Calf Prices 2014

Miname

biddy2013 wrote: »

thats meath men for ya:D was at ardee mart today, 100 calves in sale.T aht would be a massive sale for there fr bulls from 20-100. simx bulls to 360:eek: aa bulls from 80-250 , jex no bids at 5 euro

I called in there myself today, i was keeping an eye out for you. I seen 4 200kg screws of dealers heifers make 650 and i said i wouldnt hang around any more. Some nice forwards sorts there.

biddy2013

Miname wrote: »

I called in there myself today, i was keeping an eye out for you. I seen 4 200kg screws of dealers heifers make 650 and i said i wouldnt hang around any more. Some nice forwards sorts there.

cattle sale was over by the time the calf sale started

lakill Farm

10/14 day old AAX heifer and bull calves direct off farm Heifers €140 Bull €200

also a weaned AAX mid Oct bull calf €250
a weaned November AAX heifer €150

farmerjj

lakill Farm wrote: »

10/14 day old AAX heifer and bull calves direct off farm Heifers €140 Bull €200

also a weaned AAX mid Oct bull calf €250
a weaned November AAX heifer €150

You should have sold those autumn calves back when they were born,i was getting better than that for 4week old calves in November.

lakill Farm

farmerjj wrote: »

You should have sold those autumn calves back when they were born,i was getting better than that for 4week old calves in November.

Im buying them in . All out of british freisan cows

mf240

Your doing well to get them for that.

Reggie.

lakill Farm wrote: »

Im buying them in . All out of british freisan cows

Ah he has back channels no matter what he says

biddy2013

lakill Farm wrote: »

Im buying them in . All out of british freisan cows

out of interest if buying from a calf company how do you know the calves are out of br/fr cows?

farmerjj

lakill Farm wrote: »

Im buying them in . All out of british freisan cows

Thank god not selling to you:)

simx

biddy2013 wrote: »

out of interest if buying from a calf company how do you know the calves are out of br/fr cows?

Sure it's well known them calf dealers are some if the most honest men around

galwayhillbilly

limo_100 wrote: »

you should buy two calves because two calves together will do far better than one on his own. If your going to keep the meat you should buy heifers id recommend angus heifer calves
try this fella he fairly decent for price

http://www.donedeal.ie/beefcattle-for-sale/clarehill-livestock-ltd-/5681868

I have already bought a SIMx bull and AAx heifers which I will probably sell as weanlings, I am in the market for about 4 or 5 more calves but only at the right price. I wont go all Jex this year as I need to generate some cash this time next year they'd probably be no sale for a 1 year old jex bull. I thought just throw a jex in with the rest and see how he does, I would prefer to finish him outside, so I probably would have to bullock him. I can get him killed in the local slaughter house and while I'm there see if the butcher would be interested in buying a few. the following year

moy83

biddy2013 wrote: »

out of interest if buying from a calf company how do you know the calves are out of br/fr cows?

Most calves and dairy x cattle are advertised as good square cattle out of bf cows . Why people say this is beyond me , there couldnt be that many bf cows in the country

lakill Farm

biddy2013 wrote: »

out of interest if buying from a calf company how do you know the calves are out of br/fr cows?

I went to the farm to look at them on Monday night and he was waiting for 1 BVD sample to get the results. So i actually seen the cows myself. So collecting thurs or fri .

Farmer Pudsey

galwayhillbilly wrote: »

I have already bought a SIMx bull and AAx heifers which I will probably sell as weanlings, I am in the market for about 4 or 5 more calves but only at the right price. I wont go all Jex this year as I need to generate some cash this time next year they'd probably be no sale for a 1 year old jex bull. I thought just throw a jex in with the rest and see how he does, I would prefer to finish him outside, so I probably would have to bullock him. I can get him killed in the local slaughter house and while I'm there see if the butcher would be interested in buying a few. the following year

He will be grand to 18-20 months or 400kgs I leave as a bull if going for a freezer job. Just watch him. The reason they are dangerous is that they are lively .

