Bullock prices take a tumble while heifers rise again

WHEN any event happens, the reason behind it is always open to scrutiny and interpretation.

For example in this column last week I suggested that many of the Friesian-type bullocks presented for sale at present in the 400-499kg category might not “have had a lot to recommend them”, judging from their ringside prices at a time when factory prices continue to rise.

(Factory base quotes this week for bullocks run from €4.15-4.30/kg which depending on where you are and the quality you’re selling is up 5-10c/ kg, which follows on from last week’s 5c/kg increase).

Leaving immediate factory prices aside, Noel Corcoran of Kanturk wondered whether some of those much maligned and harder-sold lighter stores at marts might not just be the cattle to leave a few pounds lighter when the time comes?

It’s a good question. Often the market does undervalue certain categories.

The market balances many different factors and at present the feeling is those lighter dairy Friesian types are only valued at lower prices because of the potential length of keep involved.

However, if you had the ground and a good store of winter feed and were not overly pushed on turning them too quickly, letting them grow into the money might be the way to go.

I still wouldn’t fill the place with them, though. There’s nothing like your Holstein Friesian to fall out of bed if factory prices start to go south.

Speaking of falling out of bed, this week’s ringside tables show that on the bullock table everything took a bit of a tumble last week, while on the heifer table the reverse was largely the case.

The reasons are possibly many and varied.

Firstly, numbers of stock were less at some sales; the number of cattle required by grass finishers is getting less as they fill up, leading to men falling away ringside and making that bit easier on those left.

The weather also played its part: good weather will often remove both buyers and sellers from the game as matters pertaining to silage moved front and centre in many areas.

The least amount of damage was done at the heavier end where your 600kg+ bullock fell back by 5c/kg to average €2.18/ kg, with the better bullock easing by just 3c/kg to €2.50/kg.

That in round figures means your good R/U grade better bullock from 600-700kg, while less by between €18-21/hd, was still clocking from €1,500-1,750/ hd last week.

In the 500-599kg section the overall price fall averages out at 8c/kg or from €40-48/hd, while the poorer-quality animal suffered an 11c/kg loss.

Moving into the lighter bullock section that myself and Noel discussed above, last week’s returns for the 300-399kg section see averages from 11-12c/kg, while in the 400-499kg section the reduction is from 7-10c/kg.

The story last week on the heifer side was more positive with overall averages either staying static or improving by 2-6c/kg.

The biggest increase on the heifer table came in the average price of the poorer-quality animal; she jumped 13c/kg or €78/hd.

That gives you an average price for your poorer heifer of €1.99/kg, just below the magic €2.00/kg that many of the better-quality cull cows have been coming into over the last three to four months.

It’s that improvement in the prices paid for those poorer-type heifers in most of the weight categories that is the major contributing factor to the fact that overall heifer averages moved upwards last week.