery.

cute geoge · 14-06-2022 10:18PM

The bullock adg was just over 0.5kg ,which is not bad .What sort of cattle keep growing like that ,would there be holstein in the dam .I presume it was just one owner for most of the bullocks life ,the people that keep cattle so long must be characters themselves

dzer2 · 14-06-2022 11:03PM

Waiting here in Holyhead to book in for the ferry. Jesus some amount of empty refrigerated trailers being dropped back.

Grueller · 14-06-2022 11:16PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119204187#Comment_119204187

That man is a wexford man but right on the border I'll have you know. On bad order this couple of years so I think those cattle may not appear any more. He used to call them the calves.

Albert Johnson · 14-06-2022 11:24PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119204187#Comment_119204187

The like of then would be worth rounding up atm. There's generally a backstory to all those type of stock. I got the job of reducing down a herd for a neighbour in bad health after Xmas. There was a 2013 born bullock on it so you'd wonder what does be going through lad's heads at times.

On the subject of characters I was driving along a road not that far away from home one day and happened to see a cow bulling in an adjacent field. A bit further down the road her owner (typical elderly bachelor type) was out painting the wall infront of his dwelling house. I stopped for a quick chat and mentioned the cow incase he'd missed her (he had only a small herd and relied solely on A.I.). Once I described which one it was he thanked me but told me that cow was rearing a calf and it was very severe on a cow to rear a calf every year. He only served them every second year to alleviate the pressure of motherhood on them. I agreed with him and drove off, every man has there own ways of working.

kk.man · 15-06-2022 01:47PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119204313#Comment_119204313

We could give out all we want (as you said agree with them)....these people are few and far between now...all gone around here now.

Danzy · 15-06-2022 01:59PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119206429#Comment_119206429

Wasn't it grand to be able to do it like that and survive.

Bass Reeves · 15-06-2022 08:13PM

Neighbour was at a factory today with a few heifers and cows. He said the amount of cull cow at the plant was 50-60% of the kill today. He was looking over the gate and he taught most were straight from the parlour. A truck was unloading some while he was there. Again all under finished culls from 400-650 kgs.

He said there will be no glut of cull cows in August and September. He saw two heifers that were FS1 and would only kill 220ish kgs most bones.