Mart Price Tracker

Albert Johnson · 11-03-2026 03:39PM

My vote would be to sell in the coming weeks, it's anyone's guess what the trade will be like in the backend but it's very good for quality weanlings atm. I'm working off the assumption that you'd have enough cattle to graze without them and wouldn't be looking to buy something back in there place, if that was the case you'd be as well keeping what you have imo.

It's only a few weeks until the easter bankholiday and I'd be thinking about targeting somewhere with a sale on that day. There ideal farmer's sort of cattle to graze for the summer/7 month's retention period. There probably a bit on the light and young side for exporters but you never know. I think there'd be heaps of part-time lads about especially on the bankholiday that would be looking for similar sorts.

There 2 nice cattle and tbh I'd say if you showed them anywhere in the coming weeks you'd get the price of them. I'd rather be in you're position and showing them as opposed to buying them to graze for the summer. If you watch the price of those sort of young soft calves and take a look into the bullock ring at something a year older and a couple of hundred kg heavier there's only a few hundred in the difference price wise. It's not a very big jump for a year or 18 months feeding.

kk.man · 11-03-2026 07:06PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124304315#Comment_124304315

100% and with bluetongue and God knows, a bird in the hand and all that.

148multi · 11-03-2026 08:56PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124303906#Comment_124303906

How will you manage the cows for dry cow mastitis if you sell

Ladeeen · 12-03-2026 12:42PM

would usually keep the udders clean and regular application of Stockholm tar along with a pour on insecticide every couple weeks.

kk.man · 12-03-2026 02:41PM

Store cattle taking some battering in KK today easily back by 150 to 200e on this time last year.

morphy87 · 12-03-2026 03:01PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124306850#Comment_124306850

Yeah I thought that myself

DBK1 · 12-03-2026 03:15PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124306850#Comment_124306850

Same countrywide this week. Based on factory prices the stores will probably fall a bit more too.

Weanlings still a mad trade though when you see poorly done year old whiteheads not 200kgs and they making near €1,100.

Conversations 3 · 12-03-2026 03:54PM

A selection of lots I saw today in KK

50HX · 12-03-2026 05:33PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124307130#Comment_124307130

The HEX is good value

Conversations 3 · 12-03-2026 07:08PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124307340#Comment_124307340

I think he was a single.

I thought the 11 AUX were the best lot of the day, besides the fr/frx.

I should have included the amount in each lot.

limo_100 · 12-03-2026 08:46PM

and a bank holiday and all next week plays right into the factories hands. I told told today by a mart manager that the factories plan was to have beef back to 6.50 by paddy's day they have failed with that and then back to 6 when they can, I don't know who would give them cattle at present seems like we could be due a picket at the factory gates there's nearly going to be more money lost now than the last time there was a protest

kk.man · 12-03-2026 09:20PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124307825#Comment_124307825

Heard same. You are 💯 its time to think of another protest.

Those cattle @Conversations 3 didn't do justice to the true picture.

Conversations 3 · 12-03-2026 09:37PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124307891#Comment_124307891

Yea, it was only a select few I saw.

Suckler bred stock was flying it at usual.

kk.man · 12-03-2026 09:40PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124307919#Comment_124307919

I wouldn't say that either I saw sub 400 kg ch making 1600

morphy87 · 12-03-2026 11:10PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124307825#Comment_124307825

Well I was talking to an agent over the weekend, I don’t do any business with him but he said that there aim is or was depending, was for the base price to be €6.50 the end of march

suckler2025 · 12-03-2026 11:27PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124306850#Comment_124306850

I actually thought suckler bred cattle 10-14 months old (350-400kg) were a great trade today in Kilkenny. Readily making over €5/kg. I have a few to go myself in that bracket. It's between KK and Balinakill. Not much between them at present. 90 pens of bullocks in kilkenny today. That's the draw back. Cattle could be standing on concrete until 3-4 pm before heading to the ring you've lost €50-60 a head straight away.

Bass Reeves · 13-03-2026 12:07AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124307930#Comment_124307930

Ya all cattle are slipping back. Worst value are yearlings and then calves. Quality young sucklers just about holding but a serious gap in value from the to the average quality younger suckler. Saw a 200ish kg HEx make a bit over 1k, an 225 R/R+ CH bull make 1250ish and a Friesian heifer 200kgs make 400 euro. The Fr heifer was 12 months the CH about 8-9 months and the Hex 10 months

I know which I would buy if I was prepared to finish them

Bass Reeves · 13-03-2026 12:14AM

The numbers are in there favour at present. It's how long it takes to get through the surplus. It could take a while, processors are being displined just filling contracts. We are running at 60k less than last year. That is a disaster.

