Spring lamb prices

memorystick

For a novice like me who has a mixed bag, the mart seems like the obvious place.

kk.man

Lambman wrote: »

Lads sending big numbers are always gonna get more money no matter what way they get it either more € per kg or paid till heavier weights. 570c till 23kg =€131.10 ...... 546c till even 24kg is €131.04. they wouldn't need till be getting paid that many extra kgs till make a big big difference.

No matter who is getting what these are great times to have lambs ready for sale. When you think of beef atm there is no comparison. I bought store lambs last October for sub 75e and the grass has been great. It didn't cost me more than 10e to finish them.
Far better than a shed load of cattle no matter what beef system you have.

Dinzee Conlee

kk.man wrote: »

No matter who is getting what these are great times to have lambs ready for sale. When you think of beef atm there is no comparison. I bought store lambs last October for sub 75e and the grass has been great. It didn't cost me more than 10e to finish them.
Far better than a shed load of cattle no matter what beef system you have.

Be interesting to see the breakdown of the 10euro

I was thinking the same - but then when I started adding up the various costs, you don't long be getting up to 10euro... (worm dose, fluke dose, vaccination, etc...)

I haven't done my costs properly yet, was only making em out in me head...

Lambman

I'd say you'd be out close on a tenner without taking a wage or anything for the land... Just on doses vaccinations foot baths tags and transport till and from farm.

Willfarman

If your looking for wages and profit as well you are in the wrong game! On a 3 month grazing 10€ would cover it along with the buying selling dosing, footbath and the inevitable few that go to god. But once you hit late November all thrive is out of a mealbag so the resent price rise is all needed.

kk.man

Willfarman wrote: »

If your looking for wages and profit as well you are in the wrong game! On a 3 month grazing 10€ would cover it along with the buying selling dosing, footbath and the inevitable few that go to god. But once you hit late November all thrive is out of a mealbag so the resent price rise is all needed.

+1
A top agent was chatting to me last year and asked me how much was i spending on the store lambs. I had my calculation done a few weeks previous. I said 10e and he said you are spot on as he calculated the same. I don't know where those figures are now as I mislaid them.

If we had no grass growth or snow and they had to be put inside then it would be costing more than 10e.

Edit: worm, fluke and hep p doses are not expensive.

Green farmer

To many variables to see the actual cost of keeping a store lamb over the winter. Even if you’ve loads of grass and just put them into a field with little other costs, then maybe some lads might have a mortgage on the land and each lamb has to contribute to that mortgage payment. Other lads mightn’t have any grass and might have fed them out of a bag since last November. If so then your looking at al least €20 and possibly €30 in meal. Other lads had heavy losses last spring and again in the autumn, so need to get top prices on the remaining lambs to try and level out the sales for the year. Must be pointed out those home breed ones have to carry the overheads of their mothers for the year. The other thing I was thinking, is what’s the average industrial wage ? How many store lambs would you have to turn, to make that as a clear profit after all the hidden costs ?..... whatever we get, is hard earned and deserved.

kk.man

Green farmer wrote: »

To many variables to see the actual cost of keeping a store lamb over the winter. Even if you’ve loads of grass and just put them into a field with little other costs, then maybe some lads might have a mortgage on the land and each lamb has to contribute to that mortgage payment. Other lads mightn’t have any grass and might have fed them out of a bag since last November. If so then your looking at al least €20 and possibly €30 in meal. Other lads had heavy losses last spring and again in the autumn, so need to get top prices on the remaining lambs to try and level out the sales for the year. Must be pointed out those home breed ones have to carry the overheads of their mothers for the year. The other thing I was thinking, is what’s the average industrial wage ? How many store lambs would you have to turn, to make that as a clear profit after all the hidden costs ?..... whatever we get, is hard earned and deserved.

I do see your point 're the variables. Next year you will see fierce competition for store lambs. Farmers do that just because there was a good turn this year and kill the trade. The bulls finishing a number of years ago is another example.
I'm not saying the enterprise is brilliant but it suits my system. 30 years ago people were giving out about poor returns in farming and I have no doubt they will be talking the same in another 30. I never listen to such people.

Dinzee Conlee

kk.man wrote: »

I do see your point 're the variables. Next year you will see fierce competition for store lambs. Farmers do that just because there was a good turn this year and kill the trade. The bulls finishing a number of years ago is another example.
I'm not saying the enterprise is brilliant but it suits my system. 30 years ago people were giving out about poor returns in farming and I have no doubt they will be talking the same in another 30. I never listen to such people.

I had a quick look at my expenses there...

So far, I have spent 6.52/head direct cost on the few lambs I have... (fluke dose, worm dose, mineral dose, Hep P, bolus, tags)
They are still here, so I won’t know exact costs til they are all gone... it’s always the last few, that cost the most...

It’s actually less than I thought to be fair kk_man, but at the same time, it doesn’t be long adding up...

Lambman

Agreed everybody's different like if I was low on silage this year like last and paying €30 till €35 a bale rather than having a surplus and proabably will end up selling a few it makes a serious difference I'm also down on fertiliser this year as I am meal so without looking at lamb prices it's already better than last year.

kk.man

Dinzee Conlee wrote: »

I had a quick look at my expenses there...

