Cull cow prices

[Dave]

What is up with cull cow prices? I went to the sale on Saturday and they were through the roof. I saw heavy butcher cows cows sell as high as 70 cents. Thin boney jersey cows for 40 cents. Two butcher bulls that brought more than the report is for fat cattle! 87 cent butcher bulls!! I sure don't know what is causing these prices but I went home and took a serious second look at some of the older cows. I talked to a couple of other guy who are going to be doing some culling this week to take advantage of these prices. Is it this way everywhere?

Dave

 

[TEdwards]

A Local Barn in East Texas SAT 17th
SlaughterCows .36 to .60
HeavyBulls .52 to .73
500# Steers .95 to 1.20

I have seen higher prices in the weekly livestock paper. Prices are high right now and have been for awhile around here. I hope the stay like this for awhile.
What are your steer prices up there?

 

[la4angus]

A Local Barn in East Texas SAT 17th
SlaughterCows .36 to .60
HeavyBulls .52 to .73
500# Steers .95 to 1.20

I have seen higher prices in the weekly livestock paper. Prices are high right now and have been for awhile around here. I hope the stay like this for awhile.
What are your steer prices up there?

Prices hqave high all over the country. They willl not stay this high for very much longer.

 

[Dave]

Our 500# steers are .90 to 1.10. We are always off about a dime on feeder cattle because of the frieght to the major feeding areas. Cattle prices have been up for a while but I was amazed at the jump in the price cull cows and bulls this week. Our butcher cow market has been like the report listed by TEdwards but this week it was up a dime or more. When butcher bull sell for more than fats? These weren't cattle that were going back to the country. They were going to slaughter. I know who the buyers were and who they buy for. Like I said some of the tail enders of my herd might just find their way to the sale next week.

Dave

 

[D.R. Cattle]

A Local Barn in East Texas SAT 17th
SlaughterCows .36 to .60
HeavyBulls .52 to .73
500# Steers .95 to 1.20

I have seen higher prices in the weekly livestock paper. Prices are high right now and have been for awhile around here. I hope the stay like this for awhile.
What are your steer prices up there?

Prices hqave high all over the country. They willl not stay this high for very much longer.

LA...What will cause the decline?

 

[la4angus]

D.R. I really don't know what the fundalmentals will be that will cause a decline in the cattle prices. There are an unknown number of things that could happen.
I do know that there is bearish formations developing and have developed
on all of the meat charts.
It looks like there is a going to be a large corn crop, and I expect to see cattle being fed to heavier weights, weekly choice cut-out value has been decreasing for several weeks,
The choice – select cutout spread is now below last years and the 5 year avg., weekly
steer dressed weights are above last years and also above the 5 yr avg., dressed hfr wts.
are now above last year wts.
This is some of the factors that I am looking at and I am sure there will be more factors
unknown to us at this time will enter into the picture.
Opening of the Canadian border could be a factor when it does happen

 

[txag]

prices dropped the last two weeks at our local sale barn. they're still way above average for this time of year but no longer the record-setting prices of two weeks ago.

 

[hillbilly]

I think this the perfect time to sell older cows.
I have 16 head consigned to a monthly cow sale on july 31st.
All are 7 years and older and have 450+ calves that I will pull off on sale day. They should be all 1st and 2nd period.
If the prices hold a few more days they may bring $750-800 ea.

Hillbilly

 

[Craig-TX]

What is up with cull cow prices? I went to the sale on Saturday and they were through the roof. I saw heavy butcher cows cows sell as high as 70 cents. Thin boney jersey cows for 40 cents. Two butcher bulls that brought more than the report is for fat cattle! 87 cent butcher bulls!! I sure don't know what is causing these prices but I went home and took a serious second look at some of the older cows. I talked to a couple of other guy who are going to be doing some culling this week to take advantage of these prices. Is it this way everywhere?

Dave

One thing to remember is that cull or slaughter cows are oftentimes a completely separate market. They go through a different supply chain than fats. Instead of backgrounders and/or feedlots bidding (and therefore affecting the market) you have buyers who are taking them straight to the slaughterhouses and making a little on the spread. The slaughterhouses are usually different too, more or less local with their own brand instead of the big packers. That's why it is nice to have a locally owned slaughterhouse around so you can sell them direct when you cull, have a prolapsed cow, hurt bull, etc. If you have one nearby why not cut out all the middlemen and haul them in yourself. It usually pays.

Craig-TX

 

[TEdwards]

What is up with cull cow prices? I went to the sale on Saturday and they were through the roof. I saw heavy butcher cows cows sell as high as 70 cents. Thin boney jersey cows for 40 cents. Two butcher bulls that brought more than the report is for fat cattle! 87 cent butcher bulls!! I sure don't know what is causing these prices but I went home and took a serious second look at some of the older cows. I talked to a couple of other guy who are going to be doing some culling this week to take advantage of these prices. Is it this way everywhere?

Dave

One thing to remember is that cull or slaughter cows are oftentimes a completely separate market. They go through a different supply chain than fats. Instead of backgrounders and/or feedlots bidding (and therefore affecting the market) you have buyers who are taking them straight to the slaughterhouses and making a little on the spread. The slaughterhouses are usually different too, more or less local with their own brand instead of the big packers. That's why it is nice to have a locally owned slaughterhouse around so you can sell them direct when you cull, have a prolapsed cow, hurt bull, etc. If you have one nearby why not cut out all the middlemen and haul them in yourself. It usually pays.

Craig-TX

What do the area Slaughterhouse do with the animals/meat etc. after they slaughter them. E.G. resale it to highest bidder, McDonalds, BugerKing etc. or for Dogfood, Fertilizer etc. Are calling a Slaughterhouse like a Custom Meat Packer. Just wondering

 

[WORANCH]

I think this the perfect time to sell older cows.
I have 16 head consigned to a monthly cow sale on july 31st.
All are 7 years and older and have 450+ calves that I will pull off on sale day. They should be all 1st and 2nd period.
If the prices hold a few more days they may bring $750-800 ea.

Hillbilly

sold 2 culls last week 840 -795 . paid 600 for them when i bought them . the calves off them sold for over 600..

 

[Craig-TX]

What do the area Slaughterhouse do with the animals/meat etc. after they slaughter them. E.G. resale it to highest bidder, McDonalds, BugerKing etc. or for Dogfood, Fertilizer etc. Are calling a Slaughterhouse like a Custom Meat Packer. Just wondering

They will not be a custom packer like a locker plant. They will have their own local retail brand and probably also sell box beef. You could ask whoever is buying cutters and canners in your area where they're taking them.
Craig-TX

 

[Weaver]

The local slaughter plant slaughters about every type of cattle raised, anyway, they have contracts with the local fast food resturants to provide them with hamburger from the cows/bulls they slaughter.