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Taking the cash or retaining ownership?

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BlackCattleRancher

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So what is everyone thinking on this years calves? Futures in the upper 120's, cost of gain ~$0.90/lb. Are you taking the $900 cash for your calves or laying it on the table for more on the fat market next spring?
 
BlackCattleRancher said:
So what is everyone thinking on this years calves? Futures in the upper 120's, cost of gain ~$0.90/lb. Are you taking the $900 cash for your calves or laying it on the table for more on the fat market next spring?

I'm not much of a gambler- so taking the cash...When even late calves weighing around 450 are bringing well over $700- and the 600+ are bringing $850-900- I'll go for the bird in hand...

With another predicted tough La Nina winter for us up here- a shortage on hay- and no straw at all because of last years flooding- I even sold the bull calves that I didn't have already spoken for or sold... Local rancher offered $1000 a piece for them- and he'll feed them for the winter- see which develop the way he wants them to- and next spring those that don't fit what he wants for breeding bulls he'll cut and run as yearlings... Sure sounded easier to me- and hope he makes lots of money off them..

Bred heifers sold at the local sale for $1500 last week- which makes a fella wonder what they will be worth in the spring...If someone has plenty of feed- holding onto some good heifers may be the way to go with the shortage of cattle in the country now...
 
Oldtimer said:
BlackCattleRancher said:
So what is everyone thinking on this years calves? Futures in the upper 120's, cost of gain ~$0.90/lb. Are you taking the $900 cash for your calves or laying it on the table for more on the fat market next spring?

I'm not much of a gambler- so taking the cash...When even late calves weighing around 450 are bringing well over $700- and the 600+ are bringing $850-900- I'll go for the bird in hand...

With another predicted tough La Nina winter for us up here- a shortage on hay- and no straw at all because of last years flooding- I even sold the bull calves that I didn't have already spoken for or sold... Local rancher offered $1000 a piece for them- and he'll feed them for the winter- see which develop the way he wants them to- and next spring those that don't fit what he wants for breeding bulls he'll cut and run as yearlings... Sure sounded easier to me- and hope he makes lots of money off them..

Bred heifers sold at the local sale for $1500 last week- which makes a fella wonder what they will be worth in the spring...If someone has plenty of feed- holding onto some good heifers may be the way to go with the shortage of cattle in the country now...

Calves are worth more than that OT, at least here they are. A good 600 lbs steer here is selling for around $155 to $160/cwt and 450 lbs steers are selling for $180 to $190/cwt. It seems like the market is getting stronger every day.
 
Oldtimer said:
BlackCattleRancher said:
So what is everyone thinking on this years calves? Futures in the upper 120's, cost of gain ~$0.90/lb. Are you taking the $900 cash for your calves or laying it on the table for more on the fat market next spring?

I'm not much of a gambler- so taking the cash...When even late calves weighing around 450 are bringing well over $700- and the 600+ are bringing $850-900- I'll go for the bird in hand...


Bred heifers sold at the local sale for $1500 last week- which makes a fella wonder what they will be worth in the spring...If someone has plenty of feed- holding onto some good heifers may be the way to go with the shortage of cattle in the country now...

i couldn't agree more
 
BRG said:
Oldtimer said:
BlackCattleRancher said:
So what is everyone thinking on this years calves? Futures in the upper 120's, cost of gain ~$0.90/lb. Are you taking the $900 cash for your calves or laying it on the table for more on the fat market next spring?

I'm not much of a gambler- so taking the cash...When even late calves weighing around 450 are bringing well over $700- and the 600+ are bringing $850-900- I'll go for the bird in hand...

With another predicted tough La Nina winter for us up here- a shortage on hay- and no straw at all because of last years flooding- I even sold the bull calves that I didn't have already spoken for or sold... Local rancher offered $1000 a piece for them- and he'll feed them for the winter- see which develop the way he wants them to- and next spring those that don't fit what he wants for breeding bulls he'll cut and run as yearlings... Sure sounded easier to me- and hope he makes lots of money off them..

Bred heifers sold at the local sale for $1500 last week- which makes a fella wonder what they will be worth in the spring...If someone has plenty of feed- holding onto some good heifers may be the way to go with the shortage of cattle in the country now...

Calves are worth more than that OT, at least here they are. A good 600 lbs steer here is selling for around $155 to $160/cwt and 450 lbs steers are selling for $180 to $190/cwt. It seems like the market is getting stronger every day.

Yeah- but you have to remember--you're in the middle of corn country and near the feedlots...You can usually figure at least $.15 cents more at the SD markets than up here...Even Miles City and Billings usually are a nickel or more difference from what buyers will pay up here in the boonies-- depending on the fuel prices... 6 weight steers were averaging $144 at Billings Live on Thursday- $143.50 at PAYS on Friday-- and quite a few 6 weight calves are going out of this country contracted earlier at around $140...
And I'm hoping the price does keep going up- as my steers- and what heifers I'm selling are going to the ring next week....
 
