Cull Bull Values

[Broomcroft]

I just culled a 5 year old bull. Small-to-medium non-short. He came in at 339Kg deadweight and graded R3, and we got £850. I thought that was good. More than I expected. That was about 4 weeks ago.

[Mark Bowles]

I think this highlights the meat value of bulls and all stock. There are cattle on this website for sale that are advertised well below the meat value. Do the vendors realise this or are they just wanting to keep the animals alive. i have just killed a non short heifer at 25 months and i expect around £800/900 retail value, base value £500/600 maybe.
In reallity it would pay someone with a lorry to go around and buy them up and take them straight to slaughter. They would make a handsome profit on the deal.
Tough talk i know but it is a fact.

[Jac]

Too true Mark. In my experience, if someone pays very little for something be it a puppy or a pony they don't value it and get rid of it when the novelty has worn off. Some people think they are doing the animal a favour selling it 'cheap to good home' but in reality, it may have been kinder to cull it in the first place.

I have sometimes been asked to sell one cheap with assurances that it will be going to a 'good home'. Anything that is unwanted already has a 'good home' here with me - it's own personal space with a little light that comes on when you open the lid!

[Mima]

Hi Clive,

Out of interest where do you send your animals for culling? I'm on the Bucks-Oxon boarder and the last cull cows and bull we sent didn't fetch quite that sort of money.

Mima

[Broomcroft]

Hi Clive,

Out of interest where do you send your animals for culling? I'm on the Bucks-Oxon boarder and the last cull cows and bull we sent didn't fetch quite that sort of money.

Mima

ABP Shrewsbury. You need to be Farm Assured for ABP, but if the grade is OK then it should be the same anywhere. It was about £2.50 / Kg DW when I sent this one. Cows good too, but don't get the better grades, at least mine don't .

[helena]

out of interest do you send in clean cattle as well and what are the prices of these.

[Broomcroft]

out of interest do you send in clean cattle as well and what are the prices of these.

No not Dexters, too small at normal finishing age and generally O grade. I have sent Angus-Dexter crosses. Last, and typical steer came in at 272Kg deadweight, grade R4L from memory, got £3.38 per Kg, which came to about £935 net of charges. But usually we go to small butchers and get similar prices but they won't take bulls.

[Colin]

Just been looking at the latest batch of dexters for sale and the prices seem to be getting lower. They're now less than when I first started in Jan 2007. It's a shame as I have a couple of really nice cows and heifers I'd like to sell due to my increasing herd size. But I'd be getting around two to three times the price for them as beef. Is there any evidence that linear assessed animals are selling at a better price (assuming of course they get a decent grade) ?

Regards,

Colin

[Mark Bowles]

Not may VG or EX cattle on the market, not sure there have been many, i know of an EX bull that was going to sell for good money but for reasons beyond anyones control the deal has not been done. Also i know of 2 other ex bulls where the owners have sold them and were more than happy with increased prices. Not many high scoring cows have come up for sale, i suppose if you have one you generally want to keep it. As you say you need good scores on linear not just any score.Don't forget linear can help sell offspring too.

[Louisa Gidney]

I sent a 6 year old non-short bull to the local mart and was pleasantly surprised to receive over £600 after deductions, he came in at 506kg & £1.30/kg liveweight. This contrasts with the 2.5 year old bull I took to Carlisle rare breeds sale last year, where he made £200 less. Not much incentive for pedigree sales further afield.