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Food for thought for winter calving

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Big Swede

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For those of you who are calving now in this brutal weather and wondering why let me give you some eye opening numbers. For those of you that are happily calving in this brutal weather you need not read any further.
. :wink: :shock:

These sales figures and average weights come from 3 operations within 5 miles of each other in western South Dakota on their 2013 born calves. Each operation runs very similar straight bred Angus cows, weans in mid October, backgrounds their calves and sells at auction in January and February. The steers are sold in load lots with the only difference being time of calving.

Herd #1
Calving starts about March 5th
Average sale weight #740
Average take home before expense $1300/str

Herd #2
Calving starts about April 1st
Average sale weight #719
Average take home before expenses $1292/str

Herd #3
Calving starts about April 25th
Average sale weight #632
Average take home before expenses $1297/str

These numbers are for last years calves only but these results happen more than you think. I used to think you had to sell as many pounds as you could to be profitable. The older I got I found out that is not the case. Just food for thought.
 
Mine are due April 20th. I went to a farm auction today it's very very cold here. Rode along with a friend who's about a 100 head calved out of 400. They have quite abit of help so it works for him. I don't have the facilities help or the ambition to do it. I get very busy in the shop this time of year so I don't have the time anyhow. Each operation is different as is each situation.
 
Soapweed said:
I'm too busy to comment. :roll: :)
Click to expand...

Seeing your pictures just brought back some bad memories is all. Hope all is going well for you and your crew. As for you H, well someday we'll talk and I promise to talk real slow so as you'll understand. :lol:
 
We do both, calve 1 group now, and the other group in May. May is way easier. Their are pros and cons to both. If we weren't selling yearling bulls, we would only calves in May/June. But we supply both yearlings and 2's, so we do both.

To play the devils advocate, your prices are nearly the same, but all fed until Jan or Feb. But here are some prices of customers who sold off the cow at a sale we put on in Oct. They pretty much are in the same environment and management styles, only difference are basically the calving dates.

April calvers
473 lbs at $202.00 = $955
461 lbs at $ 201.50 = $929
441 at $204.00 = $900

Feb. Calvers
621 lbs at $189.00 = $1174
598 lbs at $189.00 = $1130
609 lbs at $187.25 = $1140
 
BRG said:
We do both, calve 1 group now, and the other group in May. May is way easier. Their are pros and cons to both. If we weren't selling yearling bulls, we would only calves in May/June. But we supply both yearlings and 2's, so we do both.

To play the devils advocate, your prices are nearly the same, but all fed until Jan or Feb. But here are some prices of customers who sold off the cow at a sale we put on in Oct. They pretty much are in the same environment and management styles, only difference are basically the calving dates.

April calvers
473 lbs at $202.00 = $955
461 lbs at $ 201.50 = $929
441 at $204.00 = $900

Feb. Calvers
621 lbs at $189.00 = $1174
598 lbs at $189.00 = $1130
609 lbs at $187.25 = $1140
Click to expand...


When do you wean those may / june calves? My plan is to Ai heifers for Feb calves and calve the rest starting in early april last year we got behind and chose to ai alot of cows then turn out bulls so they are a bit late but I'm feeling pretty good about my choice right now.Switch more towards a 2 year old bull program.
 
Justin said:
Big Swede said:
Soapweed said:
I'm too busy to comment. :roll: :)
Click to expand...

As for you H, well someday we'll talk and I promise to talk real slow so as you'll understand. :lol:
Click to expand...

you've tried talkin' to ol bull riders before, haven't ya. :lol: :wink:
Click to expand...

Heck, I even type real slow when I'm trying to tell him something but it still doesn't help! :lol:
 
Denny said:
BRG said:
We do both, calve 1 group now, and the other group in May. May is way easier. Their are pros and cons to both. If we weren't selling yearling bulls, we would only calves in May/June. But we supply both yearlings and 2's, so we do both.

To play the devils advocate, your prices are nearly the same, but all fed until Jan or Feb. But here are some prices of customers who sold off the cow at a sale we put on in Oct. They pretty much are in the same environment and management styles, only difference are basically the calving dates.

April calvers
473 lbs at $202.00 = $955
461 lbs at $ 201.50 = $929
441 at $204.00 = $900

Feb. Calvers
621 lbs at $189.00 = $1174
598 lbs at $189.00 = $1130
609 lbs at $187.25 = $1140
Click to expand...


