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Cattle the first day of spring

B

Big Muddy rancher

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 10, 2005
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22,792
Location
Big Muddy valley
We are getting ready to ship the light end of the Hfrs and the steers. Here they are lined up at the bunk.
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Some Hereford strs and one Red Angus of my Dad's and son that they picked up last fall.
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The replacement hfs out on the flat getting some hay.
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The mature cows eating some genuine Prairie Wool hay.
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For being out rustling for most of their hay and just getting a bit of supplemental hay and protein the majority of the cows are looking pretty good.IMHO
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Where did your snow go? I'm not used to "visiting" your place without seeing a bunch of white :D . Your cattle look really nice, good luck on your calves.
 
Man,winter stays a long time up there,hope it stay's clear for ya'.We've been at about 60 plus for the last week,now it's cloudy and windy.Not quite out of weather yet.By the way Denzel likes those Herefords very much :wink: :)
 
Looking good BMR. I fed my first bale yesterday and it didn't get finished so a few more days till we feed. I would love to try prairie wool hay. That would have to be the ultimate rancher hay.
 
Do you usually ship calves this time of year BMR? I thought you summered them all?
I was considering selling some of my bigger ones but given the way the trade was this week I think i'll give them another month and see if the grass demand picks up again. Failing that i'll take them all to grass and see if I can lose more money with them that way :roll:
 
Our grazing association had Brenda Schoepp speak at our AGM. She has a formula for knowing when to sell. For 600 lb calves sell when they reach 65% of the value of a fat (1350 lb) and for heavier weights 75%. It would be nice to have an easy formula for pulling the trigger. Not saying hers is the right one but it is food for thought.
 
per said:
Our grazing association had Brenda Schoepp speak at our AGM. She has a formula for knowing when to sell. For 600 lb calves sell when they reach 65% of the value of a fat (1350 lb) and for heavier weights 75%. It would be nice to have an easy formula for pulling the trigger. Not saying hers is the right one but it is food for thought.
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Is that based on price of fats now or when the feeders you are selling will be fat using futures? :?
Current fed price @87c x 65% would mean you need $1.27 for 600lb steers and heifers. If it's a good formula and they will get that high I think I'll keep my feeders :wink:
 
That is what they should be worth with an 87 cent fat. With her formula you should keep them if you can. Of course $150 tonne hay might influence the decision more than on a normal year.
 
per said:
That is what they should be worth with an 87 cent fat. With her formula you should keep them if you can. Of course $150 tonne hay might influence the decision more than on a normal year.
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Still not entirely believing the formula - I've heard it before right enough. So I keep a 6oolb calf because I'm not getting $1.27 for him. Roll on August - fats are 78 cents, 75% of that is $790 - but my steer now weighs 850lbs so I need 93 cents for him - will I get that for him and am I better off after paying his expenses? Seems like a total crapshoot to me - the whole commodity beef game is. You can be pretty sure though however little we get for our live cattle the retailer won't have sleepless nights wondering if he will get his $1800+ gross margin per animal. He'll take it and to h@@$ with the rest of us. :mad:

BTW have you looked at Alberta Ag feed listings recently per? there are scores of "for sale" ads being added daily - this feed situation has turned around.
 
Grassfarmer said:
Do you usually ship calves this time of year BMR? I thought you summered them all?
I was considering selling some of my bigger ones but given the way the trade was this week I think i'll give them another month and see if the grass demand picks up again. Failing that i'll take them all to grass and see if I can lose more money with them that way :roll:
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We had been summering them for the last 3 years. Didn't make much money for the risk involved . Thought we would take advantage of the market before the dollar kills us. :?

Less stress for the summer. :D

It would have been different if it had been our own grass but we were putting them on rented grass and had more freight so we thought we would simplify things this year.
 
Big Muddy rancher said:
Grassfarmer said:
Do you usually ship calves this time of year BMR? I thought you summered them all?
I was considering selling some of my bigger ones but given the way the trade was this week I think i'll give them another month and see if the grass demand picks up again. Failing that i'll take them all to grass and see if I can lose more money with them that way :roll:
Click to expand...

We had been summering them for the last 3 years. Didn't make much money for the risk involved . Thought we would take advantage of the market before the dollar kills us. :?

Less stress for the summer. :D

It would have been different if it had been our own grass but we were putting them on rented grass and had more freight so we thought we would simplify things this year.
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Tell the truth Big Muddy, you're just wanting to hit what we did last year. :P

Cows look good, best of luck with your yearlings.
 
Are they being sold in the yard or the Auction Market? Here's to the top of the market either way. :tiphat:
 
per said:
Are they being sold in the yard or the Auction Market? Here's to the top of the market either way. :tiphat:
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We are going to the yards. I really considered trying DLMS but we are 90 miles to a scale that weighs them on the ground. With the package of Herefords and a package of Hfrs and probably a light and heavy cut on the black steers I thought they might be better sold where the buyers could make loads.
I guess we will see Tuesday. :D
 

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