cow prices

[rockridgecattle]

I did not know where on the board to put this so...
Any how the last auction of the season today. These last several weeks have seen cow prices climb ...alot. Right now a good fleshy cow is bringing 900-1000 for slaughter. About .65/pound cents Canadian.
Yet calves are still in the toilet, feeders are a crap shoot, and fats well, anyones guess. When spent cows bring more than calves or yearlings, and heifers are severly discounted got to wonder which end is up.

I understand that there is a demand with BBQ season upon us, but I got to wondering. Is the high cow prices a way for the industry to re stableize itself? I mean with prices like this farmers/ranchers are more likely to sell for slaughter than to a private guy. They are more readily willing to cull those old, teethless, poor doers, psychos and make some cash. Last spring a cow brought 3-400 if were were lucky. When BSE hit and post BSE, if you got 200.00 you did well. Now we are at $900-1000.00 Is this a way for the industry to downsize the cow herd to more manageable #'s driving the price of calves, yearlings and fats up later down the road? I mean with inputs so high right now alot of guys are discouraged, upset, down right ready to get out. Is this the industries way of getting them out with their shirt intact?

I'm not much into price speculation. Never really understood how the futures worked. I was just wondering out loud.

 

[bigbull338]

hey enjoy the good cull cow prices.what your seeing is a shortage of cull cows.thus driving the price up for good clean fleshy weigh cows.here in the US cull cows have been bringing .45 to.65 a lb. for 2 or so years.weigh bulls have been going for .55 to .75 a lb.so i say enjoy the great cull cow prices.

 

[mnmtranching]

Slaughter cow numbers are down in the US, demand for grinding meat is up, people are buying burger to grill instead of steak. Seems to me that fat cattle prices should be higher? If fats don't go up, look for a very sluggish feeder calf market the Fall. Maybe time to sell the cows and keep the calves. At last weeks sale most bred cows sold in the low 60's for slaughter. With the current trend, aren't feeder calf numbers going to be down significantly?

 

[TexasBred]

I drove down to the sale in West yesterday. What caught my eye was bulls. They had some good big bulls. One weighed 2530 (If I remember right) and brought $.77 a pound. Others brought from 68 to 74. Didn't have many real good pairs but did have one that brought 1340 and it was all downhill from there. Believe it or not lightweight calves were selling good.

 

[Susie David]

Seeing the same thing down here....steers that would have sold for $80 last year are selling for $95 and these are 10 and 11 weights. Calves are the bargain...folks waiting to see how feed prices will be come fall. DMc

 

[ALX.]

Fats bringing up to mid 90's here.

Makes me feel real sorry for all the poor feeders last fall who already had their corn and boned us cow/calvers to .87 for our calves crying corn as the culprit.

Ain't gonna happen again on this farm.

 

[ALX.]

Sorry, re read your post RR - do the numbers - pounds to market - it is a packer make a buck equation - there is no higher intelligence directing the industry anywhere, it is dollars.

Do you know OTM? Why should packers buy high priced young cattle when otm is falling in your lap?

 

[rockridgecattle]

Sorry, re read your post RR - do the numbers - pounds to market - it is a packer make a buck equation - there is no higher intelligence directing the industry anywhere, it is dollars.

Do you know OTM? Why should packers buy high priced young cattle when otm is falling in your lap?

OTM...over thirty months, yes i understand that. I also understand that cattle that are 1999 and younger age verified bring a premium.
But can it not still help us down the road. I mean calves/feeders/fats have taken such a hit this last year or so. Inputs are skyrocketing.
Higher cow prices right now are going to decrease the cow herd. The farmers/ranchers who have had enough are going to say $900-1000 right now for a cow vs 400-500 in the fall for a calf, now is a better time to sell. Wouldn't less breeders means a shortage of stock in the future, driving prices on fats/feeders and calves back up

 

[ALX.]

The farmers/ranchers who have had enough are going to say $900-1000 right now for a cow vs 400-500 in the fall for a calf, now is a better time to sell. Wouldn't less breeders means a shortage of stock in the future, driving prices on fats/feeders and calves back up

Nope. Imports. US, Aussie,NZ,Brazil, Columbia.

Unless you are in Alberta or Quebec you are in a black sheep industry.

Our BSE standards gave the US back their packing advantage.

Count on working for nothing for at least 3 to 5 more years, if you know what you are doing.

 

[Stocker Steve]

I have one neighbor who likes to buy and sell. His plan this year is to buy summer calvers, short wean the calves, ship the cows, and then sell hay.

 

[mnmtranching]

I have one neighbor who likes to buy and sell. His plan this year is to buy summer calvers, short wean the calves, ship the cows, and then sell hay.

For now that would be a good plan. The problem is, he will be in most cases be buying low end cows, or problem cows. A few losses will be hard to show a profit. Selling the hay is a great plan.

 

[Stocker Steve]

I have one neighbor who likes to buy and sell. His plan this year is to buy summer calvers, short wean the calves, ship the cows, and then sell hay.

For now that would be a good plan. The problem is, he will be in most cases be buying low end cows, or problem cows. A few losses will be hard to show a profit. Selling the hay is a great plan.

He does seem to lose a lot of calves. I will ask what his death loss percent is.

 

[Stocker Steve]

I have one neighbor who likes to buy and sell. His plan this year is to buy summer calvers, short wean the calves, ship the cows, and then sell hay.

For now that would be a good plan. The problem is, he will be in most cases be buying low end cows, or problem cows. A few losses will be hard to show a profit. Selling the hay is a great plan.

He does seem to lose a lot of calves. I will ask what his death loss percent is.