Opting for stores over weanlings in Mayo

By Justin McCarthy

Going from finishing 35 cattle per year in 2000 to now planning on finishing 95 in 2006 on the same land area is what James Duggan has achieved over the past five years.

Traditionally James operated a weanling to beef system, purchasing weanlings during September and October and slaughtering finished cattle off grass in August and September at 29-30mths of age. However, over the past few years the focus was to get cattle out to grass earlier in order that they were fit for slaughter in June and July before the summer price drop kicked in.

By 2005 James had a total of 65 cattle for slaughter all of which were sold off grass by the end of July with the first group being sold in late May. This was achieved through a combination of getting cattle out to grass in early March by incorporating the silage ground into the grazing rotation until 1 May and introducing meals to six weeks prior to target slaughter date. James believes that adopting this strategy has helped boost margins by over €135 per head.

After the cattle were slaughtered in July surplus grass was made into round bale silage, though any surplus was limited as a significant proportion of land had to be removed from the grazing rotation to allow for the laying of the gas line from Ballinaboy to Claregalway.

Autumn 2005

Due to the fact that James had been continuously monitoring farm profit, by using the Teagasc Profit Monitor programme, when going to the mart last autumn he was well aware of what he could afford to pay for weanlings in the absence of premia.

Having spent a few days assessing the trade he soon realised that the type of good quality he usually purchased would struggle to leave a viable margin. As a result he opted to buy store cattle and during the month of September purchased 45 mostly Limousin and Charolais bullocks.

In general they were good R grade cattle with the potential for some to grade U averaging 498kg and costing €760 per head. James commented that although they were nearly 200kg heavier and a full year older the store cattle only cost €60 more than the weanlings he bought in the autumn of 2004, which averaged 312kg and cost €700 per head. Even though the weanlings had close to €290 per head in premium entitlements James still believes his store bullocks were better value.

"I can bring the store bullocks straight from the mart and let them out to grass with no problems whereas with the weanlings I was having to practically live with them for the first two weeks. Also when you buy the store bullocks they continue to thrive where as weanlings looses weight for the first month.''

Housing

James believes that the store bullocks continued to thrive immediately after purchase was confirmed when he weighed the September purchased stores at housing on 1 November to find they had put on an average of 40-50kg per head. Including the 50 weanlings purchased in 2004 the 95 store bullocks ranged from 540 to 590kg. They have been offered ad-lib silage along with 2.5kg of meal for the duration of the winter.

The meal is a three way mix consisting of 60% barley, 25% citrus pulp and 15% field beans and is supplied by Quinn's of Baltinglass, through a local merchant, in bulk blown for €165 per tonne plus €7 per tonne for minerals. All 95 of the store cattle will be going back out to grass though James did comment that he felt beef prices would reach 292c/kg this spring and said he would have considered finishing a pen of the stronger cattle on ad-lib meals out of the shed. The first group of cattle are ear marked to go out to grass on 1 March though if the dry weather continues this may be brought forward.

Plans for 2006

James again plans to have all cattle slaughtered off grass before the end of July though this year he intends to start buying in stores, at around 400-450kg, as soon as he starts selling with the aim of having them averaging 500-550kg at housing.

He is however concerned about the availability of store cattle during July and August and in order to reduce his demand opted to buy 15 weanlings last autumn averaging 300kg and costing on average €610.

James and Denise Duggan farm 52ha in Mayo Abbey Co Mayo. They 3 children Liam aged 9 Eoin aged 5 and Aoife aged 4.