Bulling heifers

squinn2912 · 20-10-2019 9:22am

Limestone Cowboy wrote: »

Weanlings 320-340kgs 1000-1200.

That’s stuff enough I felt a touch hard done by giving £1115 for 550kgs about €1250

Who2 · 20-10-2019 12:01pm

squinn2912 wrote: »

That’s stuff enough I felt a touch hard done by giving £1115 for 550kgs about €1250

I know they seem dear but I’d know a lot of the cows these heifers were bred from and You’d be a long time scouring the country to find them. We all hear the exceptional prices and I’d say if the top five were taken out the average wouldn’t be that high. The manager organized a special sale, done all the prep work and advertised fairly strong. I doubt anyone will be retiring off them soon. This farm is calving down hundreds of cows and with full time staff and a lot of money buried in them I’d say every penny back on them is needed to wipe their own faces. Fair play to them it went a lot better than I would have expected in the current climate.

squinn2912 · 20-10-2019 1:11pm

Who2 wrote: »

I know they seem dear but I’d know a lot of the cows these heifers were bred from and You’d be a long time scouring the country to find them. We all hear the exceptional prices and I’d say if the top five were taken out the average wouldn’t be that high. The manager organized a special sale, done all the prep work and advertised fairly strong. I doubt anyone will be retiring off them soon. This farm is calving down hundreds of cows and with full time staff and a lot of money buried in them I’d say every penny back on them is needed to wipe their own faces. Fair play to them it went a lot better than I would have expected in the current climate.

You talking about yesterday’s sale? I wouldn’t know the back breeding from the cattle but I know the manager personally, actually trained him, and he’s a fantastic fella so I’m more than pleased to see him doing so well.

They have huge overhead costs surely. Not sure if that’s relevant for their worth to a buyer though.
Looking at it objectively I don’t know where they justify themselves. If you breed one of those €1600 girls next April and she has a bull calf (that’s all going well) then what does he need to make as a weanling to pay for her and himself. Those were average enough prices I’m not talking the halter trained ones that averaged €2300

Anto_Meath · 21-10-2019 4:51pm

I didn't make it to Carnaross on Saturday but was talking to a few lads who were at it, they said the heifers were excellent quality, Shorthorn or Simmental back breading in most of them. They were very well presented (as I seen some a neighbor bought) they are a credit to the farmer who bred them. A lot of work went into getting them right for the sale and the farmer got paid for it, fair play to him. Its good to see confidence in the suckler business as any one who bought these heifers for breading will have their blood lines on their farm for years to come. €1,000 - €1,100 seemed to buy a good few of the heifers with the exceptional ones make making over €2,000 and then the one shown here making €3,550. It does prove the old saying "quality pays".
Would love to be breeding animals of this quality.

patsy_mccabe · 21-10-2019 6:04pm

Anto_Meath wrote: »

I didn't make it to Carnaross on Saturday but was talking to a few lads who were at it, they said the heifers were excellent quality, Shorthorn or Simmental back breading in most of them. They were very well presented (as I seen some a neighbor bought) they are a credit to the farmer who bred them. A lot of work went into getting them right for the sale and the farmer got paid for it, fair play to him. Its good to see confidence in the suckler business as any one who bought these heifers for breading will have their blood lines on their farm for years to come. €1,000 - €1,100 seemed to buy a good few of the heifers with the exceptional ones make making over €2,000 and then the one shown here making €3,550. It does prove the old saying "quality pays".
Would love to be breeding animals of this quality.

But you've no idea of the backbreeding. At least when you buy a pedigree, you know this. I'd love to know how many of these continue to breed well for generations. Sorry, but €3,550 for a commercial is just madness.

