Calf Prices 2014

Dawggone

Holstein bull calves at 14 days = €54/head average. That includes some freemartin twins.

lakill Farm

_Brian wrote: »

I'd say you'd need to buy before spring madness starts. Lads expect that with the quota problems looming farmers will hold calves and buy calves to drink the "free milk", so I wouldn't expect reasonable prices ten.
Saturday gone bye I saw BBx weanlings sold for €675, they were bought to drink milk costing €450-500 as 3 week old sucks. So the farmer ran them for 8 months at a loss to drink the free milk., I just don't understand it.

I got a text off one of the lads of the 2 lads I bought calves off last year ex farm. His first few heifers are all fr calves but should be aax coming next. Ill buy as many calves as I can afford of the 2 of them this year again. ex farm is great. no marts or messing

limo_100

lakill Farm wrote: »

I got a text off one of the lads of the 2 lads I bought calves off last year ex farm. His first few heifers are all fr calves but should be aax coming next. Ill buy as many calves as I can afford of the 2 of them this year again. ex farm is great. no marts or messing

how many did you rear last year? and did you sell them already or are you gonna keep them for another year??

_Brian

_Brian wrote: »

Over last few weeks we've bought in a dozen weanling Ch/LM/bl heifers from suckler herds, decent animals, €655 average inc mart fees. June to September calves.
I'd rather have sucks but I think for me these make more sense regarding making a bit of a profit.

Have to agree.
will you try finish the weanlings or sell as stores?

Base price

lakill Farm wrote: »

I got a text off one of the lads of the 2 lads I bought calves off last year ex farm. His first few heifers are all fr calves but should be aax coming next. Ill buy as many calves as I can afford of the 2 of them this year again. ex farm is great. no marts or messing

No offence to marts or dealers but we buy most of our calves directly from farms that we have dealt with over the years. No issues with pneumonia and in particular Crypto.

_Brian

Deleted User wrote: »

Have to agree.
will you try finish the weanlings or sell as stores?

Stores. Were not set up for finishing.

Farmer Pudsey

whelan2 wrote: »

and then wonders why they make no money on them..... better off buying the hex/lim you where talking about earlier imo

He have been better off buying a few Fresians or even JEx's, Friesian bought as calves in the spring are leaving most profit

PatQfarmer

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

He have been better off buying a few Fresians or even JEx's, Friesian bought as calves in the spring are leaving most profit

Friesians generally leave the most profit in any event...

lakill Farm

limo_100 wrote: »

how many did you rear last year? and did you sell them already or are you gonna keep them for another year??

reared 26 but that's because supply ran out. Hope to rear 40 this year and I winter for 1 year but in process of planning a 3rd shed for weanlings on straw. See what the funds are like

PatQfarmer

lakill Farm wrote: »

reared 26 but that's because supply ran out. Hope to rear 40 this year and I winter for 1 year but in process of planning a 3rd shed for weanlings on straw. See what the funds are like

Wait and see the price! I reared none last year and bought great stores for less than calf+rearing price, without anything given to labour:D
Do the sums, some lads go mad just to have calves.
Unless you're a dairy farmer with "free" surplus milk, us lads buying replacer to give to expensive calves are on a hiding to nothing.
That said, I'm rearing friesions this year...:rolleyes:

simx

PatQfarmer wrote: »

Friesians generally leave the most profit in any event...

sometimes, less money tied up in stock i see, but ya have to buy a fr with some bit of scope/quality about them imo, a bad fr is a bad hoor for life

Milked out

Are there any ages ye would prefer to buy at? On those 5 I sent this week the youngest was the bare 2 weeks and sold for 80 and I could see him being as strong as the one I sold at 5 weeks for 180 at the same age. The better value may be in the younger calves, obviously risks are there too with them being easier to upset I guess

lakill Farm

Milked out wrote: »

Are there any ages ye would prefer to buy at? On those 5 I sent this week the youngest was the bare 2 weeks and sold for 80 and I could see him being as strong as the one I sold at 5 weeks for 180 at the same age. The better value may be in the younger calves, obviously risks are there too with them being easier to upset I guess

I normally buy at 10/14 days

AAX heifer calves at €120/130 Bulls €180 out of the yard

_Brian

lakill Farm wrote: »

I normally buy at 10/14 days

AAX heifer calves at €120/130 Bulls €180 out of the yard

If your getting a steady deal from the farm then it's very workable.

whelan2

2 lads rang me this morning looking for calves. Must be a shortage

lakill Farm

whelan2 wrote: »

2 lads rang me this morning looking for calves. Must be a shortage

every cow in the country is been calved in march 2015 it seems no superlevy

limo_100

lakill Farm wrote: »

reared 26 but that's because supply ran out. Hope to rear 40 this year and I winter for 1 year but in process of planning a 3rd shed for weanlings on straw. See what the funds are like

fair play to ya i reared ten black whitehead heifers this year.You do sell them at 18months is it?? what kind of weights and return are you getting from them?

