Cull Cows on the rise

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Cows get on the truck August 15.
Aaron said they are selling cows already, but luckily their top calves go to (wet) eastern Ontario. I think there will be a big fall surge of cows from Montana, ND, MN, Canadian prairie...

What is the traditional gather date in those areas? Will they do it sooner if it is dry, or is there no hay, so they just leave the cows in the hills?
 
Of course gather dates will vary considerably. But when they are out of feed or water they start gathering themselves as they go searching. Cows here normally stay out until late October early November. I haven't been up high to see what grass looks like. But the reports I hear haven't been good.
My old cows are on a private leased pasture. There is a September 1 remove date on the lease. We want those old cows gone before then. Thus the August 15 delivery date to the kill plant. The calves will stay in a good solid corral until all the bawl is out of them and then go on to irrigated hay meadow regrowth.
 
Dry cows off of grass. Fat. Two lost calves and the 3rd came up empty. We have had good grass.
 
I am selling six big cows per week. Cows in the front and calves in the back. Apparently even though cow kill is up, burger and trim demand are up more.

I think a lot of cow calf guys are on auto pilot with no grass. Even if we get fall rains - - those short brown over grazed pastures will not come back this year.

Saw some cheap short bred black heifers come through with a total dispersal. Nice ones for $935, but it would take $800 of hay to take them to turnout...
I am selling six big cows per week. Cows in the front and calves in the back. Apparently even though cow kill is up, burger and trim demand are up more.

I think a lot of cow calf guys are on auto pilot with no grass. Even if we get fall rains - - those short brown over grazed pastures will not come back this year.

Saw some cheap short bred black heifers come through with a total dispersal. Nice ones for $935, but it would take $800 of hay to take them to turnout...
If cattle get liquidated like they did in 2011 around here, then maybe the will be bringing $2,000 plus in a year or two. 🤫🤣🤷
 
Of course gather dates will vary considerably. But when they are out of feed or water they start gathering themselves as they go searching. Cows here normally stay out until late October early November. I haven't been up high to see what grass looks like. But the reports I hear haven't been good.
My old cows are on a private leased pasture. There is a September 1 remove date on the lease. We want those old cows gone before then. Thus the August 15 delivery date to the kill plant. The calves will stay in a good solid corral until all the bawl is out of them and then go on to irrigated hay meadow regrowth.
So you go direct to the plant? Do you sell live then or on the rail?
 
On the rail. They have a sliding price depending on carcass weight and grade. If I remember correctly last year it went from $1.48 to $1.26 a pound hanging.

Going directly to the plant is almost always on the rail.
Interesting guys. We don't have a cow plant close enough to go direct. Most of the kill cows around here that go through the sale barns end up at Green bay,WI or St. Paul, MN.
At one time I talked to our Packerland buyer about feeding all of our cull cows until we had a pot load, then sending them direct. But tieing up a pen and only selling once a year didn't seem feasible.
 
At one time I talked to our Packerland buyer about feeding all of our cull cows until we had a pot load, then sending them direct. But tieing up a pen and only selling once a year didn't seem feasible.
Cull cow feeding is very seasonal and somewhat popular here. Buy thin cows in Nov/Dec and feed them a corn silage based mix.

You could reload the pen with light calves and sell them as stockers in April.

Then go fishing in May/June...
 
Cull cow feeding is very seasonal and somewhat popular here. Buy thin cows in Nov/Dec and feed them a corn silage based mix.

You could reload the pen with light calves and sell them as stockers in April.

Then go fishing in May/June...
An old cattle trader I new had a deal worked out with the local Pioneer seed corn plant. He got all the husklage for free, but he had to truck it and take it ALL.
He would start buying thin mrkt cows when they started picking seed corn. Have the vet worm and implant them. Feed them all winter then pound them out in Feb.
 
Hauled 3 heiferettes to the locker plant today. Went in and saw what they had in the holding pens. What a zoo. Couple bulls, couple old cows, 4 finished steers, and a lot of green cross bred long yearlings. Looks like the hobby farmers are having a hamburger dispersal sale rather than buying hay.
 
Sold two cows Monday, one was 12 and did not stick AI (just weaned so a little thin), the other was 9, had big back teats, and threw 100 plus pound calves because of long gestation. I'll take it. 20210728_155832.jpg
 
Sent a small older BWF off back around the beginning of June, got $64C for her. Didn't feel too bad about that either.
 
Auction barns are seeing 3X the normal summer volume. Out of the artic vortex and into the heat dome.
We have a grass hay panic here. Last hay auction was up to U$S 240 per ton.
I sold some split pairs again. Light calves were $2/lb. and cows were mostly 56 to 69 cents.
 
Reports say that kill cows were off a nickly last week and a nickle the week before. Still not terrible but I do prefer to hit the top of the market. I know someone local who shipped cows 2 weeks before us. They got $1.54 on the rail. We got $1.49. That is for the best grade cows.
 

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