As you say, poor enough prices there. It’s a pity that they don’t state the animals age as it would give a better idea of the type of animal and perhaps their potential going forward.
Considering the uncertainty on what way the prices will be from the processors in the weeks and months ahead I am not surprised. I was going to buy some Angus and w/h runners at 170kgs ish to make up a pen this winter. I think I'll buy a few handy stores instead at those prices.
Haven't seen much in the IFJ recently about their Thrive demo farm.
It's those dairy-x cattle that were selling poorest today in Dungarvan. Some were poorly done and you can have no complaints then, but they seem to be setting the tone and even decent dairy-x ones were struggling to make what I'd consider break-even price.
What are the likes of them handy runners making at present?
I was trying to pick up a few stores over the last few weeks and like you touched on in your latest video @Siamsa Sessions grass has taken off and I reckon lads are looking at taking advantage and the prices are stronger than the beef price suggests they should be
I was asked €460 from a lad Friday for white heads heifers 150 to 170kgs ish. Said I'd think about it.
Too much in my eyes anyway. I’d value them at €350ish at present whether I am right or wrong I don’t know.
I'd agree it's too much for handy cattle when you see what can be bought at circa €600 in similar stock. I saw an average type WH heifer today 200kg @€400. I'd be thinking you're valuation of €350 would be nearer the mark.
I'd be of the same view based on current factory prices. Carrying an animal for 2 winters is costly.
The lad selling them at that has a sore hole and the fellow buying might as well.
I can never understand fellas selling those sort of stock when they've carried them this far. You've a lot of the hard work and expense over as regards rearing them. It won't cost the earth to winter them and if you could get them back to grass early next spring then they'd be fair sorts next summer. Then you would either have a store to sell that should come into a lump of money or something that could finish off grass the following summer. You'd have to sell a world of those small things to gross €10k and you've most of the heavy lifting done for someone else.
Very true. I suppose keeping them does not suit these people's system. There still seems to be a lot of people buying stock for summer grazing from the length of time cattle are in peoples herds from watching online sales in the last few days. I'd say the majority of these cattle will leave farms this autumn at a loss unless the trade improved significantly. Handy white heads were making €3/kg and more last spring. How quickly things change in the farming game. A wise man once said to me when I was starting out, leave the fancy animals to the gamblers as they will have more to lose if the the trade goes bang.
Can never understand it either. Talking to a neighbour last year, he was going selling nice Friesian bullocks 450 kgs. When I asked him why he would not finish them he mumbled on about too long waiting for your money.
It's a one off hit after adjusting your system to it you then have your money every year. There is some hape of money paid to hauliers and marts every year to move cattle around for very little reason.
The lads selling those AA bullocks and heifers are stupid. Most of the heavier ones could have been hung with 6-8 weeks feeding and they be making 4.8/ kg. Some of the heavier one are gone for slaughter anyway by the look of the prices
Lot of people from late last year as well.
Well it it's crazy to sell to those prices then the opposite applies - it makes sense to buy them.
Beef is so tight it's crazy to be involved in it at any point.
The problem with buying heavier stores is that you are competing against feedlots. These feedlots are buying there feed 50+ euro/ ton cheaper than you are. They can handle straights and by-products which may reduce there costs by another 30-50/ ton. On top of that they are getting 20-30c/ kg more than the average winter finishers.
I am adapting my system again. I have dropped the number slaughtered by 10% this allow the earlier purchase of stores, which should allow a greater number hung before August.
Completely, regardless of animal age or type.
Correlation does not equal causation.
Just because whoever is selling them is loosing his shirt doesn't mean you're backing a winner either. Tbh if the OP could buy those runners at €420-€430 I'd still consider them no value to either buyer or seller. The man that reared them is at nothing given the price of his inputs and the buyer is at risk of giving it all for them the first day and pricing himself out of getting a twist in them down the road.
There's a lot of beef stock who leave very little to anyone along the line at least this side of the factory lairage. There's too little profit involved at any stage and it's basically rearranging the deck chairs on the titanic in a lot of cases. Bar you totally fleece someone there's not much scope for a twist and fools aren't that plentiful either. We're all competing against each other when buying stock and yet have to sell to a few buyer's in the end on there term's.
🤣🤣
Now isn't that a dose of reality right there.
Thought I’d get rid to the factory this week with a load. Weighed them yesterday very disappointing results, the lack of heat and constant rain has really hit thrive. I’m fcuked if letting them go now. Another month of feeding to get any sort of return. At least 60kgs from finishing weight.
Cattle are doing OK here but the calves badly need a bit of sun on their back.
Apart from a few weeks in Feb and June, it’s been raining pretty much since October last year.
Yeah last two months have been a curse weather wise.
With 1 in 4 cattle now being killed from feedlots, has anyone changed their approach with finishing. I've a neighbour here who sells cattle in the mart in March after some feeding. He says the feedlots want them with some finishing already done. He says it has worked well for him the last few years. These would be HE x Fr bollocks circa 24 months.
26pc of cattle killed this year were from ‘feedlots’ | Independent.ie
Cattle within a month to 6 weeks from finishing are doing a lot better in the shed than they are on watery grass I find
Silage and same amount of meal. I’ve never finished cattle out of a shed? What’s involved might be best practice to get me out.
Ideally 10kgs meal...min 7kgs . Ad lib Sigage & som Hay / Straw as well if available
They want yo be doing better costs go from 1.5/ day to nearly 5/day. To feed cattle I side you need a rising price to cover costs. Finished cattle last year at the end of the year inside. It was just not worth it.
With watery grass soya hulls and cereals
Better to have them inside for 4 weeks on 10kgs and they gaining weight than outside on 5 kgs and it running through them. Th eextra few bob it costs isnt going to break the bank and it will finish them quicker...
Those are the same cattle that will kill the beef price and in turn subdue the mart trade down the line. Better for the collective if farmers stayed away from the mart with their heavy stock.
