Sell or 'finish'

[Cows 'n grass]

As a result of tb I started keeping some beef calves back and taking though to 30 months. This year I only have 30, they are all BB out of jerseys.

The system works well for me and they make a profit because they cost me virtually nothing. They are reared on waste milk and only housed for 60 -90 days in their second winter. Other than that they live on rough grazing with minimal intervention and they go to slaughter just before 30 months regardless of what they look like.

Last year they averaged
300kg dead
80% O grade
20% R
70% fat class 2
10% 3
10% 1

I imagine they will be the same this year. They 27 months now. Given current store prices is it worth selling now? They will cost me virtually nothing in the next 3 months but would they make more to a finisher now?

I'm TB clear now and I'd need to pmt

 

[dinderleat]

Yes sell through the store ring they will probably make more than they would fat

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

Sell as Stores.
You won't regret it!!

 

[yorkshire8]

As stores probably worth between £950-£1050( tin hat on) . If you can finish cheaply I would finish them!

 

[Holsteinfriesian90]

Sell as stores good trade at the moment.

 

[dinderleat]

I would try some angus going forward I think you would finish them easier and probably make just as much if you can send through a scheme.

 

[Cows 'n grass]

I would try some angus going forward I think you would finish them easier and probably make just as much if you can send through a scheme.

I think you're probably right, it takes something quite shapely to overcome the jersey influence. I used some Dubliner from Cogent last year which they sold as a double muscled bull, they looked nice calves and I've kept a few and some Herefords. I've used quite a bit of Dubliner this spring as well.

 

[Cows 'n grass]

As stores probably worth between £950-£1050( tin hat on) . If you can finish cheaply I would finish them!

If they'd make that if certainly be happy. I don't really finish them, I just ignore them until they are near 30 months.

At current beef prices what would a 300kg O2 make?

 

[Cows 'n grass]

By the time I get them tb tested and booked in to a market they will be 28 months. Is that not going to put buyers off?

 

[HarryB97]

I would hang onto them at that age most finishes would nock you on the price as they rnt far off being overage and if there's the odd poor one then it could get cull price if it hangs around for even longer.

 

[dinderleat]

By the time I get them tb tested and booked in to a market they will be 28 months. Is that not going to put buyers off?

No they love them like that you could just send them to a tb market no bother of testing and they would make just as much the same buyers ate there as on a normal store day.

 

[organicguy]

We are asking ourselves the same question for Friesian steers and Hereford and Angus crosses.
22 months old, average weight 520 kg, having 2kg barley, will grade O+/O- odd R, 3 and 4 if we feed them, to make the best we need to get them to 320 kg min carcass. Been offered £1.70 for Friesians,£190 for crosses. Organic, doesn't seem enough to me?
Am I wrong?

 

[beefandsleep]

The time to sell them was 3 months ago if you didn’t want to finish them. If you sell them at 28m they won’t be fully farm assured before 30 months. Give them as much corn as they can eat from now and you will send them a fat class and grade better and have fewer underweight to qualify for full spec.

 

[goodevans]

If they were FA now would they not qualify

 

[beefandsleep]

If they were FA now would they not qualify

They will need minimum of 60 days, I don’t like to cut it so fine as you can’t always kill cattle the day you want.

 

[goodevans]

That's just Woodheads though isn't it ,I think ABP just require 21 days on farm,not certain though

 

[beefandsleep]

We are asking ourselves the same question for Friesian steers and Hereford and Angus crosses.
22 months old, average weight 520 kg, having 2kg barley, will grade O+/O- odd R, 3 and 4 if we feed them, to make the best we need to get them to 320 kg min carcass. Been offered £1.70 for Friesians,£190 for crosses. Organic, doesn't seem enough to me?
Am I wrong?

If they weren’t organic I would say take all the profit quick before he wakes up but I don’t know where the organic trade is so can’t really advise sorry.

 

[Holsteinfriesian90]

I think you're probably right, it takes something quite shapely to overcome the jersey influence. I used some Dubliner from Cogent last year which they sold as a double muscled bull, they looked nice calves and I've kept a few and some Herefords. I've used quite a bit of Dubliner this spring as well.

That’s good to hear just started using Dubliner.

 

[Werzle]

As a result of tb I started keeping some beef calves back and taking though to 30 months. This year I only have 30, they are all BB out of jerseys.

The system works well for me and they make a profit because they cost me virtually nothing. They are reared on waste milk and only housed for 60 -90 days in their second winter. Other than that they live on rough grazing with minimal intervention and they go to slaughter just before 30 months regardless of what they look like.

Last year they averaged
300kg dead
80% O grade
20% R
70% fat class 2
10% 3
10% 1

I imagine they will be the same this year. They 27 months now. Given current store prices is it worth selling now? They will cost me virtually nothing in the next 3 months but would they make more to a finisher now?

I'm TB clear now and I'd need to pmt

Seeing as they would need pmt i would help them along with abit of dry feed and finish them yourself, beef trades in your favour so the faster you can do it the better. Do not sell them in a tb sale, you are not down with tb and have no need to take the risk of being robbed.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

That's just Woodheads though isn't it ,I think ABP just require 21 days on farm,not certain though

Unless going into ellsmere or langport ?‍