Dexter Cattle For Sale Discussion Board

Just wondered what prices we should be getting from butchers? We've been getting £3.40 - 3.50 (that was a couple of months ago) but just spoken to one farmer who does Angus for Waitrose or someone like that, grass-fed / no feed, and he's been getting £3.90 for R grade (£4.30 if organic) and £3.75 for a good O.

I don't know but I've just done a price check and supermarket beef prices haven't really changed that much in the past couple of months so they must be taking a hit in profits to keep supplying beef at that rate. It'll fast become not worth buying if retail price doesn't keep pace with farmgate prices (and we're so used to it being the other way round).

ETA - Waitrose do offer a premium for Angus though, I think it's about 10p/kg, are we comparing like for like?

Rob R wrote:ETA - Waitrose do offer a premium for Angus though, I think it's about 10p/kg, are we comparing like for like?

I don't know whether it's like for like Rob. I know there's a premium but I thought it was only 10p or so as well. To be honest that premium would be used up in extra transport for most.

I suppose what I'm asking is anyone else being paid £3.90 'ish and I'm missing out ! Don't want to do that, hard enough as it is !

But if Angus is going for that sort of price, then Dexter should be too, maybe a bit more. Not much chance though I suppose! I know the TBMM price is high but is anyone actually paying it. The guys I know won't and can't blame them really.

I heard the angus premium is nearer 45p that might explain the £3.90 price Clive quotes.

Morrisons paying 10p on shortorns and similar, natives will soon be paying their way! (if they dont already)

d

Ah ha, 45p premium would indeed explain it.

Update … Sent 2 Dexters into butcher a few weeks ago, got £3.55 a kilo DW which seems about right going on the above. Not bad, £1411 total, for 2 medium sized animals that hadn't cost me much to bring up and hadn't had an ounce of feed.

just had a 27 month old short legged steer butchered.

Dead weight 209 kg.

total back from butcher 142kg, so about 67%

31kg mince
14kg stewing
97kg joints steaks etc.

sold a half and two quaters so didnt get around to checking what the split of joints, steaks etc was.

Killing/butchering cost £200.

Blimey, that's a big short leg!

had two done one just in on 30 month was 190kg dw, the younger one 209kg.

Both killed and cut an mountfields, made a good job.

Plenty of profit there then - I took an OTM LL into Glaves (they're in the FG this week) last year that was 209, and stood next to some Angus heifers in the next pen he made them look small.

latest 3 steers killed at 29, 28 and 24 months old came out at 180 185 and 188 kg deadweight, unfortunately didnt record which one was which.

Our latest killed out at 189 kg (medium heifer) and 228 kg & 238 kg (non-short steers) sold to a butcher by Mike Bancroft for £4.20/kg dw. Steers made a few pence under £1000 apiece.
We have interest for more, but sourcing enough stock to meet demand is tough.

davidw wrote:but sourcing enough stock to meet demand is tough.

Really? There seems to have been a glut of steers around recently, and plenty of cheap breeding stock available too. With simultaneous good beef prices and low breeding prices I would have thought there has never been a better time for breeders to up their numbers.

We occasionally sell to a local butcher at farmers weekly price for the week it was killed + 5% for being grass fed, native bred and local, would like to increase this to 10% but we don't have a regular enough supply to negotiate a higher price. This would be for Belties and Dexters.

Hope that helps.

MIma