Calf price chitchat

whelan2

Mooooo wrote: »

You can go mad at the ploughing now

Not going....

Sheep breeder

cute geoge wrote: »

You are saying calves are a byproduct of the dairy industry ,maybe jersey calves are a byproduct .It would not be worth a dairy man bother putting a cow incalf to good quality hereford/angus unless the calf is worth €100 dropped.I reared all my herefords calves to 9/10 weeks and there average price this year was €250 ,after roughly drinking €100 of milk so i was left with €150 to cover dropped calf ,straw,labour and mortality .Any less surely i may as well have a jersey calf ,no bother to calf cow ,cow will have more milk and flog the calf after 10 days!!!

The thing is the dairy man has to put the cow incalf, what would he do if nobody no longer wants his by product of a calf, shoot at a day old and pay the knacker to take away and what will that do for the image of Irish milk on the world market,
Let’s face it the dairy man requires somebody to buy his byproduct of a calf.

Sheep breeder

memorystick wrote: »

We need a veal industry here coupled with good export markets and advertising.

Has being tried and broke the fellas that were at with Slaney.

Say my name

Sheep breeder wrote: »

The thing is the dairy man has to put the cow incalf, what would he do if nobody no longer wants his by product of a calf, shoot at a day old and pay the knacker to take away and what will that do for the image of Irish milk on the world market,
Let’s face it the dairy man requires somebody to buy his byproduct of a calf.

If it's called a byproduct then a byproduct it shall come.

No byproducts produced on this farm. Quality square bull calves is what the aim is always here that leave a good profit.

Buyers are the only ones who continue to run down that image on here. They want the calf for nothing and complain when breeders don't breed the calf they want anymore. There's a connection there somewhere...?

locky76

What sort of money do ye think 3 week old suck calves from a dairy herd will be going for next spring?
1- Freisan bulls
2- Dairy cross whiteheads
3- Dairy cross angus

charolais0153

100
175
225

Icelandicseige

charolais0153 wrote: »

100
175
225

Very hard to know what they be in the spring. Bought fr calves for 65 -75 euro in 2016. Last of them just gone to factory now..

visatorro

charolais0153 wrote:

100 175 225

I hope you're right but I can't see those prices. Maybe as low as half that imv

Good loser

60
150
125

charolais0153

visatorro wrote: »

I hope you're right but I can't see those prices. Maybe as low as half that imv

Aye 3 weeks prob be lower alright

alps

Calves from UK may not be competing for a European outlet next spring as P&O have declared they will stop bringing them from Scotland to Ireland.
Larne was the only route to Ireland and subsequently on to Europe. They have no other outlet.

Mooooo

Last fr bulls I sold made 50 more than aa 170 v 120 at 4 or 5 weeks last spring. Impossible to tell really. If budgeting perhaps 100 average across the lot won't be far off

Bass Reeves

Have calves to be a minimum of 14 days next year before they can be moved fpor welfare reasons. With the amount of cows slaughtered numbers will be back. However demand may be back as well. A lot will depend on numbers exported.

Fr 50-100
HE 150-200
AA 80-150

Calves early in the year may make a tad more but expect a glut from early March on. With lads cutting back on numbers it may be impossible to shift the more extreme Jersey X calves.

whelan2

Bb bull calf 10 days old 200
Fr bull 110. 3 weeks old. Very strong calf
Hereford bull 10 days old 150

whelan2

Anyone at calf sales recently?

Coolfresian

whelan2 wrote: »

Anyone at calf sales recently?

Getting 160 for 2/3 week old fr bull calves from yard to regular customer. All strong shapely calves. Keep the majority for finishing myself but usually sell 20 this time of year.

whelan2

230,190 for 2 aa bulls 10 days old. Aa heifer 130

Reggie.

whelan2 wrote: »

230,190 for 2 aa bulls 10 days old. Aa heifer 130

The SFP madness continues

whelan2

Reggie. wrote: »

The SFP madness continues

Crazy prices there imo. Also fr bull calf that owner said had been injected for pneumonia and looked crap 60 euro, madness

whelan2

1 aa bull 190
2 aa heifers 195
1 aa heifer small 85.
Put the 2 heifers on the market at 80 euro and they ended at 195! Madness as good bb bull made 190.

visatorro

Offered 100 for aa bulls and heifers in yard. 2 weeks old. Going for export. Was gonna tell him to bring them.

