Dairy farmers were rubbing their hands with glee as the calf trade took flight
I saw plenty of month old Aberdeen Angus heifers, of a size and make that would fit quite comfortably into the boot of a car, making and passing the €300 mark.
Aberdeen Angus bulls were making slightly more again.
And while I was rubbing my eyes, some dairy farmers were rubbing their hands with glee.
Those in the business of selling calves right now are absolutely coining.
Anything with colour is flying.
Another calf that was worthy of a mention was a Hereford bull calf that arrived into the world during the summer.
This fellow wouldn’t fit into the boot of your car, but you wouldn’t need an artic to haul him home either.
This strong calf sold for an amazing €630.
I had a mad notion of purchasing a few calves on Monday. And I think I would have been very mad indeed to raise my hand.
The Friesian bull calf is making between €80 and €170, depending really on how much you fancy him.
Personally speaking, I’d fancy him a lot more at the end of February rather than at the start of December.
How the calf trade will go over the coming few months is anyone’s guess.
All I know is the calf trade in Bandon is absolutely flying right now.
Looking at the general cattle trade in Bandon, it’s a case of prices holding well, as Christmas looms large on the horizon.
Bandon
Monday
No Breed Sex Weight €
5 Ch steers 576kg 1230
3 Lm steers 558kg 1180
3 AA steers 891kg 1660
4 Fr steers 393kg 670
3 AA heifers 518kg 970
1 Lm heifer 600kg 1170
1 Fr cow 725kg 1290
There was a big sale of dry cows in Bandon on Monday with 150 on offer. D
Dry cows here made from €150 under the kilo to €600 with the kilo.
Heifers sold from €270 to €500 with their weight.
In Bandon, continental bullocks made from €400 to €700 over the kilo.
Aberdeen Angus and Hereford bullocks ranged in price from €350 to €770 with the kilo.
Friesian bullocks sold from €150 to €500 with the kilo.
mart on Saturday saw a similar trade to the previous week.
Macroom
Saturday
No Breed Sex Weight €
1 Hr steer 605kg 1210
2 AA steers 415kg 900
1 Lm steer 595kg 1235
2 Sim steers 405kg 985
1 BB heifer 570kg 1245
1 Lm heifer 490kg 970
1 Lm cow 775kg 1390
At
, it may be December, but sales continue very big.
Kilmallock mart on Monday had 1,124 cattle on offer.
And this number is 20% up when compared with the same sale last year.
This week in Kilmallock, bullocks made up to €2.52/kg.
Kilmallock
Monday
No Breed Sex Weight €
3 Hr steers 397kg 815
4 AA steers 393kg 800
2 Lm steers 348kg 735
3 Fr steers 667kg 1120
1 BB steer 595kg 1155
2 Lm heifers 335kg 765
3 Hr heifer 343kg 690
Heifers went to a high of €2.41/kg, while dry cows reached €1.83/kg.
Weanling bulls and heifers in Kilmallock hit a high of €3.15/kg; top class factory bulls made up to €1.92/kg.
Taking a look at dairy stock, a 5 year old Friesian calved cow sold for €1,080.
In sucklers, a 3 year old Simmental and her Limousin heifer calf sold for €1,450.
A 5 year old Charolais and her Charolais heifer calf made €1,420, while a 2 year old Charolais and her Limousin bull calf made €1,400.efore we move on any further, I must refer to a statistic dished out by economists working for Teagasc on Wednesday.
According to their findings, a beef finisher’s profitability declined by 9% in 2015.
Where is that beef farmer to be found?
A beef farmer, as I understand it, purchases light cattle, fattens these animals and later sells on this stock as beef.
He’s not a farmer who milks cows on the side.
He’s not a fellow with a suckler herd, or a sheep herd.
Is the beef farmer referred to by the Teagasc economists a full-time beef farmer?
A fellow without an off-farm job?
You see, my problem here is I don’t know of a single, solitary beef farmer surviving today, solely on the “profit” he or she makes from beef farming.
So I think it’s ‘a bit rich’ — forgive the pun — to be examining the profit of the beef farmer, when there is clearly precious little profit worth examining.
Yes, examining the profit of the beef farmer is a bit like checking the pulse of a dead man.
Away from statistics and back to business, in
mart on Friday, dry cows made from €150 under to €650 over the kilo.
Weanlings saw a slight lift in price from the previous week, with bulls in Skibbereen making from €350 to €610 over the kilo.
Weanling heifers made from €250 to €500 over their weight.
Continental bullocks in Skibbereen sold from €400 to €650 over the kilo.
Aberdeen Angus and Hereford bullocks ranged in price from €350 to €600 with the kilo.
Skibbereen
Friday
No Breed Sex Weight €
4 Lm steers 457kg 1050
6 Fr steers 457kg 765
4 Hr steers 512kg 975
3 AA steers 406kg 890
4 Fr steers 728kg 1250
1 Hr heifer 360kg 745
1 Sim cow 740kg 1390
Friesian bullocks sold from €220 to €525 with the kilo.
Heifers in Skibbereen sold from €300 over to €520 with their weight.
Sucklers in Skibbereen sold from €1,100 to €1,640 a head.
Next Friday, December 5, Skibbereen mart will hold its annual fatstock show and sale.
To
mart next, and manager George Candler, who gave us this report after Monday’s dairy sale.
“We had a large entry of dairy stock on Monday. In-calf lots peaked at €1,200, with heifers and cows in milk reaching €1,570.
Looking back to Thursday’s general cattle sale, George said, “We had a smaller trade of cattle, with plain cattle easier. Cull cow numbers have increased, with buyers remaining plentiful. Beef heifers on Thursday met a good strong trade.”
In Kilkenny on Thursday, Friesian cull cows made from €0.80/kg to €1.75/kg.
Continental cull cows sold from €1.30/kg to €2.06/kg.
Kilkenny
Thursday
No Breed Sex Weight €
2 Ch steers 740kg 1470
4 Fr steers 650kg 1205
3 AA steers 385kg 740
2 Lm steers 415kg 925
1 Sim heifer 430kg 1060
4 Ch heifers 330kg 835
4 Lm heifers 390kg 950
Finally,
mart, where on Tuesday evening, Michael Scanlon gave us the low down after the cattle sale.
“Today saw a full yard of cattle for sale, with over 150 cull cows on offer. The large sale of cattle met a lively trade, with many buyers active at the ring side.”
“Weanlings were in great demand with a complete clearance. IHBS and Slaney Meats were in attendance, and sponsored a well supported sale of Hereford bullocks and heifers.
“The winners of this sale were Dan Joe Murphy, Knocknakilla, Millstreet, whose first prize heifers weighed 457kgs and made €920, and John Kelleher, Killinane, Liscarroll won first prize with his Hereford bullocks. They weighed 506kgs, and made €1050.
“Next week, December 9, we have our final weanling show and sale for 2014, followed by our final sale for 2014 on December 16.”
Kanturk
Tuesday
No Breed Sex Weight €
4 AA steers 545kg 1110
5 Fr steers 585kg 900
10 Fr steers 410kg 655
1 Ch steer 510kg 1090
3 Ch heifers 500kg 1000
3 AA heifers 430kg 840
1 Hr cow 690kg 1150
