Feedlot question

[OhioRiver]

How much should you give for an angus calf each if you want to start a small feedlot operation or is the cow/calf operation more profitable.

 

[Brandonm2]

Sadly if you have any kind of numbers at all in a feedlot you need to get a permit from your state.

 

[OhioRiver]

I know this sounds stupid, but I need to learn about feedlots and stuff I know. I am just confused as to which way to attempt to go if I can make any money. Feedlots/cow/calf/attempting to be some kind of donor producer although I don't know if I can afford that. Selling weaned calves, raising bulls only or cows only. I need help in this decision.

 

[larryshoat]

I've been paying about $1.03 for good black 450 lb heifers.

Larry

 

[KS Cattle]

Can you feed someone else's calves. That would be a cheaper way to start. People are paying around $1.50/day here for 500 pound calves.

 

[OhioRiver]

Not to sound cute, but how does one make money on $1.50 per day. The max you can make is $1.50 a day. that does sound strange somehow. How long do you feed them and what is the cost of feed per day per calf.

 

[IluvABbeef]

Around here it's $100-$112 cwt for ~500 lb feeders steers. IMO, $1.50 ($150 cwt I'm guessing?) is great for selling weaner steers...you could make a fair amount at that price.

And, if your finishing 900-1000 lbers, you'd feed for a few months til they reach 1100 lbs, feeding barley silage, with an expected rate of gain of 3 lbs/day or higher. That's up here in Alta, mind you.

 

[OhioRiver]

I am a tad confused so bear with me. I buy the feeder steers for the 100-112 /cwt rate and sell them around 1100 pounds to the slaughterhouse or what and for what rate per cwt then??

Around here it's $100-$112 cwt for ~500 lb feeders steers. IMO, $1.50 ($150 cwt I'm guessing?) is great for selling weaner steers...you could make a fair amount at that price.

And, if your finishing 900-1000 lbers, you'd feed for a few months til they reach 1100 lbs, feeding barley silage, with an expected rate of gain of 3 lbs/day or higher. That's up here in Alta, mind you.

 

[IluvABbeef]

Around here it's $100-$112 cwt for ~500 lb feeders steers. IMO, $1.50 ($150 cwt I'm guessing?) is great for selling weaner steers...you could make a fair amount at that price.

And, if your finishing 900-1000 lbers, you'd feed for a few months til they reach 1100 lbs, feeding barley silage, with an expected rate of gain of 3 lbs/day or higher. That's up here in Alta, mind you.

I am a tad confused so bear with me. I buy the feeder steers for the 100-112 /cwt rate and sell them around 1100 pounds to the slaughterhouse or what and for what rate per cwt then??

You'd by ~500 lb feeders at $100-112 cwt, background them to 900-1000 lbs, then finish them to 1100 lbs. Sale price to the slaughter plant at that weight would be $88 - $93 cwt (for 900 lbs and over; I'm guessing you'd get less than $88 cwt for 1100 lbers)

See, you don't have to go through BOTH backgrounding and finishing, you can do either or, depending on how much profit your interested in making; you can just feedlot (800/900 lbs to 1100 lbs), background (from 500 to 900/1000 lbs; or 500 to 800 lbs)

Hope that helps.

 

[OhioRiver]

where can i get good info on all of the feed items and nutrition and vet services i may need to entertain the thought of during this process. I want to start with two angus to see if I can do it. Should they be registered or commercial.

 

[grannysoo]

If you will read this forum, use the search function, and take some motivation upon yourself to involve yourself here, you can find the answers to all of your questions. It's just not going to happen overnight.

Patience grasshopper.........

 

[IluvABbeef]

where can i get good info on all of the feed items and nutrition and vet services i may need to entertain the thought of during this process. I want to start with two angus to see if I can do it. Should they be registered or commercial.

For the first question, you could do a google search on "feedlot" and get a whole pile of info...do a search on here...and look into going to your local ag office for info...and even ask around. If I were you, I'd start with more than two, if your going to feed them up: more like 20. That is, if your pursuing the idea of doing feedlot operation. They can be either registered or commercial, primarly commercial.

I have a book that has a lot of info on feedlot, stocker operations, you can pm me if you're interested.