Gman1987

I was talking to a calf dealer today, he said they are only trading on to farmers at the minute as the prices on the continent are very poor at the moment.

Is their many calves for sale at the moment? We are looking for square Friesian bull calves at the moment so drop me a pm if you have any available or know of someone with them for sale. Would look at angus, hereford etc also. We would perfer to deal with direct with farmers

Milked out

Four 3 to 5 week old fr €140, one 12 day old €140 and 2 small 12 day old calves €70. Would prob have paid to hold younger calves but needed space

loveta

Milked out wrote: »

Four 3 to 5 week old fr €140, one 12 day old €140 and 2 small 12 day old calves €70. Would prob have paid to hold younger calves but needed space

Was that a mart sale milked out?
Thought prices had slipped back a bit but that what they were at, have a dealer who i normally sell calves to but wont go over 110 for 2-3 week lads

Milked out

loveta wrote: »

Was that a mart sale milked out?
Thought prices had slipped back a bit but that what they were at, have a dealer who i normally sell calves to but wont go over 110 for 2-3 week lads

Yeah bandon yday, calves at 3/4 weeks plus seem to be doing better. The calf that made 140 at 12 days was a strong lad out of a big rdu third calver

Milked out

Dawggone wrote: »

Couldn't give them away here.
Hol Bulls at 21days = € 20.

Likely to be very few dairy bulls exported this year so if that's the price on the continent, could cause the same issues in 2 years that beef men saw last year with numbers

Dawggone

Milked out wrote: »

Likely to be very few dairy bulls exported this year so if that's the price on the continent, could cause the same issues in 2 years that beef men saw last year with numbers

From March prices should harden significantly with July being the peak.
This time of year price is always on the floor.

Timmaay

Many of yas planning on keeping calves for milk till April 1st?

limo_100

do any of use cross Simmental on dairy cows?? I no it does happen abit in the south but never up here in the midlands

frazzledhome

Timmaay wrote: »

Many of yas planning on keeping calves for milk till April 1st?

No but I could supply calves to drink milk. Would take in calved cows and milk them if any were around, no charge

Greengrass1

Timmaay wrote: »

Many of yas planning on keeping calves for milk till April 1st?

I'll keep them for 4/5 weeks no longer. Haven't the patience?

Greengrass1

frazzledhome wrote: »

No but I could supply calves to drink milk. Would take in calved cows and milk them if any were around, no charge

How much would ye pay?

farawaygrass

Dawggone wrote: »

Couldn't give them away here.
Hol Bulls at 21days = € 20.

Is that through a mart or direct? Where ya based?

Dawggone

farawaygrass wrote: »

Is that through a mart or direct? Where ya based?

France. Agents used for selling. All males go for veal.

C0N0R

Greengrass1 wrote: »

How much would ye pay?

Surely any man over quota would bite the hand off someone offering this for free. No super levy and no feed bill. Win win

RightTurnClyde

Timmaay wrote: »

Many of yas planning on keeping calves for milk till April 1st?

Dried off early to make sure I'm not at that crack. Time consuming fcukers, have enough more important things to be doing. Once BVD is back adios. Enough quota left to go full throttle from the start.

galwayhillbilly

limo_100 wrote: »

do any of use cross Simmental on dairy cows?? I no it does happen abit in the south but never up here in the midlands

Bought 2 Simx bulls off a lad in East Galway last year one was a great calf, the main reason being about a month after weaning, I thought it safe to let them run with a few cows and about six weeks later I discovered he was stealing a suck from a cow and she made a job of him. The other got virus pneumonia and was very thin for a while but he is flying it now. They will make fine finished cattle but I wont be finishing them, I probably will sell in March, I might throw up the sums if I think of it. They are very big boned and probably will take a good while to finish.
I am wondering should I castrate now and sell as bullocks or should I leave the buyer the choice? All advice welcome

atlantic mist

well keep em all up to 1st april will be over quota so might as well make some use of milk, usually send them all for veal month old but say well run late for export as not calving till feb

welton john

limo_100 wrote: »

do any of use cross Simmental on dairy cows?? I no it does happen abit in the south but never up here in the midlands

Know a few lads down here who keep a sim stock bull all milking 30 cows or less.Calves are great sellers to be fair especially heifers.Was talking to one lad got one two years ago never again wants a sim bull.Man a mile down the road from him has a sim bull every year with 20 years

limo_100

welton john wrote: »

