Cattle prices

[farmerjan]

Here's a pic of check from last Friday. The char x steer was the highest we have ever gotten .
Sold a steer off that same cow last year end of june. Weighed around 540.. brought 4.35 or so... Around 2100. This year's was 440 lbs. Sold 1st of May...about 7 weeks earlier, right off cow Friday. Brought 6.05....2662... 100 lbs. less, $500 more.
We have weaned and backgrounded calves for several years...normally bring more than straight off cows. All these calves came right off cows. Not worth it to wean and feed with dry conditions and hay crop not looking good right now.

 

[bird dog]

I agree with you Jan. I have refined my operation to where I just wean enough to get them settled and started on grain and water trough broke. They also have free choice hay. Usually 6 to 10 days will do it. This allows me to feed them good the morning of the sale and that has reduced my shrink a few percentage points. from what it was when shipping bawlers.

So far the results show no loss from weaning, and actually a gain of a few pounds which I suspect is mostly from drinking fresh water and the grain. Shrink is running 3 to 4%.

 

[farmerjan]

@bird dog ... luckily all ours are used to coming in with the cows, know what the bunks are for... we fed some silage to them this winter to keep their condition, and they all know water troughs... So yeah, stressful to leave mom, but they will get to eating without a big deal because they have been exposed to it... They also had the option of the creep gate so would come in to what little "extra" we were feeding them... to eat unbothered by the pushy cows...
We don't actually do much creep... just to allow them to get their fair share of silage... and all the cows come to a bucket of grain so the calves have learned that is a good thing...
I think the calves take the "weaning" better than some of the cows most times...

 

[GoWyo]

Here's a pic of check from last Friday. The char x steer was the highest we have ever gotten .
Sold a steer off that same cow last year end of june. Weighed around 540.. brought 4.35 or so... Around 2100. This year's was 440 lbs. Sold 1st of May...about 7 weeks earlier, right off cow Friday. Brought 6.05....2662... 100 lbs. less, $500 more.
We have weaned and backgrounded calves for several years...normally bring more than straight off cows. All these calves came right off cows. Not worth it to wean and feed with dry conditions and hay crop not looking good right now.

TYMAR - take your money and run!

 

[SmokinM]

Here's a pic of check from last Friday. The char x steer was the highest we have ever gotten .
Sold a steer off that same cow last year end of june. Weighed around 540.. brought 4.35 or so... Around 2100. This year's was 440 lbs. Sold 1st of May...about 7 weeks earlier, right off cow Friday. Brought 6.05....2662... 100 lbs. less, $500 more.
We have weaned and backgrounded calves for several years...normally bring more than straight off cows. All these calves came right off cows. Not worth it to wean and feed with dry conditions and hay crop not looking good right now.

Waiting on my check from Staunton, hopefully today. I know 6 of my steers were listed on the sale highlights posting. I am certain they will be the highest I have ever sold and I probably missed the high by a couple weeks.

 

[4hfarms]

Here's a pic of check from last Friday. The char x steer was the highest we have ever gotten .
Sold a steer off that same cow last year end of june. Weighed around 540.. brought 4.35 or so... Around 2100. This year's was 440 lbs. Sold 1st of May...about 7 weeks earlier, right off cow Friday. Brought 6.05....2662... 100 lbs. less, $500 more.
We have weaned and backgrounded calves for several years...normally bring more than straight off cows. All these calves came right off cows. Not worth it to wean and feed with dry conditions and hay crop not looking good right now.

Almost like paying you to work less for the next couple months. With feed prices...

Prices are scary high. I want to cut more but... Now with 3 rains in the past month, we have an abundance of grass, for now.

 

[Dave]

Here they announce weaning and vaccination on every owners cattle except singles. Fresh off the cow with no shots is still 30-40 cents back.

 

[sstterry]

Here's a pic of check from last Friday. The char x steer was the highest we have ever gotten .
Sold a steer off that same cow last year end of june. Weighed around 540.. brought 4.35 or so... Around 2100. This year's was 440 lbs. Sold 1st of May...about 7 weeks earlier, right off cow Friday. Brought 6.05....2662... 100 lbs. less, $500 more.
We have weaned and backgrounded calves for several years...normally bring more than straight off cows. All these calves came right off cows. Not worth it to wean and feed with dry conditions and hay crop not looking good right now.

