Angus bullocks slaughtered from demo farm in late-September.
ADVERTISEMENT
The bullocks have come out on top this year in the profitability analysis of the Thrive demonstration farm where 146 animals were finished between September and November this year at an average age of 20.3 months and a carcase weight of 290kg.
Within the bullocks the Angus breed were the most profitable (€265/head net margin) due mainly to the additional breed bonus payment at slaughter but also helped by the fact that calf price was lower than other breeds and they graded slightly better than their Hereford counterparts.
Simmental bullocks were the next most profitable (€257/head) due to a heavier carcase weight than the traditional breeds and while their carcase weight was similar to the Belgian Blue bullocks there was a €75/head difference in calf price between the two initially.
ADVERTISEMENT
Heifer systems
Perhaps slightly curtailed by an earlier housing date for finishing this year, the performance of the heifers remains positive but the cost of production was higher due to the indoor finishing period.
The average net margin for heifers was €152/head and was again highest for Angus-bred stock, closely followed by Belgian Blue and Hereford.
Overall margins remain tight in these systems and the Thrive demonstration farm highlights the importance of having a high level of technical performance and decent quality stock in order to be viable.
A full analysis of the performance of this year’s stock is available in print in this week’s Irish Farmers Journal.
Register for free to read this story and our free stories.
This content is available to digital subscribers and loyalty code users only. Sign in to your account, use the code or subscribe to get unlimited access.
The reader loyalty code gives you full access to the site from when you enter it until the following Wednesday at 9pm. Find your unique code on the back page of Irish Country Living every week.
CODE ACCEPTED
You have full access to the site until next Wednesday at 9pm.
CODE NOT VALID
Please try again or contact support.
The bullocks have come out on top this year in the profitability analysis of the Thrive demonstration farm where 146 animals were finished between September and November this year at an average age of 20.3 months and a carcase weight of 290kg.
Within the bullocks the Angus breed were the most profitable (€265/head net margin) due mainly to the additional breed bonus payment at slaughter but also helped by the fact that calf price was lower than other breeds and they graded slightly better than their Hereford counterparts.
Simmental bullocks were the next most profitable (€257/head) due to a heavier carcase weight than the traditional breeds and while their carcase weight was similar to the Belgian Blue bullocks there was a €75/head difference in calf price between the two initially.
Heifer systems
Perhaps slightly curtailed by an earlier housing date for finishing this year, the performance of the heifers remains positive but the cost of production was higher due to the indoor finishing period.
The average net margin for heifers was €152/head and was again highest for Angus-bred stock, closely followed by Belgian Blue and Hereford.
Overall margins remain tight in these systems and the Thrive demonstration farm highlights the importance of having a high level of technical performance and decent quality stock in order to be viable.
A full analysis of the performance of this year’s stock is available in print in this week’s Irish Farmers Journal.
If you would like to speak to a member of our team, please call us on 01-4199525.
Link sent to your email address
We have sent an email to your address. Please click on the link in this email to reset your password. If you can't find it in your inbox, please check your spam folder. If you can't find the email, please call us on 01-4199525.
ENTER YOUR LOYALTY CODE:
The reader loyalty code gives you full access to the site from when you enter it until the following Wednesday at 9pm. Find your unique code on the back page of Irish Country Living every week.
SHARING OPTIONS