Good morning!! Just got in from unloading a nice load of Char X calves from Dumas, TX. My hat is off to all the great ranchers that produce such great stock. The farm will be noisy for a few days with all their bawling.
Nice Texas calves
- Thread starter feeder
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Hanta Yo
Well-known member
Feeder,
What is your death loss with bawling calves? We not only precondition, we wean early and the calves are bunk broke before we kick them out on pasture for the summer. We ship them as yearlings in the fall. Our death loss at the feedlot is close to zero. We also retain ownership on part so we know what is going on in the feedlot, and know how they grade when processed.
What is your death loss with bawling calves? We not only precondition, we wean early and the calves are bunk broke before we kick them out on pasture for the summer. We ship them as yearlings in the fall. Our death loss at the feedlot is close to zero. We also retain ownership on part so we know what is going on in the feedlot, and know how they grade when processed.
Mike
Well-known member
feeder said:
You wouldn't happen to know the Char breeding in those calves, would you?
Will you sell them or grid them?
I'll try to answer the best I can. Death loss varies with each individual load. But at the time to sell them we might have lost 2-3 calves out of 300 bawling calves. Breed type was out of Angus & Charolais cross cows by Tom Sonderup( Fulton, NE) Char & Jorgensen Angus bulls. This is the first time we bought these cattle but they sure do look nice. Will see what they are like at sale time. We have only sold on the grid a few times. Once got burnt and the other time was OK. Don't usually get Texas cattle this late in the year but we have protection for them during the winter months. I do prefer buying yearlings, less loss and less times to run them through the chute. But the friendly bankers always like to risk less money on the lighter weights than heavier ones. So we buy both yearlings and calves. I do like to get calves that have some knowlege of feed ie. creep, but there is a tendency to let the calves eat too much and then get to fleshy. I much prefer a greener calf. Hope I answered the questions OK.
Mike
Well-known member
feeder wrote:
Would it make sense to have them ultrasounded so that you would have a better idea of expectations on the grid?
That's what I do at Decatur County Feedyard. We have a pretty good idea of the value before we make a decision on whether to grid or not. They can even calculate a feed conversion rate for each calf based on the Cornell Modeling system and the "time to finish" estimate is pretty danged close.
Good luck with them!
Would it make sense to have them ultrasounded so that you would have a better idea of expectations on the grid?
That's what I do at Decatur County Feedyard. We have a pretty good idea of the value before we make a decision on whether to grid or not. They can even calculate a feed conversion rate for each calf based on the Cornell Modeling system and the "time to finish" estimate is pretty danged close.
Good luck with them!
A
Anonymous
Guest
feeder- I don't know how a guy can afford to buy yearlings- they were selling like golden hotcakes at the local salebarn Thursday... I missed the sale, because we were combining, but got in on the after sale discussion at the waterhole--- was a lot of happy sellers in celebrating...Several buyers on the seats got competing--Sold about 2000 head with over 1200 going to one buyer....
One fellow had 894lb steers that sold for $112.50-- $1005
One fellow had 894lb steers that sold for $112.50-- $1005
We do have someone close by that will come out to ultrasound, we just haven't used them yet. I'd like to try it but sometimes it takes the betterhalf a little bit more time to want to shell out the extra money. It's raining here today, so feels kinda good to get out of the tractor and harvesting. That tractor becomes my home in the fall!!!!
OT, I know the price is crazy. We won't be able to afford yearlings at this price this fall like we did last year. Didn't have the profit margin this year like we did the last 2 years. We've been trying to buy some yearlings but always the bridesmaid and not the bride. Have a good day!
