Buying at Marts, What makes you buy? What you look out for?

NewBeefFarmer

Hi all, another one for ye,

while i wont be going myself I'm sure for sometime:pac:, what though, would i be doing at the mart,

suppose you wanted to buy 200-300kg young bullocks (are these called wealin bulls?) (i need a definition guide to somethings)

what do you look for when you go to the mart? what makes u bid?

Again, everyone welcome, even those not buying 2-300 kg young bullocks

thanks
NewBeefFarmer

Bizzum

I don't buy dealers cattle.
I don't buy anything in the ring, that I did'nt examine outside.

Every time you're in the mart, think of a carcass in the desert, with the hyenas hanging about and the vultures circling. That's essentially what's happening.
If you can't figure out who the saddle is being thrown on: it's usually you!

cows123

quality and cheap!
everyone has their own opinion on whether the cattle are any good or not but you just have to go by your own judgement and make sure you have a price in mind and try not to exceed it.

NewBeefFarmer

I should have said buying in general!:rolleyes:

what do you look out for when buying.

defadman

try get talking to seller about the animal your interested in, then make sure to watch there activites as they are around the ring and before in the yard, that you wont be made a fool of.

Bizzum

NewBeefFarmer wrote: »

I should have said buying in general!:rolleyes:

what do you look out for when buying.

I'm talking in general terms.
Another thing is to buy potentail. If you can buy an O and sell an R, or buy an R and sell a U.
It's a bit like trying to learn to drive a car by reading a book about it! You may just spend some time at the ringside. Preferably with someone that's streetwise.

capslock88

Lads i think wat he's looking for is advice on the type of animal at this weight you yourself would be tempted to buy...for me, i'd be looking for an animal with with length and a decent frame...short handy weanlings usually stay that way...not over fleshed but thriving-in good fit, robust, healthy form..not showing signs of fluke/worms etc...look for potential..an animal maybe not looking it's best but one with scope and frame that's likely to fill out with feeding and age...obviously try to get them as inexpensive as possible...no point paying big money if your not likely to get it back...especially with factory prices being so unpredictable...often the lesser r/o animal bought at the right price will leave more profit than an expensive u grade animal...definitely check them out before the ring if you can..

Bodacious

Bizzum wrote: »

I don't buy dealers cattle.
I don't buy anything in the ring, that I did'nt examine outside.

Every time you're in the mart, think of a carcass in the desert, with the hyenas hanging about and the vultures circling. That's essentially what's happening.
If you can't figure out who the saddle is being thrown on: it's usually you!

:)If you can't figure out who the saddle is being thrown on: it's usually you!:):):)

Thats a class quote Bizzum, i like it!!

pakalasa

The most important thing is value. Anybody can buy the dear ones, it takes skill and years of experience to buy value. You have to be able to spot potential that others dont see.
Everybody, no matter who they are, buys cattle they later regret buying.

Remember, that if there are on average say 5 bidders, for every lot, then you can expect to 'drop out of' 4 out of 5 lots you bid on. It's good practice to just go to a mart, look at cattle before they come in, and try and put a value on them. See how close you are to the selling price. Good traning without having to put your hand in your pocket.

TUBBY

i dont know if you work and have to take time off to go to marts but one thing for sure is that its better come home with an empty trailer than a full one which have cost you a bomb.

Dont buy over-fleshed, well done cattle cause they have no compensatory growth in them.

a lot of farmers buy the best looking cattle and pay well for them cause they dont like having a field of mean looking lads but nice ones are very over priced. the average fellla will leave ya more.

reilig

Haven't bought an animal in the mart for over 10 years. I only sell stock in the mart. I try to breed my own replacements from my better cows. I also buy and sell cattle among some relations or sometimes swap heifers with each other if they are off the stock bull. Its a good way to operate if you have civil people to deal with. At least that way we know where the animals are coming from and we can just go to the farm if we want to see the history of the animal. It also helps to minimise health risks.

Muckit

Any lads out buying this weather? I usually buy a few extra bull weanlings in around the 300-340kg. Big frame but hungry. Ones that there isn't much interest around the ring for. Give em the burdizzo and let them hit the grass.

As said previous, don't get caught up in all the auctioneer and bidding hype, have a price in your head and forget about them if it goes over. Plenty more coming in behind. Go in the a few weeks before you need them to see how trade is doing.

This year I'm thinking weanlings are mad dear. I've learnt too that the fancy cattle don't alweays leave the most money. Might look to see if there is more potential in buying a few cull cows picked up for a few euro over the €/kg. Factory them off the grass next back end. Am I mad?

reilig

Muckit wrote: »

Any lads out buying this weather? I usually buy a few extra bull weanlings in around the 300-340kg. Big frame but hungry. Ones that there isn't much interest around the ring for. Give em the burdizzo and let them hit the grass.

I doubt you'll get them at a handy price this year Muckit. If it has 4 legs, a pulse, and is able to walk in and out of the ring, then there's mad bidding for it.

Its like a Macra disco I was at a few years ago. 200 straping male farmers and 20 women. It was as if they were practicing for the Pamplona Bull Run

This year I'm thinking weanlings are mad dear. I've learnt too that the fancy cattle don't alweays leave the most money. Might look to see if there is more potential in buying a few cull cows picked up for a few euro over the €/kg. Factory them off the grass next back end. Am I mad?

Absolutely Crazy IMO. But if you don't have stock, then you have to buy something to keep the grass down. If beef prices fall, then this cow beef is going to be the first thing to hit the floor and you'll be left with old cows that lost a lot of money.

I suppose there's no solution for it really. Cattle are mad dear. I'm delighted they are and long may it last. Sadly, its still the meat factories and the supermarkets that are getting the biggest cut from them though.

pakalasa

On Cull Cows - have a look at the price graphs at the back of the journal. Prices suddenly fall around the July mark, but it can vary from year to year. It's down to luck really. As Reilig said, once beef starts to get plentiful, it's cull cows that get hit first.

Muckit

Right lads, thanks for that. I suppose there's no easy way around it:o I just got a mad notion there at the weekend that a few contental type cull cows might be the way to go.

But I think yer right, things could (and prob will) come down with a bang in a few weeks and it's the lower grades that'I get hit first. I still might go mad and buy one or two, just for pig iron

Must take a trip into mart one of the day to see the trade.

reilig

Good article in today's indo for those thinking about buying cattle:

http://www.independent.ie/farming/its-great-to-be-optimistic-but-lets-be-realistic-too-2609403.html

Muckit

reilig wrote: »

Good article in today's indo for those thinking about buying cattle:

http://www.independent.ie/farming/its-great-to-be-optimistic-but-lets-be-realistic-too-2609403.html

Would a man be any wiser having read it? :rolleyes: Like was said, a few 'summer-like' days and a spurt in grass growth and lads go cracked to buy a few regardless of price!