Calf price chitchat

DukeCaboom

White Clover wrote: »

Fermoy is a very progressive mart in fairness.

True, its out on its own compared to the rest of the Cork Marts.
Sean is easily the best manager(for buyer & seller) & John is a very fair auctioneer.

JeffKenna

White Clover wrote: »

Fermoy is a very progressive mart in fairness.

I find the weight brilliant. Not going to pretend I'm a good judge of stock so it's really interesting to see the weights with the calfs sold.

Timmaay

Mooooo wrote: »

It is but as far as I was told anyway, if in the middle of the test no animal can leave the herd?

Ok got an answer off a department vet today, yep this is the official line, from start of the tb test until the tb reading is over no animals should enter or exit your herd, if your within test and herd isn't restricted you'll still be able to generate permits on agfood during this time however ha.

castletrader

einn32 wrote: »

70€ in the yard for handy FR bulls at two weeks.

Calves not even able to make €5 in Carnew today . fr bulls

148multi

castletrader wrote: »

Calves not even able to make €5 in Carnew today . fr bulls

3 handy fr bulls for a€5 in carrigallen today, fr bulls averaging 45-50

straight

Is there boats going or what?

Base price

straight wrote: »

Is there boats going or what?

Lorries went out today.

Bass Reeves

straight wrote: »

Is there boats going or what?

Last year they struggled as there was 60k more than 2019. We have another 50-60k extra this year. There is not unlimited markets for them. As well more and more dairy farmers are dumping them at 10-14 days of age. Biggest problem is too many lads think they have to buy extra calves every year. But veal units will only take so many calves. The penny has not dropped yet that we cannot export all the extra calves there is not a market for them all.

GrasstoMilk

castletrader wrote: »

Calves not even able to make €5 in Carnew today . fr bulls

Ours were there today, fr did okay
Sent crossbreds and they got between 5 and 15e
He bull got 285

Base price

Bass Reeves wrote: »

Last year they struggled as there was 60k more than 2019. We have another 50-60k extra this year. There is not unlimited markets for them. As well more and more dairy farmers are dumping them at 10-14 days of age. Biggest problem is too many lads think they have to buy extra calves every year. But veal units will only take so many calves. The penny has not dropped yet that we cannot export all the extra calves there is not a market for them all.

I saw 24 day old of FR bull calf make €160 and another one went over €200 today in Carrigallen. The online sales has allowed people to buy that would seldom go to a mart and those people are chancing a few to rear.

Siamsa Sessions

Bass Reeves wrote: »

Last year they struggled as there was 60k more than 2019. We have another 50-60k extra this year. There is not unlimited markets for them. As well more and more dairy farmers are dumping them at 10-14 days of age. Biggest problem is too many lads think they have to buy extra calves every year. But veal units will only take so many calves. The penny has not dropped yet that we cannot export all the extra calves there is not a market for them all.

Veal depends a lot on the restaurant trade apparently and Netherlands is just not interested at the moment. ICBF figures show what you say - 60k extra calves (all dairy born) so far this year: https://webapp.icbf.com/v2/app/weekly-update

Base price

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

Veal depends a lot on the restaurant trade apparently and Netherlands is just not interested at the moment. ICBF figures show what you say - 60k extra calves (all dairy born) so far this year: https://webapp.icbf.com/v2/app/weekly-update

Dawg made the point a couple of months ago that the cold stores were full of veal and he couldn't get continental cross bred calves sold.

whelan2

Base price wrote: »

Lorries went out today.

The lad that takes our calves was looking for calves 50kg and over. I'd say there's not too many of them around

DukeCaboom

Fr heifers calves are gone so dear you'd imagine more fr AI will be used this year.

Bass Reeves

DukeCaboom wrote: »

Fr heifers calves are gone so dear you'd imagine more fr AI will be used this year.

There is very little extra in it. The Fr bull is making so little that it balances against HE and AA bulls and heifers combined. There seems a insatiable demand for HE/AA calves at present. That will be fixed this time next year.

weatherbyfoxer

At what price point do people think a decent friesian bull calves better value than a Angus or Hereford?

Base price

whelan2 wrote: »

The lad that takes our calves was looking for calves 50kg and over. I'd say there's not too many of them around

Veal is backed up in cold storage so they are getting choosy as to what calves they are going to take.

Bass Reeves

weatherbyfoxer wrote: »

At what price point do people think a decent friesian bull calves better value than a Angus or Hereford?

