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Can't Afford a Bull This Year!

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North Ridge Ranching

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Went a couple Simmental sales this year looking for a good Black Simmental. I don't know if I can afford one at the prices they are going for. I am not really complaining, i mean I am happy for the guys selling them, but man are they trading good this year. I just have a hard time justifying the cost on them. Lets say a bull on average breeds 150 cows over his lifetime ( 5 years x 30 cows ) and costs around the $8000 that they went for yesterday, that comes out to over $50.00 a calf if they all live and conception rates of 100%. It is a good sign of the optimism in the industry though.
 
Going to try and get some bull shopping done this weekend by private treaty.
Went to a bred cow sale yesterday and a dog's breakfast of cows went for more $ on average than advertised dispersals. Bought some good young cows at the same barn last month for $1100. Seems the optimism has even found us at the end of the road.
Guys seem to get caught up at these bull sales and buy at any price because 'thats what they're worth'.
 
Seems the last two years all the cash croppers in the area where walking around with big goofy grins, and this year it's the cattlemen walking around with the same goofy grins.

I sent 6 yearling cull bulls (Red Angus) that weren't turning out to the sale barn, and they brought in $1725/head. I almost fell off the couch when I saw that. crazy how people two years ago wouldn't pay $2000 for a nice long yearling bull and now they're having bidding wars over the scrubs.
 
We might all be whinning right now on the price of cows and bulls but I am willing to bet that this fall we will all be grinning from ear to ear when we get that big pay check. I had a guy offer me 1.68 last week for 650 weight steer calves that haven't even been born yet makes you wonder what they are really going to be this fall. All I can say prices stay like they are right now that 8000 dallar bull is going to a heck of a deal next year :roll:
 
You might be right about that deal. I am wondering what they will be worth next year if the calf prices hold. Like I said, I am not complaining, just seems odd to be paying that kind of price for my bulls on these commercial cows. I saw one poor guy stop at $6000 yesterday on 3 bulls. He finally got 2 bulls for around $6200 and $6300. It was kind of funny.
 
North Ridge Ranching said:
Went a couple Simmental sales this year looking for a good Black Simmental. I don't know if I can afford one at the prices they are going for. I am not really complaining, i mean I am happy for the guys selling them, but man are they trading good this year. I just have a hard time justifying the cost on them. Lets say a bull on average breeds 150 cows over his lifetime ( 5 years x 30 cows ) and costs around the $8000 that they went for yesterday, that comes out to over $50.00 a calf if they all live and conception rates of 100%. It is a good sign of the optimism in the industry though.

Salvage value of the old bulls is right at $1.00 at local auctions here
1700 to 2200 pound bulls help out. This tric deal is starting to kick in here in for virgin bulls. These new bulls are really bring home the money with increased weaning weights. calving ease and feed efficiency at the same time. Good commerical breeders that have repeat buyers for calves and a good repetition can make those bulls work and with retaining heifers from them. There are other adavantages also that good commerical breeders can pencil in like collection there own bull to breed their own AI heiifers rather than buying $20.00 semen. Some are actually taking a gamlbe on the new 50K DNA test to see if there new bulls are gentically tested better than these promoted AI bulls.
But I gotta admit I can not either pencil one in. But I do not own 350 cows either.
 
I was concerned about having to replace 6 or 7 next year so bought 3 we really didn't need this year. They were a far cry from $8000.
 
gcreekrch said:
I was concerned about having to replace 6 or 7 next year so bought 3 we really didn't need this year. They were a far cry from $8000.

Same plan here as well :wink: .
 
Canadian Angus,

Dad said he didn't get to go look at the bulls because he had my two rugrats with him, but he said the sale went good. I just can't find a bull that I want that everybody else dosen't. Some excellent bulls yesterday though that were trading that high. I enjoy the state the industry is in, just not the fact I have to be shelling out the money this year. Lots of sales left yet, I sure I will find one before the season is over. Off to another one on Monday.

I hope yours goes as good this year as everyone elses.
 
I've got 28 selling on May 10th in Mobridge S.D. I bet they will be cheaper than $8000 by aways.
 