TooOldBoots · 21-10-2019 6:06pm

I notice them Butchers type heifers seem to make big money. I'm not sure they are suitable for breeding off. Many of them have too much beef in the breed. Far too much muscle on the inside of the hind legs and a narrow enough pelvis. On top of which a lot of them have feck all milk.
Like it or not but you need at least 30% dairy breed in your cow. Its often the square plainer type make the best suckler cows

squinn2912 · 21-10-2019 7:02pm

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

But you've no idea of the backbreeding. At least when you buy a pedigree, you know this. I'd love to know how many of these continue to breed well for generations. Sorry, but €3,550 for a commercial is just madness.

Would you pay that money for a pedigree? Plenty wouldn’t make the name of it. That money should buy 3 top weanlings. Agree with point about their suitability for rearing a calf and even getting him out.

patsy_mccabe · 21-10-2019 7:33pm

squinn2912 wrote: »

Would you pay that money for a pedigree? Plenty wouldn’t make the name of it. That money should buy 3 top weanlings. Agree with point about their suitability for rearing a calf and even getting him out.

I bought a pedigree registered in-calf limousin heifer for €1,600 this year. 7 generations of AI breeding in her. She's genotyped and so is her Dam. Even at that, there's a gamble with her.

squinn2912 · 21-10-2019 7:54pm

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

I bought a pedigree registered in-calf limousin heifer for €1,600 this year. 7 generations of AI breeding in her. She's genotyped and so is her Dam. Even at that, there's a gamble with her.

Sounds like a likelier gamble. I’d love to be talking to anyone paying 3000 or 3500 for those heifers to ask what made them prepared to go to that money. My suspicion is that it’s someone wanting to show their cash on the hip I’d love to be proved wrong but going into that sale someone must have had it in their head that she’s worth 3450 and not a penny more...

Who2 · 21-10-2019 8:12pm

squinn2912 wrote: »

Sounds like a likelier gamble. I’d love to be talking to anyone paying 3000 or 3500 for those heifers to ask what made them prepared to go to that money. My suspicion is that it’s someone wanting to show their cash on the hip I’d love to be proved wrong but going into that sale someone must have had it in their head that she’s worth 34

I seen a lad give similar money for a heifer and sold here for 6 odd at a fat stock show. There’s a lad for everything. The whole showing scene makes no sense really but I wouldn’t mind having a few to come into that sort of money.

patsy_mccabe · 21-10-2019 8:27pm

Here ya go. Martin O'Connor's sale Elphin Mart 8th Nov.

https://www.donedeal.ie/beefcattle-for-sale/martin-oconnors-in-calf-heifer-sale-2019/23251571

Which of these heifers would people like? I'd only like pics 6 & 8, maybe 10.

jfh · 21-10-2019 8:34pm

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

Here ya go. Martin O'Connor's sale Elphin Mart 8th Nov.

https://www.donedeal.ie/beefcattle-for-sale/martin-oconnors-in-calf-heifer-sale-2019/23251571

Which of these heifers would people like? I'd only like pics 6 & 8, maybe 10.

You would want a calving jack handy for all those.

Anto_Meath · 21-10-2019 9:24pm

jfh wrote: »

You would want a calving jack handy for all those.

They are all fairly beefy alright and there would probably have less milk than a dandelion. Personally they would be two big for my place, they would be ploughing in this wet weather. The blue black 1 is a nice enough heifer & with AA in her breding she should have milk.

Anto_Meath · 21-10-2019 9:24pm

jfh wrote: »

You would want a calving jack handy for all those.

They are all fairly beefy alright and there would probably have less milk than a dandelion. Personally they would be two big for my place, they would be ploughing in this wet weather. The blue black 1 is a nice enough heifer & with AA in her breding she should have milk.

Limestone Cowboy · 21-10-2019 9:37pm

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

Here ya go. Martin O'Connor's sale Elphin Mart 8th Nov.

https://www.donedeal.ie/beefcattle-for-sale/martin-oconnors-in-calf-heifer-sale-2019/23251571

Which of these heifers would people like? I'd only like pics 6 & 8, maybe 10.

