Beef / Lamb & Pig Price Tracker

[livestock 1]

Guth take note????

I can remember after that bad winter (not the last one) there was a lot of yip yap about how dear breeding sheep would be due to the losses and it never happened they were cheap as chips

 

[Nithsdale]

I can remember after that bad winter (not the last one) there was a lot of yip yap about how dear breeding sheep would be due to the losses and it never happened they were cheap as chips

Everyone's talking £190 average for gimmers... so you're saying they'll be £100?

 

[gone up the hill]

Guth take note????

Price of your lambs in the pics you posted is crap for such well bred/ close wool/ sappy sheep in this day and age!

Whilst i think store lamb values need to be where they have been if not higher the last few weeks for all the hard work/ risk that the farmers who have reared them have taken i think that breeding ewe values are too high and people have been losing the plot at local breeding sales this and last month!

i have seen pen after pen of top end ewe lambs struggle to make £110/115 head at store sales the last few weeks yet these lambs at the breeding sales would make £130/140 head without any trouble!

 

[livestock 1]

Everyone's talking £190 average for gimmers... so you're saying they'll be £100?

I’m not saying anything!!
I haven’t managed to buy any breeding sheep since November!
I don’t have to have any I’ve got my replacements as usual but I would like to buy a few more but not excited by some of the prices I’m hearing
They won’t be £100

 

[livestock 1]

Everyone's talking £190 average for gimmers... so you're saying they'll be £100?

At £190 for a gimmer shearling at this time of year I would seriously be looking at in calf heifers or cows and calves or stirks to cash in the spring instead

 

[livestock 1]

Be better to buy her inlamb in February/March for £215 !!

 

[Top Tip.]

At £190 for a gimmer shearling at this time of year I would seriously be looking at in calf heifers or cows and calves or stirks to cash in the spring instead

Gimmers averaged £186 in Thainstone on Friday.

 

[sherg]

Longtown started well, first 1/3 - 1/2 I'd reckon were just £2-£4 down on last week... but then it all slipped away

I was about 3/4 through. Drawn roughly the same as last week 30-35kgs, fleshy but not fat. But I'll be honest - last week's lambs looked better IMO.

View attachment 977607
50 at £73. I'm down £15 on the week


Half the buyers were gone by that point

How many have you got left??

 

[livestock 1]

Gimmers averaged £186 in Thainstone on Friday.

That’s serious money!!

 

[Nithsdale]

Price of your lambs in the pics you posted is crap for such well bred/ close wool/ sappy sheep in this day and age!

Whilst i think store lamb values need to be where they have been if not higher the last few weeks for all the hard work/ risk that the farmers who have reared them have taken i think that breeding ewe values are too high and people have been losing the plot at local breeding sales this and last month!

i have seen pen after pen of top end ewe lambs struggle to make £110/115 head at store sales the last few weeks yet these lambs at the breeding sales would make £130/140 head without any trouble!

That post was meant light hearted


But the thing is... the more lambs make - both fat and store - the more the breeding ring makes.
If 40kg fat lambs levelled at £150 you can bet your last penny gimmers would be averaging £280-£300 which is absolutely absurd. But it's where things will go

You can not demand high lamb prices in 1 hand, yet also demand low breeding gimmer values in the other. The 2 are inexplicably linked.




As for my lambs. Thank you for the compliments. I agree with you, store trade last week was almost about perfect if they would have stayed there... If I had grass and water maybe I'd have turned them out and brought them home.
But - selling in the auction system you are at the mercy of buyers. Turns out Longtown had over 1000 extra lambs in today compared to last week - probably a victim of previous good prices. I would expect less lambs and a better price next week and the trade, over the season, will average itself out.

You should never look at the top or bottom price you sell at in a season - it's the average over the entire lamb crop which is important

 

[Nithsdale]

How many have you got left??

Not sure yet. Still weaning and sorting through them.

Need to draw my regular ewe lambs, and I might retain some Texels too as I think I'm looking down on ewes so far...

I'd guess around 400

 

[andybk]

It was, the high muscle one. Bought to do a specific job.

Not many Texels there tbh, and nothing particularly outstanding that I saw.

