£950 Holstein store

[Northeastfarmer]

If you cant buy and more importantly judge cattle then I would say cattle farming isn't for you.

Reason store cattle are so expensive is because of the agents.

At the end of the day when your buying cattle some will do a lot quicker than others but there is no way neither you or an agent can tell that when they are in the ring.

I know someone who finishes the best cattle you will ever see....they all come from the other end of the country and he has a man buying them for him...the only time he goes to the mart is to sell...he's done it for years

 

[beefandsleep]

I wonder if it was an agent who bought the beast responsible for this thread?[emoji23][emoji23]

 

[gone up the hill]

I know someone who finishes the best cattle you will ever see....they all come from the other end of the country and he has a man buying them for him...the only time he goes to the mart is to sell...he's done it for years

Yea but he would still be better off buying his own cattle.

 

[Lovegoodstock]

I buy 1000 mule gimmers for, to be honest contacts and friends though dad, they would be good farmers themselves, but as I found out the first year I took over and did at best an average job, it can take years to know the farmers, their farms and feeding which obviously affects the price and how they look a few months later. I like to think I save them 6/7 quid a lamb, partly buying sheep that may be an odd kilo lighter on the day but hope a few kilo heavier not long after, buying volume 500 two days running you can take out bidders by averaging the lambs and buying runs, genuinely take luck, support friends I buy off and unlike agents don't then take the mick on what I bill them, hardly an agent but some buying for others can be helpful. Hopefully!!

 

[More to life]

Yea but he would still be better off buying his own cattle.

You don't get that luxury when you rear your own I get far to many grade p I'm hoping a shift to a rounder Holstein will help.

 

[TomD]

Yea but he would still be better off buying his own cattle.

How many are you finishing a year?Do you buy your cattle private or from market .

 

[beefandsleep]

I'm not sure about taking out bidders by averaging lots. Big sales where they have the numbers to put good loads together usually have a lot of buyers and if your usual nemesis gets a sore stomach and doesn't bid then someone else will. Trying to blow someone out of the water usually has the effect of lifting the whole trade and we all know someone who thinks it good sport to watch who's bidding and run up the dealers once they figure out where they will stop.

 

[gone up the hill]

How many are you finishing a year?Do you buy your cattle private or from market .

Both

 

[Raider112]

10 years ago it was almost a disgrace to get a P grade back, it had to be an awful thing. Now classic -o carcases come back as P on a regular basis.

 

[gone up the hill]

10 years ago it was almost a disgrace to get a P grade back, it had to be an awful thing. Now classic -o carcases come back as P on a regular basis.

Where are you sending them?

 

[Raider112]

Some go for veal so might have less finish being younger but others go to places like ABP.

 

[gone up the hill]

Some go for veal so might have less finish being younger but others go to places like ABP.

You need to make sure you place them right.

 

[Lovegoodstock]

I'm not sure about taking out bidders by averaging lots. Big sales where they have the numbers to put good loads together usually have a lot of buyers and if your usual nemesis gets a sore stomach and doesn't bid then someone else will. Trying to blow someone out of the water usually has the effect of lifting the whole trade and we all know someone who thinks it good sport to watch who's bidding and run up the dealers once they figure out where they will stop.

and whilst not every time but if you believe in yourself and your ability you do the same, and bid on a pen you know will underpeform or are overpriced and leave them with them, they don't compete the following year or a second time that day. So many buyers at sales of 9500 want 30/60 a day and will wait most the sale, every sale be it cattle sheep fat or stores has peaks and troughs, trust your judgement you can do ok, maybe not im always happy and customers returned for 30 years now so cant be too far off?

 

[beefandsleep]

Don't worry, I do trust my judgement. It isn't clever to bid people up on stock. You would do better to stand next to him and take it in turns. Unless he is an arsehole who thought he could bully you out of the market, in which case, happy hunting.[emoji6]

 

[Lovegoodstock]

and you have described the man that was staying in my same hotel and told me I choose my stock by watching what you bid on and keep going to a T. However I also sell store cattle and breeding sheep and would never take it in turns, defeats the idea of a market. Always have fun falling out with my sister competing, no qualms in paying more, they should be more, we all lose out if we try to drop the price rather than raise it

 

[Friesianfan]

Why, because when its fhinshed in 90/120 days it will be worth £1200 +

Sedge today some Fri steers were over £1000 upto £1050 head..

That's what mine make finished. O+ at dunbia. Then take a good chunk out for haulage etc. Where are they making their money?

 

[Northeastfarmer]

That's what mine make finished. O+ at dunbia. Then take a good chunk out for haulage etc. Where are they making their money?

The £20 luck you leave on each one....

 

[Zippy768]

Run 5 weeks between batches but not buying all 12 months of the year.
Numbers down a bit at present as no market down here for Barley Bulls which was a system that suited us rather well. Trying some B&W steers on an intensive barley system ................ but I'm looking at the cattle, what they're eating and starting to lose a bit of confidence it it. Will have to weigh them in next 2 weeks. Even on ad-lib barley i doubt that they will be doing 1.7Kg a day Never managed that as a DLWG from start to finish with bulls let alone steers

Ok, so inside all the time? Barley beef? What age do you try to finish them at?

 

[nelly55]

We fatten bw bulls all go between 14 and 16 months which is the max age they can go.Rear them from calves usually brought straight from birth farm.OH let loose at market buys calves quite a good eye but sometimes comes home with a few bargains that need a bit of care ,remember one brought for £25 sold for £940 .Interesting watching the dealers bidding ,some farmers don't know when to stop.

 

[An Gof]

Ok, so inside all the time? Barley beef? What age do you try to finish them at?

Some in, some out, some intensive, some at grass. Was some steers and some bulls.
Bulls used to finish at 12-13 months, steers at 24-26 months with two summers at grass.
Now trying a batch of intensive barley steers. Not sure what age they will finish at yet.