Your very biased towards the limos

squinn2912 · 21-10-2019 10:29pm

Who2 wrote: »

squinn2912 wrote: »

Sounds like a likelier gamble. I’d love to be talking to anyone paying 3000 or 3500 for those heifers to ask what made them prepared to go to that money. My suspicion is that it’s someone wanting to show their cash on the hip I’d love to be proved wrong but going into that sale someone must have had it in their head that she’s worth 34

I seen a lad give similar money for a heifer and sold here for 6 odd at a fat stock show. There’s a lad for everything. The whole showing scene makes no sense really but I wouldn’t mind having a few to come into that sort of money.

6?!?! What the hell is the factory going to give to cover that? Silliness. Likevyou say there’s no logic to it

squinn2912 · 21-10-2019 10:33pm

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

Here ya go. Martin O'Connor's sale Elphin Mart 8th Nov.

https://www.donedeal.ie/beefcattle-for-sale/martin-oconnors-in-calf-heifer-sale-2019/23251571

Which of these heifers would people like? I'd only like pics 6 & 8, maybe 10.

I guess 7 is nice too and the bluey one has nice coloring if she’s a bit gutty. They all look far too fleshy and heavy for calving, likely packed with meal. Was talking to a guy who bought heifers off a well known heifer man... we only had 7 caesarians this year... that’s some craic. I dunno how to understand this panic buying but it’s cutting my throat the nice lim heifers I threw away at 450 kgs in August. If I painted a white stripe on their bellies I’d be a f**king millionaire this time next year

TooOldBoots · 22-10-2019 3:21pm

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

Here ya go. Martin O'Connor's sale Elphin Mart 8th Nov.

https://www.donedeal.ie/beefcattle-for-sale/martin-oconnors-in-calf-heifer-sale-2019/23251571

Which of these heifers would people like? I'd only like pics 6 & 8, maybe 10.

Too much muscle. The vet would be a busy man at the side door with those. Best left for the Butcher to hang em

cacs · 25-10-2019 3:41pm

TooOldBoots wrote: »

Too much muscle. The vet would be a busy man at the side door with those. Best left for the Butcher to hang em

Way too much Beef/ Muscle/ Feeding and lack of Milk traits for me. They look like factory fit heifers not coming up to calfing. I think Breed an R grade cow with good calfing ability and milk with a good U bull and your winning. Doing it the other way around. i suppose you could put a Holstein on them they should be fit to calf them

squinn2912 · 25-10-2019 6:41pm

cacs wrote: »

Way too much Beef/ Muscle/ Feeding and lack of Milk traits for me. They look like factory fit heifers not coming up to calfing. I think Breed an R grade cow with good calfing ability and milk with a good U bull and your winning. Doing it the other way around. i suppose you could put a Holstein on them they should be fit to calf them

Yep I think you’d gravely regret buying those heifers. If it didn’t work out you’ve a big beast to sell. Another problem at a lot of these incalf heifer sales they’re very agey. Saw one got for £1600 at 42 months last week

p dogg · 27-10-2019 11:59am

Delighted to have landed this heifer in Delvin weanling sale Friday night. March born 380 kgs. She is 3/4 bred simmental with shorthorn breeding in her aswell. She cost 880. The same heifer would have cost an extra 3 or 4 hundred at the special sale I was at in Carnaross last Saturday. Fingers crossed, may she be lucky.

squinn2912 · 27-10-2019 12:01pm

p dogg wrote: »

Delighted to have landed this heifer in Delvin weanling sale Friday night. March born 380 kgs. She is 3/4 bred simmental with shorthorn breeding in her aswell. She cost 880. The same heifer would have cost an extra 3 or 4 hundred at the special sale I was at in Carnaross last Saturday. Fingers crossed, may she be lucky.

Great work hope she works out well for you. Any photos? Would to try bulling her for calving next autumn or wait on?

Bulling heifers

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