It depends on the system you are in and your land type. Friesians plenty of grass to really preform. My system is buying run of the mill job lots of cattle of what you ver breeds I come a cross. In general better FR's will out preform AA's and but be a bit below HE in final factory price. However remember it's the better FR's. I. General.in my system my mixed bag of FR cattle will average 1180-1200 euro AA will average 1250 euro and the HE over 1300 euro.

Watching a lot of those 5-30 euro calves go through there is serious value in some of them compared to 250 euro+ 12-15 day old HE calves. Problem with FR often you need to carry to finish. Having said that good FR yearlings over 300 kgs always sell well in late March/ April.

Siamsa Sessions

Bass Reeves wrote: »

It depends on the system you are in and your land type. Friesians plenty of grass to really preform. My system is buying run of the mill job lots of cattle of what you ver breeds I come a cross. In general better FR's will out preform AA's and but be a bit below HE in final factory price. However remember it's the better FR's. I. General.in my system my mixed bag of FR cattle will average 1180-1200 euro AA will average 1250 euro and the HE over 1300 euro.

Watching a lot of those 5-30 euro calves go through there is serious value in some of them compared to 250 euro+ 12-15 day old HE calves. Problem with FR often you need to carry to finish. Having said that good FR yearlings over 300 kgs always sell well in late March/ April.

Would you get 1.50/kg for those 300kg FR yearlings at this time of year? Based on 100 euro to get the calf to Sept/Oct and another 150 euro to winter him, you have 200 euro to buy him and take a few bob for yourself.

The 100 and 150 costs above are just based loosely on my own experience with calves/weanlings over the last 2 years.

GrasstoMilk

DukeCaboom wrote: »

Fr heifers calves are gone so dear you'd imagine more fr AI will be used this year.

What sort of money are they worth ?
Sold 15 this morning to a guy from cavan

DukeCaboom

Bass Reeves wrote: »

There is very little extra in it. The Fr bull is making so little that it balances against HE and AA bulls and heifers combined. There seems a insatiable demand for HE/AA calves at present. That will be fixed this time next year.

There gone dear because of supply & demand.
99% of fr heifer calves sold in Bandon mart last spring went up the North.
The obsession of one round of AI to fr.
It all adds up eventually to a shortage.

Local chap here milking 250 jex has started using holstein bulls after 6 weeks ai.
Said when using he & aa bulls to mop up only 25% of his calves were valuable now 50% of his calves salable.
Now this same man is disciple of Michael Brady so.....

Bass Reeves

DukeCaboom wrote: »

There gone dear because of supply & demand.
99% of fr heifer calves sold in Bandon mart last spring went up the North.
The obsession of one round of AI to fr.
It all adds up eventually to a shortage.

Local chap here milking 250 jex has started using holstein bulls after 6 weeks ai.
Said when using he & aa bulls to mop up only 25% of his calves were valuable now 50% of his calves salable.
Now this same man is disciple of Michael Brady so.....

The JE influence is what is catching him. On most farms with good HO/ FR cows AA/HE bulls and heifers are selling well. He is caught in that case he JE breeding is pulling down his price by 100/ head.at least.

Ya changing over to HO bull may be a he answer for him but late March/ April heifers are unlikely to be in demand

Bass Reeves

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

Would you get 1.50/kg for those 300kg FR yearlings at this time of year? Based on 100 euro to get the calf to Sept/Oct and another 150 euro to winter him, you have 200 euro to buy him and take a few bob for yourself.

The 100 and 150 costs above are just based loosely on my own experience with calves/weanlings over the last 2 years.

Generally bullocks 300-350 kgs would be making 500-550. Trick is to sell out of the shed or yard and avoid transport and mart fees. There is 30-35 euro to play around with there. The biggest challenge is getting them to that weight without too much meal. When I was winter them sort of weanlings on dry silage and a kg of ration would be 80-90c/ day. They were the last cattle housed. From September on those Feb/ early March calves would really thrive. At the time I was doing them as bulls. Half to 3/4 of a kg with minerals would see them fly from September to housing

jaymla627

Bass Reeves wrote: »

The JE influence is what is catching him. On most farms with good HO/ FR cows AA/HE bulls and heifers are selling well. He is caught in that case he JE breeding is pulling down his price by 100/ head.at least.

