Summer cattle finishers could be in for a bumper year if beef cattle prices hold at current levels. A margin of €300-350/hd is possible for farmers who are purchasing 400kg beef animals this month and selling at 600kg off grass in October.

Finishing budgets produced recently by Teagasc calculate that the average feed costs in such enterprises – on owned land and excluding fixed costs and labour – is €126/hd.

If a 400kg animal is bought at €1,400 and an allowance of €300/hd is made for fixed costs, labour and other expenses, then the total cost for keeping that animal from March to October is €1,826/hd.

As forward store bullocks averaged €3.63/kg in the marts last week, a similar price in October would see a 600kg animal making €2,178/hd.

This leaves a margin of €352/hd over costs. These margins are dependent on prices holding at the current levels. Looking forward, winter finishers will need to get around €6.90-7.00/kg to break even on steers bought in October and carried for 100 days to mid-January 2026. The break-even price on finishing heifers could be a more attractive €5.60-5.70/kg.

Teagasc finishing budgets calculate that the feed cost of finishing a 600kg bullock next winter will be around €350/hd.

If an allowance of €250/hd is included for fixed costs, transport, levies, medicines and labour, and the purchase price is taken at current rates of €3.63/kg for a 600kg steer or €2,178, then the total average cost of the finished animal is €2,778.

This equates to €6.89/kg on a 403kg carcase.