Mart Price Tracker

Dunedin wrote: »

I will always question the costs of suckler cows.

€2000 for vet and dosing. I’m sorry but if anyone is paying that amount out , then they have a very rich vet.
€6000 for silage for 40 cows - maybe if you are really horsing it in to them but in reality with dryer silage and not fully ad lib it could be less.
€1200 for straw which equates to 80 bales. No way would in the world would you need 80 bales of straw for 40 cows
€70 for weanling meal is a cost to the weanlings and not the cow.

Last point on this , unless we have figures show costs of each system i.e. calf to beef, stores, finisher etc. on a like by like basis, then it’s pointless talking about cost of suckler cow.

Your figures above mention insurance and you also allude to machinery dep, repairs, fencing, hedge cutting, etc. - if you are keeping pet lambs then these costs will still apply.

When Bass is throwing out the figures of weanling purchase, he includes mart fees, transport, dose, etc. But there is no mention of hedge cutting, insurance, machinery depreciation, repairs, etc. Not saying that’s wrong but why does everyone always include in cost of the suckler. Not saying these costs don’t apply but they should be included in every system and that would afford a more rounded view.

Reality is that such costs are farming cost of production.

I never put any cost on the weanling. It all goes on the suckler. I then divide all costs by the number of sucklers to get a figure to keep her.
I add up all weanling sales and divide by the number of cows to get an average output per cow. Subtract one from the other to get profit (or loss) per cow. No grey area.

Your last sentence calls them costs of production. The cow is the unit of production so all costs are on her head.

On the veterinary bill.
40 cows, 40 weanlings and a stock bull is 81 head. The herd test is €4.20 per head iirc inc VAT. That is €340 of the €1200 for that alone. I bolus cows for minerals. €6 per head is another €240. Vaccination of Autumn born calves going into the shed for pneumonia and a blackleg vaccine added on brings it well over €700. Then a call out or two plus a few bottles here and there over the year won't be long making another €450-500.

I only sell weanlings so dont need to split my costs any further.

The comment about fencing etc applying even if it was only pet lambs, I don't have pet lambs and up until this year I only had sucklers so the cost only applies to sucklers. If I didn't have them the costs would not have applied so the suckler must take responsibility for them. Who else will?

At the moment I am feeding my sucklers 42 DM silage. There are 38 of them in a shed and they are dealing with 2 bales per day. A 4 month winter is circa 120 days. 240 bales. Multiply by €25 is €6000. Divide by 40 cows is €150. My autumn born calves are eating some of this silage as is my stock bull, but again, no cows and they dont exist here.

I buy 80 bales every year of straw. Some years I use it, some years I sell some again in spring. I bed calves really well and get almost no scouts etc and I put it down to the bedding. Maybe it's an extravagance.

On the machinery, my tractor was €22,000 12 years ago. Add nothing else and that's €1800 per year so €45 per cow. It didn't fall out of the sky. It is probably still worth that but if I let it go I must replace it. I burn 2000 litres of diesel a year. Again this year that is €900. €22.50 per cow.

Instead of asking why I am including those costs I think you should ask why are lads not including them? Is it to convince themselves that they are profitable?

Essentially I am agreeing with Bass. He says that sucklers can only be profitable sub €400 per year keep. I am saying they cannot be kept at that price point, ergo hart cannot be profitable.

Bass Reeves wrote: »

Well if FR stores die on him he not want to be buying anything else. If he cannot keep Fr stores alive he would not want to be buying Contenintal calves they die walking out of the ring in him

He doesn't exist and the cattle never existed either. You don't understand what sarcasm is do you. It's like talking to Sheldon Cooper.

Dunedin wrote: »

I am not unnecessarily disagreeing with some of your post but my point is that a lot of the costs you have outlined will apply similarly to a dry stock farm such as fencing, insurance, herd test, machinery etc.

All I’m asking is that how is that when we talk sucklers we always hear of how much it costs to keep them but when we talk of store cattle it’s just the cost price with some direct cost. I’ve never heard anyone add in the price of hedge cutting or insurance to a store bullock but they absolutely should.

Don’t think I’m blind to future of beef cos I’m not but would like to see the like for like costs that’s all.

I don't keep stores Dunedin is my short answer to that. Like I said I only had weanlings til this year so all costs went on the sucklers that produced them.
If I had stores they would have to shoulder their share of the burden too.

Dozer1 wrote: »

Excluding the few full time beef lads the rest of us are at this as a hobby..Lads I work with golf or cycle or play computer games and they spend **** loads of income on their pastime nobody asks what return a top of the range road bike is giving them..they'll never win the tour de France but it's their release.

We farm to enjoy producing good stock or just to be mucking about at cattle it's not bottom line critical.

It's not like switching to calf or store beef from dairy herds are going to make much difference. Yes some are into using a calculator...others not so much....and when the next generation of us can't be bothered I think our countryside will be a poorer place..just my 2 cents

Is this post a joke...holy God. Beef is finished.

Sami23 wrote: »

Its no joke at all. Same here some of my friends play golf and others cycle for their pastimes where as I farm a small farm and work full time.

No one questions how much they spend on new golf clubs or club membership or the other lad buying multiple bicycles that he doesn't need.

I may not make much from the farming but like Dozer said we enjoy it.

