Whole Bunch of Red Calf pics

[randiliana]

You've been warned ;-)

These boys are about 2 weeks away from sale day.....

#17 Off of a 2 year old heifer

#36

#133

#8

#74

#216

#104

#20 another 2 year old's calf

#22 a good looking, but not so good heifer calf.

#78 She's a good old cow. Looks like crap, but raises a great calf every year....

#32

 

[WyomingRancher]

Your calves look good, and ready to ship :wink: . Our steers went yesterday, and I've got a corral-full of bawling heifers left . It's supposed to snow tonite, so the weather should quiet them down and get them eating :wink: . I agree with Denny regarding weaning stress :wink: . I'm hoping to keep and breed these heifers since there are some good ones in the bunch.

The steers went to the same place that has bought them the past six years... hope they do well for them. I'll try to visit them after the first of the year.

Let us know how your calves do, and good luck with them .

 

[randiliana]

Your calves look good, and ready to ship :wink: . Our steers went yesterday, and I've got a corral-full of bawling heifers left . It's supposed to snow tonite, so the weather should quiet them down and get them eating :wink: . I agree with Denny regarding weaning stress :wink: . I'm hoping to keep and breed these heifers since there are some good ones in the bunch.

The steers went to the same place that has bought them the past six years... hope they do well for them. I'll try to visit them after the first of the year.

Let us know how your calves do, and good luck with them .

Thank you. They were actually supposed to go for the Oct 10 sale, but the prices have us spooked a bit and we decided to hold them for a bit longer. If nothing else, we will have a bit longer to adjust to the reality of the market, and the calves will be a bit heavier.

We weaned our heifers on Sept 20 with the idea of stretching the fall grazing a bit longer. They have been grazing and being fed oat bales so far. They have adjusted well.

Good luck with your heifers. You have some good cattle. I would like to sell ours privately, but so far we haven't had much luck finding anywhere to send them. We are usually pretty happy with the way they sell at auction however.

 

[BRG]

They look great!!!

 

[PureCountry]

Private sales is always my preference, but order buyers are between a rock and a hard place this year - they ain't got the orders so they ain't buyin'.

 

[WyomingRancher]

Private sales is always my preference, but order buyers are between a rock and a hard place this year - they ain't got the orders so they ain't buyin'.

Agreed. I convinced my employer to sell private treaty six years ago, and have never looked back. We just couldn't afford the sale barn . Marketing isn't easy, but I feel one of the most important things you can spend your time on. I just started making cold calls until I found some interest .

The year we switched, we realized a $58.66 gain per calf (this took into account the .08 cents price appreciation from selling earlier in the summer, less shrink (sale barn they shrunk an avg of 3.4% vs 2% pencil shrink private treaty), sale barn commission, feed charges, second brand and health inspection charges at the yard, and trucking expenses to the sale barn.) Also, private treaty takes away some of the risks of swinging markets... if you haul to the sale barn and have to sell on a day like several from last week, you have to take what comes, private treaty you have a little more control.

It seems like the better prices come the majority of the time in mid-late summer. I'd rather lock a sale price in and make more money 80% of the time, than 20% :wink: . Two years ago was one of the years the market came up later in the fall, so you don't always win the marketing game . I also realize that load numbers play a huge role in your ability to market privately, and not everyone can make a load... we're getting marginal so that's why we've kept the heifers .