Cattle Prices

[KANSAS]

With cattle prices going down or already down at the sale barns when is this price reflected on the registered market? Or is it?

-Looking at cattle in the Cattle Range, Cattle Today, or any online cattle classifieds, the prices are still up there. Looking at on-line cattle auctions or local salebarns the prices are way down. Does this market start to come down as well?

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

I think there is very little statistical relationship between prices of sale barn cattle and registered cattle. IMO most registered cattle are sold via private treaty, rancher's current price at the ranch, or price at the registered cattle auctions. As a rule, sale barn cattle are sold as beef...some are sold as replacement stock, but buyer beware.

For example, a weaned heifer that we might get $250 or so at sale barn (on "per pound basis" at sale barn) would bring between $1500 and $3000 as registered stock to another breeder. Anything we consider is quality breeding stock won't even get near a sale barn...lol. Even allowing for the usual "docking" a Longhorn gets at a sale barn, we can get 10X as much for same animal at our ranch location.

This said and done, the sale barn or "market" price for an animal does not reflect the price pay "at the ranch" for a registered animal. At sale barn: Buyer Beware, what you see is what you get". At private treaty: Get to see sire, dam, other offspring, pedigrees, registration, health records, the facility & infrastructure condition, appearance, etc.

;-)

 

[KANSAS]

I understand that, but many of the potential buyers are commercial cattlemen who sell at salebarns. Do they not bring the price down?

Also, in the classifieds/CattleToday/CattleRange alot of those animals are not registered and they are still asking 1000-1500 for bred heifers.

Please note that I am not saying they are not worth it, just curious if we could expect to see a slide in prices.

 

[backhoeboogie]

Probably about a year too late to get registered cattle at sale barn prices. The terrible local drought last year had many registered breeders selling out completely. Also there were all the brush fires too.

When I sold mine, I saw registered animals coming through too. Most were announced. Mine brought the same as the registered animals.

If you hang out at the salebarns during drastic times, you'll see registered stock come through for the same price as commercial stock. There is not much difference if any. It probably also had a lot to do with quantity.

Funny thing is eared cattle have pretty much held their value. If you come to this forum you hear the opposite. That is not reality for this climate and the local sale barns.

 

[Frankie]

With cattle prices going down or already down at the sale barns when is this price reflected on the registered market? Or is it?

-Looking at cattle in the Cattle Range, Cattle Today, or any online cattle classifieds, the prices are still up there. Looking at on-line cattle auctions or local salebarns the prices are way down. Does this market start to come down as well?

Yes, prices for registered cattle will come down. Prices for registered bulls will probably come down quicker than for cows. The price a commercial cattleman will pay for a bull is closely related to the price he gets for his calves. If local cattlemen are dispersing or reducing the size of their herds because of the drought, they're not going to need as many bulls.

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

True...when drought, no pasture or hay surplus, etc., occurs, ANY breeder/rancher of ANY breed MAY be "forced" to downsize his/her herd at sale barns, registered or not. Such are the hard knocks of ranching...

On the other hand, those who have the resources, staying power in good and bad times, and who have not overstocked their pastures/facilities will probably NOT sell at flea market prices. Of course, every rancher (registered or not) will always have some calves or adults that don't cut it and will be liquidated at the sale barn to make resources available for their "best" animals.

In any event, sale barn animals are sold "by the pound". Quality breeding stock and/or registered stock are sold "by the each" through a variety of marketing outlets relative to one's location and marketing/advertising program.

 

[KenB]

Cattle like everything else, when someone asks for a certain price they don't always get it. The price depends on what someone is willing to pay and what the seller is willing to take.

If the sellers price is to high they well either come down or keep them for pets.

 

[mnmtranching]

For sure if feeder cattle are on a price downtrend we will be reluctant to fork out a lot of money for bulls. Maybe buy one instead of two. For me I will keep a couple of four year olds instead of buying new. Ask any cow/calf man, most are going to cut costs. I think bull prices will come down.

mnmt

 

[bigbull338]

For sure if feeder cattle are on a price downtrend we will be reluctant to fork out a lot of money for bulls. Maybe buy one instead of two. For me I will keep a couple of four year olds instead of buying new. Ask any cow/calf man, most are going to cut costs. I think bull prices will come down.

mnmt

the reg bull prices are tied to the calf sale price along with the droughts.i dont think youll see the high quality reg bulls dropp off to much.im trying to find reg beefmaster cows or bred heifers.an i found 7 bred heifers.an the guy wants $1600ea take all 7.so right now the reg prices havent dropped around here yet.i figure id be out $300 a hd to feed them till spring.

