Cattle Auction...

[ArmyDoc]

Can someone explain to me about cattle auctions or tell me where I can go to learn more?

I was looking up the results of recent cattle sales in Georgia, but there are a bunch of terms I'm not familiar with. For example, it talks about sales of Slaughter Cows - Breakers, Boners and Lean. I was able to determine that this is according to carcas grade, with breakers being best and lean being worst. I am assuming these are cows ready for slaughter, and that the feeder heiffers, bulls and steers are animals that would need to be grown / fattened before slaughter.

But if that's true, I don't understanding the pricing. It says that slaughter animals are going for $45 to $55 and the feeders are going for $90-140, and smaller feeders are going for the more than the larger feeders. Why would this be the case?

 

[tom4018]

Can someone explain to me about cattle auctions or tell me where I can go to learn more?

I was looking up the results of recent cattle sales in Georgia, but there are a bunch of terms I'm not familiar with. For example, it talks about sales of Slaughter Cows - Breakers, Boners and Lean. I was able to determine that this is according to carcas grade, with breakers being best and lean being worst. I am assuming these are cows ready for slaughter, and that the feeder heiffers, bulls and steers are animals that would need to be grown / fattened before slaughter.

But if that's true, I don't understanding the pricing. It says that slaughter animals are going for $45 to $55 and the feeders are going for $90-140, and smaller feeders are going for the more than the larger feeders. Why would this be the case?

The price is per hundred weight, as $90-140 equals .90 -1.40 per pound.

 

[ArmyDoc]

Oh!

So, so a 1300 pound slaughter cow at $55.00 would actually cost $715. While a 500# feeder heifer at $90.00 would actually cost $450.

The numbers just didn't make sense for absolute price or for price per pound. Never considered price per 100 pounds.

 

[Jogeephus]

Its never quite made much sense to me either. The 45's are probably going to McDonalds or something on this line. Typically they are older cows and are not going to dress out that well as far as premium cuts etc. so they don't pay much for them. The feeders will end up on the steak case or in some fancy restaurant.

What I like to do is just look at it on a per head basis and not get hung up on the price per pound. Doing this will give you a good idea of when you really should sell you animals.