Calf prices in your area?

[cypressfarms]

I took the day off to bring my son and my dad to the local stockyard in Baton Rouge, trying to spend some family time while buying me a few calves.

I'm used to buying heifers in the fall/winter fo 80 to 90 cents per pound for 4 weights. Boy was I in for a surprise. I decided to get two steers and 1 heifer (the steers to feed out along with some others, and the heifer to keep if she grew out nice).

I have never seen calf prices so high! 5-6 weight angus influenced steers/bulls were bringing 1.50+ a pound! One really nice looking steer that crossed the scale at 550 brought over $1.60 a pound. I don't know if I just happened to catch a frenzied auction, but the prices were very high. I wound up buying one heifer for 1.10 that weighed just over 300. The two steers I bought were $1.11 and $1.45, and were in the 400 pound range. The steers weren't black, I couldn't afford black today. They were crossbreds that will feed out fine, but I'm still puzzled by the prices. The prices didn't extend to cows or pairs. It only seemed to be on calves. Maybe I should be more detailed; this was for nice looking calves. The dinks and bad looking calves still brought very low prices, but anything of any color that looked nice was sky high.

If the prices are like this now, I wonder what spring will bring?

Any other have similar experiences out there?

 

[hillsdown]

Prices are great here as well ,especially for fats and heavies . Glad I was selling and not buying, just wish I had more of them to sell. ;-)

 

[Angus Cowman]

the last month prices have been going up around here
last week in OKC 970 wt steers were $1.09 that is pretty dang good but with $1.40-$1.50 6 wts it sure would be hard to feed them to 900lbs
last 2 weeks the local barn has had some of its largest runs ever 3800hd week ago and only 6-800 cows and last week they were estimating 4300
had trucks backed up on the highway for a 1/4 mile and then ran out of pens to hold cattle for a little while

 

[SRBeef]

the last month prices have been going up around here
last week in OKC 970 wt steers were $1.09 that is pretty dang good but with $1.40-$1.50 6 wts it sure would be hard to feed them to 900lbs
last 2 weeks the local barn has had some of its largest runs ever 3800hd week ago and only 6-800 cows and last week they were estimating 4300
had trucks backed up on the highway for a 1/4 mile and then ran out of pens to hold cattle for a little while

Sounds like at these prices the US herd size will or will not be increasing in numbers???? Different ways of looking at it?

Jim

 

[1982vett]

but I'm still puzzled by the prices.

Trouble is, prices could double and still not fill the gap the way the price of everthing else has gone up.

Neighbor said looked at a truck that looked like something he would buy.......till he saw the $69,000 sticker. He said it cold rot on the lot for all he cared.

 

[cypressfarms]

but I'm still puzzled by the prices.

Trouble is, prices could double and still not fill the gap the way the price of everthing else has gone up.

The puzzling part is where a 5 year old angus cow calf pair with a month old calf brings $600 - the same as a 500 pound angus steer. Is it that no one wants to feed the cow through winter or that the order buyers are are dictating calf prices. At least at my local auction, the price of calves always seems to be independant of other types. You could see the benches clear after the cows finished; then again after the bulls finished. My guess was that 95% of the bidders on the calves were order buyers for feedlots. I guess it makes sense that this seperate market would have it's own demand, one independant of the other cattle prices. The other 5% pf the buyers like me where either buying to feed out or keep calves on ryegrass over the winter. Hard to profit grazing over the winter when you have to give 1.50/pound to start with.

 

[tsmaxx47]

a couple of weeks back the prices weren't quite that high here in central oklahoma but almost. the prices haven't even suggested that they'll be going down anytime soon. i was considering selling my bull and buying replacement steers, but now i'm glad my wife talked me out of that...

 

[crimsoncrazy]

Here is a link to the market report for yesterday in OKC

http://www.ams.usda.gov/mnreports/ko_ls750.txt

 

[plumber_greg]

I took the day off to bring my son and my dad to the local stockyard in Baton Rouge, trying to spend some family time while buying me a few calves.

I'm used to buying heifers in the fall/winter fo 80 to 90 cents per pound for 4 weights. Boy was I in for a surprise. I decided to get two steers and 1 heifer (the steers to feed out along with some others, and the heifer to keep if she grew out nice).

I have never seen calf prices so high! 5-6 weight angus influenced steers/bulls were bringing 1.50+ a pound! One really nice looking steer that crossed the scale at 550 brought over $1.60 a pound. I don't know if I just happened to catch a frenzied auction, but the prices were very high. I wound up buying one heifer for 1.10 that weighed just over 300. The two steers I bought were $1.11 and $1.45, and were in the 400 pound range. The steers weren't black, I couldn't afford black today. They were crossbreds that will feed out fine, but I'm still puzzled by the prices. The prices didn't extend to cows or pairs. It only seemed to be on calves. Maybe I should be more detailed; this was for nice looking calves. The dinks and bad looking calves still brought very low prices, but anything of any color that looked nice was sky high.

If the prices are like this now, I wonder what spring will bring?

Any other have similar experiences out there?

The fact that good calves are high and dinks and bad looking calves are low, is called buying, raising, and selling what the market wants. You buy and raise a dink and bad looking cheap, colored calf, you're gonna' get the dink and bad looking price when you sell. Why not get a good one to start with? gs

 

[shaz]

Middle Tn,
These prices are unreal for this time of year.
Something is going on here. Is this a supply side collaspe? Is demand picking up or is it some other anamoly?