Ya changing over to HO bull may be a he answer for him but late March/ April heifers are unlikely to be in demand

Theirs no free lunch when going beef on dairy cows especially if using good beef bulls that throw shapey calves, between hard calvings the odd downer cow, dopey calves that are alot harder trained to feeders, along having to keep alot closer eye on cows calving down the hassle isn't worth it in my view, 2019 was a pure sickner when the finest of aax/he heifer calves where barley making 60 euro in March at 3 weeks old..

DukeCaboom

Bass Reeves wrote: »

The JE influence is what is catching him. On most farms with good HO/ FR cows AA/HE bulls and heifers are selling well. He is caught in that case he JE breeding is pulling down his price by 100/ head.at least.

Ya changing over to HO bull may be a he answer for him but late March/ April heifers are unlikely to be in demand

The only calf that held its value down here for every month last year down here was the fr heifer and belgiun blues.
Stock bull fr heifers with no a dickie bird of paper following them were making over €300 last May June.

whelan2

DukeCaboom wrote: »

The only calf that held its value down here for every month last year down here was the fr heifer and belgiun blues.
Stock bull fr heifers with no a dickie bird of paper following them were making over €300 last May June.

Calved a blue bull calf yesterday. It will be the last blue calf here. Too big, too hard calved, big dopey calf very heavy to lift.. spent way too much time looking after him. Lucky my dad is here and he looked after him while I was at other things.

DukeCaboom

whelan2 wrote: »

Calved a blue bull calf yesterday. It will be the last blue calf here. Too big, too hard calved, big dopey calf very heavy to lift.. spent way too much time looking after him. Lucky my dad is here and he looked after him while I was at other things.

Go way, that's some dose.

Bass Reeves

jaymla627 wrote: »

Theirs no free lunch when going beef on dairy cows especially if using good beef bulls that throw shapey calves, between hard calvings the odd downer cow, dopey calves that are alot harder trained to feeders, along having to keep alot closer eye on cows calving down the hassle isn't worth it in my view, 2019 was a pure sickner when the finest of aax/he heifer calves where barley making 60 euro in March at 3 weeks old..

There is no such thing as a free lunch as you say. Its interesting that we are nearly into two years since Teagasc stated that they had not factored the calf into there equation on dairy expansion, grass based systems and using easy calving bulls. At present beef prices 60 euro is a tad too much for three week old HE and AA heifers. Good bullls should be sub 100 euro. At present dairy farmers have to hold calves for 10 days. Ideally this should be increased to 30 days. After all the calf is a dairy byproduct it should not be up to beef farmers to sort out the mess. At 30 days if the dairy farmer wants to send him to the calf slaughter premises so be it.

DukeCaboom wrote: »

The only calf that held its value down here for every month last year down here was the fr heifer and belgiun blues.
Stock bull fr heifers with no a dickie bird of paper following them were making over €300 last May June.

That will not be long stopping if there is an excess of them they are not worth anything from a beef value point of view.

Just as an aside calf slaughter number are up 40% so far this year

cute geoge

Some lads are a joke trying to pull down the price of traditional beef breed sucks.How could it pay any dairy man to calf wh/aa angus if they are getting less then E100 for 3/4 week old calves .It is allready stated the problems that can be incountered at calving and be expected to rear the calves to 4 weeks and then give them away for 60 -100 euro ya right

Bass Reeves

cute geoge wrote: »

Some lads are a joke trying to pull down the price of traditional beef breed sucks.How could it pay any dairy man to calf wh/aa angus if they are getting less then E100 for 3/4 week old calves .It is allready stated the problems that can be incountered at calving and be expected to rear the calves to 4 weeks and then give them away for 60 -100 euro ya right

Ya pay 200+ for AA and HE and 24 months later Larry will give you 1100-1200 euro and maybe below that in a winter finishing based system. Hold them for another 4-6 months and you get maybe another 100-150 euro. Finish the heifers at 18-24 months for 900-1k.

In any system a two week old calf will during the time from 14 days consume a bag of milk powder use a bale of straw, eat 2-3 bags of ration before 12 weeks of age, add in mortality and vets bills. That's 100-120 euro. Larry is unwilling to pick up the cost. The beef man cannot pick up the cost as finishing rations head for 300/ ton. Somebody has to...so let the man in who'es interest it is to produce the calf pick up that cost.

Only for last years strong autumn store prices calves would be really struggling. Next year unless there is a marked improvement in beef prices ( and even if there is winter finishers are punch drunk at this stage) there will be a reckoning on calf prices as I think autumn prices for stores and weanlings will really struggle.

