In certain areas, farmers are favouring selling cows in marts than going straight for slaughter, as they are achieving slightly higher prices live. Those that are selling culls in ones and twos are seeing the biggest benefit from selling live, as they have little to no bargaining power with factories, whereas those specialist finishers that are slaughtering cows regularly are able to secure better price terms. This is evident in cull cow prices. The strong demand, combined with fodder scarcities in some parts of the northwest and midlands, are the main drivers behind large cull cow entries.
In certain areas, farmers are favouring selling cows in marts than going straight for slaughter, as they are achieving slightly higher prices live. Those that are selling culls in ones and twos are seeing the biggest benefit from selling live, as they have little to no bargaining power with factories, whereas those specialist finishers that are slaughtering cows regularly are able to secure better price terms. This is evident in cull cow prices.
The strong demand, combined with fodder scarcities in some parts of the northwest and midlands, are the main drivers behind large cull cow entries.
In the south, dairy cull cow numbers have been high in recent weeks also, driven by the higher numbers of cows on offer and the fact that the majority have only dried cows off in recent weeks, opting to milk them on with the high milk price.
In terms of prices, fleshed and short-keep suckler cows over 650kg are making from €1.70/kg to €2.00/kg and over €2.10/kg in the case of some top-quality cow heifers.
Feeding continental cows are selling from €1.50/kg to €1.70/kg mainly, with some thin old cows making from €1.20/kg to €1.40/kg. Friesian cull cows straight from the parlour are selling from €0.80/kg to €1.10/kg for plain thin cows.
British Friesian types and those with a bit more flesh are selling mainly from €1.10/kg to €1.30/kg.
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