Which sale to put in for?

[Wyoming Wind]

Still calving away but already thinking about marketing/selling our calves. We have sold thru Northern Livestock Video Auction the past 4 years and will again this year. My question is should we get in the early sale (3rd week in June) or stick with the mid July sale? We have always done the July sale but the June one has gotten higher prices the past 2 years. Wondered if any of you would have any input or reasoning to selling earlier or later? Thanks in advance!

 

[Justin]

from what i've seen the last few years the guys that sold early wish they would have waited. i normally sell a little later. but either way they are worth a lot of money and i don't think you can go wrong one way or the other. we all know being greedy and hoping for a little more can backfire.

 

[Faster horses]

from what i've seen the last few years the guys that sold early wish they would have waited. i normally sell a little later. but either way they are worth a lot of money and i don't think you can go wrong one way or the other. we all know being greedy and hoping for a little more can backfire.

Good advice, IMO.
The successful rancher that helped us get started told us "do what you always do.
Don't jump around. If you do what you always do, you might not be the top seller,
but you won't be the bottom. Don't try to guess the market. Year in and Year out, consistency pays."
We always had a date in which we wanted to get our
calves contracted. Didn't always work out, but looking back, it worked
out 9 times out of 10. We always contracted our calves with an order
buyer in the country.

It seems like it used to be that there were a lot of ways to be wrong in
this business and only one way to be right. Now it seems like there
are lots of ways to be right. FWIW

Good luck, whatever you decide, Wyoming Wind.

 

[Wyoming Wind]

Great advice from you both---thanks! Hard to not count our chickens before they hatch with the way the market is going

 

[BRG]

I was visiting with a bigger order buyer a few weeks ago, he told me his is contracting 600 lbs steers for fall delivery from $1.98 to $2.05. I would venture to guess they will be higher at auction later on, as they don't normally give the top prices off the farm. But I would agree with the others, don't jump around. No one knows what each auction will bring. Consistency pays!

 

[High Plains]

I think $2.00 for 600 lb. steers will be too cheap this year. There will be better money later on. If a person were considering marketing dates I'd go with a later date this year. Calf supplies are not large and feeders will be frantic to fill their needs in the fall. The August feeder cattle contract is currently around $192/cwt. already with possible room to go higher. The reason buyers are wanting to contract calves early this year is because they know they will have to pay more for them later. My humble opinion, which could be proven wrong at any moment. :shock:

 

[flyingS]

As the old saying goes " A bird in hand is better than two in the bush." Everyone needs as much as they can get. That being said if you know what your break even is and figure what you want, if you get it, be happy and never look back.