Its a case of keeping them moving and replace

morphy87 · 13-03-2026 12:18AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124308254#Comment_124308254

In your opinion how long should it take to get through the surplus

kk.man · 13-03-2026 12:34AM

Screenshot_20260312_204413_MartBids.jpg

Screenshot_20260312_204343_MartBids.jpg

I am talking about these, there's more examples.

On the face of it they could be good for the buyer but if cattle go to 6e, absolutely no one in this game will make money.

kk.man · 13-03-2026 12:36AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124308263#Comment_124308263

When the stop paying huge money to the 'new' feedlots.

limo_100 · 13-03-2026 12:56AM

surely at some stage people will just stop giving them cattle is that going to be an option?

Jb1989 · 13-03-2026 01:00AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124308328#Comment_124308328

Naw, people too afraid of going overage and getting penalised, I've let some of mine run overage this week while waiting to fill a load, getting a flat rate which will balance all out.

Then the other consensus like bass mentioned is to kill and replace immediately, that's alright for a dealing herd, different to a suckler to beef herd.

Bass Reeves · 13-03-2026 01:31AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124308328#Comment_124308328

Last Autumn lads held cattle when flat pricrs for premium cattle (AA & certain types of Continental cattle) were 8+/kg to put extra weight and/or a grade fraction on them. That is grand when cost are cheap, but as in Games of Thrones "winter is coming".

Then as it got later in the year they held them because of tax. Too many lads think they can game the system. People are not giving them cattle. The sharp operators moved cattle last November or in January. Cattle can eat ration only for so long. At some point you have to sh!t or get off the pot. As the Bomber Liston said after Kerry losing either I think it was the 1988 Munster Final

" its time to wrap up the tent the Circus is leaving town".

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124308298#Comment_124308298

That is lads/farmers own fault. We control the land and the cattle but a lot of lads get a horn for winter finishing and to giving away forward stores. Too many lads get caught up in numbers whether its selling as stores or finishing.

Me I just buy what a lot think are donkeys and sell them as mules. What I mean by that is I buy cattle that often take time to finish.

Forget about short time frame cattle change to 12-30 month finishing. Stop handing stores to feedlots and watch them ( processors, feedlots, dairy farmers and an odd suckler farmer) sweat.

Youcan kill yourself farming or sit back and make the same money

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124308343#Comment_124308343

Most lads cannot understand how to work the system. Its hard to catch a falling knife

DBK1 · 13-03-2026 09:04AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124308384#Comment_124308384

The problem with a lot of them theories Bass is that the short keep (6-8 months) cattle are the best value that’s out there at the minute because there’s too many lads buying small cattle just to keep numbers.

Badly done light weanlings are freely making €5+ per kg and you’re depending on what the price will be in 18-24 months time to turn than back into money and don’t get me started on what lads are giving for dairy bred calves. If you had time to be picking a few from every mart you’ll buy 500kg aax and hex at less than €3.50 per kilo in a number of marts in the last week or 2. They’re a far better bet at the minute than the long keep stock.

kk.man · 13-03-2026 10:19AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124308582#Comment_124308582

I agree with you up to the point of the 500kg animal. These are so dodge imo, firstly the feedlots are going to take you out on anything over 500kg secondly the final beef price drop.

DBK1 · 13-03-2026 10:27AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124308715#Comment_124308715

The feedlot buyers don’t seem to have been as active the past few weeks and I think that’s why the price of them stock has dropped. There was 24 month old over 600kg hex bullocks sold in Roscrea last Friday at €3.30 a kilo, that’d be the equivalent of around €6.30 in the factory.

kk.man · 13-03-2026 10:53AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124308740#Comment_124308740

Paying 1,750 for a 500kg bullock in my sums is not adding up, lam generous for him to kill 300 dw at 6e a kg that's 1800e.

DBK1 · 13-03-2026 11:01AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124308795#Comment_124308795

Give them type of bullocks nothing only grass but plenty of it all summer and they’ll kill 350kgs plus next September. The secret with them lads is not to have them grazing a paddock tight, they need a flush of grass under them all the time and they’ll just stay growing. Yea at €6 a kilo you won’t become a millionaire but you’ll turn a few pound. If base price is €7 though you’ll have a nice twist out of them.

I’ll get it hard to be convinced that the 200-250kg lads that are making €1100-€1200 are better value than the 500kg lad in your example at €1750.

suckler2025 · 13-03-2026 11:20AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124308814#Comment_124308814

I would agree. At the current price of young stock 250-300 kg I don't see the numbers adding up keeping them for 18 months. Long keep cattle cost a lot of time and money and labour. A suckler cow would have 2 calves in the time some lads hold onto cattle. Hard see profit in that

Mart Price Tracker

Comments