111 or 43 both look good on paper , and i do like the ram lamb is all his own breeding

 

[Anymulewilldo]

I can remember after that bad winter (not the last one) there was a lot of yip yap about how dear breeding sheep would be due to the losses and it never happened they were cheap as chips

Tell me about it! We had tupping lambs coming out of our ears that winter. They were silly cheap!

 

[andybk]

But the thing is... the more lambs make - both fat and store - the more the breeding ring makes.
If 40kg fat lambs levelled at £150 you can bet your last penny gimmers would be averaging £280-£300 which is absolutely absurd. But it's where things will go
You can not demand high lamb prices in 1 hand, yet also demand low breeding gimmer values in the other. The 2 are inexplicably linked.

To be fair , high breeding ewe prices have more to do with the cull values of late, rather than lamb values, a lot of big suff or conti x been up around mid 100s for a long time now , if it carries on ewe shape / weight will be a big factor over next few years . (kebab and indian restaurant stapes )
keep them for a few years for a lamb crop and cash in anything that cant hold their own in their prime , get most of your money back ,
only need for a change to europ grid as well (for export ,not eu ) for ewe flock to look very different

 

[bean]

You at Holsworthy tomorrow?

No got to much work on at home, may try a few cull ewes hallworthy Thursday

 

[Nithsdale]

To be fair , high breeding ewe prices have more to do with the cull values of late, rather than lamb values, a lot of suff or conti x been up around mid 100s for a long time now , if it carries on ewe shape / weight will be a big factor over next few years . (kebab and indian restaurant stapes )
keep them for a few years for a lamb crop and cash in anything that cant hold their own , in their prime , get most of your money back

But those ewes are - or were - only making the same as the best lambs anyway.

Gimmer price = just less than fat lamb x2. Has been that way for years.

But taking on your point you could argue Gimmer prices should be £250-£280 now - factor in 2 lambs plus her cull price ?

 

[Top Tip.]

To be fair , high breeding ewe prices have more to do with the cull values of late, rather than lamb values, a lot of suff or conti x been up around mid 100s for a long time now , if it carries on ewe shape / weight will be a big factor over next few years . (kebab and indian restaurant stapes )
keep them for a few years for a lamb crop and cash in anything that cant hold their own , in their prime , get most of your money back

I was always told the price of two fat lambs should equate to the price of your gimmers.

 

[Anymulewilldo]

Grandad has always maintained the old saying is pretty accurate.
“2 store lambs +£10 too the shearling, 1.5 +£10 too the tupping lamb. The years when they are cheap nail in and fill every corner with them, cull the old ewes out heavily and the job will be right. If they go hellish dear the next autumn you can sit back and buy the bare minimum too maintain stock numbers” it’s worked here for years No reason why it shouldn’t continue to.

 

[andybk]

But those ewes are - or were - only making the same as the best lambs anyway.

Gimmer price = just less than fat lamb x2. Has been that way for years.

But taking on your point you could argue Gimmer prices should be £250-£280 now - factor in 2 lambs plus her cull price ?

yep , frome breeding sale this week , was about £165 for NC mules , tex topped at £225 ish (not a lot in ) look cheap if you cashed ewes a few months back , but not against fat price at the moment

FROME :
BREEDING EWES A nice selection of breeding ewes forward which sold to a flying trade for all ewes entered. Best Texel 2T ewes to £225 from VM Durnford. A cracking run of North Country 2T mules from Scott Yorke enjoyed competitive bidding and eventually selling at £166 and others to £165. Older Suffolk mules sold to a storming trade from Messrs Padfield & Dyke topping at £145 with others at £135.50 and £130.

 

[Nithsdale]

yep , frome breeding sale this week , was about £165 for NC mules , tex topped at £225 ish (not a lot in ) look cheap if you cashed ewes a few months back , but not against fat price at the moment

FROME :
BREEDING EWES A nice selection of breeding ewes forward which sold to a flying trade for all ewes entered. Best Texel 2T ewes to £225 from VM Durnford. A cracking run of North Country 2T mules from Scott Yorke enjoyed competitive bidding and eventually selling at £166 and others to £165. Older Suffolk mules sold to a storming trade from Messrs Padfield & Dyke topping at £145 with others at £135.50 and £130.

Scotch Mules topped out at £225 at Stirling rough Hogg sale 2 months ago too

Definitely rather have the Texel at that money