First-calf heifers

[CLS]

I was wanting to get ya'lls general opinion on what age/weight calves should be pulled off first-calf heifers. I'm sure I need to take into accout the pasture condition and mommas condition, but I just wanted some expert opinions.
Thank you for any responses, they are appreciated.

 

[Hawk]

We wean calves based on time rather than weight. Generally, spring calves are born in February or March. We leave them with their mommas, on pasture, until we work the cattle in the fall, usually late October or early November. At that time the calves are either sent to market or separated from the cows and raised as replacement. The average calf will be about 7 to 8 months old and weight about 450 - 500 pounds. If you wanted to wean them earlier, you certainly could. By the time the calves are 5 or 6 month old they are fully able to get by on their own.

 

[dun]

We do similar to Hawk, but wean in mid to late Spetember.
If a heifer is loosing condition addressing it at weaning time is abit late. Generally a poor conditioned heifer won't breed back. You need to keep track of them more diligently then cows. If the heifer is loosing too much condition the calf needs to be pulled off, creep fed, or just live with the heifer(now cow) won't breed back. The last option is expensive, the second may be exoensive depending on the cost of cree and the amount of gain. The first can be exensive if the calf is less trhen a couple of months old and has it's growth slowed, but only if you are going to keep it around a while. The last feeder sale I attended was a real eye opener. By rough esitmate, 50% of the calves were in the mid 3's to low 4's. Never saw so many light weight calves at one time.

dun

 

[la4angus]

We like to calve in the fall and run the cows and calves on ryegrass from late fall until late April. The calves will be 6 to 7 months old at that time and will weigh from 500 to 650 at that time.

Not knowing where you are located and what you have for pasture or available hay or feed, on first calf heifers I would recommend weaning at 6 to 7 1/2 mo.

 

[la4angus]

We do similar to Hawk, but wean in mid to late Spetember.
If a heifer is loosing condition addressing it at weaning time is abit late. Generally a poor conditioned heifer won't breed back. You need to keep track of them more diligently then cows. If the heifer is loosing too much condition the calf needs to be pulled off, creep fed, or just live with the heifer(now cow) won't breed back. The last option is expensive, the second may be exoensive depending on the cost of cree and the amount of gain. The first can be exensive if the calf is less trhen a couple of months old and has it's growth slowed, but only if you are going to keep it around a while. The last feeder sale I attended was a real eye opener. By rough esitmate, 50% of the calves were in the mid 3's to low 4's. Never saw so many light weight calves at one time.

dun

Looks like the producers are taking advantage of the all time record high Feeder prices. 300 lb to 400 lb strs bringing $450.00 to $550.00.
Kind of hard to turn down.

 

[TheBullLady]

That's what we've been doing! We're shipping calves straight off the cows at 4-5 months. Like posted previously, you sure can't turn down what they're bringing. Right now, it's not cost effective to hold them on the cows for any longer.. and the added benefit is the cows hold their condition better.

 

[dun]

We shipped a baldy steer out last week. $79.50 cwt, 1365 lbs on grass

dun

 

[Tc]

dun ,was that at a slawterhouse or a middle man at a lokel sellbarn?

 

[dun]

Middleman but some of the stuff he buys goes straught to slaughter, some to feedlots. The steer was fat enough he probably had his head cut off within a day or two.
This is the only picture I have of him. It really doesn't do justice to his hindquarters. Also it was taken in Late Feb or early March.

dun

dun ,was that at a slawterhouse or a middle man at a lokel sellbarn?

 

[Tc]

id like to have couple 100 like that to sell right now.1085$$ i wounder what the mid-man made on him?~~~~~~Tc

 

[Weaver]

We're selling some on the rail hopefully within the week, last time we sold the price was $1.40 cwt carcass weight, but at the local sale barn this week, he would have brought $91-$92 cwt live weight. Then the sale barn is always a few cents below what you can get for him from selling on the rail. If he graded choice, the middleman might have made around $200 on him.

 

[la4angus]

This weeks Prices

LM_CT100
St Joseph, MO Fri Jun 4, 2004 USDA Market News Service

5 AREA DAILY WEIGHTED AVERAGE DIRECT SLAUGHTER CATTLE - NEGOTIATED
Texas/Oklahoma; Kansas; Nebraska; Colorado; Iowa/Minnesota feedlots
Recap for: Thursday, 6/3/2004

Prices exclude discounts for cattle 30 months or older. Some packers are
applying discounts of 0.00-40.00 per cwt to these type cattle. A complete
list of Premiums and Discounts can be found on report LM_CT155, The National
Weekly Direct Slaughter Cattle - Premiums and Discounts or LM_CT169, The
5-Area Weekly Wtd Avg Direct Slaughter Cattle - Premiums and Discounts.

Head Count: 34,276 Week Ago: 28,194 Last Year: 111,549
Week to Date 302,355 Week Ago: 203,910 Last Year: 180,457

LIVE FOB BASIS - Beef Breeds
Head Weight Price Avg Avg
Count Range Range Weight Price

STEERS
Over 80% Choice 762 1,200-1,350 90.00-92.00 1,311 90.99
65 - 80% Choice 3,852 1,225-1,400 89.00-92.00 1,295 90.49
35 - 65% Choice 3,967 1,100-1,325 88.00-91.00 1,206 89.16
0 - 35% Choice 148 1,325-1,325 90.00-90.00 1,325 90.00
Total all grades 8,729 1,100-1,400 88.00-92.00 1,256 89.92
HEIFERS
Over 80% Choice 380 1,075-1,200 89.00-91.00 1,141 89.62
65 - 80% Choice 1,701 1,035-1,225 89.00-91.00 1,133 89.84
35 - 65% Choice 1,636 1,050-1,270 87.00-91.00 1,133 90.07
0 - 35% Choice - -
Total all grades 3,717 1,035-1,270 87.00-91.00 1,134 89.92

DRESSED DELIVERED BASIS - Beef Breeds
Head Weight Price Avg Avg
Count Range Range Weight Price

STEERS
Over 80% Choice 314 819-865 142.00-145.00 832 143.49
65 - 80% Choice 2,167 731-873 142.00-147.00 820 144.63
35 - 65% Choice 3,115 700-847 142.00-147.00 795 144.50
0 - 35% Choice - -
Total all grades 5,596 700-873 142.00-147.00 806 144.49
HEIFERS
Over 80% Choice 96 675-756 142.00-145.00 717 143.56
65 - 80% Choice 866 685-808 142.00-147.00 746 145.00
35 - 65% Choice 1,134 693-800 142.00-147.00 752 144.42
0 - 35% Choice - -
Total all grades 2,096 675-808 142.00-147.00 748 144.62