North Ridge Ranching said:
Went a couple Simmental sales this year looking for a good Black Simmental. I don't know if I can afford one at the prices they are going for. I am not really complaining, i mean I am happy for the guys selling them, but man are they trading good this year. I just have a hard time justifying the cost on them. Lets say a bull on average breeds 150 cows over his lifetime ( 5 years x 30 cows ) and costs around the $8000 that they went for yesterday, that comes out to over $50.00 a calf if they all live and conception rates of 100%. It is a good sign of the optimism in the industry though.

The kids have some Red and Black Simmental ... if you are still in the market - http://boundaryranch.homestead.com/2012SaleBulls/SWS_Simmental_Bulls_2012.html

If the guys were at Early Sunset today, we only have the $ for the Black Angus. Just got home so I haven't figured the average.

From the bottom to the top of Sk the snow cover (little as it is) is the same, at least along the west side of the province.
 
Thanks S.S.A.P.

Those are some powerful looking Black Simmentals. If I haven't found one by April, I would be glad to come down and look at them. I have lots of good sources of B. Angus sires around here and all over the province. Usually can get one for a fair deal. Finding these good Black Simmentals for a better price is tougher. I always leave a little more budget on the years I need one of them.

The only place with some snow in the province from what I here is around Melfort and Nipiwan but I haven't strayed to far this winter. We will see what we get today, they say a storm is brewing.
 
seen some market reports from this last week, $87/cwt, to $95.cwt cull cows. :shock:
one guy told me sold a little bunch of open cows they had on grass since last fall for 93 , then bought a bull for $7000 the next day
 
Calf and Feeder Prices Press on to New Records



Anyone wondering how snug calf supplies are getting, only had to try to find grass-ready cattle last week. With supplies drying up close to the sweeping summer pastures of the Central Plains, order buyers converged on the Southeast, lifting average cash prices for 400-500-lb. calves in the region by $8.34/cwt. to a staggering $193.21/cwt.

Speaking to the steamy demand for calves, especially flyweights, analysts with the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) noted Friday, "…Order buyers at the sale barn in Okeechobee, FL, teased the alligator on 200-300-lb. steers and bulls this past week with top prices on this class up to $285/cwt., and the entire weight range averaging over $250. Few of us have gotten used to hearing calf prices in the $2/lb. range; do we need to prepare ourselves for, dare we say, $3/lb.?"

Across the nation, AMS analysts say calves sold $3-$10 higher, while feeder cattle trended $1-$4 higher. The CME Feeder Index coasted to another new record high of $156.57 Wednesday.

Keep in mind, this was with demand-based concerns surrounding escalating gas and retail beef prices provided a ceiling for the cattle complex last week, as cattle futures, by no means anemic, traded slightly lower week-to-week.

With that said, Choice boxed beef cutout values closed Friday at $197.42, which was $6.97 more than a week earlier. Select boxed beef cutout values were $193.40 through Friday afternoon, $7.50 higher week-to-week. The Choice/Select spread narrowed 54¢ to $4.02.

According to AMS analysts, "Tight inventories of cattle have hit home for boneless beef processors as culling season is now over and high-dressing slaughter cows and bulls are bringing over $100/cwt. at auction, well before the peak of grilling season."

The extraordinary wholesale prices—and the slightly higher inventory of beef in cold storage reported by USDA earlier in the week—delayed cash fed cattle trade. By late Friday afternoon, there were some initial live trades in Kansas at steady money with the previous week's record high of $128. Some early beef trades in Nebraska were reported $3 lower at $200.

Last week's prices were supported by generally favorable outside markets and a lower U.S. dollar. Though it never closed above 13,000, the Dow Jones Industrial Average flirted with and crossed the psychological barrier several times. By the end of the week, the broader S&P 500 was trading at its highest level since 2008.........................good luck
 
North Ridge Ranching were you at crossroads and muirheads bull sales,if so how did they sell?Erixons bull sale is on the 29th,they have some black simmental bulls there and they have good cattle,there catalogue and so is sunny valley simmentals is on saskatoon livestock sales website.
 
I just made a deal to lease some today. $700 a head. He keeps then til' turnout time. If one dies, I pay half the cost between the lease price and what he would have been worth by the pound. Sounded kind of high a while back, now sounds like a better deal, seeing what these bulls are bringing.
 

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