Anyone backgrounding ?
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My wifes uncle is backgrounding about 750 hd right now. He contracted around 530 from a feedlot for a price per head per day or pds per day whatever is greater, bought 180 of his own and about 30 second trimester cows that he will calve out and sell as pairs in late spring. The feed lot trucked in the thier cattle and paid for shots for the whole herd when they started to lose some calves. All the calves from the feed lot were heifers except 1 pot load of steers. Hes running the calves for 100 days or so before the wheat really starts growing again. He bought futures on his calves as well. He has all the equipment and a ton of winter wheat and some corn stubble. Biggest input would be hauling water. Not any different from the rest of the cattle industry, try to buy at the right time, put weight on them and hope the market comes up when your ready to sell. Be flexible and dont have all your eggs in one basket. Its a lot of work building fence taking fence down and hauling water. You could see a higher rate of loss depending where or how far they come from as well. Buying quality and uniform calves make a bigger difference when you go to sell them and they usually grow better. There are a lot of variables as you stated and I listed what I thought might help. Scott
If you can do it on GOOD forage you can still make money.
I took last year off- our pastures got hurt bad from the drought and I didn't see good market conditions- seemed like a good time to take a break.
In Dec I got a load bought before the mountain boys started in buying(they run prices up)-I'll get back in again after the mountain boys quit buying.
Can't see much profit if you have to feed them.
I took last year off- our pastures got hurt bad from the drought and I didn't see good market conditions- seemed like a good time to take a break.
In Dec I got a load bought before the mountain boys started in buying(they run prices up)-I'll get back in again after the mountain boys quit buying.
Can't see much profit if you have to feed them.
backhoeboogie
Well-known member
The guy I know who usually does quite well lost big time on the last run.
He had a verbal contract that didn't hold for the price he was originally quoted. He wound up shipping to someone else. The fellow who backed out on him is probably SOofL henceforth.
He had a verbal contract that didn't hold for the price he was originally quoted. He wound up shipping to someone else. The fellow who backed out on him is probably SOofL henceforth.
backhoeboogie
Well-known member
tncattle":pa58b8ek said:
It is not good to have a verbal contract with a snake oil salesman.
Word is out on the guy who backed out. He's not a man of his word. He stepped on the wrong man.
If some slicker you have never met comes with pen, paper and words a lawyer needs to translate, who does he expect to sign?
If a person is not going to keep his word, he isn't going to honor a contract.
jedstivers
Well-known member
That's what I'm doing only I using heifers that I hope to sell as replacements. I bought them in Nov. and want to sell in April. I paid more because they are off some really good cattle and came from one farm weaned and shots and wormed. I'm running on wheat and cotton stalks. I really like this and hope to make enough to do more next year :lol2: . Might also start running thin breads next year if market gets cheep enough early, I can have plenty of ground to run them on just not enough money to buy enough. Would also like to background on a per head or per pound basis for someone else.
backhoeboogie
Well-known member
Good luck with it Jed. I am sort of in the same boat.
Eared cows and heifers (with size) were sky high last summer. My trailer was drug back home empty a few times. Eventually the lightweight heifers with ear were enticing enough at their cheap prices. I took a bunch. Also wound up with some beefmaster too which is a breed that I have never owned.
I intend to cull half and hope prices are as good as last year once they have had spring grass.
It seems that eveyone is always looking for the same thing I am at the sale barn. No one was wanting lightweights so that is the path I took.
Eared cows and heifers (with size) were sky high last summer. My trailer was drug back home empty a few times. Eventually the lightweight heifers with ear were enticing enough at their cheap prices. I took a bunch. Also wound up with some beefmaster too which is a breed that I have never owned.
I intend to cull half and hope prices are as good as last year once they have had spring grass.
It seems that eveyone is always looking for the same thing I am at the sale barn. No one was wanting lightweights so that is the path I took.
Angus Cowman
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jedstivers":1zxe63ll said:
Doing it on by the head is safer than by the lb because most of them by the lb go on gross lbs so if you have any deads they come out of the gross shipping weight so therefor it affects what you get paid
jedstivers
Well-known member
Yeah I think by the head sounds better.Angus Cowman":1r0u1snz said:
1982vett
Well-known member
I know where 5 can be had. Probably going to be cheap. 4 have month old calves, the other should calve in the next 2 months. Their are 4 Brangus with them. Hauled 'em in today. By 2 pm tomorrow they will be eating someones elses pocketbook.backhoeboogie":2ar3uuw0 said:
They are where they are because of the slim chance the green grass is going to show up. With any luck (my luck) I'll buy some rain. Going to see how many I have to sell at a loss before it starts to rain.backhoeboogie":2ar3uuw0 said:
1982vett":2p2pvf0g said:
Yup, :nod: :lol2:
A man I work with now buys young heifers by the trailer load. Turns them out on grass, picks what he wants, advertises to sell the others, and the rest go back to the auction.