galwayhillbilly

http://www.donedeal.ie/dairycattle-for-sale/wanted-wanted-jersey-bull-calves-/6515399

Someone's thinks there's money in them

simx

galwayhillbilly wrote: »

http://www.donedeal.ie/dairycattle-for-sale/wanted-wanted-jersey-bull-calves-/6515399

Someone's thinks there's money in them

He's only providing a service to the people

Farmer Pudsey

galwayhillbilly wrote: »

http://www.donedeal.ie/dairycattle-for-sale/wanted-wanted-jersey-bull-calves-/6515399

Someone's thinks there's money in them

Look at it this way for someone that has land but little funds it is a handy way to get into cattle. Take a situtation where you are working parttime and have recently got access to land. With out putting capital up fron you could stock a farm. You could run as a low cost operation. For the first 4-8 weeks yes you will have a draw on money(feeding calves) maybe 30-50/head. Then a bit of ration( it the biggest mistake lads make with calves not feeding throught the first summer) until housing or overwintering. If you get them to finish will they make 1K each(3.6/kg at 280kgsDW).

The biggest proviso I would make is that to make money out of them you have to carry to finish. No point in going to a mart with them at 18 months and expecting to make 1-200/head profit. There is only a margin for one person out of these cattle. I be happy to buy a euro/kg in 18 months time I might even give 1.2/kg if i think there is a shortage of cattle coming.

Insp. Harry Callahan

Offered decent quality month old whiteheads for 260, too expensive?,

cute geoge

That's bang on the money at local mart today
If freisans calfs were making 150 euro youd say them whiteheads were definitely a bargain

Farmer Pudsey

Insp. Harry Callahan wrote: »

Offered decent quality month old whiteheads for 260, too expensive?,

Hard question, if you are a calf rearer and are buying direct from farm no fees, can take delivery when it suits, do not have to sit in a mart for a few night/day to gather the same bunch. Also he may drop you a luck pent and deliver them or lend you a trailer if yu have none. He might even feed them for another week.

On the sums a WH will grade mostly O+, get to FS 4- easier than a fresian will get to 3= and will kill 6-10 week earlier.As well the WH bonus.

WH killing 330kgs at 4.1/kg is 1353 euro

Fresian killing 350 at 3.78/kg is 1330 euro.


The Friesian will cost 100 euro the WH 260 however the WH will be a more efficient feed and kill 6-10 weeks sooner, say 50 day at 1.25/day is 62.5 euro the Friesian may also eat an extra 10 in ration.

Profit wise there is not much in it the Friesian may well leave 50/head more, maybe even 100 if you are good to buy them.

Someone else may do a different calculation.

Reggie.

Insp. Harry Callahan wrote: »

Offered decent quality month old whiteheads for 260, too expensive?,

WH being sold out of farms for 350 in Cavan last week

Insp. Harry Callahan

Right thanks folk for the info and Pudsey for the sums, wow 350 is crazy money, I personally think 210 is about what price they should be but hard to get them for that at the mo, maybe in a months time when lot more about.
I would rather buy the earlier born ones if poss and maybe get nearly weaned in early April as my workload that month is a bit crazy also gonna be going down the steer route with them, 24 months probably so earlier calf can make more use of grass and a shorter 2nd winter period.

bbam

HEx calves near me ex farm, €300 for heifers and €350 for bulls.
€275 for AAx.

Too much money.

Reggie.

bbam wrote: »

HEx calves near me ex farm, €300 for heifers and €350 for bulls.
€275 for AAx.

Too much money.

Dairy men that are over quota are buying them all up so that's why the price is so high at the minute

biddy2013

bbam wrote: »

HEx calves near me ex farm, €300 for heifers and €350 for bulls.
€275 for AAx.

Too much money.

i was in mart the other day and i saw none of those calves making that money, if any one is paying that they are a fool

biddy2013

Reggie. wrote: »

Dairy men that are over quota are buying them all up so that's why the price is so high at the minute

i dont think so. i could be wrong though

Cavanjack

bbam wrote: »

HEx calves near me ex farm, €300 for heifers and €350 for bulls.
€275 for AAx.

