Calf Pools???????

[Wick]

Calf pools seem to bring more money or premium money for calves here. Several are doing it and I was interested. I asked the people invovled and they advised me that these were Angus based cattle and mostly solid black calves. This is unfair to producers who raise breeds other than Angus in the area. If a person wanted to start a calf pool for another breed what is the pro's and con's and how to get the ball rollin'. Any input to this? I raise Charolais cattle but don't have enough to fill the trailer loads that feedlots want.

 

[MikeC]

Calf pools seem to bring more money or premium money for calves here. Several are doing it and I was interested. I asked the people invovled and they advised me that these were Angus based cattle and mostly solid black calves. This is unfair to producers who raise breeds other than Angus in the area. If a person wanted to start a calf pool for another breed what is the pro's and con's and how to get the ball rollin'. Any input to this? I raise Charolais cattle but don't have enough to fill the trailer loads that feedlots want.

There are several different "Pools" around here.

When the calves are brought to the selling facility, they are sorted into groups of sex, age, and sometimes but not always color.

Beat the bushes and convince some others in your area that another pool needs to be started for calves of your type. They are out there, all you have to do is find them.

 

[Frankie]

Calf pools seem to bring more money or premium money for calves here. Several are doing it and I was interested. I asked the people invovled and they advised me that these were Angus based cattle and mostly solid black calves. This is unfair to producers who raise breeds other than Angus in the area. If a person wanted to start a calf pool for another breed what is the pro's and con's and how to get the ball rollin'. Any input to this? I raise Charolais cattle but don't have enough to fill the trailer loads that feedlots want.

Several years ago in eastern OK there was a group that got together and used Charolais bulls on their cow herds. An OSU extension guy got them together. I saw him about two years later and asked about the program. He whipped out photos of those white calves like a proud grandpa. They had sold the steers to one feeder, the heifers to another, and received premiums on both. He's retired now so I don't see him around. If you want his name, I'll see if I can find it and pm you. I don't see why you couldn't do the same thing with any breed. It just takes a committment by enough breeders to get enough numbers that the buyers are interested.

 

[WORANCH]

Whats unfair?
Talk to other Charolais breeders close to you ask if they would pool calves . Contact your county agent for help . Ask the Charolais breeder you buy bulls from he may know of a pool , some breeders will buy back calves from the bulls they sell.

 

[MikeC]

I raise Charolais cattle but don't have enough to fill the trailer loads that feedlots want.

You can send less than a load to Decatur County feedyard in Kansas. They will/can sort them according to finish estimates using the Cornell Value Discovery System. You will get back "Feed Efficiency Data", ADG, Carcass Data, plus a whole lot more when you put them on the grid.

Just make sure they are preconditioned before you send them.

There's been a few trainwrecks up there lately with people sending "weaned on the trailer" calves.

Don't be duped into thinking that black calves make more money. It ain't necessarily so.

 

[clem]

How many calves would be considered a "load"? I don't know why, but, the number 40 seems to ring a bell. Could someone please set me straight? THANKS, Clem

 

[MikeC]

How many calves would be considered a "load"? I don't know why, but, the number 40 seems to ring a bell. Could someone please set me straight? THANKS, Clem

50,000 +/- lbs