Calf to beef thread

Beef at 7 euros and dairy farmers are the greedy ones for wanting to be rewarded for providing the calf. LOL

@tractorporn that is exactly it and with beef heading for €7 a kg the more kgs an animal can carry the more it can cover its cost.

I have been saying it on here for ages any animal killing out less that 300Kgs dw doesn't pay. It's even more evident now with the higher price for beef.

@Bass Reeves you are skewing them prices to suit your narrative slightly. If we take current bass pice as €6.50 plus 20 cent AA bonus the the AAx heifer would come into around €1,900. Grading O+3

Say the ch heifer grades the same & kills the 330 kgs then she will come into over €2,170 and an R- would be worth another €70, where as if the AA is an O= which is possible then you could be looking at a difference of near €300. €6k on 20 animals and if its bullocks you would looking at an even bigger difference.

Why dont you breed your own and stay up with them at night. We are lucky to have export demand.

No I am not. Tomorrow's FI is saying 7 flat a kg for AA, 6.5 is the base they are quoting available. The FP for AA has been about 40-50c/ kg above the base. If you have numbers of AA you get a FP. Even the local procurement manager started to pay it. A lad got 6.6/ kg flat about 10 days ago for AA he was giving a base of 6.15 to locals

Generally a CH off a FR will not grade R before 350DW. I was grading them O+,I have seen them sort of cattle as bullocks grade O=. You will have to pour a lot of ration into them. You will probably have to house 15-20 days earlier than an AA heifer.

The AA heifer has also the advantage of the possibility of slaughter off grass at 18 months abiet at a lower carcasse weight. The CH will kill at a heavier weight but will be in the system longer and cost more to finish. Just because you get a bigger cheque is not necessarily making an animal more profitable.

@Bass Reeves I see the Farmers Journal is quoting 7.10 flat being paid. At the minute all prices are up in the air and just seem to be on an upwards trend & long may it last.

If you are killing AA heifers at 18 months chances are you aren't hitting 250kgs.

The other problem with AAx cattle at the minute is they are more likely from Frx or jex cows, so you are into a small frame, that will neither carry weight or grade decent. Beef is a weights game, the more you can produce & the quicker you can get it on the better at the minute.

Looking at Carnaross today your average AAx calf was mid €200's the good 1 that will tick all boxes was mid €300.. you would be better off giving the extra €100.

I agree there is profit to be made in most animals if bought right. I know from experience it easier to spot the more profitable animal if you are buying them as stores than as calves.

I would suggest that basing profit projections on current prices when buying anything that wouldn't be killed before year end is a little risky. At present as you say some factories are giving extra bonuses for certain types of stock and to get these bonuses the reality is for factory fit animals you may be better off show them in the mart at the minute.

However if you take the normal pricing structure where AAs get a 20 bonus then the Ch heifer is the more profitable animal.

I wasent moaning I was pointing out the facts. Of course you are happy but will the farmer who bought your calves be happy in 30 months time.Not unless beef stays at, at least e7 per kg.

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I he bought them for a fiver some of them probably never made it to 30 months, I understand your point but cant understand why people cant hold their cool. All those calves will be sold

If beef farmers dont want our calves nobody if forcing them. Thank goodness for exports.

Going to be an issue this year as a there is some amount of dairy herds down. Would be interesting to see the number or % the dairy herd locked up

That's a frightening stat

6% of herd's locked up countrywide, no breakdown on wether beef or dairy