Too much money.

Meat factories and Teagasc driving the price of aax and hex same as they done two years ago with the Friesian's. In a year or two factories will say they have an oversupply of them.

Reggie.

biddy2013 wrote: »

i was in mart the other day and i saw none of those calves making that money, if any one is paying that they are a fool

What ages were they

Reggie.

biddy2013 wrote: »

i dont think so. i could be wrong though

I was in a dealers yard two weeks ago and happened to be next to a man and he said he wanted 30 AA cross. The dealer said sure have a look around and pick them out and I'll come back to ya. No he said the first 30 will do they are just to drink up the milk.

Two local farms here that I normally get my calves off had men come into them and book the first 40 calves that are born. It's bloody hard to source them locally here this year

bbam

Reggie. wrote: »

What ages were they

Don't know.
I bought from him last year. The angus are average at best.

Farmer Pudsey

Why would you pat anything over 250( and I question that) fora WH calf when you will be able to buy at the end of the year for 450 ish euro.

Reggie.

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

Why would you pat anything over 250( and I question that) fora WH calf when you will be able to buy at the end of the year for 450 ish euro.

This is true, my system at the minute doesn't allow me to buy in weanlings at the end of year at the min

galwayhillbilly

250 is the max I am willing to part with 200 is my ideal price, they can be got at that price but you need to be quick off the mark, missed out on a few for 180 a week ago, thanks to the day job, couldn't get there until 6 and when I did they were gone, it takes an awful lot of phone calls but at least now I have a few names in my phone that I can hopefully book calves with next year.
A few lads are telling me that calves off milk will be easily got in a couple of months when the over quota calves come back on the market any opinions?

Reggie.

galwayhillbilly wrote: »

250 is the max I am willing to part with 200 is my ideal price, they can be got at that price but you need to be quick off the mark, missed out on a few for 180 a week ago, thanks to the day job, couldn't get there until 6 and when I did they were gone, it takes an awful lot of phone calls but at least now I have a few names in my phone that I can hopefully book calves with next year.
A few lads are telling me that calves off milk will be easily got in a couple of months when the over quota calves come back on the market any opinions?

I agree

F.D

the reason we buy calves vs weanlings is for example 250/ head is cash flow
its easier for us as part time farmers to pay 50 x 250=12500 vs loosing time in the mart at the back end of the year looking for the 450 euro weanling and having to shell out 450 x 50 = 22500
i know there will have been money spent growing them which will probably come near the 450 per head but thats the way it is

biddy2013

Reggie. wrote: »

I was in a dealers yard two weeks ago and happened to be next to a man and he said he wanted 30 AA cross. The dealer said sure have a look around and pick them out and I'll come back to ya. No he said the first 30 will do they are just to drink up the milk.

Two local farms here that I normally get my calves off had men come into them and book the first 40 calves that are born. It's bloody hard to source them locally here this year

asked the lad who normally buys my calves- a dealer- he said most lads that are over quota are still selling calves as normal and sending in milk. If a lad is paying lets say 200 euro for 40 calves, thats 8000 euro and alot of work, would they not be better off to send in the milk and pay super levy?

Reggie.

biddy2013 wrote: »

asked the lad who normally buys my calves- a dealer- he said most lads that are over quota are still selling calves as normal and sending in milk. If a lad is paying lets say 200 euro for 40 calves, thats 8000 euro and alot of work, would they not be better off to send in the milk and pay super levy?

No idea but I know a co op around here is 4% over quota at the min. Would hardly believe the demand on the calves if I didn't witness your man loading the first 30 he could find in the shed. He never even threw an eye on them

The other farmers are neighbours that are booked out and they explained that they gave their word on the first batches of calves so they couldn't help me and that was unusual.

Dairy men down the south are still selling away but most dealers have them Sussed out and are grabbing all decent calves. Local dealer here stopped going to the southern marts for about 3 weeks due to the mad prices being paid at the time due to demand. Would have gotten my lot cheaper but with everything happening this year I didn't have time to travel around much do had to rely on others

Reggie.

