Beef price tracker 2

Ch bull 500kg will make €2700 plainer limo at 400kg €2150.

Had some in that load last week that made closer to €2800 and some closer to €2000. All on the farm the same length of time and all ate the same amount of meal and silage over the winter.

The better bulls left a greater margin than the plainer lads.

Thanks for the explanation. One of the reasons I had asked is I had seen a number of my weanlings I had sold in october killed in the last month or two and went into good carcass weights/grades. These would be chx out of my bull. I had one lmx bull out of ZAG in the group who I thought was a very nice calf but went 300e less in the mart than the chx. Not killed yet either.Your explanation above gives some evidence why.

Processors acting the maggot again.

BIL has 30 odd aa and he being put off for 3 weeks now. I know of 2 lads with over 120 cattle between them can't get them killed.

Supplies are tightening so shop around. And likely to remain tight to end of June before grass cattle appear.

Processors might be trying to manage it from feedlots but I wouldnt stress. All signs are for upwards/stable prices

Tbh I didn't ask but I'll find out

Yep, time and time again. When prices are rising lads don’t want to move for fear of selling cheap (understandably). When prices drop lads run.

the father told me a story years ago where him and the locals were getting say €5.95, but were hanging on for 5 cents to make it €6 euro a kg. They sold them in the end for say €5.50. We are at the mercy of the factories unfortunately. I heard of one agent around here tell a good customer that he thinks cattle will just hold their price but not rise

So what's the reason?

Was up in the big smoke last weekend and out with friends for dinner in a nice restaurant,there was a €15 euro supplement on a Steak!…….still had it to support the farmers🙂

Have noticed in local restaurant which does a great trade for Sunday lunches that roast beef has gone off the menu,replaced by a chicken dish.

So while farmers might be getting a better price for stock at the moment it’s translating into what’s happening in restaurants too.

The meat in the average burger is about 70 cents max to the farmer. And in any pub that’s 15 quid and more.

farmer paid the same 70 cents for the meat for the roast sirloin that 15 plus on a Sunday.

a year ago the meat would have cost them 55 cents to the farmer.

(Back of napkin calculation but blamin the farmer margin for restaurants is madness).

avreturantMost restaurant type burgers are are in the 6-8 ounce category rather than a 1/4 pounder. The farmer wound probably be reviving around the euro mark. The beef in a roast dinner by most restaurants would be similar it more than likely round than sirloin unless it's cow beef.

However it the supplement for a steak that is really wide of the mark. In most supermarket you will buy top quality ( signature brands, AA or HE) steaks for 9-11 euro for two of them. In reality steaks are costing a restaurant about 4-7 max ( fillet for the higher price) but they charge 30+++ for steaks.

Restaurant main problem is the rents they pay as well as energy costs. Even take away from branded stores( McDonald's, Supermac's, Burger King etc are charging 10+ for a meal deal. For decades low food prices allowed them excessive margins and allowed all other businesses to get a decent margin except a farmer.

You can go into any supermarket and buy two premium brand steaks for 10 euro, 2-3 trays of prepared sides( garlic/roast potatoes, roast veg, battered chips, onion rings etc 2.5-3 euro/ tray take them home make a bit of mash and pepper sauce.

Total cost for 4+ adults ( 4 steaks, 3 trays of prepared side dishes a few potatoes and a bit of sauce) for about 8 euro/ person. Add to that the bottle of wine about 10-12 euro( 30+ in a restaurant) and a few craft beers at 2 euro each.

You can buy trays of started 4-6 euro each( enough for 2-3 people and a cake for 10-15 euro. Total cost sub 25/ head. I. Reality now most people eating out ate skipping either desert or a starter ( possibly both) and will generally only get a glass of wine now.

A meal described as above would set you back 70-100/ head in a restaurant

It getting that way with many pubs. A pub about 4-5 miles away closes after last food is served at 9.30-10pm ish. Heard a story that it was closed 8.30 Tuesday of last week. They had virtually nobody for food that evening and closed after last customer left a little after 8 pm.

They have lost all there bar trade. It got to the stage if you ate going for a meal and few drinks you do not go there.

It's all very well to have that attitude but it will effect your business long-term. Heard of another fairly expensive restaurant that only gives you two ish hours at the table. Recently a few people out wanted to order another drink and we're told they would have to go into the bar next store.

Many pubs serving meals are buying starters and deserts that are prepared outside the premises by entities like Sysco Ireland ( formerly Pallas foods). The other crack is charging a service fee for tables of over 6 people.

Basically they have made business errors and they need too high a margin to survive. It was similar during the Celtic Tiger.

mine are out 8 weeks and I will only start this weeks or next. even at that I had 24 out that ong and we will only feed 19 of what is out. will probablly add back in the 5& 3-5 more in 4-5 weeks time or start a second bunch. A lot depends on there weigh and condition. I really need to get my scales back working.

What age and breed are they. If continental cattle I’d be letting them at grass only till about first week of June and then start feeding them for 6-7 weeks and killing under 30 months at end of July.

I’m a firm believer in letting cattle age before killing. I leave my cattle right up 29.5 months and would only start feeding 7 weeks before. . Younger cattle don’t kill out as well. Not to mention the cheap weight gain on grass over the summer months. Margins are tight in beef so you need to make every pound a prisoner.

But I’m not the expert on friesian so will leave it to the resident expert Bass to answer

Unless you are gone in early June with them and hold towards end of August. Last few years August has been as high as mid late June.

Good quality U grading Continental killed too early often have a habit of grading back as R=/+ and often can be FS 2-/=. Carried for 8-12 weeks longer on good summer grass and a bit of ration for eight weeks you have a bullock capable if pulling down the scales and U grading.

I always pick through my Friesian's and try to pick out ones that have developed enough so that when I start to feed they will grade O=/- and be FS3.

I like to start moving on a bunch in mid late June. If I can squeeze out 6-8 in late May I will. If they are P ish type cattle unless they have weight on them I will let them there.

As I am finishing up in 60 cattle off grass during the summer There is only so many I can feed especially early on the year. I run my cattle as two bunches stores( on grass) and finishing bunch.

I have cattle out since then as well and will not start to feed any of them until June. First off I have a bunch out since mid February and I am feeding them, Secondly cattle out 4-5 weeks are only starting to move they will need another 4 weeks before they are really start get weight and fat cover.

If you are in an area where you can get decent flat prices then ya if processors are short of cattle you may get them away at a decent flat prices but I would have to travel for a flat prices and that eats into any flat prices