So far, I have spent 6.52/head direct cost on the few lambs I have... (fluke dose, worm dose, mineral dose, Hep P, bolus, tags)
They are still here, so I won’t know exact costs til they are all gone... it’s always the last few, that cost the most...

It’s actually less than I thought to be fair kk_man, but at the same time, it doesn’t be long adding up...

From memory that is about right...I think meal was 5e but they were no expensive Eid tags back then!

Agree with you 're the last ones but in a rising market the extra few bob you don't mind feeding them on.

Duke92

What are they paying this week have about 50 to go around 57kgs

early_riser

Duke92 wrote: »

What are they paying this week have about 50 to go around 57kgs

If it was me and they were that weight think id go mart with them great competition around the ring for heavy lambs at the min

Killed some here this week had an E3 never had an E before, a beltex x char late April ewe lamb,plan on keeping her brother for a breeding ram

kk.man

early_riser wrote: »

If it was me and they were that weight think id go mart with them great competition around the ring for heavy lambs at the min

Killed some here this week had an E3 never had an E before, a beltex x char late April ewe lamb,plan on keeping her brother for a breeding ram

Well done. What sort of money did the come into?...I'm selling in the marts atm.

Duke92

Kilkenny Mart is nearest to me and they dont break there heart for heavy ones only one man there to buy them I think €129 was the best in there last week

eorna

how much are light stores making in marts, lets say 30 kg or thereabouts?

kk.man

Duke92 wrote: »

Kilkenny Mart is nearest to me and they dont break there heart for heavy ones only one man there to buy them I think €129 was the best in there last week

I know they don't. I have not went to Kilkenny sheep mart for many years.
I say it won't sell sheep for much longer.

memorystick

What is Tullow like for finished lambs?

kk.man

memorystick wrote: »

What is Tullow like for finished lambs?

Not bad. A few wholesalers, butchers and factory guys competing for them.

Siamsa Sessions

eorna wrote: »

how much are light stores making in marts, lets say 30 kg or thereabouts?

You’ll get a better idea from the weekly report in the Journal but our rule-of-thumb here is 5 Euro/kg in factory means 50 Euro with weight for stores, so 30kg would mean around 80 Euro. But depends on whether they’re mountain or lowland breed

tabby aspreme

eorna wrote: »

how much are light stores making in marts, lets say 30 kg or thereabouts?

27 kg, cheviot, may have been ewe lambs , €86, 29 kg, mix of ewe and ram lambs good frames, €80 kg, in Tullow last Tuesday.

early_riser

ifa website saying 5.60-5.70 being paid, anyone getting them prices?

wrangler

early_riser wrote: »

ifa website saying 5.60-5.70 being paid, anyone getting them prices?

Groups and good suppliers would be getting it

paddysdream

early_riser wrote: »

ifa website saying 5.60-5.70 being paid, anyone getting them prices?

Kildare paid 5:60 inc QA last Friday.Have more for end of this week but didn't enquire re. price yet

wrangler

paddysdream wrote: »

Kildare paid 5:60 inc QA last Friday.Have more for end of this week but didn't enquire re. price yet

Our group would've been 4.60 for Rs and 570 for Us if inspec

paddysdream

wrangler wrote: »

Our group would've been 4.60 for Rs and 570 for Us if inspec

Mine was flat price

Green farmer

wrangler wrote: »

Our group would've been 4.60 for Rs and 570 for Us if inspec

With the large numbers your group brings in, would ye not fight it if they tried downgrading of R’s ? . I don’t know, but I’d imagine the agents buying in Marts, have to pick up mixed bags of quality and I cannt see them accepting that from the factory ? I know they downgraded me on one lamb a month or two ago and I sold the next few loads in the mart, just to spite them afterwards.

wrangler

Green farmer wrote: »

With the large numbers your group brings in, would ye not fight it if they tried downgrading of R’s ? . I don’t know, but I’d imagine the agents buying in Marts, have to pick up mixed bags of quality and I cannt see them accepting that from the factory ? I know they downgraded me on one lamb a month or two ago and I sold the next few loads in the mart, just to spite them afterwards.

You'd see the difference in an R and a U fairly easily, I was often watching the grading on the telly in the office and you'd even grade them from there. It's time s like this that you'd be better not in the group because factories will compete when their scarce, you're probably doing even better in the mart at the moment.
It looks like our group will supply near 40000 sheep this year, If the north lambs are stopped I wonder will they close a factory or compete properly for supply at last. word on the ground is that there is groups approached to move so they're getting edgy already

Dickie10

factories wont close they will scare monger farmers with that talk, dont believe it. they will now have to pay for lambs. i woouldnt be surprised if meat industry ireland start a campaign with the likes of Teagasc to get more farmers into sheep so they can keep a lid on the price. the only good thing is a lot of younger farmers hate the sight of sheep and dont want to get into it. espically in areas where land is good they will go dairying and/ or stay at tillage. what we need to do as sheep farmers is not be duped by promises of sheep subs , this could be another ploy by factories to get ireland flooded with ewes like the late 80s. only thing is dairy farmers who kept sheep for subs then wouldnt dream of it now

Green farmer

Was talking to a butcher the other day. Told him lambs €6 a kilo is on the way. He didn’t seem bothered and told me the cattle are heading in the other direction and what will cost him more one way will cost him less the other. Reckon behind what their saying, factories probably feel the same.