Best time to sell store cattle?

[DRC]

I keep getting told that February is usually the best time to sell store cattle.
Wouldn’t they sell better in April, when there’s grass about, or would people have bought their requirements by then.
I suppose big stores would possibly go into fattening yards and not onto grass .
Despite keeping cattle all my life , it’s mostly been contract rearing other peoples, so actually buying and selling them, is a tad confusing.
Annual TB test is from end of March. Can that be brought forward. Although if one went down , we would be stuck with the lot.

 

[gatepost]

Often trade is sharp end of feb and march, but this yr might be different with fodder short and fat cattle being backed up a bit at the moment,

 

[Zippy768]

Are you referring to the cattle you have in the "today at work" thread? How heavy are they? Look good from pics
Re. TB test, you can book a pre movement test is you wanted to shift before March

 

[sticky]

If your targeting both markets,breeding and finishing, then mid April will be your time also you won't have to pay for pre movement testing. If your not bothered then Feb will be as good a time as any, usually.

 

[milkloss]

I’ll tell you when I’m selling mine. Make it the week before or the week after because I never seem to get these dreamy figures that get talked about

 

[Werzle]

Anything under 380kg wants holding till april/may. 400+ kg cattle always seem to be flying sept/oct/nov.

 

[DRC]

Are you referring to the cattle you have in the "today at work" thread? How heavy are they? Look good from pics
Re. TB test, you can book a pre movement test is you wanted to shift before March

Yes, they’re the ones. Blue heifers 15/17 months old .

 

[DRC]

Often trade is sharp end of feb and march, but this yr might be different with fodder short and fat cattle being backed up a bit at the moment,

That’s the problem here. Silage won’t last, so will have to buy concentrates to feed with straw otherwise .

 

[Whitepeak]

Normally the mid January sale at our local market is a very good trade, possibly as finishers are restocking after Christmas. We tend to sell towards grass day when we sell stores though.

 

[Nearly]

This year, more than most, we'll be trying to hit Grass Day.
You say you're short of feed, buyers of stores will be the same or will have cashed feed in that's surplus.
It's a difficult choice.

 

[Andrew1983]

I’m in same position. Need to make a decision soon. Can sell at local mart on 23rd Jan or not until the 20th Feb after that. Then mid March. Sold some at every sale last year and I felt I would have been better off to have sold more early as the ones I kept never increased in value to cover the cost of keeping them. But this year who knows. I’m short on supplies of straw an silage so off loading them would certainly help but will be frustrating if they take a big rise into April. Looked through last years sale reports and the Av p/kg only rose 2p from January to May..... big sale in Thaibstone today so will be interesting to see how they go.

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

Trade usually picks up around March here but this year all bets are off for obvious reasons. It'l be a case of wait and see.

 

[KennyO]

@silverfox would have thought that yours would be ready for a finisher now. Would waste them putting them out to grass I would have thought. Are there many intensive finishers buying at your mart?

To hedge your bets possibly put the strongest ones into the earlier sales and hold some smaller ones back till grass time.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Turning out time is the time to sell grazing stock...I’d be selling cattle big enough to finish now, whilst finishing men have emptied out

 

[DRC]

@silverfox would have thought that yours would be ready for a finisher now. Would waste them putting them out to grass I would have thought. Are there many intensive finishers buying at your mart?

To hedge your bets possibly put the strongest ones into the earlier sales and hold some smaller ones back till grass time.

Yes, I think your right. Get the biggest tested and sold ( all being well with test) early Feb , and hang on to the smaller ones.

 

[d williams]

That’s the problem here. Silage won’t last, so will have to buy concentrates to feed with straw otherwise .

Which market you looking at breeder or fat/store breeders want br end April /may stores for grazing March April fatteners 500 kgs plus end Jan feb

 

[haymaker80]

Yes, I think your right. Get the biggest tested and sold ( all being well with test) early Feb , and hang on to the smaller ones.

Have a word with your animal health office and see if they can move your annual tb test forward a bit, they normally have a bit of flexibility.

 

[milkloss]

Have a word with your animal health office and see if they can move your annual tb test forward a bit, they normally have a bit of flexibility.

Depends what mood they’re in but certainly worth a try.

 

[DRC]

Which market you looking at breeder or fat/store breeders want br end April /may stores for grazing March April fatteners 500 kgs plus end Jan feb

They aren't 500kgs. more like 400kgs

 

[whatnow]

Yes, I think your right. Get the biggest tested and sold ( all being well with test) early Feb , and hang on to the smaller ones.

What market will you send them to around you Silverfox?