Calf to 18 months or sell as calf

simx · 13-04-2016 10:20PM #1

Next year I'll prob have a few ch calves off fr cows, I was thinking about keeping them and selling at 18 months incalf reckon should fetch 1100-1200 in the back end, would I be aswell off forgetting that idea and selling as calves for circa 200-250, it would be a nice few pound at the back end is all my thinking was, what would ye reckon would be the cost to get to this stage?

J.O. Farmer · 13-04-2016 10:40PM

simx wrote: »

Next year I'll prob have a few ch calves off fr cows, I was thinking about keeping them and selling at 18 months incalf reckon should fetch 1100-1200 in the back end, would I be aswell off forgetting that idea and selling as calves for circa 200-250, it would be a nice few pound at the back end is all my thinking was, what would ye reckon would be the cost to get to this stage?

I'd say you'd nearly have to hold them till about 22 months assuming they're calving at 2 years. At 18 months they'd only be about 3 months in calf and I think most springers are sold closer to calving when they're visibly in calf.
The other option is to sell a couple of months sooner as bulling heifers.

Miname · 13-04-2016 10:48PM

They make cracking cows but by the time you get them into 11-1200 they'll have eaten a lot of what their worth. 300 should be easily available average for ch calves and I'd take it and run. You could have a fr bill into the same money at the same costs when you allow at least 200 differential between original cost.

_Brian · 13-04-2016 11:03PM

Year to yer is hard to tell but I'd be feeding them well to 4-6 weeks and sell as sucks.
Overl last few years chx sucks 4-6 weeks have been making €400-500 without much bother.

Surely this would be the max bang for buck.
€500 at maybe 6 weeks or wait 18 months for another €500, no contest.

J.O. Farmer · 13-04-2016 11:31PM

_Brian wrote: »

Year to yer is hard to tell but I'd be feeding them well to 4-6 weeks and sell as sucks.
Overl last few years chx sucks 4-6 weeks have been making €400-500 without much bother.

Surely this would be the max bang for buck.
€500 at maybe 6 weeks or wait 18 months for another €500, no contest.

Fair point. In terms of getting a profit theyll never leave more again since the calf is effectively a byproduct so the only costs is in keeping it for the few weeks.

Bass Reeves · 13-04-2016 11:40PM

_Brian wrote: »

Year to yer is hard to tell but I'd be feeding them well to 4-6 weeks and sell as sucks.
Overl last few years chx sucks 4-6 weeks have been making €400-500 without much bother.

Surely this would be the max bang for buck.
€500 at maybe 6 weeks or wait 18 months for another €500, no contest.

It not a no contest it called a no brainer. wished more farmers did it as it would bring down the price of them.

blue5000 · 14-04-2016 02:26PM

If they are out of fr cows and by a half decent ch bull, then in 2 yrs time some suckler farmer might want them to meet his/her 4 or 5 star female requirement. They might be more valuable than you think.

Calf to 18 months or sell as calf

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