Shipping Day

[deff]

We sent our calves to the local auction this week. We had the calves sexed and sorted in to pens and were soaking up complements from the neighbors about how gentle our calves are when a coyote started yodeling a couple hundred yards away. That set off a chorus of protests from the hounds, cow dogs and grandkids which stampeded the calves. The side of the corral separating the steers and heifers came crashing down! We did have time to prop the fence back up with twine string and lariat ropes and re-sort the calves before the semi got here. By the time the truck got in with the second load, there wasn't anyone at the stockyard to check them in, just a note on the chute telling us to put them into pen # such and such. So the calves were dumped back together anyway! They had a lot of snow on their backs this year, with all those Polar Vortexes dropping down since early October. Our weights were down about 50 lbs from normal but I was pleased with how they sold. We received a lot of compliments on their overall quality. We had a batch of 570 wt, steers went for $211.50 and 500 wt. ones went for $235. The heifers weighed 500 and brought $190. It was rumored that most of the calves from here are being shipped across the border into Canada.

 

[Faster horses]

That was a great ticket, deff. Congratulations!!

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

I guess they could be coming north to feed but with our 73 cent dollar you'd think they would be sending calves down from here.

 

[deff]

I guess they could be coming north to feed but with our 73 cent dollar you'd think they would be sending calves down from here.

I really don't have any first hand knowledge, it was just coffee talk I had heard. It did appeared to me like the buyers weren't discounting the reds and greys like they do when shipping to our CAB obsessed midwest. Generally, it appears that feeder prices trend somewhat comparable after adjusting for the exchange rate. I have heard quotes from Saskatchewan in the past that seemed 25% higher than anything here until you factor in the exchange rate. I gather that the cost of trucking is the biggest deciding factor though. With the storms and all, our midwest feeders likely aren't all that anxious to fill their pens right now either.

 

[leanin' H]

Congrats on what I'd call damn great prices. But then again, I'm on the wrong side of the Rockies to approach prices like that. Glad it worked out for ya

 

[Nicky]

I'm just glad they didn't leave the country when they spooked. Alot of work to have to dump them in pens. Glad it turned out well, nice to have them gone.