Well in that case it's a matter of managing your calving season to wean heavy calves and sell them before you need to feed your cows.
If you can profit on them now take the money and run or cut your losses. Based on what you showed there is no grow in those genetics. Let someone else feed them.
In many cases it has to do with the futures price in the month either going into the feedlot or coming out of the feedlot. Price is not constant.
This is one of the reasons why most people manage their calving season to wean calves in the fall.
I guess that makes sense if you use creative accounting. To me value of hay is the same weather i put it up myself or buy it. Cost of hay is based on the value of hay could be sold for if I put it up.
No creative accounting necessary...
It's all in how you figure it up.
With Angus steers nearing $1000, I just wondered.
I believe your red angus were the better cattle too. This has been an eye opener...as I'm leaning towards re-grouping my 60%black-40%red angus herd over to predominately red...for two reason...red angus can tolerate heat better and secondly, more importantly...the red angus ARE healthier fighters and eaters...they aren't picky as the black angus and will eat the undesirable weeds too, even nip at cedar ends/berries. Sure i want higher dollar at the sale barn...but my Red Angus perform much better in Texas. I'm not converting over...rather, the sale barn buyers need to catch-up and realize there's absolutely no difference in red or black angus meat...and they will be getting more meat on the bones with red Angus...and they possess more tastier beef as they are the ones with broad spectrum of diversified tastes out on the ranch-lands.
Buyers come in two general groups. Traders and order buyers. Traders buy low and sell high somewhere else. Order buyers work for someone else on a commission or salary. They buy what they are told to buy and pay what they are told to pay. If a feedlot wants a certain type, color, sex weight and gives you a maximum amount to pay, that is what you do. Ship them what they want or you will be looking for a job next week.
That reminds me of a story. Years ago a cow plant from California sent a very flamboyant character to buy kill cows out our BC Livestock sales. This fellow came complete with gold rings, high top boots with pants inside and a big ceegar. He was a very active buyer for about a month when one day at WL his ring phone ( before cell phones) rang and he picked up. 30 seconds later he hung up the phone, stood up with his hand raised and stopped the sale.
You can run red Angus now and get the price you want...just use black bulls. 2 is not a big enough sample to be representative, but a friend bought a Braford and a f1 BR x Her, that were bred to a red angus bull. When they calved both looked like Gerts or Red Brangus, Neither had a bald face. He loves red cattle, and has that f1 Br x Herf, a couple of Gerts, 2 red Brangus . 2 Brafords and 3 BMs. He uses a Brangus bull, and they all have black calves, but sometimes that f1 and one of the Brafords will throw a bwf. You can not tell the solid ones from pure Brangus. They gonna calve in February, and right now he is thinking on using a red Brangus on them this time. If he does, will be interesting to see if those 2 that have bwf calves will have rwf calves and if the others have solid red.
I'm talking bulls. I'm not swapping any cows out. We already have red cows.
I mis-read, And you are right about red cows and black bulls. Yes, no one has to sell all their cows and get Angus, just like breeders didn't have to turn their breed into part Angus. All that is needed is a good Angus, or down here, Brangus, bull/ Neighbor a 1/4 mile down the road from me has raised Brangus cattle for 30 years I guess. Starting about 2015 or so I noticed a red cow in the pasture,. Couple of months later , another. He was buying up red Brangus because they are a litt;e cheaper. Each year there a few more....red Angus, Gerts and BMs. ALL calves are black and polled, indistiguishable from the black Brangus cows' calves.