F.D wrote: »

the reason we buy calves vs weanlings is for example 250/ head is cash flow
its easier for us as part time farmers to pay 50 x 250=12500 vs loosing time in the mart at the back end of the year looking for the 450 euro weanling and having to shell out 450 x 50 = 22500
i know there will have been money spent growing them which will probably come near the 450 per head but thats the way it is

+1. Getting the time is the killer. I'm lucky if I get to a mart every 6 weeks

biddy2013

if they are buying in calves to drink milk would it not make more sense to buy 40 fr bulls at 40 euro?

Farmer Pudsey

F.D wrote: »

the reason we buy calves vs weanlings is for example 250/ head is cash flow
its easier for us as part time farmers to pay 50 x 250=12500 vs loosing time in the mart at the back end of the year looking for the 450 euro weanling and having to shell out 450 x 50 = 22500
i know there will have been money spent growing them which will probably come near the 450 per head but thats the way it is

However if you decided to hold off and instad of putting money into calves week in week out but put it in bank and buy later in the year would you be as well off. We acn all be busy fools.

biddy2013 wrote: »

asked the lad who normally buys my calves- a dealer- he said most lads that are over quota are still selling calves as normal and sending in milk. If a lad is paying lets say 200 euro for 40 calves, thats 8000 euro and alot of work, would they not be better off to send in the milk and pay super levy?

I think most sre doing this as well, sell the calf money in the bank sell the milk it is still making 12-15c/litre. Hard to see feeding 4-6L/day to a calf returning much more than this before you take your time ect into account.

biddy2013 wrote: »

if they are buying in calves to drink milk would it not make more sense to buy 40 fr bulls at 40 euro?

Yes it would but when did sence come into it where some farmers are concerned.

How often have you herd

''Well that the price of them''

''What will eat the grass''

''The day the buy is the day you sell''

'' that will not work here''

cute geoge

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

Hard question, if you are a calf rearer and are buying direct from farm no fees, can take delivery when it suits, do not have to sit in a mart for a few night/day to gather the same bunch. Also he may drop you a luck pent and deliver them or lend you a trailer if yu have none. He might even feed them for another week.

On the sums a WH will grade mostly O+, get to FS 4- easier than a fresian will get to 3= and will kill 6-10 week earlier.As well the WH bonus.

WH killing 330kgs at 4.1/kg is 1353 euro

Fresian killing 350 at 3.78/kg is 1330 euro.


The Friesian will cost 100 euro the WH 260 however the WH will be a more efficient feed and kill 6-10 weeks sooner, say 50 day at 1.25/day is 62.5 euro the Friesian may also eat an extra 10 in ration.
I sold wh and fr calves to brother 2 years ago wh at 350 fr at 200 at 6 weeks of age,there were all fed the same Anyway he got them fattened and killed a few weeka ago the results
all the wh graded r bar one and made 3.70
the fr graded o bar two which graded p and made 3.40 and 3.20 for the p bulls as well as taken 5 weeks longer to finish
wh averaged 1350
fr averaged 1150 so basically a wh is worth at least 200 more
No bonuses unfortunately for the whiteheads and this would have made a massive difference

galwayhillbilly

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

However if you decided to hold off and instad of putting money into calves week in week out but put it in bank and buy later in the year would you be as well off. We acn all be busy fools.''

The wife tried paying for the hairdresser with a polly heifer, not legal tender apparently!!:)

Seriously though it is a lot easier to keep cash together in something like a calf, if you need cash short-term, selling a calf can be awkward, it is much easier just to stick it out until your next pay cheque, if the cash is in the bank you succumb to the temptation very easily. If you are really badly stuck the calf can of course be liquidated. Yes I know they can die and they can cost you money in vets bills, locked up with tb etc but we are farmers after all. Also some of us are only a short time in farming we haven't sold the first batch of finished cattle yet that will give us the ball of money needed to buy weanlings instead of calves, We need to keep numbers up for DAS if we buy at the back end of the year they are not on the farm 6 months, a jex bull calf is worth the same in LUs as Ped BB weanling only costs a 1000 times more. Anyway I like rearing calves and as I said previously no proper sheds + heavy land =light cattle and sheep

