Beef

Market

Beef price remains under pressure, even more so for:

• cattle over 30 months.

• underfinished stock

• P grade stock.

The prospects are that demand for under 30 month stock will improve and that these should be held back.

The question now is whether the lift in price, expected from January, will offset the loss of the Slaughter Premium.

Remember that the slaughter premium on heifers is worth 106 euro or 48c/kg on a 220 kg carcase. In contrast the 80 euro slaughter premium is only worth 20 c/kg on a 400 kg steer carcase.

Knackery reports

In recent weeks, deaths in stock collected for knackeries came from Blackleg, grass tetany and difficult calving. Take heed. The cold nights trigger the tetany threat. Another reason for weaning early.

Special beef premiums.

In reality there are about three weeks left to submit cattle for the Special Beef Premium and still expect to collect the slaughter premium. The same applies on the few steers on which two premiums are still available.

There are a number of customers for bull weanlings on which premiums have been claimed, but supplies of such cattle are scarce. Can you collect the premium before selling? This will entail a wait of two months.

Decoupling signals.

As decoupling approaches, a big gap is opening between plain and well muscled cattle. The same trend is evident between well shaped big ewes and tailenders.

This sends a clear message to breeders. The best prospect of covering production costs lies in producing stock at the top end of the quality bracket.

Hoose

Vets report that more cattle of yearlings and older are showing hoose infection. The theory is that the drugs are so effective that calves treated for hoose in the first year do not have a chance to develop immunity. Vets report that where older cattle are coughing they should be treated for hoose.

Ticks

The incidence of ticks seems to be on the increase on both hills and lowland. Undergrazed pastures, farms in REPS that are leaving wide margins around hedgerows are offering more cover for ticks.

In the lowlands cattle with ticks are susceptible to Redwater.

Be careful when putting unexposed cattle onto an old sedgy grass. September/October is a peak time for Redwater. Imizol can act as a preventative as well as a cure once cattle are exposed to ticks.