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Calf prices

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Big Swede

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Went to the calf sale yesterday to watch my friends calves sell. The sale was hot. Steers at 780 pounds @ $171.50 steers 613 pounds @ $207.75 steers 540 pounds @ $221.00

The thing that never ceases to amaze me is how close the dollar figure is between heavy steers and light steers. In the calves yesterday the big calves brought $1337 and the light steers brought $1197. The rancher that raised the big calves got paid 58 cents a pound for the extra 240 pounds vs. the light calves. Doesn't seem fair but it happens every year. I guess supply and demand still works.

What would really be interesting is to compare the feed bill to get those two sets of calves.
 
my guess would be that the guy that sold they lighter calves made the most profit but i agree, the numbers would be interesting.

i have the last of my steers consigned for the 17th of this month, hopefully the market stays strong….
 
Big Swede said:
Went to the calf sale yesterday to watch my friends calves sell. The sale was hot. Steers at 780 pounds @ $171.50 steers 613 pounds @ $207.75 steers 540 pounds @ $221.00

The thing that never ceases to amaze me is how close the dollar figure is between heavy steers and light steers. In the calves yesterday the big calves brought $1337 and the light steers brought $1197. The rancher that raised the big calves got paid 58 cents a pound for the extra 240 pounds vs. the light calves. Doesn't seem fair but it happens every year. I guess supply and demand still works.

What would really be interesting is to compare the feed bill to get those two sets of calves.
Click to expand...

Ray Banister did the math yrs ago and figured--at that time--he was getting paid 50 cents for every pound over about 500---and was it really worth the extra effort and inputs?

An interesting guy---he said people would talk about "if it hadn't of been so dry..." "if it hadn't of hailed..." "if prices were better....." "if we'd of gotten just a little more rain about...." and acted as if these types of things were abnormal. According to Ray, there's something "if..." about 8 yrs outa 10, and if something happens that often, it's what's really 'normal." so you manage for those yrs and when the 'normal' yr comes along (you know , the one where everything goes right) you really cut a hog.

So, Ray says ranching is chaos----always some damn thing---so came up with the "10 rules of chaos ranching" or some such----which I've forgotten.

Anyway, a link I found
http://www.farmandranchguide.com/news/livestock/montana-rancher-rejuvenates-pastures-with-boom-bust-grazing/article_5855b538-a6ac-11e2-a401-0019bb2963f4.html
 
Holy smokes that is an amazing price on all 3 weights of calves. Maybe when my high school guidance counselor said I wouldn't amount to much he was wrong! With those prices I may even make a dollar. :D Great news Bid Swede! Congrats to your friend.

I think maybe I ought'a shoot for 500 pound weaned calves instead of 650 weights.
 
littlejoe said:
Big Swede said:
Went to the calf sale yesterday to watch my friends calves sell. The sale was hot. Steers at 780 pounds @ $171.50 steers 613 pounds @ $207.75 steers 540 pounds @ $221.00

The thing that never ceases to amaze me is how close the dollar figure is between heavy steers and light steers. In the calves yesterday the big calves brought $1337 and the light steers brought $1197. The rancher that raised the big calves got paid 58 cents a pound for the extra 240 pounds vs. the light calves. Doesn't seem fair but it happens every year. I guess supply and demand still works.

What would really be interesting is to compare the feed bill to get those two sets of calves.
Click to expand...

Ray Banister did the math yrs ago and figured--at that time--he was getting paid 50 cents for every pound over about 500---and was it really worth the extra effort and inputs?

An interesting guy---he said people would talk about "if it hadn't of been so dry..." "if it hadn't of hailed..." "if prices were better....." "if we'd of gotten just a little more rain about...." and acted as if these types of things were abnormal. According to Ray, there's something "if..." about 8 yrs outa 10, and if something happens that often, it's what's really 'normal." so you manage for those yrs and when the 'normal' yr comes along (you know , the one where everything goes right) you really cut a hog.

So, Ray says ranching is chaos----always some damn thing---so came up with the "10 rules of chaos ranching" or some such----which I've forgotten.

Anyway, a link I found
http://www.farmandranchguide.com/news/livestock/montana-rancher-rejuvenates-pastures-with-boom-bust-grazing/article_5855b538-a6ac-11e2-a401-0019bb2963f4.html
Click to expand...

I was surprised when I read that article that it was that recent. He has been doing that for a long time now. I hadn't heard much about him lately.
 
Big Muddy rancher said:
littlejoe said:
Big Swede said:
Went to the calf sale yesterday to watch my friends calves sell. The sale was hot. Steers at 780 pounds @ $171.50 steers 613 pounds @ $207.75 steers 540 pounds @ $221.00

The thing that never ceases to amaze me is how close the dollar figure is between heavy steers and light steers. In the calves yesterday the big calves brought $1337 and the light steers brought $1197. The rancher that raised the big calves got paid 58 cents a pound for the extra 240 pounds vs. the light calves. Doesn't seem fair but it happens every year. I guess supply and demand still works.

What would really be interesting is to compare the feed bill to get those two sets of calves.
Click to expand...

Ray Banister did the math yrs ago and figured--at that time--he was getting paid 50 cents for every pound over about 500---and was it really worth the extra effort and inputs?

An interesting guy---he said people would talk about "if it hadn't of been so dry..." "if it hadn't of hailed..." "if prices were better....." "if we'd of gotten just a little more rain about...." and acted as if these types of things were abnormal. According to Ray, there's something "if..." about 8 yrs outa 10, and if something happens that often, it's what's really 'normal." so you manage for those yrs and when the 'normal' yr comes along (you know , the one where everything goes right) you really cut a hog.

