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bred cow prices

T

tlakota

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Jan 7, 2007
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aberdeen,sd
I was at the sale barn today and dispersions of older cows were dirt cheap. Seem to have dropped 125-150 in the past week or two. Feeder cattle prices have stayed pretty steady its seemed like so i wonder what the deal is. I just bought a trailer load for 610. Almost 1400 lb pretty good cows. At those prices im going to dump my heifer calves, and buy some more cows.
 
Pretty much the same out here this past week. I wouldn't say dirt cheap, but the bred market was darn sure softer in Belle Fourche last Thursday. A lot of times that last bred sale of the year gets pretty smokey, but not this year. That must mean there isn't a lot of excess cash out there this year.
 
tlakota said:
I was at the sale barn today and dispersions of older cows were dirt cheap. Seem to have dropped 125-150 in the past week or two. Feeder cattle prices have stayed pretty steady its seemed like so i wonder what the deal is. I just bought a trailer load for 610. Almost 1400 lb pretty good cows. At those prices im going to dump my heifer calves, and buy some more cows.
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Good for you thats using your head, This time of the year, there are not so many buyers, out there. I am a buyer here in Kentucky. The weather out there has a lot to do with it to. This spring if you want to sell those cows, and if there good ones, give me a yell I have customers out that way that will be begging for them. They will make you money. check out my website www.murphy-livestock.com you can see what they are bringing around here, put another 90 bucks on top of them for trucking , and they will still buy them. Hope this helps you. Thanks Mike Murphy
 
from what i hear feed is short everywhere...ive been selling quite a bit into minnesota for prices i wouldnt have dreamed of...ive got some lower quality hay and corn stover that im trying to get used up and these old cows will fit perfect for it...i have a feeling pairs are going to be worth some money next spring
 
I went to a bred cow sale a week or so ago and it was rather depressing. About $450 straight through with some going as high as $650.
Doesn't bode well for the future.
 
It seems like the average story here is you can pick up alot of good commercial cows for 5-600cdn. However I have heard of some sales bringing 11-1300 for bred cows. Nothing papered, just commercial cows that at least 2 trigger happy bidders wanted bad enough. Strange.
 
Must be because of the difference in weather--apparently our open winter and the fact we have grass is keeping the price better- because I was at a local bred cow sale a week ago--stayed for 3 hours thru the big bunches and dispersions (nothing extra fancy) and I saw nothing under the age of 8 year olds sell for less than $1200-- 2nd and 3rd calvers as high as $1320...

Short term solid mouths were over $1000-- Short termers and broken mouths were over $600....

Price dropped later in the sale when you got into the small bunches and singles (bad bags, ornery, mean, fence crawler, bunch quitter types) but I didn't stick around to even watch them....
 
Oldtimer said:
Must be because of the difference in weather--apparently our open winter and the fact we have grass is keeping the price better- because I was at a local bred cow sale a week ago--stayed for 3 hours thru the big bunches and dispersions (nothing extra fancy) and I saw nothing under the age of 8 year olds sell for less than $1200-- 2nd and 3rd calvers as high as $1320...

Short term solid mouths were over $1000-- Short termers and broken mouths were over $600....

Price dropped later in the sale when you got into the small bunches and singles (bad bags, ornery, mean, fence crawler, bunch quitter types) but I didn't stick around to even watch them....
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Just seems to me we always pay more for bred cattle in our neck of the woods then they do else where in the country. I quit attending those December bred cow sales around here, I could go broke.
 
I just finished sorting two loads private treaty at $1050 picked up in the yard. The funny thing is my cows would probably bring close to the bottom at most auction mart sales. the guys who buy from us year to year seem to like them though. They aren't real shiny or fancy by any means-i guess cows that don't need alot of babysitting are worth something.
 
We've had a whole wide range of prices in my area. Neighbor sold out his herd of SimmX cows, better cows you'd be hard pressed to find, and got between 5 and $600 for the old stuff and up to $1050 for the young. Another dispersal just a few miles south, again some pretty good cows, althought a little larger framed, went for 4 and $500 per cow.

And here I sit without a nickel available for anymore cows :(
 
Here in Mn the very best cows are over a $1000 so I've heard the best I've seen is $800 but I did'nt make it to the bred cow sale until it was about over.Were really short on feed in this area and the closest alot of guy's can find hay is 200 miles from home near Jamestown ND.I was still baleing in October but I'm not short either poor hay is better than no hay and it's nearly all fed now for those around here that were laughing at me I'm laughing now as I watch the semi loads come rolling in.With Minnesota's TB status we can't sell any out of state without being tested and who's going to do that on a commercial cow..

I know guys who will get very depressed because their NET WORTH is going down as the cow prices do.I could never see where that was worth worrying about.The cow business is like a boat ride up and down the waves.
 
Horseless said:
Oldtimer said:
Must be because of the difference in weather--apparently our open winter and the fact we have grass is keeping the price better- because I was at a local bred cow sale a week ago--stayed for 3 hours thru the big bunches and dispersions (nothing extra fancy) and I saw nothing under the age of 8 year olds sell for less than $1200-- 2nd and 3rd calvers as high as $1320...

Short term solid mouths were over $1000-- Short termers and broken mouths were over $600....

Price dropped later in the sale when you got into the small bunches and singles (bad bags, ornery, mean, fence crawler, bunch quitter types) but I didn't stick around to even watch them....
Click to expand...
Just seems to me we always pay more for bred cattle in our neck of the woods then they do else where in the country. I quit attending those December bred cow sales around here, I could go broke.
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Yep--I was sitting with a couple of neighbors that were looking for some bred heifers--but everything was too pricey for them...In fact they said they already had some priced down at Miles City for enough less that they could pay for the trucking and still save quite a bit.....
It was a good sale if you were a seller tho... :D
 
Top draft of 4yr olds here today brought 1360. They start calving feb. 15. It was a pretty hot sale. Wore out solid mouthed cows that were good cows in the past , 2nd period bred brought 760.
 
A buddie of mine sent me a text from Ogallala today and said some fancy black heifers at 643 brought 137. They must have been pretty nice comparing them to the market. That's 880 per head.
 
Red Robin said:
A buddie of mine sent me a text from Ogallala today and said some fancy black heifers at 643 brought 137. They must have been pretty nice comparing them to the market. That's 880 per head.
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The week of December 17 at Ogallala a fella that we knew sold 800 lb. steers and got $1. Very discougaging cause the calves had been in the feedlot. I think I'd have no saled and ate the fee and trucking home with the thought there would be higher prices.

At the special bred cow sale in Ogallala in December one of our old neighbors bought some first calf heifers for 1460 a head. He said they were the top of the sale.
 
We're on our third year of selling heifer calves and buying bred cows. We got some really nice cows privately this fall for $600.00. Reasonably young, and quiet also. Two have calved already.

In a market report last fall they said that in two weeks of skimming the bred cows for sale ads in our main farm paper, the number of bred cows for sale added up to about 10 percent of the province's cows. Guys are running for the hills. :shock: I don't remember the last time I saw a bred heifer. It's been years.
 
How is Canada's market? 600 dollar cows seem really really cheap. I have an Aunt and Uncle in manitoba and I haven't talked to them in awhile about cattle markets it used to stir up so much emotion when we did talk due to them feeling the drop in their market was due to the border closing. Made for some tense family relations when one side feels there hardship is due to the industry and country you are involved in. :(







If only I had the power some tend to give me undue credit for. :wink: I could be dangerous!
 

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