kenny thomas
Well-known member
Slaughter cows up to 1.70 and slaughter bulls uo to 1.94 yesterday. Even the scrub cows are high. Don't miss this opportunity to cull.
Cull hard
- Thread starter kenny thomas
- Start date
Thats good news. I'm about to hit a few more. They will go with their calves here in a month. All should be bred back. Got one that gave me attitude, couple older cows, 2 that I'm not impressed with bags and 2 with weak calves.
It's dry and we have good heifers on deck that I'm about to wean. Hopefully it rains by the time the heifers are raising calves. LoL
It's dry and we have good heifers on deck that I'm about to wean. Hopefully it rains by the time the heifers are raising calves. LoL
MurraysMutts
Well-known member
As supply just keeps on dwindling.....
We are killing our beef factories (the cows)...
Means less and less calves...
Nowhere to go but up up up!
We are killing our beef factories (the cows)...
Means less and less calves...
Nowhere to go but up up up!
I'm all about it. Lower numbers are probably good for the industry. Doubt people will hold though. We are our own worse enemies.
MurraysMutts
Well-known member
The money is good for sure. I sold when I thought we were near peak! All signs pointed to a drop off. That's when I bought a handful and sure wished I'd a loaded up the pastures with the kind I bought then.
Eventually there won't be any more to sell, and it'll get real bad.
Eventually there won't be any more to sell, and it'll get real bad.
SBMF 2015
Well-known member
The cure for high prices is high prices.
Some day they’ll figure out this chicken flu or something bad will happen. And that will be the end of our high price run.
Enjoy it while we can, just don’t get caught on the wrong side when it drops.
Some day they’ll figure out this chicken flu or something bad will happen. And that will be the end of our high price run.
Enjoy it while we can, just don’t get caught on the wrong side when it drops.
TexasJerseyMilker
Well-known member
My first calf heifer is making so much milk I'm having to pour it out on the ground. I'd like to buy another Jersey heifer calf or two to raise but I can't imagine what they cost. Dairy farms have gone to Beef on Dairy so they can get a good price selling them for meat. Only their best cows are bred to Holstein and Jersey sex selected semen and those calves aren't for sale. And no I'm not getting pigs. I hate pigs.
I heard on the radio WTX A&M or some one is building a facility and doing a whole study on feeding dairy cross beef cattle. It has become such a thing big feedlots and who ever else are donating to them for the program so they can use the info.
farmerjan
Well-known member
Dairy beef crosses have a few positives that are already well known.... They do not go through as much of a "frame growth" as straight dairy (holsteins) and then take alot of feed to fill out to a "finished animal."... The beef in them will put a little more meat on them as they are growing, fill out a bit better, and finish at a little lighter weight, than a straight dairy animal, so not such big carcasses.
Dairy animals are KNOWN for the marbling and they are good at eating large amounts of feed, silage and such, so their finished carcasses will grade out in the choice and prime more often with the marbling, at a little faster pace than straight dairy. Plus they do not get the backfat so not as much trim on most carcasses.
Dairy animals are KNOWN for the marbling and they are good at eating large amounts of feed, silage and such, so their finished carcasses will grade out in the choice and prime more often with the marbling, at a little faster pace than straight dairy. Plus they do not get the backfat so not as much trim on most carcasses.
rocfarm
Well-known member
Got none to cull. Will be keeping all my heifers and any bred cow until numbers back up.
Agree we should just keep numbers at a moderate level. The business is definitely more profitable for everyone when we don’t chase max stocking rates. But another year of these rains and I imagine we’ll see numbers go up drastically.
Agree we should just keep numbers at a moderate level. The business is definitely more profitable for everyone when we don’t chase max stocking rates. But another year of these rains and I imagine we’ll see numbers go up drastically.
4hfarms
Well-known member
I have been thinking to take it back a bit. Would like to cut maybe a third or maybe even half. A dozen is enough. We usually sell beef to locals and my wife is against selling at the local barns. Being natural and no vax, they would be open to everything at the barn..... and they bring half the price in small sales. Have to travel to better barns an hour away. Will shoot for next Monday to drop a couple off in Dixon, TN.
Have you considered selling them privately? People will pay top dollar for non-poked. Just got to advertise them in the right place.
What class animal are you cutting loose?
I hate taking anything to the sale barn too. It's just too convenient. Lol
4hfarms
Well-known member
We just sell beef. Don't really advertise, just word of mouth around town.