12/07/10 Fayetteville (TLP)
Receipts: 1,025 Total (470 Graded/Grouped)

Steers: Med & Lg 1-2 Heifers: Med & Lg 1-2
300-350 lbs 126.00 300-350 lbs 112.50-115.00
350-400 lbs 121.00-126.50 350-400 lbs 107.50-112.50
400-450 lbs 125.00 400-450 lbs 105.00-112.50
450-500 lbs 114.00-118.00 450-500 lbs 100.00-107.00
500-550 lbs 110.00-117.00 500-550 lbs 97.50-105.50
550-600 lbs 109.50 550-600 lbs 93.00-96.50
600-700 lbs 101.00-114.00 600-650 lbs 86.50-94.50
700-800 lbs 99.00-106.50 700-800 lbs 85.00-89.50
800-900 lbs 98.50

Bulls: Med & Lg 1-2
400-450 lbs 117.00-126.50
450-500 lbs 115.00-119.50
500-600 lbs 108.50-110.00
600-700 lbs 97.50-104.00

 

[backhoeboogie]

The puzzling part is where a 5 year old angus cow calf pair with a month old calf brings $600 - the same as a 500 pound angus steer.

5 year angus cows 5 months bred were fetching $650 a few weeks back. Brindles were fetching around $900. Brangus were somewhere in between.

I'm feeding a group of 5 to 8 weight steers through the winter. I have been tempted to dump them with the prices being what they are here too Cypress. I also have heifers that I have been debating on retaining. They might get thrown in the lot when the time comes. It looks like you could swap them for heavy breds and come out ahead.

 

[TexasBred]

Here's a livestock report from Cleburne, TExas (central Tx) on pair prices.

Cow/Calf Young 1000.00 to 1,185.00
Pairs Medium Age 775.00 to 975.00

 

[1982vett]

Middle Tn,
These prices are unreal for this time of year.
Something is going on here. Is this a supply side collaspe? Is demand picking up or is it some other anamoly?

Continue to say....prices will lag way behind where they ought to be compaired to the rise in cost of everthing else. Catch-up time. Keep those prices going up.

 

[1982vett]

The puzzling part is where a 5 year old angus cow calf pair with a month old calf brings $600 - the same as a 500 pound angus steer.

5 year angus cows 5 months bred were fetching $650 a few weeks back. Brindles were fetching around $900. Brangus were somewhere in between.

I'm feeding a group of 5 to 8 weight steers through the winter. I have been tempted to dump them with the prices being what they are here too Cypress. I also have heifers that I have been debating on retaining. They might get thrown in the lot when the time comes. It looks like you could swap them for heavy breds and come out ahead.

I imagine a lot are going to hit the sales after the first of the year. Won't be able to keep them with nothing in the pastures and no reason believe you might be able to grow anything. Last sale of the year here tomorrow.

 

[Dave]

I read yesterday where a pen of 60 or so 340 pound black steers brought $200.35/cwt at a sale in Kanasas. Over 100 of their brothers weighing 445 brought $184/cwt. It isn't that high here but the market is most certainly up and at a time of the year when we historically are at the low point for the year.

Cash fats are over a dollar and have been for several weeks. The futures market on fats is up to $1.09.

I went to a stock cow sale last week. Bred heifers were $1,250 and 3/4 year old cows were $1,350 all day long. The top of the sale was 30 head of 3 year old angus cows that brought $1,475. The few blind, crippled, or crazies that got sorted out brought around 60 cents a pound to kill. At 60 cents a 1,200 pound cow is worth $720 to kill. That puts the bottom of the market up a ways.

It is looking like a good year to own cattle.

 

[kenny thomas]

Calves are the highest I can remember in any December. Based on historic trends that they will be worth a lot more in the spring, anyone want to take a guess as to what the prices will be by April 1, 2011?

 

[Isomade]

Calves are the highest I can remember in any December. Based on historic trends that they will be worth a lot more in the spring, anyone want to take a guess as to what the prices will be by April 1, 2011?

I think 8 weights will be 1.20

 

[Howdyjabo]

I'll second the 1.20 on 8 wts- barring any major disturbances

To sustain these prices and high corn, beef in the stores is going to have to get VERY expensive.
I don't see cow herds increasing that much with calves bringing as much as they are-- too many bad years still fresh on our minds-- so most are going to sell heifers and "make hay while the sun shines". And feedyards are going to pay high for heifers as there's not enough calves to go around ---- For now.

I worry whats going to happen in April 2012 (maybe even sooner). The infrastructure is going to collapse without the numbers to support it all. Whos left standing is going to make a HUGE shift in market conditions.
Its been stressed to the breaking point for the 4 years before 09 and 09 wasn't enough to make up for it all. The dominoes have to start falling soon and I think Eastern was just the start.

 

[Isomade]

I'll second the 1.20 on 8 wts- barring any major disturbances

To sustain these prices and high corn, beef in the stores is going to have to get VERY expensive.
I don't see cow herds increasing that much with calves bringing as much as they are-- too many bad years still fresh on our minds-- so most are going to sell heifers and "make hay while the sun shines". And feedyards are going to pay high for heifers as there's not enough calves to go around ---- For now.

I worry whats going to happen in April 2012 (maybe even sooner). The infrastructure is going to collapse without the numbers to support it all. Whos left standing is going to make a HUGE shift in market conditions.
Its been stressed to the breaking point for the 4 years before 09 and 09 wasn't enough to make up for it all. The dominoes have to start falling soon and I think Eastern was just the start.

I spent Monday with one of the top underwriters for livestock insurance in the US. She said the futures on calf prices may even be a little low for what we will actually see. She also said to expect the price of hamburger to double by April.

 

[SirLoin]

I've been buying them off of the farm this year for a buck a pound. I just got some black angus twins born in July that were right around 200 lbs. The largest I've bought this year was 398 lbs. Last year I was paying 80 cents. I had to turn down a few nice ones last week because I just don't have the room