Cattle pricing explanation?

[kentuckyguy]

In our local market I can't see letting calves get over 550lbs. Once you hit that 650-850 mark you are losing money.

We have had beef orders cancelled and had to take an 800lb steer off with our 450-500lb steers and it's sickening. Usually the 800lb steer brings about $80-100 more than the smaller steers.

To me it's just not worth the input cost. I want to wean them and put them on a trailer. Save the grass for cows and heifers to sell off the farm.

 

[simme]

Same thing occurs in other species. If you are buying a dog, the price per pound for a puppy is much higher than an older heavier weight dog.
Same for mail order brides. Those younger light weights bring top dollar compared to the heavy weights.

 

[Silver]

I want to wean them onto the trailer at 700lbs.

 

[simme]

When you are selling at the auction, prices depend on the buyers. There will generally be demand and buyers for those 5 and 6 weights. When you get to the 800 pounders, they won't fit the orders for many of the buyers and the demand/price may be less than expected. There may be a better way to market the larger cattle, but may require a larger quantity and a different market.

 

[WFfarm]

It's more about flesh than number of head. And its about potential for gain. A smaller feeder had more potential flesh to add before harvest, more potential profit. Feedlots are producing pounds of flesh, not heads of cattle. Profits are measured on total lbs produced based on cost of production. That's also why some of the too fat and filled out feeders will bring less that a thinner one of the same weight. The thinner one has more lbs to put on.

 

[KAstocker]

When you are selling at the auction, prices depend on the buyers. There will generally be demand and buyers for those 5 and 6 weights. When you get to the 800 pounders, they won't fit the orders for many of the buyers and the demand/price may be less than expected. There may be a better way to market the larger cattle, but may require a larger quantity and a different market.

I suppose it is like that out east. The closer to feedlot country though, they will pay for those 8 weight calves in the fall.

 

[simme]

I suppose it is like that out east. The closer to feedlot country though, they will pay for those 8 weight calves in the fall.

Some of the auctions in the east run pretty small numbers. The point I was making is that if you have small numbers of a class of cattle at an auction, you might not have buyers there focused on those cattle. So, can't expect every animal outside of the norm to bring what you think they are worth. If there are multiple buyers for those cattle or you have a truck load you can ship, expect better pricing. Those cattle here that are getting close to feedlot ready weights don't have as good a market esp when sold as singles.

 

[Son of Butch]

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Doesn't exist? I watched a 350 pound heifer sell for 1.52 and a 600 pound heifer sell for 1.00. Both #1s. That 350 pounder brought $535 and the 600 pounder brought $600.

single animal brings less than groups of same weight because
singles are usually culls - one nutter, lung damaged poor doer that has finally been tlc back to looking 1/2 good ect

singles are always considered a risk -- as to why is she here?

 

[HDRider]

single animal brings less than groups of same weight because
singles are usually culls - one nutter, lung damaged poor doer that has finally been tlc back to looking 1/2 good ect

singles are always considered a risk -- as to why is she here?

No one sells in large numbers here, unless they are going directly to a feedlot

 

[BFE]

In our local market I can't see letting calves get over 550lbs. Once you hit that 650-850 mark you are losing money.

We have had beef orders cancelled and had to take an 800lb steer off with our 450-500lb steers and it's sickening. Usually the 800lb steer brings about $80-100 more than the smaller steers.

To me it's just not worth the input cost. I want to wean them and put them on a trailer. Save the grass for cows and heifers to sell off the farm.

Same here.

 

[TTBHG]

I said doesn't exist here. I have no idea what they bring where you are. In fact you don't list a location so I have no idea where you are. That $1.00 for a 600 pound heifer is way cheap. A #1 600 pound heifer here is in the $1.30 range. This last fall I had an order to buy up to 300 good heifers between 500-550. They were to cost less than $700. I watched lot of good #1 heifers go by that weighed 600 and cost $760-800. At the same time 400 pound heifers were costing $1.40 which is $560.
It can be both a regional and timing thing. If California gets good rain in the fall, those light calves sell like hotcakes here. They are filling pot loads to ship south. There is no way we could buy them then and come out. However if they don't get rain those light calves get cheap and it will work for us to buy them. Region and timing.

I'm in South Florida. I included a link to the market report from my local sale barn with the prices I mentioned in my post listed.
Seems weird to me but it is what it is.