Know a few lads down here who keep a sim stock bull all milking 30 cows or less.Calves are great sellers to be fair especially heifers.Was talking to one lad got one two years ago never again wants a sim bull.Man a mile down the road from him has a sim bull every year with 20 years

I suspose if you didnt have british friesian cows you'd be asking for trouble. Would you not buy a few heifer calves and keep them for sucklers?

limo_100

galwayhillbilly wrote: »

Bought 2 Simx bulls off a lad in East Galway last year one was a great calf, the main reason being about a month after weaning, I thought it safe to let them run with a few cows and about six weeks later I discovered he was stealing a suck from a cow and she made a job of him. The other got virus pneumonia and was very thin for a while but he is flying it now. They will make fine finished cattle but I wont be finishing them, I probably will sell in March, I might throw up the sums if I think of it. They are very big boned and probably will take a good while to finish.
I am wondering should I castrate now and sell as bullocks or should I leave the buyer the choice? All advice welcome

at least the second lad pulled through what weight would they be now? why did you buy them for abit of a side earner was it. Will you do it again this year? If your gonna sell them in march i wouldn't squeeze them its abit hard on them this time of year, however you could squeeze them in march and sell them in may

welton john

limo_100 wrote: »

I suspose if you didnt have british friesian cows you'd be asking for trouble. Would you not buy a few heifer calves and keep them for sucklers?

Have two heifers booked from that lad i mentioned.saw a lovely bunch of five black and white sim bulls sold last july.5 months old bucket fed,super calves make 350.Great value in them,couldn't afford them at the time,on same day a BB heifer calf make 400

limo_100

welton john wrote: »

Have two heifers booked from that lad i mentioned.saw a lovely bunch of five black and white sim bulls sold last july.5 months old bucket fed,super calves make 350.Great value in them,couldn't afford them at the time,on same day a BB heifer calf make 400

there well worth buying i think any way should make great sucklers. jesus they would be good buying sell them as 2year old bullocks and they'd have to make a tidy profit

welton john

limo_100 wrote: »

there well worth buying i think any way should make great sucklers. jesus they would be good buying sell them as 2year old bullocks and they'd have to make a tidy profit

Cant ever remember having sims here.Only breed id say we havent put on dairy cows.What they like as cows?Any experience?

limo_100

welton john wrote: »

Cant ever remember having sims here.Only breed id say we havent put on dairy cows.What they like as cows?Any experience?

There fairly good lots of milk good size the only downside is they breed a dark colored calf but its hard to get everything right. Id say they wouldnt be bad in a parlor either would they?

welton john

limo_100 wrote: »

There fairly good lots of milk good size the only downside is they breed a dark colored calf but its hard to get everything right. Id say they wouldnt be bad in a parlor either would they?[/QUO

Dovea have a good few dairy ones this year. You'd imagine they be easier calved than the beef.Local ai man talking them up last year, course every year they push a different breed

limo_100

welton john wrote: »

limo_100 wrote: »

There fairly good lots of milk good size the only downside is they breed a dark colored calf but its hard to get everything right. Id say they wouldnt be bad in a parlor either would they?[/QUO

Dovea have a good few dairy ones this year. You'd imagine they be easier calved than the beef.Local ai man talking them up last year, course every year they push a different breed

They should allow you to get achieve a good price for there calves there no reason the wouldnt be able to calf to easy calving charolais

farmerjj

Just wondering what would a fr m calf 2weeks old be worth now?

limo_100

loveta wrote: »

Carrigallen saturday calves very good trade
Poor snow white fr bull 15-20 days old E85 but most fr bulls were 125-150 with one good BF i think round 300 all coloured calves from 200 up most in the high 200s/low 300s upwards some were 4&500, daft money but i was no complaining :-)

were you selling?? was it mostly fresien bulls?? any simmental heifers in it?

Reggie.

limo_100 wrote: »

were you selling?? was it mostly fresien bulls?? any simmental heifers in it?

AA?

Reggie.

einn32 wrote: »

Sold 3 week old AA Bull made 285e today in kilmallock.

Prices up for the early calves

einn32

Reggie. wrote:

Prices up for the early calves

Hardly any early calves there. Autumn calves mostly.

weatherbyfoxer

Anyone see what good aa,he x bf heifer or bull calves are making?..hoping to buy 20-30 in feb/mar

Reggie.

einn32 wrote: »

Hardly any early calves there. Autumn calves mostly.

3 week old calves for 280 is good money and wouldn't call them autumn calves either