Its not 30-40 years ago where at the mart you could shove calves into any empty trailer or truck and drive away. We are only a matter of time from negative bidding

Hard Knocks

whelan2 wrote: »

Calved a blue bull calf yesterday. It will be the last blue calf here. Too big, too hard calved, big dopey calf very heavy to lift.. spent way too much time looking after him. Lucky my dad is here and he looked after him while I was at other things.

What bull?

whelan2

Hard Knocks wrote: »

What bull?

Bb4286

whelan2

This was him yesterday

DukeCaboom

whelan2 wrote: »

This was him yesterday

When you'll be getting €450 for him in 2 weeks twill ease your pain

straight

cute geoge wrote: »

Some lads are a joke trying to pull down the price of traditional beef breed sucks.How could it pay any dairy man to calf wh/aa angus if they are getting less then E100 for 3/4 week old calves .It is allready stated the problems that can be incountered at calving and be expected to rear the calves to 4 weeks and then give them away for 60 -100 euro ya right

Seems to be alot of begrudging against the dairy farmer. Beef farmers can't make enough money so the dairy farmer should give them free calves and worse still you see people calling for negative prices calves.

Bass Reeves

straight wrote: »

Seems to be alot of begrudging against the dairy farmer. Beef farmers can't make enough money so the dairy farmer should give them free calves and worse still you see people calling for negative prices calves.

First off I do not buy calves I am in the store to beef business. My system is profitable. I am a simple trader. I buy a product add value to it and sell it on. For it to remain profitable as costs are rising either I rise the price of my outputs or I reduce the price of my inputs.

However some of my inputs are rising in price notably ration. But fertlizer, veterinary etc are all increasing. I cannot rise the price of my outputs. We tried that in 2019 but the great and good told us it was a business. They told us ot was market forces. TBF a lot of dairy farmers supported us but many that had beef trading businesses did not.

The only input I have flexibility to reduce the price of is the store cattle I buy. If I cannot reduce my costs there someone else can finish them. There is enough idiots in this game I do not intend to join them.

Last autumn the average store cost me 605 euro. This year I expect to have to drop that by 50+ euro/head. I know there are 200k extra stores out there so this autumn I know patience is the name of the game. A lot of the cattle I buy are March/April cattle

lab man

DukeCaboom wrote: »

When you'll be getting €450 for him in 2 weeks twill ease your pain

He wont

148multi

whelan2 wrote: »

This was him yesterday

He'd be a nice calf off a continental, hope you get on well with him

morphy87

whelan2 wrote: »

This was him yesterday

That’s some calf

Anto_Meath

Serious calf all the best with him..

Anto_Meath

cute geoge wrote: »

Some lads are a joke trying to pull down the price of traditional beef breed sucks.How could it pay any dairy man to calf wh/aa angus if they are getting less then E100 for 3/4 week old calves .It is allready stated the problems that can be incountered at calving and be expected to rear the calves to 4 weeks and then give them away for 60 -100 euro ya right

It not that at all, unfortunately they are trying to be realistic. If you are to make a profit from beef with current cost of inputs & the return from the beef factories then calves will have to be bought for as little as possible it's either that or try to get €300 per acre from the dairy farmers to rent them the land.

Bass Reeves

cute geoge wrote: »

Some lads are a joke trying to pull down the price of traditional beef breed sucks.How could it pay any dairy man to calf wh/aa angus if they are getting less then E100 for 3/4 week old calves .It is allready stated the problems that can be incountered at calving and be expected to rear the calves to 4 weeks and then give them away for 60 -100 euro ya right

Anto_Meath wrote: »

It not that at all, unfortunately they are trying to be realistic. If you are to make a profit from beef with current cost of inputs & the return from the beef factories then calves will have to be bought for as little as possible it's either that or try to get €300 per acre from the dairy farmers to rent them the land.

That us it in a nutshell. Take a good HE calf bought for 285 euro and costing 15 euro and transport to get into the shed. You slaughter him two years later out of a shed.If he is a Good one he hang 330kgs at O+. Some processors are dropping the HE bonus at present as too many HE cattle around. Base this winter has been 3.70/kg giving a net price of 3.78 + the 10c HE bonus if you can get it. He will gross 1250.

That leaves 950 to cover costs.


First 10 weeks
Milk powder 50 euro
Straw 25 euro
Ration 25
Mortality and vet 15 euro
Hay, straw, silage grass 10 euro.
Misc. 15 euro

Weaning to housing

Grass 63 euro
Ration( on autumn grass ). 18 euro
Vet and mortality 10 euro
Misc. 10euro

Housing to turn out 110 days
Silage 80 euro
Ration. 20 euro
Mins& vits. 5 euro
Vet& mortality. 10 euro
misc. 30 euro

Summer as a yearling200ish days

Grass 80 euro
Vet & mortality 10 euro
Misc 30 euro.