Oldtimer said:
BRG said:
Oldtimer said:
I'm not much of a gambler- so taking the cash...When even late calves weighing around 450 are bringing well over $700- and the 600+ are bringing $850-900- I'll go for the bird in hand...

With another predicted tough La Nina winter for us up here- a shortage on hay- and no straw at all because of last years flooding- I even sold the bull calves that I didn't have already spoken for or sold... Local rancher offered $1000 a piece for them- and he'll feed them for the winter- see which develop the way he wants them to- and next spring those that don't fit what he wants for breeding bulls he'll cut and run as yearlings... Sure sounded easier to me- and hope he makes lots of money off them..

Bred heifers sold at the local sale for $1500 last week- which makes a fella wonder what they will be worth in the spring...If someone has plenty of feed- holding onto some good heifers may be the way to go with the shortage of cattle in the country now...

Calves are worth more than that OT, at least here they are. A good 600 lbs steer here is selling for around $155 to $160/cwt and 450 lbs steers are selling for $180 to $190/cwt. It seems like the market is getting stronger every day.

Yeah- but you have to remember--you're in the middle of corn country and near the feedlots...You can usually figure at least $.15 cents more at the SD markets than up here...Even Miles City and Billings usually are a nickel or more difference from what buyers will pay up here in the boonies-- depending on the fuel prices... 6 weight steers were averaging $144 at Billings Live on Thursday- $143.50 at PAYS on Friday-- and quite a few 6 weight calves are going out of this country contracted earlier at around $140...
And I'm hoping the price does keep going up- as my steers- and what heifers I'm selling are going to the ring next week....

It seems like the market is getting stronger and stronger every day. I sure hope the buyers make it work too.

Not to start an arguement, but we are far from the middle of corn country. Some may be grown here, but 60 to 90 bushel corn yields isn't quite what I would call corn country. Now you go east an hour or so, then you have a lot more acres and better yields.
 
BRG said:
Oldtimer said:
BRG said:
Calves are worth more than that OT, at least here they are. A good 600 lbs steer here is selling for around $155 to $160/cwt and 450 lbs steers are selling for $180 to $190/cwt. It seems like the market is getting stronger every day.

Yeah- but you have to remember--you're in the middle of corn country and near the feedlots...You can usually figure at least $.15 cents more at the SD markets than up here...Even Miles City and Billings usually are a nickel or more difference from what buyers will pay up here in the boonies-- depending on the fuel prices... 6 weight steers were averaging $144 at Billings Live on Thursday- $143.50 at PAYS on Friday-- and quite a few 6 weight calves are going out of this country contracted earlier at around $140...
And I'm hoping the price does keep going up- as my steers- and what heifers I'm selling are going to the ring next week....

It seems like the market is getting stronger and stronger every day. I sure hope the buyers make it work too.

Not to start an arguement, but we are far from the middle of corn country. Some may be grown here, but 60 to 90 bushel corn yields isn't quite what I would call corn country. Now you go east an hour or so, then you have a lot more acres and better yields.

The buyer that takes the most cattle out of our local area- both early contracted and thru the ring- is from Britton/Langford area of SD... Sounds like besides his own lots- there are lots of feedlots over that way... He was buying a few at the ring last week-the heavier weights- but most everything was lightweights which were going to the local lots and ranchers- which will winter them and run them as yearlings next year....

A big share of our cattle go toward SD or Nebraska....For a couple years there was a run on many going to Colorado lots- but lately I have seen few go that way- and a lot more have been going to Minnesota...
It doesn't seem to matter tho- wherever they are going- we are about the furthest there is for trucking costs :wink: :( ....

I always get a chuckle on Superior when some northern calves come in- and the auctioneer announces the location as Theony or Opheim- and then says 350 miles from Billings to give them an idea- and comments about as far north as they can be without talking Canadian- eh!! :wink: :lol:
 
I am wondering if they are looking at the number of cows going to Slaughter out of Texas and figure there will be a shortage next year if not for many years to come. In our area the sale barns are still selling 700-800 cows with many of them going to slaughter. This has been going on all summer and into the fall with no sign of it ending with the drought starting over again. :(

Just my two cent.
 
OT, I'm with you. As one old timer to another, as you get older, you are more inclined to be more coservative, and less of a gambler. :lol: :lol:
 
Well I'm going to roll with the plan I had last spring we left 35 bulls and we'll do some culling but I bet there will be alot of heifers being bred. They topped here yesterday at $1500 for bred heifers unheard of in this part of the country. I bet next fall bred heifers will be $2000 pretty nice profit on a $750 to $850 heifer calf. Were selling just enough to pay the fall bills and gambleing. No gut's no Glory.
 

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