 

[farmerjan]

Heifers here are running in the 1.10 -1.25 for anything decent up to the 6wts. Then you will do good to get 1.00 lb for most anything from 650 to 900..... One thing on the bigger heifers; buyers will shy away on the possibility they are bred.... if they have to abort and they are very far along they can lose them. If they go on feed and they wind up dropping a calf, they are not gaining "killing weight" so lost income.
It is not worth the money for us to feed them past the 550-6 wts usually either. Son put a bunch on feed this year to use the abundance of corn silage we have. I am waiting for these to get sold, because I am afraid that he will finally see that what I have been trying to say that it is just not worth it. I would rather try buying in some mediocre cattle at cheap prices and just put on some weight and condition and then turn them over.... Most on feed are heifers right now, there is one group of steers that is going as soon as we can get in to get them, and they are going to be pushing the 6 wts I am sure. They were supposed to come back to the barn over a month ago and have not been able to get trucks and trailers in to get them.... been dicey getting in and getting them fed except early in the mornings when it was hard.... or with the 4x4 tractor. So they are going from the field direct to the sale. I wish he would go back to doing that more.... but he has to figure some of this out on his own.
I would rather feed some of this silage to more one and done cows bought in the fall/winter. And feeding out more heifers and maybe breeding some to sell. I told him that in 2022 prices of breds would get higher... and everything that I have read lately tells that the cow herd numbers are down... the cycle is hitting bottom. So I am pushing to keep and breed many of these heifers we have had on feed, to calve in 2022.... and maybe take advantage of the market. I also said we are going to go through and anyone not performing like they should can go as breds or cow/calf pairs too. We have bought many over the years and naturally some work out and some don't.... so I don't feel bad about selling some that haven't been our best either.

 

[TTBHG]

single animal brings less than groups of same weight because
singles are usually culls - one nutter, lung damaged poor doer that has finally been tlc back to looking 1/2 good ect

singles are always considered a risk -- as to why is she here?

Everything here is sold by singles. Unless it's a special sale from one large producer or something. The sale sheet will list all the animals available for sale and each farm will have their 20-50 animals but they'll get run thru one at a time and each animal is sold individually.

 

[farmerjan]

I will buy another freezer before I will give away a fed animal ready to kill that someone has backed out on. We can find people to take some meat even if it is not USDA. @ 3.00 lb for ground beef a 500+ lb hanging weight plus processing, is worth more than selling at the stockyards. I can use that freezer for garden produce if there is no meat in it. People are begging for beef now so having some in the freezer is a good thing. I will pack it in , in "halves" so that people will get a full half....

 

[TexasBred]

Market and feed prices affect it a lot. Sometimes it is cheaper to buy small calves and feed them up.........at other times it's cheaper to buy them heavier and unload quicker.

 

[Son of Butch]

Everything here is sold by singles. Unless it's a special sale from one large producer or something. The sale sheet will list all the animals available for sale and each farm will have their 20-50 animals but they'll get run thru one at a time and each animal is sold individually.

please add state to your location profile

 

[Son of Butch]

I will buy another freezer before I will give away a fed animal ready to kill that someone has backed out on. We can find people to take some meat even if it is not USDA. @ 3.00 lb for ground beef a 500+ lb hanging weight plus processing, is worth more than selling at the stockyards. I can use that freezer for garden produce if there is no meat in it. People are begging for beef now so having some in the freezer is a good thing. I will pack it in , in "halves" so that people will get a full half....

Our butcher will sort a 1/2 into equal mixed 1/4s for no charge if requested

 

[Son of Butch]

I will buy another freezer before I will give away a fed animal ready to kill that someone has backed out on. We can find people to take some meat even if it is not USDA. @ 3.00 lb for ground beef a 500+ lb hanging weight plus processing, is worth more than selling at the stockyards. I can use that freezer for garden produce if there is no meat in it. People are begging for beef now so having some in the freezer is a good thing. I will pack it in , in "halves" so that people will get a full half....

Just bought a 10.5 cft chest freezer $299 + 23.55 tax = $322.55 minus
$40 mail in rebate $282.55 from Menard's

Criterion model F1062019 - Cheapest per cubic foot I could find, but
boy is she built cheap - very flimsy - I didn't know sheet metal could be so thin
lol - - hope it lasts

Bought a Gibson in 1988 from Sears - 32 years, still runs, never a lick of trouble

 

[farmerjan]

@TTBHG to put your general area or state in your profile go to your name up on top right, then go down to account details, then scroll down to location. That is where you can put in your state or area or whatever so people know what area you are referring to when you say "the sale only sells singles here".... Helps when giving advice as some is pertinent to certain areas

 

[farmerjan]

Talking about freezers.... there is a brand called Midea.... they are convertible from a fridge to a freezer. Seen them advertised some, and now Lowe's is carrying them. They are comparatively priced to any of the normal brands.... Anyone have any experience with them? I am looking at a 21 cf upright one for $900...... I have a couple of uprights and one chest. I kill about 100-200 cornish x and garden produce and 1/2 hog and a beef a year.... plus buy some things on sale..... sell some of the chickens and beef. I only buy seafood at the store since I don't grow it.... Thought the convertible part would be handy.....