So true, I see it every year, they don't care what hey pay for cattle in the spring and they don't care what they are paid for cattle in the autumn.
God help you if you need to make money and are in the market buying and selling the same time as these boys are

Have 2 pb angus cows, over 10 years old. Around 750kg what are they worth?

I saw a bit of it myself and do you know what the dairy bred stuck would make as much in Tralee or Listowel .I can not fathom why sellers of dairy crossed stock flock there .Granted there might better prices for coloured cattle

Sugarbowl wrote: »

Watched a good bit of the weanlings sale at Gortalea tonight - some good money goes on down there. I’m familiar with a mart an hour over the road from there and you would rarely see those prices for the same kind of animals.
What happens when you buy at Gortalea tonight? Can you collect in the morning?

Ya often collected bullocks following morning.

CloughCasey1 wrote: »

Its a happy medium Bass. There is value out there.
I bought a lmx weanling for 480. had it 24 mts hung at 1704 last month at 29mts U-3=.
Bought an aax suckler bullock in April 840 died 1550 last week 21 mts old R+4=
I bought 2 aax suckler bullocks at 24 and 21 mts in April for 780. 390 and 400kg live weight. They will be going in a few weeks. Horribly done. Never seen grass never mind a dose id say. We'll see how they do. They will be going with an elephant of a chx I bought as a 6mt old for 580 that just won't stop growing and put flesh on to kill. He will be 30 mts in Dec. Had an aax dairy bullock for 980 in March kept for 82 days and did 1330. Two aax and a fr for 590 in April 2019, killed a year later for 1550ave. Value is value no matter the age whether it is long or short term.
Those all bought on farms.

Those 2 aax went this week. Did 1.2kg per day weight gain on average since they came here and killed O+ & R- 300Kg DW was actually June they were bought not April when I looked at the cards The CHX killed out R+ 482DW but the surprise package of the bunch was a LM 25mts old U= 482.2DW

What sort of management have ye all to get them results ,is is like 21day rotation like the dairy cows stocked tight like over 1 animal to the acre or have each animal a big roam .Is it prime land reseeded or older type grass

cute geoge wrote: »

What sort of management have ye all to get them results ,is is like 21day rotation like the dairy cows stocked tight like over 1 animal to the acre or have each animal a big roam .Is it prime land reseeded or older type grass

Something similar.
All 1.2 to 3 acre paddocks. Get them out early as possible. Rotate them for summer. Ive 2 areas of land with areas that I can feed cattle meal. They are fed meal from July on. If they are finishing early in the year they would be getting 2kg per head per day with the good early grass. From July on id slowly increase meal as the year progresses and the grass proof goes. Towards the end id supplement with high dmd silage with the grass and the meal, again fed in the feeding areas not to fcuk up the land. I dont finish anything from the shed no matter how late it gets. Ive a lot of reseeding done. I possibly put a bit too much thought into shoulders of the seasons grass and I get a bit burnt up then in the middle of summer. But as Say My Name says the brix is high on grass that has plenty of sun and they thrive on feck all with the sugar content off that. Ive had to feed silage 2 of the last 3 years due to burning up. Have lashings of grass early and late on ant that helps. I've a dry shed so rotate fields for FYM yearly. Super stuff for getting life back into the soil. Have got a lot of tips from Leslie Dwyer in APS Bio Ag on improving the fertility of the ground so I can cut back on fert. Starting to show good results and hopefully I'll be better prepared for next summer and with a deeper root structure I won't be burning up as much and producing fields of stem from lack of moisture stress.

Haven't had a vet in the yard this year apart from the herd test, first time i've managed that. Every vet visit is going to be €100 of a cost at least. Prevention is better than cure in every way.

Is marteye working for people?

I deleted it and downloaded again, working ok now.

whelan2 wrote: »

Have 4 aax fr second calvers to sell. Calving in the spring to an aa bull. Plenty of milk and stars. What are they worth?

My guess is €1000 - €1050 a head without seeing them.

Anto_Meath wrote: »

Sold a nice red Zag heifer yesterday 590kgs €1,540. You would look at her for another while before she would kill into it.
Sold two other lighter ones
430 kg €1080 (a twin to a bull) & 450kgs €1120.
The first one was just over 25 months and the other two were 17 months. I thought it was a price for them.

They were good quality to make those prices.
What age is the ZAG heifer, if they had a bit more milk they'd make good cows.

Operating procedures for livestock marts under the new restrictions -

https://www.farmersjournal.ie/lockdown-latest-how-marts-will-operate-592494

Albert Johnson wrote: »

I'm assuming that the derogation to allow buyer's ringside will be withdrawn under the new lock down rules?

yes online only , viewing by app. no doubt the whingers will disagree, but I think we're lucky to have so much, more than we had last march

Albert Johnson wrote: »

It's better than the alternative and it's allowed the marts to continue trading which is more than a lot of other businesses have endured. Cattle in particular were every bit as dear when 100% online as opposed to online and ringside, in fact plainer cattle were dearer imo when online as lads often didn't get as long to judge them. Having said that I'd be wary of buying a springer or a breeding bull online without having gotten a good look at them beforehand.

some marts aren't showing the owner's name either, having to go into the office before hand and ask to see cards or a print out of the seller's is kinda defeating the purpose,

I think if I'd just f€ck off home,