Contrary

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As I said reputation cattle do sell better. Often a whole lot better. There is a big difference in how cattle preform in the feedlot. Those people who run feedlots understand this very well. There is a reason they are willing to pay more for cattle that come from someone whose cattle have preformed well for them in the past. The same reason that buying ones and twos at the sale barn bring less money. Off breed cattle sell for less. They are simply a bigger gamble for the feedlot operator.
 
Rmc said:
Using the prices in the first post
525lb steers brought 280 cad =21538 us
325lb steers brought 3805=29269 us
So 325lb calves brought $951.24 us
525 calves brought $1130.75
1130.75-951.24= $179.51 difference between 325 lb calf and 525 lbs.
still following it is pretty easy month actually.
If it takes 205 days to get to 525lbs. If you pull calves 60 (145)days earlier at 325 lbs.
So you have a extra 60 days of feed that the calf did not eat . Plus the extra feed left because nutrient requirement is less for a dry cow then a nursing cow .
Then you have the cow going into winter in better condition due to 1. Only had to nurse calf for 145 days instead of 205 days.cow was also dry for an additional 60 days prior to going into winter wich means going into winter in better condition.
So
60 days less pasture to feed calf +
60 day decrease in nutrition requirements of dry cow vs nursing cow +
Cow going into winter in better body condition =
Less hay or other supplemented feed requirements for cow throughout winter months plus time and fuel to feed.
If less feed supplement to cow is one ton less hay fed per cow.
If hay is $350 per ton.
So
$350 (savings in feed )
Minus
$179.51(difference between selling price of 525lb calf vs 325lb calf
=$170.49
So in this example you would profit $170.49 us if you sold calves at 325 vs 525.
That isn't considering any death loss sickness ect.between 325 vs 525.

It also only considers saving of only one ton of hay.wich I think is very conservative especially if you have a 90-120 day feeding cow through winter.
May not make sense to those who live in areas that don't have to feed 90-120 days ,but many times your feed expenses are far more of a determination of profit vs loss, then is the sale price of calf she produced.
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Well I read your post carefully and took some time to think about it, and while I see some worthwhile thought in it I can't agree with the conclusion.

Maybe it's because I do things differently due to differing pasture conditions or availability of feed. I just can't get there from here.

But thanks anyway.
 
I have posted my general location in numerous posts. Maybe if you actually read instead of looking to nitpick and play gotcha you would have a clue where I lived big boy.
Use your own numbers for your area.
Doesn't change the big picture. I'm some instances it is more profit to sell .lighter steers then heavier ones.
You may also look at the numerous posts about hay prices in different areas as well as lack of feed .
Many are here to get different points of view and see how others do things rather then play gotcha and nit pick. I figured you might have finally learned your lesson.
But as my grandpa used to say
You can lead a horse to water but can't force him to drink.
Can't teach a old dog new tricks.
Son of Butch said:
Please post your general location, would love to know what world you live in
Click to expand...
 
It would be alot simpler and more friendly to post your GENERAL area/location/state in your avatar... go to your name top rightclick and go to account profile, go down to location and put in the location. I for one cannot remember 90% of where people are unless it is in their profile avatar. Then no one would be asking you to post your location. Most everyone on here has their general location posted... different questions and different answers apply for different areas.
And 350 / ton hay makes it nearly impossible to make beef cattle pencil out here even with the nearly $2.00/lb that steers are bringing.
 
farmerjan said:
And 350 / ton hay makes it nearly impossible to make beef cattle pencil out here even with the nearly $2.00/lb that steers are bringing.
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My point exactly .
For some it makes sense financially to pull calves 60 days early to reduce the amount of hay needed over winter.
 
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Dave said:
And that is alfalfa. Who feeds 100% alfalfa to beef cows?
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Both reports I posted where from different regions of the us . Neither in my direct market. As I said earlier use your local numbers. I said it was a example.
As far as feeding alfalfa hay to beef cows.
Use the search function. Many if not most in the inter mountain west feed alfalfa to beef cows. The thread includes research and studies to point out the benefits ect . Of feeding straight alfalfa
Find the thread and read it. No interest in going if it all over again . When it is already available in a separate thread.
 
Rmc said:
Both reports I posted where from different regions of the us . Neither in my direct market. As I said earlier use your local numbers. I said it was a example.
As far as feeding alfalfa hay to beef cows.
Use the search function. Many if not most in the inter mountain west feed alfalfa to beef cows. The thread includes research and studies to point out the benefits ect . Of feeding straight alfalfa
Find the thread and read it. No interest in going if it all over again . When it is already available in a separate thread.
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This year we are in a D2 drought for several months now, spring was cold, windy and mostly dry until it turned off hot and dry. We grew some native upland feed, but maybe 50-60% of normal. We weaned at the end of August, which is a month early for two reasons: (1) the calves were not gaining much and starting to pull cows down, and (2) those calves are eating around 13 lbs of hay per head per day, so that is nearly half of what a cow eats, which was cutting into winter stock piled native range feed. As to alfalfa, I feed some to add a little protein in the third trimester and after calving and try not to feed much of it and then feed grass hay when we get snowed up. However, this year the grass meadows had maybe 50% normal production even under irrigation in the whole area. There is a shortage of grass hay here and trucking costs are prohibitive for a medium quality forage, so it is way more cost effective to bring in alfalfa from a 40-mile radius. The alfalfa is high quality because very little of it ever got rained on this year. It is "way too good to feed to a cow," but this year it is the only game in town when the stock piled feed runs out. If we were commercial, we would sell down quite a bit, but with a purebred herd it is more difficult to rebuild, so we will cull as deep as we can and buy expensive hay and pray for a decent spring in 2023.
 
Hay prices where I am, South Central MT, hay is selling for $300- $350 a ton, that does not include hauling, that is another $6.00 a mile. You might be able to get old, ripe, dry CRP hay for $250 a ton. There is one person selling good grass 3x4x8s for $600a ton. people are buying it. I'm sure the buyers are idiots with 1 or 2 horses in a round pen with no pasture, but still. I would sell or eat everything that eats hay before I would pay 600 a ton.
 
mtchick said:
Hay prices where I am, South Central MT, hay is selling for $300- $350 a ton, that does not include hauling, that is another $6.00 a mile. You might be able to get old, ripe, dry CRP hay for $250 a ton. There is one person selling good grass 3x4x8s for $600a ton. people are buying it. I'm sure the buyers are idiots with 1 or 2 horses in a round pen with no pasture, but still. I would sell or eat everything that eats hay before I would pay 600 a ton.
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I would probably change my tune at those prices. Been able to buy alfalfa for $230-240 and I can haul it the 35 miles. Did get a 30-ton semi load delivered for $22/ton extra. My cost not real bad, but bad part is have to buy 25-30% more than usual.
 
LOL... I remember getting small square bales delivered and ---stacked in the barn--- for $27 a ton. Of course good weaned calves were going for $100 apiece too.
 
August 16, 2022 Mn tested hay auction sample of the results

4x5 rounds 8.1% protein 14.4% moisture $36 bale
4x6 grass rounds 9.4% protein 11,4% moisture $131 ton
4x6 2nd crop alfalfa 24.5% protein 16.6% ms rfv 157 $169 ton
179 small sq. meadow hay 8.2% pro 14.6% ms $2 bale
3x3x8 grass mix sqs 9% protein 14% moisture $140 ton
32 ton lot 3x4 3rd crop alfalfa 27.4% protein 17% ms 202 rfv $206 ton

3 lots 29 tons each 3x4 untested 3rd crop alf $196, $196 and $200 ton

3x3 roto cut wheat straw $46 bale
 
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