Farmer Pudsey

cute geoge wrote: »

The Friesian will cost 100 euro the WH 260 however the WH will be a more efficient feed and kill 6-10 weeks sooner, say 50 day at 1.25/day is 62.5 euro the Friesian may also eat an extra 10 in ration.
I sold wh and fr calves to brother 2 years ago wh at 350 fr at 200 at 6 weeks of age,there were all fed the same Anyway he got them fattened and killed a few weeka ago the results
all the wh graded r bar one and made 3.70
the fr graded o bar two which graded p and made 3.40 and 3.20 for the p bulls as well as taken 5 weeks longer to finish
wh averaged 1350
fr averaged 1150 so basically a wh is worth at least 200 more
No bonuses unfortunately for the whiteheads and this would have made a massive difference

I consider that your Fresians done very poor. as bulls. Had Fresian from calves and suckler WH bought at the right price a few years ago the WH would not wipe the ar5e of the Friesian I bought as calves. An Fresians I killed as bulls that I bought as calves or weanlings always graded O= at a minimum with most grading O= and a sprinkling of R's. Coloured cattle (AA, HE, SH LM) from dairy stock in general hit R's averahing R-. Only P as fresians were usually poorish year and a half store bulls that I bought to finish and only one in a pen

Usually WH are 4+ weeks younger than Fresians (farmers leave the bull in to mop up) Fresian are a struggle as bulls due to age limit at present. usually find that friesians out preform WH and especially AA on weight gain. I was comparing prices as bullocks killing WH at 26 months and FR approching 30 months. am straying away from winter finishing of cattle due to returns. The other factor is capital tied up 30 WH calves at 250 each 7.5K. 30 FR bulls@ 80 each is 2.4K euro.

royaler83

Continental calves still crazy money today. Friesians up a bit, seemed to be more buyers for them but quality was very poor

loveta

Was in carrigallen sat gone by poor prices for calves no real amount of farmers buying any thing and the dealers had a field day it was like shooting ducks in a barrel fr bulls from 15 -100 appox and the 100 were great calves. some top notch bb bull calves prob 7/8 weeks E350 Good AA or WH bull calves round 150 -250

bbam

loveta wrote: »

Was in carrigallen sat gone by poor prices for calves no real amount of farmers buying any thing and the dealers had a field day it was like shooting ducks in a barrel fr bulls from 15 -100 appox and the 100 were great calves. some top notch bb bull calves prob 7/8 weeks E350 Good AA or WH bull calves round 150 -250

I'd say those are more realistic prices than poor prices... 250 for a HEx bull is plenty if your to take a mortality factor into it and make a few euro on them !!

loveta

bbam wrote: »

I'd say those are more realistic prices than poor prices... 250 for a HEx bull is plenty if your to take a mortality factor into it and make a few euro on them !!

250 was for top of the pops calves so i dont think they were great prices and they only seemed to happen when there was a fall out among the boys round the ring

TEAT SQUEEZER

royaler83 wrote: »

Continental calves still crazy money today. Friesians up a bit, seemed to be more buyers for them but quality was very poor

fuk all incentive to keep the fr bull calves any longer than 2 wks when price is on the floor... symptom of the return to the initial rearer:mad:

Farrell

loveta wrote: »

Was in carrigallen sat gone by poor prices for calves no real amount of farmers buying any thing and the dealers had a field day it was like shooting ducks in a barrel fr bulls from 15 -100 appox and the 100 were great calves. some top notch bb bull calves prob 7/8 weeks E350 Good AA or WH bull calves round 150 -250

Was there too, didn't see much of the sucks. Heifers were a good trade, but bulls were bad. Good ch 255kg opening at €400 & making €700, but stronger bulls (ch) just making €2/kg

primary 2

many calfs in carrigaline?