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Calf Prices

PureCountry

Well-known member
It's depressing being at the auction today. I remember telling people that we're raising more 5wt calves on the same acres we used to raise 650wt calves on, and feeling good about it. Not much to feel good about today. Glad we weren't selling anything.

450wt calves of all kinds = $0.90-$1.10

550wt calves of all kinds = $0.96-$1.10

7wt calves of all kinds = $0.83-$0.92

Not sure how you make money in that. Don't matter how far you cut your expenses, even if you can run a cow for $400/year, and make $100/calf at these prices, you gotta run alot of 'em to make a go of it. I remember a few years back 450wt calves would bring $1.30 and up.

2300 head here today, lots of cows, and almost all of 'em going to the packers.
 

Trinity man

Well-known member
Thats better than what I have to report from East Texas. 4wt around 109, 5 wt around 98, and 6 wt around 92. They had 2425 total head with 582 tested cows. Very few good take home type cows today.
 

Grassfarmer

Well-known member
Yeah, but your $1.05 is worth about $1.11 Canadian. :wink:

I actually thought I had a good day at auction today - captured and shipped my EXT'ish Charolais x cow. Got $0.4175 for her - $630 net cheque and I only paid $485 for her as a bred last fall. Left me with a beautiful black heifer calf to boot - 550lbs at 5 months. :D :D

Then I compared this return with a lot smaller cow we processed and retailed a while back and banked $700 PER SIDE off. :mad: Folks we are being fleeced on a daily basis :mad: :mad:
 

gcreekrch

Well-known member
per said:
I swore never to be in the sheep business. :evil: :wink:


At least they're paying their bills now. :wink:

If that is all calves are worth mine will be staying the winter again. With any luck there will be some more grass-cattle optimists next spring. We now have enough grass to summer them if we want.
 

Broke Cowboy

Well-known member
Falling US dollar - or rising Canadian dollar - take your pic - plus lower pricing and higher costs - will take many Canadians out of the game over the next few years.

Prepare to see this continue for some time.

Sheep?

The way I see it if you want to stay in ag you do what you have to do - lower inputs - higher return and better prices right now - seems to me those who have them are in a stronger position than those who do not.

Used to have them as a kid and was not always happy about it - but when the cheque from cows shows me at a loss and something else gives me the boost - I will take it.

In fact we have been doing a little wood selling on our place - wife culled some big trees last month and those truck loads of logs made a couple bills go away. Even that price was down but the wood was furniture and veneer quality so that helped pull it prices up a bit.

There is always a few from down south who see pricing mentioned and mix up or does not understand the dollar issue.

This morning if I sold a calf at .95 in Canada - that means my price in American was 0.89 USD. Not great.

Cheers

BC
 

PureCountry

Well-known member
Trinity man said:
They had 2425 total head with 582 tested cows. Very few good take home type cows today.

That's maybe the saddest part of all this to me, is that alot of good cows right now are going to slaughter. Sure we're seeing lots of junk too, but every week several hundred more real good cows are gone. Not sold to other farmers, they are dead.

It's a shame we couldn't coordinate a cow cull to be rid of junk, instead of the way it's going. Alot of crap cows are going to be kept through this winter, and have more crap calves for the industry next year. :?
 

Denny

Well-known member
PureCountry said:
Trinity man said:
They had 2425 total head with 582 tested cows. Very few good take home type cows today.

That's maybe the saddest part of all this to me, is that alot of good cows right now are going to slaughter. Sure we're seeing lots of junk too, but every week several hundred more real good cows are gone. Not sold to other farmers, they are dead.

It's a shame we couldn't coordinate a cow cull to be rid of junk, instead of the way it's going. Alot of crap cows are going to be kept through this winter, and have more crap calves for the industry next year. :?[/quote

Selling of good cows will have more affect than selling junk cows in the long run junk cows most likely are at the end anyhow good cows would just add more beef to the market place hence keeping prices low.When calf prices are high alot of cull cows keep raiseing calves now in low prices alot of useable cows will be sacrificed to help support the ranch thru a tough year.We've culled very hard this year getting rid of cows that would'nt have been culled if prices were higher on the feeders.They should have been culled anyhow just now it's a must.
 

greybeard

Well-known member
Looks like a 5 wt calf is worth more than the cow. Maybe there is more opportunity selling the calves and buying more cows. Looks like it worked for GF.
 

MoGal

Well-known member
Well, prices were even lower than those quoted in previous posts.
Yesterday I went to the local sale barn.
Nice looking 675 lbers to 750 lbers heifers around 75 cents.
500-600 lbers 80 to 94 cents.
Cows, short solid in 3rd stage sold for about $500 to 525, open cows were between 30 and 40 cents a lb.
They sold a registered black angus bull 18 months old, for $1175.00

hogs (they only had a half dozen) 270 to 315 lbs sold around 40 cents lb.

Llama sold for $45 ( I didn't know people still had any of them)
 

Faster horses

Well-known member
Nope, not pulling any wool over your eyes.
And I guess it depends on how much money you want to make.

Of course with sheep, you have to deal with predators.

Oh, and sheep really do well with Vigortone sheep mineral. :wink: :p :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
 

leanin' H

Well-known member
Don't do it Per! At the end of the day you'd still be a sheepherder! :shock: It's simply not worth the loss of self esteem that you'd suffer. Next you would be thinking about a career as a buldogger! :roll: Once you start down that slippery slope, you may never get your feet back under ya! Friends don't let friends raise sheep! :!: Cows will shine again! Keep the faith!
 

Justin

Well-known member
leanin' H said:
Don't do it Per! At the end of the day you'd still be a sheepherder! :shock: It's simply not worth the loss of self esteem that you'd suffer. Next you would be thinking about a career as a buldogger! :roll: Once you start down that slippery slope, you may never get your feet back under ya! Friends don't let friends raise sheep! :!: Cows will shine again! Keep the faith!

:lol2: :lol2:

it hurts to say this, but i'm going to agree with you H :???: :wink:
 
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