Mart Price Tracker

Have you 2 accounts, Duke??

It was to somewhat disappointed I asked about his bullocks. At present store price lads will need a stronger bade than this year to make money. AA/HE heifers never make heavy weights having said that a lad I am very friendly with bought 350-400 kg LW heifers this time last year. He carries them right to the 30 months age. He hung an AA and 4 HE heifers late last week. 2 out of 4 heifers grade R as he carries them to the limit. The AA heifer beat everything graded R-4+ at 340 kgs. She made over 1450 euro. The HE heifers averaged 1320. He was feeding 2 kgs/ day since mid July

That man got cleaned with his aa heifer . If she was 340kg and into 1450 that’s only 4.26 a kg. A lot more than that going . We’re did he kill ?

True, I sent a mixed load last week with a few AA x heifers on it, €4.65 when all bonuses were added in. They made a show of some FR bullocks that I got €3.90 for (P+ 3+). The little AA x heifers killed around 300kgs (R- & R= 3 &4's), the FR bullocks killed around 340 kgs. I would guess the FR's were around 700kgs live weight but I don't think the AA x were 600kgs. Didn't think the heifers would grade R's.

Assuming QA he’d get 6c on that grade, 20 c in spec bonus so as a minimum it’s a €4 base Not factoring in AA 20 c bonus.

She was a tad short of 340, 337.7kgs, she was hung last Thursday and booked in since the previous Monday base price was 4.15/ kg. As she was FS 4+ she lost 8c on the QA. That gives a total price of 4.37@ giving a total amount of 1475, deductions were 16.50 leaving a gross amount of 1458.50 for the heifer.

There is crap going on locally lads that haul in cattle themselves in smaller boxes are struggling to get some of the higher prices locally. They are being quoted 5c/ kg less. However he carries cattle to within 10-15 days of there birthday.

If he opts to travel with cattle transport will set him back at least 18 euro and cattle will be loaded 6-8pm the evening before. He dropped these up himself between 7 and 10 am. He is about 6 miles from local factory

No he got the AA 10c bonus on her, so it was only an 8c/ kg loss. As he only kills 12-15 AA/ year he will never get the 20c however he got the 10c/ kg on his Herefords The base was 4.1 two weeks ago as well. However 2-3 weeks ago she might not have graded R which would have knocked 12c/ kg off her. He finds this system works for him

Can Friesian Bullocks be a better option than Angus or Hereford bullocks for summer grazing system? At least they will cost less coming in but will have a larger appetite for grass. Buy around 400 kg liveweight and sell early October when hopefully the finishers will be interested in them at weight in excess of liveweight of 500 kg plus.

I say about 90% come out sub 400kgs usually any over are still bulls.

At summer grazing you would want a LW gain of 200kgs+ to be in with any chance of a decent margin especially with FR's. Thick would be to buy sub 300 kgs and get them to 500 kgs or a bit with it. You would want to be buying in early/ mid March. Then start selling as they hit that 500 kgs mark from September on. Start closing for the following year from mid October on

How many Friesisn Bullocks should 20 acres carry?

The problem with feeding anything out of a shed is the processors will not give you enough to cover costs. This is especially true of Friesians. Ya there may be a good price this year but feeding costs are savage. You will feed bullocks like a ton of ration and they will eat a decent amount of silage. Even Teagasc have stopped advising winter finishing them. Traditionally lads that were doing it fed them to finish at 330 -340 kgs in late April/ early May. However processor's have stopped giving decent prices rises for finishing during this period.

There is lads hanging the better ones that will have cover on them at 27-290 DW in November/ December but grading can be brutal on some of them. This year there will be a decent base price but store and feed prices will catch lads.

At a base of 4/kg

O=3 will make 4.02/kg

O-3 will make 3.88/kg

P+3 will make 3.7/kg

If they grade 1/3 each you that will be about it unless you really pick through your bullocks. Friesians will continue to grow strongly until over three years of age usually.

I work off a rough idea that an acre will feed 600kg live weight for the summer with a bag and half of 18.6.12 in April and a bag of CAN in early August, field divided into 5 paddocks, cattle aprox 5 days in each paddock... depending on the year...

Paddocking should actually achieve higher than that. 2.5 acres paddocks would be ideal, 8 of them moving cattle twice a week. Two water troughs in central positions on the field. Two posts on diagonal corners a d paddock with pigtails and reels.

you won’t get to take off that balaclava for a few days...😁

Good money alright, were they suckler bred?