So, Ray says ranching is chaos----always some damn thing---so came up with the "10 rules of chaos ranching" or some such----which I've forgotten.

Anyway, a link I found
http://www.farmandranchguide.com/news/livestock/montana-rancher-rejuvenates-pastures-with-boom-bust-grazing/article_5855b538-a6ac-11e2-a401-0019bb2963f4.html
Click to expand...

I was surprised when I read that article that it was that recent. He has been doing that for a long time now. I hadn't heard much about him lately.
Click to expand...

I havn't seen him for a long long time--originally met thru EMT training--then discovered we had very good mutual friend----another link, wonderin' how come his hair got white and mine din't... :lol:

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=ray+banister&FORM=VIRE2#view=detail&mid=60FE65BBC0396B6AFA4B60FE65BBC0396B6AFA4B
 
I hope our sale thurs. is that hot...we debated selling off the cow but kept em and put a lot of feed through them, at the sale we went to on Fri. our neighbors big cut of steers weighed 670 and he got 1.79, his small cut weighed 584 and they brought 2.06 so his small cut actually brought three dollars per head more.......got to see a pot load of 851# steers bring $1,442.........
 
We calve February and March and typically wean around September first and then feed the calves until after the first of the year. Ive often wondered how much is gained by feeding them for 4 or 5 months as opposed to selling them off the cow. But we have the feed and were set up to do it so we keep feeding them. Either way we hauled the calves to the sale barn today and they averaged 870 on the trucks, they sell tomorrow. I don't think you can go wrong selling cattle right now!
 
Most all weights of calves at this time of year have been weaned for a long time, ''bunk broke'' and any health problems worked out. That is a bigger and bigger issue for buyers and worth a premium. That is one side of retaining calves to a heavier weight.

The other side is whether the heavier calves are simply older and born when the cost of having a lactating cow becomes really expensive. The thread about calf sleds sort of pointed that out. Can you really afford to put cows through calving sheds, spend the night with cows because of the weather, and the occasional emergency room visit from being run over by a cow because you were trying to save her calf from freezing...for fifty plus cents per pound? :shock:
 
Maybe another thought on keeping the calves after weaning is that you already have the land investment and the facility investment. What you are selling is your labor and extra feed. If you can sell your feed for more as fed to cattle than you could by selling hay or grain outright then it is a way to generate more cash in the operation. Also it is at a time of year that your labor requirements are lower for other jobs. Might as well be feeding calves as sitting in the rocking chair if you can generate a few bucks.
 
I agree 100% with you Angus 62. I would venture to say you are working for nothing and losing money on your feed. Dry cows don't need much feed to keep their condition compared to lactating cows.
 
We always sold right off the cow and managed to pay for a ranch (took a long time). When you keep them, then YOU take the risk of one (or more) dying. Takes a lot of gain to make up for one dead one. I think it's up to how you are set up and the feed you have on hand and the labor available. We had none of that as it's only us, we raise only hay and we really aren't set up to wean a bunch of calves for a long period. We always kept the replacement heifer calves. At least nowdays, there is enough information and products out there so that the death loss is more minimal than it used to be.

We had a neighbor that weaned his Feb/March calves in October, fed them hay and sold them right after Thanksgiving. It was our contention that he didn't make anything doing that, especially for that short of a time period; and he fed a lot of hay to boot. We always wanted him to weigh the calves off the cow and he would know what they gained. He was our neighbor for 18 years and a great manager, but he never did weigh the calves off the cow and kept feeding them hay. I think he liked feeding them more than anything else. Ya gotta do what makes you happy in this business, too.
 
We use to wean in Oct. feed calves till mid March and sell. Now I wean in Oct. sell first of Dec. It is more profitable to me to sell my hay that I would have put in those calves. But everyone has their way of doing things. I would like to sell right off the cow but our summer range is so rough that it takes a while to get a good gather on the cattle.
 
All I know is that I never used to sell hay when I was calving in cold weather, now I have extra feed to sell all the time.

We all know it's that time of year for a calving date debate. :wink: :lol:
 
maybe my figuring is wrong but I am feeding my light calves for $.90/hd/day. I am gaining right at 2#/day. That is $.45/lb of gain. They are bringing for 750 lbs around $1.70 around here for that weight. That means to me that I am making around $2.50/hd/day to feed them. I am set up to do it and I priced all my home raised feed to myself at market price or higher to see if it really paid.
Sure looks like I am making money if the market holds. For the record i did sell some heavy steers off the cow in October to spread out the risk.
 
Big Swede said:
We all know it's that time of year for a calving date debate. :wink: :lol:
Click to expand...

...and heaven help anyone out there calving Hereford cows in February from posting on this site because we all know, managing behind our keyboards, there is no way that could ever be profitable (just a little sarcasm). :roll: :wink:

I just find it hard to be very judgmental of anybody's management when every ranch differs in potential profitability and resources. Good discussion, once again :) .
 
When you keep them, then YOU take the risk of one (or more) dying. Takes a lot of gain to make up for one dead one.
Click to expand...
I agree. But you also have to remember that when a feedlot buys your calves straight off the cows they have the price of vet costs, deads, etc. figured into the price they are paying. When I worked in the feed industry most of my customers figured in 2.5 % death loss when buying fresh weaned calves. I you can keep your death losses lower than that you are ahead of the game. Also, most feedlots will give a shot of Draxin (or something similar) on arrival.
We background all of our own calves. Our death loss is usually around 0.5 %, and our drug costs are far less than what they would be a the feedlot. When you wean a relatively small number of calves (compared to most feedlots) you have more time to watch them and catch the sick ones earlier. That along with the fact that when you wean your own calves they have a lot less stress on them as compared to having them sold through the auction ring.
 

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