Fall Calf Run Away?

[JMJ Farms]

Didn't stay for the cull cows or bulls, but the previous week they were in the .40-.60's for the cows and .75 - .90 for the bulls.

Our cull market really dropped. Most cows .37 to .65. There will be some cheap old breds this fall.

I thought the big cow kill would end with rains in the south?

Cull market hear is awful too. Takes a dang good one to make it to .50. I've got a few that have to go to town. But the ones that are still breeding and holding condition but raise an average or slightly below average calf are gonna get to have one more here. I ain't gonna haul the cows to them AND give them to em too!

 

[LocustDaleCattleCompany]

Sale results from yesterday. Our high 6 weight steers went $1.55 and high 6 weight heifers went $1.32. Still fairly good IMHO.

 

[farmerjan]

Cull cow market dropped way off here too. Not only the glut at places due to the hurricane, but also from more dairy cows as farms are selling out. Might be a month before we see prices come back up, if they do, but it takes a REAL GOOD one to hit $.50 they say.

Hauled 9 steers in the 350 to 6 wts most were 5-6 and then I took 8 heifers in most were 5 wts. One bigger open heifer that had aborted once, then rechecked preg and no calf again when she was supposed to have it, and I didn't feel one in her last night so she went. Don't know her weight, she went with the steer load early. I'll know more when we get the check. We had a couple inches rain in the last 48 hours so the numbers were way down because many still cannot get into fields to get cattle out. Don't know if that will help prices or not. I had alot of catching up today so couldn't stay.

 

[MtnCows93]

Why keep a decent but not super duper, heifer at 550 lbs, worth about $6-700 and feed for another 2 years to sell a calf off her when we can buy some breds for $8-1,000 and have a calf to sell in the spring? Some won't be great calves, but at $1.00 lb as a low for these heifers, that's $550 value. Another 18 months before you even get a calf on the ground is another $5-600 in her, then another 7 months to wean the calf so another $300. If I buy some breds at $900 and sell calves off them in 7 months, I am a year ahead of the timeline. Granted, there is no guarantee the calves will be good, and there will be some salvage value to the cow if I don't like her or the calf.
It is a bit of a trade off, but I think we would do better to not be feeding a growing weaned heifer through the winter with greater nutritional needs. Granted we will keep the heifers we really like and feed, but it may be a smaller group than originally thought.

It is helpful that some cattlemen are not good at math. Otherwise no one would retain heifers, and we would go out of business. :nod:

Three potential reasons to retain now:
1) Really special cattle. Mine are not.
2) Rising market. Perhaps, but it is likely that we are a little early. Fall of 2019 or 2020 should be better.
3) Return per acre. We are running a bred heifer on 0.9 acres, and and a pair here takes 40 to 60% more. :cowboy:

Proof you need smaller cows :hide:

 

[Stocker Steve]

Yes. I did not buy a bull from Kit yet, but I have an OCC bull on my heifers, and I sell off the big bred heifer cut, retaining the small(er) ones..

 

[farmerjan]

I don't keep heifers according to "size" so much as what I like to look at. They do tend to be the bigger ones as I feel they are better growers. I just look them over, see if there are any real negatives as far as the balance, and the shape. I want nice straight backs, no ewe necks, a heifer that walks well. AND she has to not be high strung and looking for a way out of the catch pen. Don't want one to be mopey, but she has to not look like she is ready to run for the next county.

We figure it takes 1 1/2 acres per cow calf pair. This year with all the rain, and grass it has been about 1 acre. We do not have huge cows, most are in the 1100 lb range when culled, but have had some as small as 950 that raise nice calves. A friend has 14-1600 lb cows. He has feet and leg and lameness troubles that we just don't have. His calves may wean 100 lbs more, but he usually keeps them longer so I can't say they are that much bigger. And he runs them @ about 2 acres per cow/calf pair.

 

[Stocker Steve]

I have some of those 14-1600 lb. cows. Their calves do well back grounding, but I don't keep the heifers.
My small(er) cows are 12-1300 lbs..