Mart Price Tracker

As I have explained many times a finisher basically operates on a margin. Most now operate short term systems from 70 days to 4-5 months. When they decide on there net margin they will deduct there operating costs. Then they know what they can afford for any particular type of animal they buy.

That is the suckker man's choice. He can change his system and try to get into a more profitable system.

Who gives a duck if there is quality continental cattle here next year. The reality is that most market's are looking for carcasses in the 280-340 kgs weight range grading O+/R-.

A large part of the market is mince and the minc for a P+ bullocks makes the same as that from U= bullock.

Any extra margin is being eaten up by costs. As well because rations went up significantly in price most finisher's were killing cattle at a lower weight in order to cut costs.

Need to buy 7 or 8 storks (bullocks) for a neighbour who is getting on with years. He will be leaving them out to grass for the Summer and selling in October or November.

He likes nice quality continental type Cattle.....up to this year he was able to buy them himself.

He only asked me yesterday and tbh I haven't been watching any online sales nor have been to a Mart in 4 or 5 months!

What kind of trade are good straight square Ch or Lm bred year olds at the moment?......hungry type cattle with a thrive in them would be the best buy.

I would be hoping to get say R grade cattle for him for around 500 euro with the weight....is that about the run of storks say born last March or April and 350 to 380kg?

There is a good butt of grass on his ground so I would like to buy them sooner rather than later as usually those type of weanlings get dearer by 50 -80 euro in mid April when more people have grass.

Appreciate any feedback from people who have sold similiar type stock in last few weeks or who regularly watch stock selling online or in Marts.

He said 350 to 380 kgs. 850-880 euro its plenty for them......

Doubt if you will buy them for that. I imagine 2.8-3/kg. 1000 to 1100 euro. Hard to see a margin on them.

Get the LSL premium for q month. You can watch back on the sales after they are over.

Picking up plenty of continental bulls averaging round €2,40 a kg. Fair enough The fancy ones will make more but if you take your time you will get what you are looking for.

There was 385kg Ch blks in Ennis Friday made 1450.

That is beside the point. It's immaterial what they cost someone bring to this stage.This year buyers have two choices. But less cattle and less fertlizer or buy the same of both as normal years.

At present fertlizer cannot be got. If it can be bought it's costing 1k/ton. Ration is heading towards 400/ton and again as the year goes on supply will be an issue.

A 400kg bull if fed for 100-120 days can be hung. Lads are willing to bet that prices will home until start of July.

By the look of it from late April on younger cattle will come under pressure. Feeding costs may be hitting 5 euro per day next winter. How will this effect the price being paid for stores. Like I said it plenty for them.

That is a choice that suckler farmers make. The costs of suckler systems are out of kilter with the reality of market forces. Keeping a cow to produce a calf with present costs are crazy. Even with present subsidities these calves cannot compete with dairy cattle. A 370 kg R grade continental suckler bullock will gross about 1830 in the factory at present. An O+ AA bullock killing 330 kgs about 1660 euro. You will buy AA bull calves for 150-200 euro at 3 weeks of age. The suckler bullock is being subsidised to the tune of 160-180 euro but the calf is costing 7-800 euro to get to weaning stage according to most here or maybe more.

So if I had the choice of buying an AA bullock for 650-700 euro and a Continental bullock 350kgs for 900-950 euro guess which I buy.

If you look at my original post I said that 850-880 was plenty for the. I also posted that at present they are probable in the 900-1K bracket. Would I be willing to pay 9-950 no the AA at 650 is better value IMO at present. Like I said 850-880 was plenty for them

My money is on heifers to buy this year and in the fall and particularly traditional breeds like Herefords. Fatten them easy on good grass or silage and out the gap under 24 months. Granted you will have the odd one that will take Abit longer but isn't that always the case. Smaller carcass alright but not alot you can do there.

What way are incalf sucklers going?! Let the exodus begin

Most yearling Angus like that are making €2.30 - €2.50/kg in marts at the minute. So at 320kgs I’d be expecting closer to €760 than €660 if I were you.

So would I, 280 kg, (got my weight wrong) 580 and lucky to get it. Light heifers poor today. A lot of talking about fertilizer and ration has buyers and sellers frightened

Disappointing price for them,what Mart was that?

4k for 2 pallets of bag manure. "Crikey" I know there's a thread running for that, hadn't been checking in there.