 

[somn]

Sale price to the slaughter plant at that weight would be $88 - $93 cwt (for 900 lbs and over; I'm guessing you'd get less than $88 cwt for 1100 lbers)

Why do you think anything weighing more than 1100 will bring so little? Is that the way the pay in your region of the world? Here bigger pays better as cattle are actually finished at the heavier weights. Anything sold at that light of a weight here gets bought and taken back to a feedyard to be finished.

http://www.lanesborosalesbarn.com/html/ ... ucers.html

 

[MikeC]

Sale price to the slaughter plant at that weight would be $88 - $93 cwt (for 900 lbs and over; I'm guessing you'd get less than $88 cwt for 1100 lbers)

Why do you think anything weighing more than 1100 will bring so little? Is that the way the pay in your region of the world? Here bigger pays better as cattle are actually finished at the heavier weights. Anything sold at that light of a weight here gets bought and taken back to a feedyard to be finished.

http://www.lanesborosalesbarn.com/html/ ... ucers.html

You are so right! The money is in just under 1000 lb. carcasses now. That would be a 1500-1600 lb. calf.

 

[IluvABbeef]

Sale price to the slaughter plant at that weight would be $88 - $93 cwt (for 900 lbs and over; I'm guessing you'd get less than $88 cwt for 1100 lbers)

Why do you think anything weighing more than 1100 will bring so little? Is that the way the pay in your region of the world? Here bigger pays better as cattle are actually finished at the heavier weights. Anything sold at that light of a weight here gets bought and taken back to a feedyard to be finished.

http://www.lanesborosalesbarn.com/html/ ... ucers.html

Somn, quit biting my head off, it was just a guess (KEY WORD: Guess...., it doesn't mean I actually KNOW... :roll: )

I guess the rule of the boards is "if you don't know, don't post!" thanks for the link, btw...

 

[Brandonm2]

Sale price to the slaughter plant at that weight would be $88 - $93 cwt (for 900 lbs and over; I'm guessing you'd get less than $88 cwt for 1100 lbers)

Why do you think anything weighing more than 1100 will bring so little? Is that the way the pay in your region of the world? Here bigger pays better as cattle are actually finished at the heavier weights. Anything sold at that light of a weight here gets bought and taken back to a feedyard to be finished.

http://www.lanesborosalesbarn.com/html/ ... ucers.html

Somn, quit biting my head off, it was just a guess (KEY WORD: Guess...., it doesn't mean I actually KNOW... :roll: )

I guess the rule of the boards is "if you don't know, don't post!" thanks for the link, btw...

Finished cattle have been bringinig about $94 (USA $$s) a cwt so your $88 a cwt might be a LITTLE on the low end....but not by much if any(and it would be high any year before the last three). Like Mike said they will take your 1100 lb stocker steers and turn them into 1400+++ lb finish steers.

 

[IluvABbeef]

Okay, you got me...on just the slaughter-steer-weight part...I always thought that steers were finished at 1100 lbs, but now I stand corrected.

But the slaughter cattle price argument: here's what the slaughter cattle are going for (according to the Grande Prarie Livestock Market):

Slaughter Cattle (Oct. 31/07)
A Grade Rails Price

FOB Southern Alberta 125
D1 - D2 Cows 25 to 31
A Grade Steers & Heifers 65 to 72
D3 Cows 19 to 24
Butcher Bulls over 1250 lbs 24 to 32
D4 Over fat 20 to 26
Feeder Cows 25 to 34

http://www.gplmcattle.com/gplm/market.htm

And from the Triple J Livestock Market:
Slaughter Cattle Oct. 26/07 Oct. 19/07
Butcher Cows 0.22 - 0.35 0.24 - 0.33
Butcher Bulls 0.26 - 0.35 0.24 - 0.35
Heiferettes 0.39 - 0.49 0.37 - 0.45
Feeder Bulls 0.57 - 0.75 0.55 - 0.85

http://www.triplejlivestock.com/market_c.asp

So from this, slaughter cattle up here are going for lower prices than down where you guys the states want to argue that the prices are supposed to be higher. AND, the prices that I got for 900-1000 lb steers WERE from the Canadian livestock markets. I wasn't making THAT part up. (Obviously they've gone down since I last posted...)

 

[Aero]

where can i get good info on all of the feed items and nutrition and vet services i may need to entertain the thought of during this process. I want to start with two angus to see if I can do it. Should they be registered or commercial.

the first thing i would do is commit to not spending a penny on cows for the next 2 years.