Housing to finishing
110 days at 3/ day
Vet& mortality 15
Transport 20 euro
Factory 10 euro( add another 1.2 euro if you are stupid enough to pay the IFA fee).

Now that comes to a princely sum of 824 euro add the calf at 300 and you 1124 euro. That leaves a net margin of 126 euro. If that calf id involved in a calf to store system and is bought by a finisher you can take 20 euro in marts fees and 15-20 in transport to be taken out as well before any profits are divied. Up between the lucky producers...............OH I forgot about dairy mens other favourites before talking about ugly profit own labour costs and land costs oops silly me.

Mooooo

And yet you reckon milk can be produced for 10c/L...

Gawddawggonnit

Bass Reeves wrote: »

That us it in a nutshell. Take a good HE calf bought for 285 euro and costing 15 euro and transport to get into the shed. You slaughter him two years later out of a shed.If he is a Good one he hang 330kgs at O+. Some processors are dropping the HE bonus at present as too many HE cattle around. Base this winter has been 3.70/kg giving a net price of 3.78 + the 10c HE bonus if you can get it. He will gross 1250.

That leaves 950 to cover costs.


First 10 weeks
Milk powder 50 euro
Straw 25 euro
Ration 25
Mortality and vet 15 euro
Hay, straw, silage grass 10 euro.
Misc. 15 euro

Weaning to housing

Grass 63 euro
Ration( on autumn grass ). 18 euro
Vet and mortality 10 euro
Misc. 10euro

Housing to turn out 110 days
Silage 80 euro
Ration. 20 euro
Mins& vits. 5 euro
Vet& mortality. 10 euro
misc. 30 euro

Summer as a yearling200ish days

Grass 80 euro
Vet & mortality 10 euro
Misc 30 euro.

Housing to finishing
110 days at 3/ day
Vet& mortality 15
Transport 20 euro
Factory 10 euro( add another 1.2 euro if you are stupid enough to pay the IFA fee).

Now that comes to a princely sum of 824 euro add the calf at 300 and you 1124 euro. That leaves a net margin of 126 euro. If that calf id involved in a calf to store system and is bought by a finisher you can take 20 euro in marts fees and 15-20 in transport to be taken out as well before any profits are divied. Up between the lucky producers...............OH I forgot about dairy mens other favourites before talking about ugly profit own labour costs and land costs oops silly me.

No arguing there Bass.
There’s slim to no margin in beef Atm and that’s
if calves are free...it’s probably a bit hard for dairy farmers to comprehend what that’s like.

We’ve struck up a little understanding with a young lady that produces veal. She takes every live calf, both male and female, for the princely sum of €90. I then have to empty her slurry tanks for free. The calves are Lm, Ch and BB crosses from Hol cows. We have to keep the calves until 30days. Anyone would think that I’m crazy, but I’d rather dump them like that than carry them to slaughter...I’ve that T-shirt and I’d rather take a loss now than suffer on for another 16-20 mts to possibly make a bigger loss.
It’s only until May when the Irish calves have washed through the system...hopefully we’ll be into a more realistic market by then.

Bass Reeves

Mooooo wrote: »

And yet you reckon milk can be produced for 10c/L...

We will deal with that on a dairy thread

charolais0153

Bass Reeves wrote: »

That us it in a nutshell. Take a good HE calf bought for 285 euro and costing 15 euro and transport to get into the shed. You slaughter him two years later out of a shed.If he is a Good one he hang 330kgs at O+. Some processors are dropping the HE bonus at present as too many HE cattle around. Base this winter has been 3.70/kg giving a net price of 3.78 + the 10c HE bonus if you can get it. He will gross 1250.

That leaves 950 to cover costs.


First 10 weeks
Milk powder 50 euro
Straw 25 euro
Ration 25
Mortality and vet 15 euro
Hay, straw, silage grass 10 euro.
Misc. 15 euro

Weaning to housing

Grass 63 euro
Ration( on autumn grass ). 18 euro
Vet and mortality 10 euro
Misc. 10euro

Housing to turn out 110 days
Silage 80 euro
Ration. 20 euro
Mins& vits. 5 euro
Vet& mortality. 10 euro
misc. 30 euro

Summer as a yearling200ish days

Grass 80 euro
Vet & mortality 10 euro
Misc 30 euro.