How old were those calves?

whelan2

visatorro wrote: »

Offered 100 for aa bulls and heifers in yard. 2 weeks old. Going for export. Was gonna tell him to bring them.

How old were those calves?

Oldest was 18 days. I think I was just very lucky. They were the first calves in the sale. Plenty of calves making alot less. I was only getting 100 in the yard a few weeks ago too. Was 2 lads bidding against each other on the pair of heifers. Cheque home with me for €640

visatorro

Oldest was 18 days. I think I was just very lucky. They were the first calves in the sale. Plenty of calves making alot less. I was only getting 100 in the yard a few weeks ago too. Was 2 lads bidding against each other on the pair of heifers. Cheque home with me for €640[/quote]

Told him to bring them Thursday feck it

whelan2

2 Angus heifers at 165 each

whelan2

Angus bull calf 5 weeks old , still on cow what should I be getting for him out of yard?

visatorro

Talking to a lad who buys calves from the mart said lads have started to stay away from calves left on cows for a month. They are too hard to change onto teat feeders. They look nice but can fade quickly!

You were getting good prices in the mart earlier weren't you?

whelan2

visatorro wrote: »

Talking to a lad who buys calves from the mart said lads have started to stay away from calves left on cows for a month. They are too hard to change onto teat feeders. They look nice but can fade quickly!

You were getting good prices in the mart earlier weren't you?

Wanted to bring him to mart on Tuesday but didn't get to go. Cow hurt her leg so left him on her.

Bass Reeves

whelan2 wrote: »

Angus bull calf 5 weeks old , still on cow what should I be getting for him out of yard?

visatorro wrote: »

Talking to a lad who buys calves from the mart said lads have started to stay away from calves left on cows for a month. They are too hard to change onto teat feeders. They look nice but can fade quickly!

You were getting good prices in the mart earlier weren't you?

If calves are on a cow much longer than 10-14 days it a tough job changing them to a bottle or a teat feeders. Lads will chance it in the spring but at present it is mostly dealers or experienced calf men buying. It is ten years since I reared calves but I still remember one I got after six weeks on a cow. If you leave a calf on a cow longer than 10 days leave it on her for 3 months.

Bigbird1

Hi what are 1 week old Angus bull and heifer calves worth off a dairy hard. Thanks

whelan2

Bigbird1 wrote: »

Hi what are 1 week old Angus bull and heifer calves worth off a dairy hard. Thanks

Going on Tuesday, will let you know but at a week old 75 euro max

Dakota Dan

whelan2 wrote: »

Going on Tuesday, will let you know but at a week old 75 euro max

Prices are supposed to be well back this year because of extra calves. I always kept calves up to 5 weeks fed 6L milk a day and straw for roughage, last year I had a few massive BB bull calves only made 275 and the best was 350, when you factor the value of milk there wasn't much profit, probably would have got 150 at a week old.

mahoney_j

Dakota Dan wrote: »

Prices are supposed to be well back this year because of extra calves. I always kept calves up to 5 weeks fed 6L milk a day and straw for roughage, last year I had a few massive BB bull calves only made 275 and the best was 350, when you factor the value of milk there wasn't much profit, probably would have got 150 at a week old.

I think early calves will make ok money but once glut comes ass will fall out of them ,all fr bulls bar 7/8 I’ll keep for breeding will go within 12/14 days as will anything born after March 20

whelan2

Is it 14 days they have to be now to be sold in mart or 10 days and can they be sold younger off farm?

Keepgrowing

whelan2 wrote: »

Is it 14 days they have to be now to be sold in mart or 10 days and can they be sold younger off farm?

14 day for mart
7 days from yard if travelling <100k

My understanding, open to correction

Base price

Keepgrowing wrote: »

14 day for mart
7 days from yard if travelling <100k

My understanding, open to correction

Farm to mart and farm to farm - 10 days. If navel is not healed by 10 days they cannot travel to mart/farm.
Over 100klms - 14 days but this really relates to export calves.

