Mart Price Tracker

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118266135#Comment_118266135

Some dairy farmers will cull hard this year with the predicted price of fertlizer. Well if I was at it I would anyway.

My eldest lad kept in contact with the farmer he did his rural work with in Australia. During s period of drought he told him that after he had culled virtually everything he could if a ewe looked at him the way in the field he put her on lorry. His were Merrino ewe's and the wool was where the money was

893bet

I seen a LMX but looked like a blue going through. 600kg and looked decent on camera……and finished at 1710.

Is that par for the course for that type of stock?

Dozer1

Tuned into Listowel today for the sucklers.

Some very average suckler incalf heifers there from the pallaskenry ag college don't think any of them broke 1000 euro or near it.

A few pb ch with the look of no milk made ok money but were very nervous in the ring.

Dozer1

Screenshot_20211209-201146_Chrome.jpg

Here are the prices

Grueller

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118297942#Comment_118297942

Poor prices. Is that the run of it for next spring maybe with fert and meal prices looking extortionate

Dozer1

To be fair Grueller they were average looking and narrow on the camera all blk saler or Aa or ptx I was going to buy the PTX but not being the right colour was a issue. They were the only half square ones but half sorry I didn't at that money.

There there were better SAx ones after them not calving till next Jun or July made nice money...but if they were mine they would be on the hook as they'd have made more as beef.

A few sim cows made up 1800 and weren't amazing looking

jfh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118297942#Comment_118297942

Very poor, I'd like to get a few of those ptx, what was the quality like? On a side note bought really nice sheep that Pallaskenry bred before

White Clover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118298029#Comment_118298029

What breeding is in the sheep @jfh ?

jfh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118298057#Comment_118298057

Bit of a mixture, mostly cheviot, I bought them at around 35 - 38kg as stores with the intention to sell at a breeding sale following Aug but sold in April as prices were good.

tanko

I see the Clonagh herd is selling Simmental bulls and heifers, Limousin heifers, Angus heifers and Simmental embryos on a fixed time auction on Marteye. Most of them aren’t too dear yet 🤔🤔

Jb1989

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118305907#Comment_118305907

Fixed time never seemed to be any addition to the seller, most go unsold.

tanko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118307607#Comment_118307607

I’m surprised to see him selling cattle of that quality that way, they all have a reserve and if they don’t pass it they won’t be sold afaik.

The fixed time heifer sales were a lot of addition to the sellers in Ballybay in the spring😎😎

Jb1989

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118307644#Comment_118307644

I closed the bidding on a number of cattle on ballybays last fixed time option around August, handy enough money like a lot of the fancy stock on it, but never heard a dickie bird on any of them being successful.

It may have worked well at the beginning but the last was useless. It was a new fangled concept that didn't seem to work.

Good loser

Hows'it work?

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118308013#Comment_118308013

A fixed time auction allow bidding until a certain time. It might open at 4 pm and close at 6 pm. Most of the action is in the last 10-15 minutes. Usually there is a counter bid time at the end of the auction. This could be two minutes after the last bid before the sale ends. If you counter bid the 3 minutes resets.

That is the way BidX sells property.

patsy_mccabe

Anyone watching Carrick On Shannon Charolais sale now on?

DukeCaboom

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118343073#Comment_118343073

Very few sold by the look of it.

patsy_mccabe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118343453#Comment_118343453

I only caught the end of it. It didn't look great from what I saw. Still a few nice lots sold well enough.

dh1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118343662#Comment_118343662

Just watched some of it back. Desperate bad prices for some decent bulls. Some average looking bulls also but prices definitely back with some nice looking bulls making average money

patsy_mccabe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118343736#Comment_118343736

Do you subscribe to LSL? How much?

dh1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118344043#Comment_118344043

50euro I think it was patsy. Can look back at any of the sales. Useful enough service especially to gauge how the marts are going

Lime Tree Farm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118344477#Comment_118344477

How far back does it go - I accidentally deleted a recording from last spring and would like to get it back.

DukeCaboom

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118344504#Comment_118344504

Different marts keep different past sales.

Lime Tree Farm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118344608#Comment_118344608

I'll sign up in the new year - anyone know whether you can share between mobiles - only one herd number.

Base price

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118344665#Comment_118344665

I have it on the laptop and both OH's phone and mine. It says that you can have it on up to 3 devices.

Lime Tree Farm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118348432#Comment_118348432

Perfect, thank you.

patsy_mccabe

Anyone watching the annual suckler cow/heifer sale in Newport. Some serious heifers being sold. On LSL website.