 

[farmerjan]

Here they announce weaning and vaccination on every owners cattle except singles. Fresh off the cow with no shots is still 30-40 cents back.

If you give that information, like we normally do, they will announce it... including what they were vaccinated with if provided... But it just was not worth it to wean and vacc this group.
The prices on these smaller, lighter ones are just too high to do all that when it is so da@%ed dry here...
There were some nice calves in the group of 10, the single red was decent, and the 2 reds were off 2 bought hereford cows that are 4+ months bred back to one of our black bulls. The thing of it is that the reds never would bring that here in the past. So everyone will get a long break before they are due to start fall calving.. Won't put as much pressure on the pastures since they are not making milk... hopefully we will get by with the grass we have.
There were several really really nice groups of "smokies" both steers and heifers... said it was a new consignor... and they brought very good prices too...

The forecast is for more rain... we got a misting that barely showed wet, on the rain gauge... supposed to be more tonight... but they keep saying showers.. We need a real RAIN, not showers. Yes, every drop helps to maybe save some grass... but things are not growing and the ground moisture levels are getting drier and drier...

 

[kenny thomas]

If you give that information, like we normally do, they will announce it... including what they were vaccinated with if provided... But it just was not worth it to wean and vacc this group.
The prices on these smaller, lighter ones are just too high to do all that when it is so da@%ed dry here...
There were some nice calves in the group of 10, the single red was decent, and the 2 reds were off 2 bought hereford cows that are 4+ months bred back to one of our black bulls. The thing of it is that the reds never would bring that here in the past. So everyone will get a long break before they are due to start fall calving.. Won't put as much pressure on the pastures since they are not making milk... hopefully we will get by with the grass we have.
There were several really really nice groups of "smokies" both steers and heifers... said it was a new consignor... and they brought very good prices too...

The forecast for more rain... we got a misting that barely showed wet, on the rain gauge... supposed to be more tonight... but they keep saying showers.. We need a real RAIN, not showers. Yes, every drop helps to maybe save some grass... but things are not growing and the ground moisture levels are getting drier and drier...

We had 100% chance today with heavy storms. So far its barely wet the pavement all day. I have lots of grass because im way understocked.

 

[EasTex]

They were forecasting 70% for today but not a drop…it’s 2026, you would think they could forecast with some accuracy by now!

 

[ClinchValley86]

W have actually gotten a couple hours long drizzled. Gonna guesstimate half an inch. Ill take it.

Im torn on what to do. Ive got thr gras to graze them til fall. But should zi. Are 7 and 8 weights bringing enough to be worth the efforttz?

 

[farmerjan]

Here, no the 7-8 wts are much less...comparably... The same sale that we sold those calves at; they had one pen of 11 steers at 859 lb $347....= $2980
Also a pen of 9 steers at 772 lbs....$374= $2887.....
That's $300 more for the 9 wts than I got for the charolais that weighed 440.... $200 more for the 7 wts than my 4wt...
Our 5wt steers brought 2600+.... $5-5.40 is about a good average for lighter 5 wt steers. 6 wts run in the mid $425-4.70 range...
My thoughts are what if it stays dry here... or gets dry there... and people start selling... prices often drop then; you know that. Might NOT... never know for sure...
Nope, here we are going to try to have fewer cattle and more grass,,,, if it ever grows. Might need it cured on the stem if there is not much hay made.

BUT, everyone is different... That is why we are selling the steers off now... instead of weaning and backgrounding... the heifers we may keep a bit... the heavier wt heifers seem to be holding their own and not falling off as much...

 

[sgreear]

It seems that every field I pass has 400 pound babies in them. Good looking babies too. I have 10 four to 500 pound heifers coming. Mostly Angus but some sem Angus. I'm paying between 1400 and $2000. I know that but for the prices today, it seems pretty good. The guy asked me a couple of times he said so you're new and you're trying to build a herd not taking these things to the market right? He seems to be pretty good at sales and that seemed to be a really good closing question

 

[Ridgefarmer63]

Here's a pic of check from last Friday. The char x steer was the highest we have ever gotten .
Sold a steer off that same cow last year end of june. Weighed around 540.. brought 4.35 or so... Around 2100. This year's was 440 lbs. Sold 1st of May...about 7 weeks earlier, right off cow Friday. Brought 6.05....2662... 100 lbs. less, $500 more.
We have weaned and backgrounded calves for several years...normally bring more than straight off cows. All these calves came right off cows. Not worth it to wean and feed with dry conditions and hay crop not looking good right now.

