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Cull cows

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cowwrangler

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i was reading a worldwide cattle report and it said the cow numbers are way down worldwide,the author of the report said to keep culls over if you have feed for them,he was predicting $70 cows about april -may, which in the state the economy is in most people that will be able to afford meat will buy hamburger?? seems sensible to me,also on another note should we be buying replacements now?if culls go up the breds will follow, just wondering what the opinions are
 
cowwrangler said:
i was reading a worldwide cattle report and it said the cow numbers are way down worldwide,the author of the report said to keep culls over if you have feed for them,he was predicting $70 cows about april -may, which in the state the economy is in most people that will be able to afford meat will buy hamburger?? seems sensible to me,also on another note should we be buying replacements now?if culls go up the breds will follow, just wondering what the opinions are
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Dad and I agree. Hold onto your open and cull cows till spring. More'n likely they'll be worth enough to make the cost of holding them through the winter feasible. Replacements? Usually, just about everything gets a little more expensive in the spring. Buying a few breds right now might not be a bad idea. If you're looking for short term, maybe turn around and sell them in the spring as pairs? JMO.
 
It is my hunch that those of us that are serious cattlepeople should grab up as many good young bred cows as we have feed and finances for. When it is realized just how short supply protein is in the near future, cattle prices are going to go through the roof.
The big question is.... can we stay ahead of production costs until then.

WARNING! I have been wrong before. Still have my hunch though.
 
the author of the report said to keep culls over if you have feed for them,he was predicting $70 cows about april -may

$70 what?

Are you talking about cattle selling flat rail? If you are, cattle out here are still bringing $77-82. This would equivilate to $39-42 live if the cattle would yield 46-53%.

Although I agree, we are in a shortage of cows, but the packers are sitting on ground beef in there coolers and the market usually rebounds in February if your one of the first to get on board, otherwise sit back. But with input costs being so high (here hay is $160 ton, has been $220) do you feel like holding them and feeding them you are really going to get that much more for your cows. I DON'T! Get rid of the cows and buy some young stock (going for $600-800 young bred cows)
 
I believe we're talking about $70 cwt. That would be 70 cents per pound live weight. Heck of a lot better than what we're getting right now out here.
 
sorry i was talking 70cwt,my inputs are not as high here,i havent decided what i will do yet ,i have a few culls to sell and need to replace them,another senerio would be to feed the culls till calving take the calf off and sell them to people looking for a replacement for a lost calf and then pound of the cow,they bring really good money around here for that,i think i am gonna buy replacements yet this month
 
East Central Alberta -

Hay - $55-100/ton depending on quality

Barley - $4/bushel delivered and up

Good young bred Commercial Cows - $400-1200 depending on the sale, most @ $6-700

Culls and Crocks - 25-40cwt live

We sold a load of opens in August and did OK all things considered. I held onto a bunch for the same reason you folks mention. I believe it will turn around. It's basically breaking my own cardinal rule, but the economics of it had to win out this time. There are dozens of dispersals every week, and have been for 2 months all over Western Canada. I've even seen and heard of guys selling May calving pairs. Meaning they took cows to town with 200-400lb calves on them, and just took a beating. Bottom line, hundreds of producers here are fed up, and would rather be done with it than feed another stitch of hay.

I'm getting calls from all over, 3 or 4 per week, folks asking us if we want to buy more cows. It's depressing if you think about all those folks exiting, but kinda exciting at the same time thinking about the potential opportunities in coming years. Kinda feel guilty, but we all have to remember that the upswing won't last long. If the national cowherd across the US and Canada keep an extra 10-20% of replacements in '09 and 2010, we're right back up there. It's like any other market fluctuation, you can't jump in at the top and expect big things. By the time you get strapped into your seat, you're headed back down.

I have to say that I am very sad to see dispersals in some families. Good folks that have been working harder than me for many years, just can't keep their heads above water for various reasons. Others I am glad to see exit, but that's the way it goes.
 
If your talking $70cwt live, I want to send my cattle your way. HOLY &%$

Like I said, out here for Cull cows we are getting $38-42/cwt Live, and $77-82/cwt Flat Rail (Carcass Weight only)

Live it up if that is what your getting
 
Talked to a good friend last night who spends alot of time at the auctions, and he said bred cow sales were up $200 this week. Decent red and/or black baldies and such were bringing anywhere from $800-1300, below the age of 8 or so. Older cows were up too though, as long as they looked to have some productivity left in them. THere were lots of them that went for $6-900.

His theory is that alot of the buyers were needing tax cows, because they aren't going to buy fertilizer in December with the price being so high. Who knows?

It's got me itchin' now to let go of a few more riff-raffs even if they are in calf.
 
There's alot of kill cows jammed up in the system right now-were seeing cows,calves and bulls all show up at the yard together last few weeks. Might be some grass around to run some yearlings on next year. I'm trying to put a set of Lad daughters together to breed-if I could rent some grass close might pit in on some grass cattle later.
 
Its been a few since guys made money doing the bred heifer thing. Bred heifers a year from now might be the ticket N.R.
 
If my buyer doesn't back out on me I'll be ok this year-the 200 I got caught with over BSE left a mark. Therre's a few more options to work your way out of bred heifers than short term cows in my opinion.
 
With the cost of feed this year what business minded operation can afford to keep open cows and other cows that aren't herd quality and feed through the winter? If I were looking to buy right now in this area I'd buy fall pairs. A feed salesman we know bought some descent quality fall pairs for 750 a pair. :shock:
 
Feed your open culls seperate from your cow herd. You can feed them a lot lower quality feed and still maintain or even gain...

PPRM
 

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