 

[la4angus]

the reg bull prices are tied to the calf sale price along with the droughts.i dont think youll see the high quality reg bulls dropp off to much.im trying to find reg beefmaster cows or bred heifers.an i found 7 bred heifers.an the guy wants $1600ea take all 7.so right now the reg prices havent dropped around here yet.i figure id be out $300 a hd to feed them till spring.

But the price could go up $300.00 per head. Then you would be out $600.00 per hd by not buying them now for the $1600.00 per hd. That would put you giving away $4200.00. WOW!!!!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[bigbull338]

the reg bull prices are tied to the calf sale price along with the droughts.i dont think youll see the high quality reg bulls dropp off to much.im trying to find reg beefmaster cows or bred heifers.an i found 7 bred heifers.an the guy wants $1600ea take all 7.so right now the reg prices havent dropped around here yet.i figure id be out $300 a hd to feed them till spring.

But the price could go up $300.00 per head. Then you would be out $600.00 per hd by not buying them now for the $1600.00 per hd. That would put you giving away $4200.00. WOW!!!!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

la your right.those same heifers might cost me over $2000 a hd come spring.but who knows.

 

[la4angus]

the reg bull prices are tied to the calf sale price along with the droughts.i dont think youll see the high quality reg bulls dropp off to much.im trying to find reg beefmaster cows or bred heifers.an i found 7 bred heifers.an the guy wants $1600ea take all 7.so right now the reg prices havent dropped around here yet.i figure id be out $300 a hd to feed them till spring.

But the price could go up $300.00 per head. Then you would be out $600.00 per hd by not buying them now for the $1600.00 per hd. That would put you giving away $4200.00. WOW!!!!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

la your right.those same heifers might cost me over $2000 a hd come spring.but who knows.

Thas enuff to buy about 9 hd now and have money left over to pay me commission for getting you to buy them bought now. Thank You.

 

[LimiMan]

The Registered cattle market is normally 6 months behind the commercial cattle.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Yes, of course the sale barn prices affect the PB cattle industry. It's a "trickle down" (or up ) system. As others have said, it will affect the BULLS first, but, yes, it also affects the female breeding stock.
PB breeders will price their "bottom end" breeders based on a certain percentage over market price. As you bottom price fluctuates, so does your middle to upper end. Now, there will always be the "elite" top enders that won't be affected.
But, all in all, sale AVERAGES will start coming down - if this downward pricing continues.

 

[Cowdirt]

This may be off topic. Sorry about that just wanted to say it.

Sometimes external forces act on cattle prices. An example is the Genetic improvement program that was put in place in 2006 by the TN Dept. of Agriculture and the Cattleman's Assoc. The driving force for this program as for the Agri. Dept. was to get farm premises register for tracking of animals. For the Cattleman's Assoc., I'm sure that they had some altruistic (sp?) reasons but also gave the seedstock folks a better market. Under this program bulls purchased that met min. requirements qualified for reimbursement up to a max of about $700 to the buyer. IMHO, seems that around here that drove up the price of bulls to the extent that the seedstock producer got the incentive $s and the buyer got a new bull for about what he would have paid a yr. earlier.

 

[CowpokeJ]

For sure if feeder cattle are on a price downtrend we will be reluctant to fork out a lot of money for bulls. Maybe buy one instead of two. For me I will keep a couple of four year olds instead of buying new. Ask any cow/calf man, most are going to cut costs. I think bull prices will come down.

mnmt

the reg bull prices are tied to the calf sale price along with the droughts.i dont think youll see the high quality reg bulls dropp off to much.im trying to find reg beefmaster cows or bred heifers.an i found 7 bred heifers.an the guy wants $1600ea take all 7.so right now the reg prices havent dropped around here yet.i figure id be out $300 a hd to feed them till spring.

Try livecattlesales.com. If you are interested, there is a E6 sale in Columbus April 15. E6 bred to a reg bull=7/8 reg beefs.

 

[bigbull338]

For sure if feeder cattle are on a price downtrend we will be reluctant to fork out a lot of money for bulls. Maybe buy one instead of two. For me I will keep a couple of four year olds instead of buying new. Ask any cow/calf man, most are going to cut costs. I think bull prices will come down.

mnmt

the reg bull prices are tied to the calf sale price along with the droughts.i dont think youll see the high quality reg bulls dropp off to much.im trying to find reg beefmaster cows or bred heifers.an i found 7 bred heifers.an the guy wants $1600ea take all 7.so right now the reg prices havent dropped around here yet.i figure id be out $300 a hd to feed them till spring.

Try livecattlesales.com. If you are interested, there is a E6 sale in Columbus April 15. E6 bred to a reg bull=7/8 reg beefs.

i know about that E6 sale.but im going the reg rout.i dont intend to get a big herd.just a small elite herd of reg cows.the E6s sale for almost the same as reg cows.