Bass Reeves

Dakota Dan wrote: »

Prices are supposed to be well back this year because of extra calves. I always kept calves up to 5 weeks fed 6L milk a day and straw for roughage, last year I had a few massive BB bull calves only made 275 and the best was 350, when you factor the value of milk there wasn't much profit, probably would have got 150 at a week old.

I am taking it that they averaged about 300/head. They would have drank about an extra 160 litres of milk at 32c/L it was worth 51.2. However I presume that they got any milk not able to go into milk tank so maybe back to 40ish euro. Vet and mortality 25 euro, straw 25 euro, ration 10 euro so about 100 euro to get to five weeks giving a margin over costs of 50/head. Beef is a low margin business a margin of 50/head on keeping calves for 4 weeks would be about fair from a drystock perspective. After that to increase margin you need to reduce costs.

Mooooo

Bass Reeves wrote: »

I am taking it that they averaged about 300/head. They would have drank about an extra 160 litres of milk at 32c/L it was worth 51.2. However I presume that they got any milk not able to go into milk tank so maybe back to 40ish euro. Vet and mortality 25 euro, straw 25 euro, ration 10 euro so about 100 euro to get to five weeks giving a margin over costs of 50/head. Beef is a low margin business a margin of 50/head on keeping calves for 4 weeks would be about fair from a drystock perspective. After that to increase margin you need to reduce costs.

Vet and mortality from the calf side is fair enough but an issue with some beef breeds is a difficult calving could cost a couple of hundred in lost output or treatment for a cow over the lactation or more if cow has to be culled. May or may not be the case, have had no issue here with bb but I may only have 10 a year if someone had 100 odds are higher that would happen in a given year. Of course this has little to do with the worth of the calf bit more to do with the risk associated from the dairy side

Bass Reeves

Mooooo wrote: »

Vet and mortality from the calf side is fair enough but an issue with some beef breeds is a difficult calving could cost a couple of hundred in lost output or treatment for a cow over the lactation or more if cow has to be culled. May or may not be the case, have had no issue here with bb but I may only have 10 a year if someone had 100 odds are higher that would happen in a given year. Of course this has little to do with the worth of the calf bit more to do with the risk associated from the dairy side

Calf prices are starting to hit a wall. There is a fine balance between beef value of a calf and the effect it has on cow milk yield. There is another factor and that is the public perception of what happens to those calves. At present we have a perception that all calves are worth something. But because of beef prices we are looking at a situation where some calves may have a disposal cost.

IMO we need a lot of research very quickly into bulls that will and are used in the dairy herd. Dairy farmer are right in looking at loss in milk produced by harder calvings, longer gestations and costs associated with extra rearing. But on the beef side there is an issue with certain breeds of calves with AA and JEX calves in particular lack a margin to carry to finish.

We really need research into bulls that are capable of breeding a calf with easy calving potential but with good growth rates. With all the issues with greenhouse gasses emissions from dairying climbing the dairy industry in particular need to be aware of negative publicity to do with calf disposals if we get to a situation where calf slaughtering continues to rise above present numbers. As well I hear of rumour's already of early registration of calves before birth date to get calves to marts earlier in regions where farm to farm sales are large. This will cause more negative publicity.

Whether dairy farmers like it or not calves have costs associated with them. Beef can no longer cover all these costs due to lower beef prices and higher production costs as well as a quality issue with some calves. The dairy industry need to solve some of these issues. The big PLC's have large profits that may be at risk in cases of negative publicity. 5-10 million would complete a lot of research into genetic testing of bulls and calves. What happens to calves is a dairy industry issues and needs to be solved by that industry. But looking at calf costs and prices in isolation is not the answer.

If the BB bull that started this conversation was only worth 80-110 euro at 7-14 days would that change the economic of carrying him to 5 weeks and a 300 euro price

Panch18

What’s the issue with AA calves Bass??

Base price

Panch18 wrote: »

What’s the issue with AA calves Bass??

