cull cows

[gitnby]

got some older cows that are still in good shape but need to be culled....sold 2 last month ....probably 5or 6 body score...they brought 38 cents at sale barn ...i feel that i got took.......any recomendations on time to sell...or just take it and go on?........thanks

 

[Lee VanRoss]

Depending on location if you have acccess to corn or distller pellets you can be rewarded for extra weight and condition.
Also facilities, time and cost of feed considered I can usually add 20 cents to the total weight on a 60 -90 day interval.
Not much you can do looking backward. Try putting some weight on going forward and I think you will see some benefit
in body condition and price. 1300 @ .58 is better than 1100 @ .38 We can't control the market. Your time and input are
on you, good luck Example is for all things being equal and they never are.........

 

[Rydero]

I never put much thought into maximizing return on cull cows. The way I look at it if I feed an animal it's guaranteed to cost me. The increase in value isn't certain. A single animal dying would wipe out a lot of "extra" income and a market downturn can quickly do the same. That said I agree it may pencil out with access to the right feed at the right price. I just chose to concentrate on the business I'm in - cow/calf not feeding cull cows. To me they're salvage - I take what I get and move on.

 

[kenny thomas]

The next time culls will get higher is when they dont have enough of them. Betond that the week before Memorial Day is always higher than before or after.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Cull cow price is very seasonal. You can make money on THIN cows this time of year by feeding them until February or March. You get the gain plus the appreciation. There are some extension articles on the web on how and when to do this.

Sounds like your cows were too fleshy to qualify for feeding. Why did you not sell them in September?

 

[kenny thomas]

Cull cow price is very seasonal. You can make money on THIN cows this time of year by feeding them until February or March. You get the gain plus the appreciation. There are some extension articles on the web on how and when to do this.

Sounds like your cows were too fleshy to qualify for feeding. Why did you not sell them in September?

Many, many cows are sold here in September and October . The reason is people get up calves and cows when the grass gets short. No other reason. Doesn't matter what the price is they say oh well its time to get rid of the culls.

 

[Dave]

I have made good money at times buying thin cows toward the end of winter. Feed them for a month or two. Go to grass in the spring to help take off the spring flush. Sell in June. Nothing gains weight like a thin open cow. Not only do you get the weight gain, you gain value on the pounds you originally purchased.
And there is my old stand by, cull cows this time of the year which are bred. One and done. The profit is in how much you spend at purchase. Also being cut throat. I don't care how good the calf is she raises. Come early August she goes to the kill plant, no exceptions.

 

[SBMF 2015]

It probably depends on where you are located. In a "normal year" I try to avoid selling mrkt cows in April & May (everyone is dumping cows that just lost a calf) and again in October (everyone else is dumping cows that they just weaned and want to cull.) Early Sept is usually strong as is Jan. As long as the weather is well enough for the buyers to get to the barn.

 

[gulfso]

I sold 33 last month, about half pregnant and most needed dentures. I averaged .37 per pound. I first felt the same way but then if you figure in the cost of feed to keep and no babies and morality of those old cows it wasn't so bad. Also, not sold at sale barn so I saved some more on yardage and commission? Maybe not a bad deal after all

 

[gitnby]

thanks for everyones input......merry xmas

 

[gcreekrch]

Best not to keep a cow until the kill plant is the only stop for her. We market our cows as bred 8 to 10 year olds and let someone else worry about salvage value.
Most years it has made sense to sell open cows as soon after preg test as possible. This isn't one of those years. Fats are still backed up a bit and feed is cheap. We kept our open cows and bought 100 more mid age cows that we will market through late January through February. Value has already increased 10 cents on them in the last 6 weeks.