I don't understand how someone buying a 440 pound steer for 2662 bucks can make any money. I'd say it would take at least 6 more months to get him to 1100 on the hoof. Add in 1100 bucks to process a 600 pound hanging weight. That's 3700 bucks spent not including the 6 months of input you have in him. I'd have to charge 8 bucks/pound hanging to make any decent profit. Someone please enlighten me.

 

[Little Joe]

I don't understand how someone buying a 440 pound steer for 2662 bucks can make any money. I'd say it would take at least 6 more months to get him to 1100 on the hoof. Add in 1100 bucks to process a 600 pound hanging weight. That's 3700 bucks spent not including the 6 months of input you have in him. I'd have to charge 8 bucks/pound hanging to make any decent profit. Someone please enlighten me.

You're exactly right, it's a tough deal right now. I'm still getting $6/lb x hcw and I pay processing and with home born and raised cattle I'm probably not even breaking even above what I could've got at the sale barn but I'm trying to hold onto my long time loyal customers, not really trying to grow right now. Some of these people buy a quarter or half from me every year and some twice a year. On the flip side, if the market drops I've got a buffer in place and my rail price don't immediately have to reflect the sale barn price. I was buying 5 or so weight calves back before th boom and bust of 2015, when prices got high I just quit but I lost my customers. I started back doing the same thing in 2019 but when I seen cattle prices were going to go up, I bought mama cows so I wasn't as much at the mercy of the market. There's no way I could go buy good calves right now and take them to finish and process and come out at my current price, with home born and raised, I'm still making money.

 

[Mrcopier]

I don't understand how someone buying a 440 pound steer for 2662 bucks can make any money. I'd say it would take at least 6 more months to get him to 1100 on the hoof. Add in 1100 bucks to process a 600 pound hanging weight. That's 3700 bucks spent not including the 6 months of input you have in him. I'd have to charge 8 bucks/pound hanging to make any decent profit. Someone please enlighten me.

It costs $1100 to process a steer nowadays?

 

[Little Joe]

It costs $1100 to process a steer nowadays?

That will depend on where you are and how big your cattle are. My custom exempt processor gets $0.70/lb x hcw, local USDA facility gets $1.10. My customers like 600-750lb hcw, those sizes keep your steaks a reasonable size and a quarter somewhat affordable. I've had them hang around 850 before, I had to just set a ceiling on the quarter price because no one would buy them by the pound hcw because it was too expensive.

 

[Ridgefarmer63]

You're exactly right, it's a tough deal right now. I'm still getting $6/lb x hcw and I pay processing and with home born and raised cattle I'm probably not even breaking even above what I could've got at the sale barn but I'm trying to hold onto my long time loyal customers, not really trying to grow right now. Some of these people buy a quarter or half from me every year and some twice a year. On the flip side, if the market drops I've got a buffer in place and my rail price don't immediately have to reflect the sale barn price. I was buying 5 or so weight calves back before th boom and bust of 2015, when prices got high I just quit but I lost my customers. I started back doing the same thing in 2019 but when I seen cattle prices were going to go up, I bought mama cows so I wasn't as much at the mercy of the market. There's no way I could go buy good calves right now and take them to finish and process and come out at my current price, with home born and raised, I'm still making money.

Sounds like you and I are in the exact same situation. I run a cow/calf op (12 mommas) and have great loyal customers. It is tempting to sell the yearlings with these crazy prices, but like you said, if/when things turn , you'd have to rebuild your retail base. I get 7/lb. hanging.

 

[Ridgefarmer63]

It costs $1100 to process a steer nowadays?

Yup. Fully USDA. Not the cheapest around, but IMHO, the best. Never had a complaint. Consistent 60% rail to box return.