Saw a PBR cow and calf make €3710 - she was a beauty by Eravelle and another with calf by On-Dit make €2670.

tanko

Watched the last 20 mins, some brutal prices, an 8 year old cow calving in January to a Lim bull made 1370, she’d be worth more as a cull hanging up, same with a lot of the in calf heifers, strange time of year to be selling them.

patsy_mccabe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118378649#Comment_118378649

The first suckler cows I ever bought, I bought at that sale. There tends to be a bit of dairy breeding in the cows there. Never a problem with milk anyway with them.

minerleague

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118378745#Comment_118378745

Crammed like sardines into the smaller 2nd ring??😊

Albert Johnson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118378354#Comment_118378354

I watched the end of it there now, thought there was value in a few teams with weanling type calves at foot. I can never understand lads putting calves circa 300kg through with the cows as suckler outfits. You'll struggle to achieve there worth and the buyer will split them afterwards. There was an outfit in particular at I think €1550 or thereabouts and I think you could follow her for another €100 and still have value.

From what I can see locally the day of the middling suckler cow is very near over. Most of the average type incalfs would make more money through the dry cow's and announced as "running with a bull". It's nearly to the stage there isn't a man to bid for them through the suckler's. A lot of them are being bought by cull cow men who calve them and sell the sucks straight away and feed the cow. There's not a suckler man to touch them at any money the last year or so.

Anyone that remains at the suckler's (particularly younger lad's) are going to keep less cow's and better quality. It's plain to be seen locally anyway, a good incalf will make a total klondike where as a middling one directly afterwards will struggle to get bid for. I saw it recently with a friend of mine selling right bits of CHx heifers and second calvers softening to a good type LM bull at €1300-€1500 and struggling to get them sold at it. They'd make long more money with no calves in them.

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118378927#Comment_118378927

I have even seen lads injecting cows. They were leaving the mart in September/October with a calf at foot and had been running with a bull.

One of the biggest flaws in suckling is the way lads fail to maximize the value of culls. Trying to sell them incalf, or with a calf at foot. Any sort of fairly average suckker calf at 10+ weeks is worth 4-500euro. Take that off a cull and a cow can be handy money.

patsy_mccabe

A lot of it with suckler guys though, is they don't have the setup to deal with culls. Trying to keep them from the bull after calving and waiting for the calf to be some bit grown to show it's potential cause problems.

Albert Johnson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118379062#Comment_118379062

Injecting them isn't an exact science and there's a timeline outside of which it isn't much use. It's only an issue with longer keep type cows, especially anything that's going to be put back to grass in the spring. A man I knew who used to finish a lot of cows always ran a bull of some description with groups of culls. He maintained an incalf cow thrived better than a dry one and it reduced the issue of cows coming bulling and getting injured mounting each other frequently. I've noticed a lot more culls announced as "running with bull" the last few month's in the marts. I think with the higher prices for culls that a lot of lad's availed of the opportunity to cull cows they'd otherwise have kept.

One of the biggest issues I see with suckler cows in general is longevity. They don't seem to last, between infertility, poor maternal traits, lack of milk, docility, poor feet ect I'd say the average age of a suckler cull isn't too old. I remember reading that the average dairy cow does somewhere in the region of 2 lactations before culling. I'd imagine that the average suckler doesn't rear much more than 2 calves in her lifetime. I don't see that many 10 year old or more culls but there's a power of 3 to 6 year old culls weekly. Take it that most as 3 year old before they calve down it's a huge cost that doesn't get much time to be recouped. For every 15 year old or older cow I'd bet theres several cow heifers sold and announced as only ever having had the one calf.

As for selling springers and outfits you need to take a look at what you're selling and who's buying. There's one time to sell a springer imo and that's softening to calve, putting a cow through the ring and announcing her as 4-5 months gone is a recipe for disappointment in most cases as she's neither a springer or a dry cow. As regards outfits if you don't think there something that will appeal to someone for breeding again then you'd be better split them. As you said an average suck is worth a few hundred up so you'd be better splitting them and land you're cow into the culls.

tanko

According to ICBF the average Suckler cow has 4.5 calves in her lifetime.

Albert Johnson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118379348#Comment_118379348

I stand corrected, take it that she's 30 months at calving and probably has a calving interval of a bit over 12 months that would leave her circa 8 years old at culling.

Maybe it's more of a regional thing but I don't think it's the case around here. Yes there's 8 year old and older culls (I came across a 2001 born cow a few weeks back) but they'd be in the minority compared to the numbers of 3-7 year old culls imo.

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118379303#Comment_118379303

Ya I know there is a timeframe. I think it's about 2-3 weeks to 5 months. The calves were only 4-5 months at the most so it was a fairly good bet it would work. Same lad has a lot of land so those calves would be held as well to be carried to finish. He buys a lot of those ordinary lower value outfits.

