Dave":2hfqnmid said:
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