Housing to finishing
110 days at 3/ day
Vet& mortality 15
Transport 20 euro
Factory 10 euro( add another 1.2 euro if you are stupid enough to pay the IFA fee).

Now that comes to a princely sum of 824 euro add the calf at 300 and you 1124 euro. That leaves a net margin of 126 euro. If that calf id involved in a calf to store system and is bought by a finisher you can take 20 euro in marts fees and 15-20 in transport to be taken out as well before any profits are divied. Up between the lucky producers...............OH I forgot about dairy mens other favourites before talking about ugly profit own labour costs and land costs oops silly me.

Dead right:)

The dairy calf thing reminds me of wool in sheep, used be worth a good bit back in the day , now it doesn't cover 5% of the cost of shearing them unless you shear them yourself

straight

Bass Reeves wrote: »

That us it in a nutshell. Take a good HE calf bought for 285 euro and costing 15 euro and transport to get into the shed. You slaughter him two years later out of a shed.If he is a Good one he hang 330kgs at O+. Some processors are dropping the HE bonus at present as too many HE cattle around. Base this winter has been 3.70/kg giving a net price of 3.78 + the 10c HE bonus if you can get it. He will gross 1250.

That leaves 950 to cover costs.


First 10 weeks
Milk powder 50 euro
Straw 25 euro
Ration 25
Mortality and vet 15 euro
Hay, straw, silage grass 10 euro.
Misc. 15 euro

Weaning to housing

Grass 63 euro
Ration( on autumn grass ). 18 euro
Vet and mortality 10 euro
Misc. 10euro

Housing to turn out 110 days
Silage 80 euro
Ration. 20 euro
Mins& vits. 5 euro
Vet& mortality. 10 euro
misc. 30 euro

Summer as a yearling200ish days

Grass 80 euro
Vet & mortality 10 euro
Misc 30 euro.

Housing to finishing
110 days at 3/ day
Vet& mortality 15
Transport 20 euro
Factory 10 euro( add another 1.2 euro if you are stupid enough to pay the IFA fee).

Now that comes to a princely sum of 824 euro add the calf at 300 and you 1124 euro. That leaves a net margin of 126 euro. If that calf id involved in a calf to store system and is bought by a finisher you can take 20 euro in marts fees and 15-20 in transport to be taken out as well before any profits are divied. Up between the lucky producers...............OH I forgot about dairy mens other favourites before talking about ugly profit own labour costs and land costs oops silly me.

Beef farmers can't be bothered feeding calves as they'd have to get up too early in the morning. They'll gladly pay 500 - 600 for them out of the shed 12 months later. Alot of fr bulls for small money can be put on once a day milk, a few bits of hay/straw and out to grass in a few weeks. No wonder they can't make money as they love being the big man paying too much for older stock.

whelan2

straight wrote: »

Beef farmers can't be bothered feeding calves as they'd have to get up too early in the morning. They'll gladly pay 500 - 600 for them out of the shed 12 months later. Alot of fr bulls for small money can be put on once a day milk, a few bits of hay/straw and out to grass in a few weeks. No wonder they can't make money as they love being the big man paying too much for older stock.

Heard over the weekend of 450/acre being given for 7 years for leasing land by a beef farmer . Beat the dairy farmers on it.

Bass Reeves

straight wrote: »

Beef farmers can't be bothered feeding calves as they'd have to get up too early in the morning. They'll gladly pay 500 - 600 for them out of the shed 12 months later. Alot of fr bulls for small money can be put on once a day milk, a few bits of hay/straw and out to grass in a few weeks. No wonder they can't make money as they love being the big man paying too much for older stock.

So are my costing right or wrong before we go down that rabbit hole. Most calves being bought are now sub 20 days too young to go back n OAD. I buy an 16-20 months old store and I am making a small margin. I am determined not to let that margin get eaten into. If it Is I will downsize the operation draw as much environmental money as possible and continue on. Never buy cattle in the spring and at 5-600 hundred euro the lad producing that calf unless it's a FR he bought at sub 50 euro he is at nothing

Bass Reeves

whelan2 wrote: »

Heard over the weekend of 450/acre being given for 7 years for leasing land by a beef farmer . Beat the dairy farmers on it.

I do not know what system he is at but unless SFP ( which it cannot) is covering his rental costs he is at nothing. I say it was a case of mine is bigger than yours.