When to sell store cattle

[Keithy1394]

Not after any arguments just generally interested in when people think is best to sell store cattle ?
Bit of background we buy calves and rear them to 9-12months old and sell as young stores as this suits our farm as we have limited land and buildings so can have a faster turn over of numbers . But i have noticed in the last few year there are a lot of people keeping them to very strong stores and i often wonder why the don't just go the whole way and finish them . All opinions welcome.

 

[Timbo]

Not after any arguments just generally interested in when people think is best to sell store cattle ?
Bit of background we buy calves and rear them to 9-12months old and sell as young stores as this suits our farm as we have limited land and buildings so can have a faster turn over of numbers . But i have noticed in the last few year there are a lot of people keeping them to very strong stores and i often wonder why the don't just go the whole way and finish them . All opinions welcome.

If it works for you and your system and you are happy with the yield / workload, stay doing what you're doing!

 

[livestock 1]

I think the answer is in your question. If you keep them longer then you won’t be able to turn as many over at a guess. The next question is do you carry on as usual or turn less over. Sounds like you should carry on as usual to me

 

[Northeastfarmer]

IMO those dairy x cattle either need finishing or selling as very strong stores….when selling them at 9-12 months they never look that dear compared to what they make at a month old

 

[Lincs]

IMO those dairy x cattle either need finishing or selling as very strong stores….when selling them at 9-12 months they never look that dear compared to what they make at a month old

I’d agree
My set up suits buying at 3 weeks and selling at 12 months before they get too big and Im not FA so can’t take them all the way but will look to sell as 18m forward stores in the future to try and bypass the age where they look worst sold

 

[Full of bull(s)]

Selling costs are getting so high, maybe turning less over at a higher gross margin is better. If you need a haulier to get them to auction you are looking at £60-70/head now. Keeping them 18m instead of 12 might end up being more profitable

 

[Tucker]

We gave up milking approx 2 years ago and now want as easy a life as we can. Buy stirks at 4/6 months old and sell stores at around 20/22 months. Let someone else do the calving/milk/weaning (although I am trusting someone else to do it correctly) and sell before second winter, don't have sheds for second winter, to finish and don't want Red Tractor either.

 

[Keithy1394]

IMO those dairy x cattle either need finishing or selling as very strong stores….when selling them at 9-12 months they never look that dear compared to what they make at a month old

Yeh i know what you mean they do go abit rough looking sometimes. Its waiting for the right time to sell them

 

[dinderleat]

Time of year will have more off an effect on profitability I would have thought ?

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Yeh i know what you mean they do go abit rough looking sometimes. Its waiting for the right time to sell them

If you sell them as stronger stores there’s always buyers for them….selling them at the age you are they will be best sold in the spring

 

[Keithy1394]

Time of year will have more off an effect on profitability I would have thought ?

Yeh it does we always have a few batches to sell when people are buying grazing cattle in the spring as they sell very well then

 

[Bob c]

when we had cattle, we sold stores in the spring ready for turn out, all the hard work done over winter

 

[Keithy1394]

Selling costs are getting so high, maybe turning less over at a higher gross margin is better. If you need a haulier to get them to auction you are looking at £60-70/head now. Keeping them 18m instead of 12 might end up being more profitable

But is there a lot more money in keeping them to strong stores. It can nearly be another 12month and theres a lot of time and feed costs involved in getting them there.

 

[Whitewalker]

If you sell them as stronger stores there’s always buyers for them….selling them at the age you are they will be best sold in the spring

Is it not always a fair run as grass kicks off ?

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Is it not always a fair run as grass kicks off ?

What do you mean it’s not always a fair run?

 

[Whitewalker]

What do you mean it’s not always a fair run?

Sorry, it's normally a good run on prices as grass turns up

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Sorry, it's normally a good run on prices as grass turns up

Well yes that’s when that age group wants selling

 

[livestock 1]

Middle of February to later in the spring is usually best for us

 

[Anymulewilldo]

Smaller stuff sells best for us late Feb through to mid May. I keep anything that’s not really shining or big enough to get a good trade and turn it out. This time I’d have struggled to get £600 in May for my late 22 born lim heifers. Grazed them until October and they went at £995-1280. They’d paid well to run on. And I don’t think they’d have further increased in value enough to winter them myself and sell in February.

 

[Aspiring Peasants]

Depends on the cattle. Generally the better they are the younger you can sell them for a good trade. The plainer they are the longer you have to keep them to get most out of them. I’ll sell them anytime from 10 month to 18 months+ depending on the beast.