KYA would be a good example of the ruination of the angus breed. Super easy calving and the resultant calf isn't much better than a jex for beef.
Edit to say that he has been used extensively on JE/JEx cows to produce a more saleable polled black calf which many unsuspecting buyers fall for.

whelan2

Base price wrote: »

KYA would be a good example of the ruination of the angus breed. Super easy calving and the resultant calf isn't much better than a jex for beef.
Edit to say that he has been used extensively on JE/JEx cows to produce a more saleable polled black calf which many unsuspecting buyers fall for.

Isn't amazing in this day and age that sire code doesn't appear on the blue card.

Bass Reeves

Panch18 wrote: »

What’s the issue with AA calves Bass??

As Base price posted there are some bulls out there that have poor beef traits. There calves have very poor growth rates of around 0.5kg/day over there lifetime. The problem is that they drag all the breed down as when buying light stores you are unsure if they have not had a good doing and will have compensatory growth or this poor growth rate breeding. You can live with low deadweight as long as animals have decent growth rates.

Base price

whelan2 wrote: »

Isn't amazing in this day and age that sire code doesn't appear on the blue card.

TBH I doubt it would make much of a difference but maybe other people think otherwise. Obviously pedigrees are different.

The other thing is if the sire code was on the card it doesn't necessarily mean that the calf is by that sire.

whelan2

Base price wrote: »

TBH I doubt it would make much of a difference but maybe other people think otherwise. Obviously pedigrees are different.

The other thing is if the sire code was on the card it doesn't necessarily mean that the calf is by that sire.

Dna testing would sort it out. Tbh if lads really want quality stock they should be going to the farms and sourcing them there. Get to see the cows they are from etc. Buying in the mart is lucky bag stuff and then you have the disease risk there too

Base price

whelan2 wrote: »

Dna testing would sort it out. Tbh if lads really want quality stock they should be going to the farms and sourcing them there. Get to see the cows they are from etc. Buying in the mart is lucky bag stuff and then you have the disease risk there too

I agree 100%. A few marts have closed due to increased insurance costs. The only downside is that you would want to have a seperate shed/area to show calves with proper disinfectant facilities for visitors.

Bass Reeves

whelan2 wrote: »

Isn't amazing in this day and age that sire code doesn't appear on the blue card.

You have a point about the sire code it would help but that information by itself will not sort the issue. It would have to be displayed in marts etc. But you would need to be aware of the sire history of the bull involved as most of these calves are sired by bulls not by AI

whelan2 wrote: »

Dna testing would sort it out. Tbh if lads really want quality stock they should be going to the farms and sourcing them there. Get to see the cows they are from etc. Buying in the mart is lucky bag stuff and then you have the disease risk there too

Nobody is going to DNA test stores or beef calves and even if they do what come back would you have. Somebody has to buy in the mart to set the price. However lots of dairy farms are reluctant to have lads traipsing around because of disease risk.

Keepgrowing

Base price wrote: »

Farm to mart and farm to farm - 10 days. If navel is not healed by 10 days they cannot travel to mart/farm.
Over 100klms - 14 days but this really relates to export calves.

Thank you

Gawddawggonnit

Irish calves should make good money this spring.
We have to complete quite a bit of paperwork along with treating calves with Butox etc to just be able to sell them.
I’m fairly certain that calves that are exported out of France, along with the paperwork/Butox, must be retested once arriving in a foreign country. That adds quite a bit of cost.
Irish calves should be exempt from this rigmarole, and therefore worth more.


Sire and dams breed/code are on all passports and are subject to random dna testing...we get a dna inspection about once a year.

cute geoge

Surely bvd testing calves must come to an end sooner or later .This cost could be put to better use This €3.80 cost per calf could be put into some test or proof of the beef quality of the calf .I tend to agree it is difficult for a buyer to discern a bad quality calf it has been well fed for 5 weeks with milk before sale

Bass Reeves

cute geoge wrote: »

Surely bvd testing calves must come to an end sooner or later .This cost could be put to better use This €3.80 cost per calf could be put into some test or proof of the beef quality of the calf .I tend to agree it is difficult for a buyer to discern a bad quality calf it has been well fed for 5 weeks with milk before sale

Especially if they are registered 5-7 days late