Feeder calf prices

[Ojp6]

Sioux Falls Regional Livestock in SD had 724 lb steers, black and char x at 250.50 this week. Seem's like they are closing in on as high as they have ever been in a hurry. If the board goes over 2.30 the calves in the salebarn look like they could break records.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

We've had 425lb steers bring 3.33$ and some at 340lbs bring 3.71$ today. Nice set of 730lb Charolais steers brought 2.38$ and some at 640lbs 2.55$.

 

[Dave]

The board was down a little when I checked it earlier. But not enough to have any real affect. Fat cattle are going to have to go up before feeders are going to take any real run upward. I don't see how it pencils to pay $3.00 for 4 weights ($1200) when fats are selling for $1.55 (1,400 x 1.55 = $2,170). That is putting on 1,000 pounds for 97 cents of total cost per pound. Some of these people are going to be taking a bit of a bath.

 

[Gunner]

So what do you figure the cost of 1 pound of gain is?

 

[Ojp6]

Yeah it's going to be interesting to see how people come out on these fats. For those steers I mentioned above they would have 357 dollars to put on 676 lbs. They're gonna have a hard time making very much I would think. I guess fats have been bringing up to 1.58 or 1.59 in the salebarn and you can still get a bid around that from some of the plants around home so that would help a little. One of the guys we buy some feeders for even got one load sold for 1.62 a little bit ago but they had to be black steers.

 

[Dave]

So what do you figure the cost of 1 pound of gain is?

It is not just the cost of gain. There is he trucking, morbidity, mortality, vaccinations, etc. And 400 pounders probably aren't going straight to the feedlot so that is more trucking and possibly the cost of selling one more time. Someone has a sharper pencil than I do that is for sure.

 

[talltimber]

I have plenty of grass, good calves, vaccinated, pinkeye'd, wormed. I decided I would hold them a while. It's pretty tough to hold them now. I was thinking selling in Aug or so. I wonder if I'm doing the right thing.

 

[Dave]

I have a son in law who reps for Superior Livestock. They have a sale going on in Iowa yesterday and today. I decided to check and see what the cattle he rep'ed were going for. 100 head of 485 pound steers out of NE Montana for a late Sept/early Oct delivery sold for $3.26. WOW!!! That is $1581 a head for steers not weighing 500. Feeder market is looking pretty strong. I noticed a bunch of loads of 300 pound Holstein steers in the $3.00 range.

 

[js1234]

The board was down a little when I checked it earlier. But not enough to have any real affect. Fat cattle are going to have to go up before feeders are going to take any real run upward. I don't see how it pencils to pay $3.00 for 4 weights ($1200) when fats are selling for $1.55 (1,400 x 1.55 = $2,170). That is putting on 1,000 pounds for 97 cents of total cost per pound. Some of these people are going to be taking a bit of a bath.

ill take every good for kind, straight fall delivery steer that could be bought for $3 at 400. they'd make good money in most programs like ours that way. i doubt that ticket would get a guy many though. we are just starting to get serious about buying fall delivery cattle and need a whole bunch of them. i much prefer a 4 weight at $300 and something to a 6 weight at $260.

 

[Stocker Steve]

i much prefer a 4 weight at $300 and something to a 6 weight at $260.

I think the guys with business plans based on hoping for $5 corn will have to wait for a while...

Are you taking the 4 wts to grass?

 

[js1234]

Yes, those fall delivery 4 weights will go to California grass from November to May and then Wyoming grass from May to October. Most of them will sell off Wyoming grass although we typically feed some of them.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

i much prefer a 4 weight at $300 and something to a 6 weight at $260.

I couldn't agree more.

 

[Ojp6]

i much prefer a 4 weight at $300 and something to a 6 weight at $260.

I couldn't agree more.

I agree as well. If you could buy a 400 lb steer for $300 and sell it at 700 for $250 you would make a pile of money. I just can't see where the $250 7 weights are gonna make any money at 1.55-1.58 fat.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

i much prefer a 4 weight at $300 and something to a 6 weight at $260.

I couldn't agree more.

I agree as well. If you could buy a 400 lb steer for $300 and sell it at 700 for $250 you would make a pile of money. I just can't see where the $250 7 weights are gonna make any money at 1.55-1.58 fat.

Right, fats compared to calves havent made sense to me in a long time. I like buying these green bulls at about 325lbs to 500lbs and putting 100lbs on them and letting someone else take over after that.

 

[Dave]

I wonder how those 400 weight calves at $3.00 that I was questioning in back in June are looking now? For the first time in my life I guessed the market right and I am happy about it now.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

I wonder how those 400 weight calves at $3.00 that I was questioning in back in June are looking now? For the first time in my life I guessed the market right and I am happy about it now.

I sold some cattle a few weeks ago that I had paid 3.00$ for at 400lbs, I didn't make more than 20$ a head.

 

[Bigfoot]

I wonder how those 400 weight calves at $3.00 that I was questioning in back in June are looking now? For the first time in my life I guessed the market right and I am happy about it now.