When do you wean those may / june calves? My plan is to Ai heifers for Feb calves and calve the rest starting in early april last year we got behind and chose to ai alot of cows then turn out bulls so they are a bit late but I'm feeling pretty good about my choice right now.Switch more towards a 2 year old bull program.
Click to expand...

Usually around Nov. 1
 
BRG said:
We do both, calve 1 group now, and the other group in May. May is way easier. Their are pros and cons to both. If we weren't selling yearling bulls, we would only calves in May/June. But we supply both yearlings and 2's, so we do both.

To play the devils advocate, your prices are nearly the same, but all fed until Jan or Feb. But here are some prices of customers who sold off the cow at a sale we put on in Oct. They pretty much are in the same environment and management styles, only difference are basically the calving dates.

April calvers
473 lbs at $202.00 = $955
461 lbs at $ 201.50 = $929
441 at $204.00 = $900

Feb. Calvers
621 lbs at $189.00 = $1174
598 lbs at $189.00 = $1130
609 lbs at $187.25 = $1140
Click to expand...

Back grounding calves isn't always as profitable as it was this year but green 5 and 6 weight steers are always in demand after the fall runs are over. I learned that from years of watching them outsell my bigger calves.
 
We were coaching ev'ry day an' they were calvin' ev'ry night and evry 20 minutes some of us had a fight........ :lol:


Even with calving in April here I still night check but I do have length of day and warmer temps (mostly) to deal with. Haven't the nerve to let the furry varmints look after things in May & June on range.
 
Silver said:
Justin said:
Big Swede said:
As for you H, well someday we'll talk and I promise to talk real slow so as you'll understand. :lol:
Click to expand...

you've tried talkin' to ol bull riders before, haven't ya. :lol: :wink:
Click to expand...

Heck, I even type real slow when I'm trying to tell him something but it still doesn't help! :lol:
Click to expand...

I'd argue with you three idiots but winning a debate with the 3 stooges isn't exactly resume material! :roll: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Those were three of the finest digs of the spur a guy could experience. :D Sadly they came from a guy who calves the wrong time a year, a person who jumps off of perfectly good horses who weren't even bucking and the spokesman of the carhart evening wear catalog. I gotta expand my pool of friends! :lol: :lol: :lol:
 
Big Swede said:
BRG said:
We do both, calve 1 group now, and the other group in May. May is way easier. Their are pros and cons to both. If we weren't selling yearling bulls, we would only calves in May/June. But we supply both yearlings and 2's, so we do both.

To play the devils advocate, your prices are nearly the same, but all fed until Jan or Feb. But here are some prices of customers who sold off the cow at a sale we put on in Oct. They pretty much are in the same environment and management styles, only difference are basically the calving dates.

April calvers
473 lbs at $202.00 = $955
461 lbs at $ 201.50 = $929
441 at $204.00 = $900

Feb. Calvers
621 lbs at $189.00 = $1174
598 lbs at $189.00 = $1130
609 lbs at $187.25 = $1140
Click to expand...

Back grounding calves isn't always as profitable as it was this year but green 5 and 6 weight steers are always in demand after the fall runs are over. I learned that from years of watching them outsell my bigger calves.
Click to expand...

I sent a link to a friend that has a pretty good handle on costs. here is what he said. "Preaching to the choir here. I bet there is a 150/hd difference on the net in favour of the April 25 calver. "
 
Seems like this same topic comes up every year.

Early or late calving is simply a matter of preference depending on many factors such as; your area average weather, available calving facilities, calving ease, available help, seedstock vs commercial, number of cattle, number of heifers, your age and relative health, etc, etc, the list goes on.

What works on one ranch may not be correct for the next one. Like most of ranching and farming, look at your statistics and variables objectively, over a ten year period if possible. Apply those statistics and common sense to your specific ranch and situation.
 
What makes all the difference in the world, is having a full-time night calver. If the day crew can get a full night of sleep, the calving and hay feeding can go on quite well the next day despite the cold.

We have been selling quite a few bred heifers in recent years. The early born heifer calves are bigger and more mature, and more valuable when selling as coming two-year-old bred heifers.

Another reason for early calves is to get "more bang for the buck" when pasturing them on leased summer range. Just as recently as spring one year ago, the old Kosmo Kid and I even felt a bit smug that we weren't calving hard during the horrendous April blizzards. :wink:

When it comes to calving, there just is no free lunch. It still takes a bit of watching and work, no matter when it comes along. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. :) Besides, the weatherman says it could get up to 40 degrees above zero tomorrow. :) :)
 

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