The cull cow game has changed with the amount of Friesians available. I was speaking to one man that buys a lot of cows and he said he did not pay much more in Autumn 2021 compared to 2020.

Looking at my own figures for stores I did not pay much more either compare to 2020 either. Now it's not an exact comparison as you do not buy exactly the same but all in all price of certain long term cattle is competitive at present for a grass based system

minerleague

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118378927#Comment_118378927

was watching that pair too, good 6 month old lim heifer calf with her, and cow back in calf for april. had nothing else bought so didn't bother

Bass Reeves

I often heard of lads running a flying dairy herd, buying in you cow in spring and selling most or all off at year end. The way suckler's are going it could be an option. Buy pairs running with a bull from July/August on that are calving early follow spring. Wean your calf as normal, calve your cow following spring wean early and fatten your cow. Even running 15 cows you would have 28-30 calves every year to either sell as weanlings or carry onto store or finish. You would have 15 fat cows as well.

Albert Johnson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118379789#Comment_118379789

That was the one, if she's half as good in the flesh as on screen then she's still good value. I'm a long way from Newport but there's a few lad's I'd know that go down most year's. I wouldn't bother because I could buy something different every week and it's a long time from now to the grass. I was sorry I didn't buy a few springers off a friend of mine before Xmas, they'd be calving around now but its not easy have the space for everything. I'm away a lot with work and there's no one to do anything and that's a huge drawback with suckler's, small issues become big ones when you're away.

Dunedin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118379898#Comment_118379898

Single biggest issue when it comes to sucklers is the challenge of being there when calving. Nearly all suckler farmers are working with no one at home so cows left to God during the day.

Albert Johnson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118379897#Comment_118379897

It sounds good in theory but there's lots of pitfalls to buying breeding stock from a large range of herds. In a lot cases you're only assembling every one else's problems and cast offs. Between wild stock, non thrivers, bad milkers, bad calvers ect you'd want a good working relationship with you're vets. A dealing (single male) friend of mine bought a belt of middling springer cows in one's and two's last spring and he tells me he'd have to marry a vet before repeating the experience. For each of them that calved without issue there was one unable to calve, no biestings ect.

If I were to go down that route I'd be more inclined to factory the cows at the end of the initial summer and only have to over winter the weanlings and stores. You'd have less labour requirements if you weren't calving cows and would need less winter fodder and facilities for young stock compared to cows.

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118380083#Comment_118380083

You would if you were buying the more extreme cow. In farming there is a lot of generic cattle. While along the west coast you have a lot of AI or better type bulls you also have alot of lads breeding off middle of the road stock and use easy calving CH or LM bulls. You would have a fair idea off the calf running with a cow as to what she is in calf to.

Like any other farm system it would demand a skillset. It would depend on your set up as well. It is very hard to get cull that have a calf under them in August to a decent slaughter weight. TBH it would probably be better to just inject the cow as the lad I saw as doing. But there is a lot of culls that cannot be finished without resorting to meal feeding and unless you have a serious margin at buying that is a losing game.

Jb1989

This injecting is alright, but if in calve for 3 or 4 months, then the abortion process sets the cow or heifer back a fortnight or 3 weeks easily, and makes a mess off her in that time, majority would just kill to factory regardless of injecting.

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118385325#Comment_118385325

This lad has a large landbank and buys animals that he will carry 6 months+. The two cows he bought in September will not be slaughtered probably until mid summer next year. They were a pair of Salers cows.

Most lads at cull cows are at a 3-6 month turn over system, some lads even try to finish them inside. Many lads buying them two cow would sell the calves and try to get enough flesh on the cows to slaughter in November. He probably left the calves with the cows for a month and weaned them.

minerleague

Didn't know where to put this, had someone on my farm today who spotted a roan red limx weanling heifer in the shed and wanted to buy her. Never sell at that age ( all factory here ) so wouldn't know value. Nice R+ ( may sneak to U ), not very big compared to comrades but square. Wouldn't be putting her in-calf myself. what are that type making? ( touching 300kg as not pushed )

patsy_mccabe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118429711#Comment_118429711

Roan you say? Worth their weight in gold. Sky's the limit.

Dunedin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118429711#Comment_118429711

Ask €1500 and tell him/her you won’t take a cent less.

DukeCaboom

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118429711#Comment_118429711

Fire up an old picture if you can for the crack.

minerleague

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118429904#Comment_118429904

Not too good with that sort, my IT specialist might do it for me sometime ! He said think about it and get back to him, If kept for beef I'd have her for best part of 2 years and make ( depending on price ) 1600-1700, suppose if got 1K wouldn't be too bad. ( he might have totally different expectations )