No class animals, unregistered Longhorns. Better condition than most animals that I see around here. People stop for pics and just to talk about them when I'm out there in the roadside pasture. Get alot of compliments on the animals. I need a sign out front, "slightly used animals for sale." Neighbor just told me she gave directions to her farm, "just past the longhorns couple miles out of town..." without using her address. LoL! Good or bad, we're a landmark here in town I guess.
We raise them for fun, we retired a few years back, and butcher when appropriate. We grind at the table to use or sell lean beef from the butcher. Most don't want the knowledge of the animal when I ask if they want to see a pic or if they want the horns.
Wife wants to start doing farm markets. At least advertise there when she sells other things.
We culled hard out of necessity. I got caught not raising my beef prices enough and not fast enough. A myriad of equipment breakdowns and a lot of other things in life went against us.
I needed to sell last fall. But, no buyers due to cost of feed. So, we held. I kept talking to auction managers and buyers and no one was interested nor hearing of interest to be able to value them. Finally, I needed some cash or just fold up .
We sorted some nice pairs we primarily acquired by buying heifers that ended up bred. We Facebook messaged on every group, called every buyer we knew and just got the word out. We got bidders to the sale.
The first group brought $2800 (this was March). Next group was like $2400. The bottom end depressed me a bit at $1800…. Until I realized I had bought one for $750, weaned a calf and the calf in her was the second we got out of her. I believe her first brought $2250 through our meat program carcass sales.
We have culled hard and sold hard throughout this year to where we really have no outside genetics nor problem cows again. I suspect we failed the bottom third to make room for heifers and second calvers. The quality of the remaining cows is pretty incredible.
I didn’t really sell to capture a market top. I need numbers on our meat program. It was cash flow and retiring debt that drove this. But when I look at the cows left, the quality is incredible. They will perform well when we don’t have crazy prices
I needed to sell last fall. But, no buyers due to cost of feed. So, we held. I kept talking to auction managers and buyers and no one was interested nor hearing of interest to be able to value them. Finally, I needed some cash or just fold up .
We sorted some nice pairs we primarily acquired by buying heifers that ended up bred. We Facebook messaged on every group, called every buyer we knew and just got the word out. We got bidders to the sale.
The first group brought $2800 (this was March). Next group was like $2400. The bottom end depressed me a bit at $1800…. Until I realized I had bought one for $750, weaned a calf and the calf in her was the second we got out of her. I believe her first brought $2250 through our meat program carcass sales.
We have culled hard and sold hard throughout this year to where we really have no outside genetics nor problem cows again. I suspect we failed the bottom third to make room for heifers and second calvers. The quality of the remaining cows is pretty incredible.
I didn’t really sell to capture a market top. I need numbers on our meat program. It was cash flow and retiring debt that drove this. But when I look at the cows left, the quality is incredible. They will perform well when we don’t have crazy prices
chevytaHOE5674
Well-known member
I'm envious of your guys markets and ability to cull so easily.
There hasn't been room on a semi since late 2023 for culls, so mine have been hanging around since then and won't go until September sometime.
I'd love to just be able to haul a couple here and there to the sale barn.
There hasn't been room on a semi since late 2023 for culls, so mine have been hanging around since then and won't go until September sometime.
I'd love to just be able to haul a couple here and there to the sale barn.
It's interesting when these threads pop up and you can see what you were thinking at the time. Prices were good and the pastures did not get destroyed. We ended up getting rain in June-July and closed off the small pastures at each place trying to buld up grass. Mid July or so we threw the cows in the small ones and rested the bigger patures while it rained it butt off. We thought it was going to be a several year recovery but there are pastures with knee to thigh high grass now that likely won't get cows this year.
It's amazing how things can change in 60-90 days if you give it the opportunity. Our hay stockpile is full and we even sold a few bales.
We are holding calves on grass right now and are debating holding what wean in Nov until the spring sales.
It's amazing how things can change in 60-90 days if you give it the opportunity. Our hay stockpile is full and we even sold a few bales.
We are holding calves on grass right now and are debating holding what wean in Nov until the spring sales.
J+ Cattle
Well-known member
@PPRM I highlighted two main points from your post.
You've done what is needed to setup your business for success, too many people are not looking to the future and are only thinking about today. Quality always brings the best price at the sale and you've raised the bar on future calf crops. The cost of production is the same for calves from both good and bad cows, maybe even higher for the bad cows.
Besides, life is too short to have to look at ugly cows.
1000%
