Backgrounding calves for spring sale

[auctionboy]

I would like to hear from anyone that buys calves in the fall and backgrounds them for sale in the spring. With the markets seasonal fluctuation here it seems like it may be very profitable. I am thinking about buy #400 herford steers in the fall, the .75 type. I think those #700 in better shape would get a good price in the spring, maybe .90.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Harlan Hughes publishes a lot of "marketing" studies that compare profit from selling calves and/or backgrounding and/or retaining ownership through the feed lot. The recent years have show that the cow/calf guy is making most of the profit. I think backgrounders lost $ this fall due to the drop in feeder prices.

Light calves can sell cheap during the fall run but I have never seen any calf I wanted to own for $0.75 per pound. Still, if you have existing facilities and local feed there is an opportunity. The big challenges are:
how to get good average daily gains using local feed
how to avoid a health wreck with un weaned calves during variable fall weather

 

[gerardplauche]

Be ware of the cheap calves at auction. They tend to have bad genes that start to reveal themselves around 500#. Either that or they are sick. Be sure to give all shots the day of purchase. On average, I pay around $0.90/lb at purchase, and I feel I should be buying better quality still. Try looking at local mills for quantity feed. You may be able to get something for $0.10/lb rather than feedstore prices at $0.16/lb. Good luck. :cowboy:

 

[VAStocker]

This is a pretty useful website for evaluating cost effectiveness of a precon/backgrounding program right now I don't have excell on this computer so I can't run the spreedsheet but I use this alot at the house and it works well. http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/software/Extsoft/index.htm

 

[iowafarmer]

We backround about 150 calves a year for both spring and fall markets. We buy light calves in the fall and winter in the 200 pound range and sell them at the 500 to 600 pound range. We buy singles and small groups that need tlc since we can do most work ourselves if they getsick and have a barn to put them in. We have an extreme accinating plan though. We vaccinate with in 5 days of purchase with Bovi Shield Gold 5, and give a shot of Draxin, and poor with Ivomec and give a shot for worms that have become immune to pour on. Two weeks later we give a second vaccination, a shot of Exceed, and clostridium which is Vision 7. We make it work but i would stay out for now and let corn and markets settle. We buy the calves at 200-300 pounds for anywhere from .75 to $1.2 a pound. We raise the corn oursleves and buy the hay from the same guy every year for a reasonable price. It works for us but some things work for some and not for others.

 

[Stocker Steve]

We buy singles and small groups that need tlc since we can do most work ourselves if they getsick and have a barn to put them in. We have an extreme accinating plan though. We vaccinate with in 5 days of purchase with Bovi Shield Gold 5, and give a shot of Draxin, and poor with Ivomec and give a shot for worms that have become immune to pour on. Two weeks later we give a second vaccination, a shot of Exceed, and clostridium which is Vision 7.

Why the Exceed rather than another med?

 

[iowafarmer]

We like it becasue it is long lasting. I think it lasts 14 days or so its made by the same company as Draxxin we feel it helps give them a a break with the vaccine jsut goin through them seem to not get near as many if we do it this way. MAy not work for others but has worked for us this past year since the other year we had shipping fever go through them like crazy the other year. Thats why we like it but it may not be necisarry if you are trying to save money.