Good time to buy some feeders?

[Ky hills]

I don't have a crystal ball, but have been thinking about buying some feeders in the near future. I usually start buying some heifers to go along with my spring ones, around this time of year. Most of those are kept to sell as breds after culling some out. I have been thinking of bringing in a few more and wintering them and selling them in the spring, with the hope that they might make a little. Do y'all think that would be a somewhat of a decent idea. I would probably try to buy around 450-500 lbs.

 

[kenny thomas]

After tomorrow when it cools down I,think it is,a good,idea.

 

[callmefence]

I know it's not what you ask, but I think cows are the thing to buy right now.
You can buy skinny cows for way less. Than a 450 calf right now.
Should gain both in weight and price by spring. .
We'd call a calf that size a stocker not a feeder fwiw.

 

[Son of Butch]

Fats can't go much lower, so buying feeder calves this year has to be better than buying them last year.

 

[bird dog]

I agree with fence, well somewhat. Buy mid age short breds to calve in the spring. There is so much hay available you can feed them through the winter for $75. Let the cow get fat and the and the calf grow up with the spring flush. Sell both before it gets hot. From what I have seen, there is not much price difference in the mid age short breds and the old broke mouths to take the risk on the old cows.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Better 5 wt heifers are U$S 1.50 to 1.60 here. Much higher than last year, when they bottomed at $1 for 6 wts..

Low kill cow prices (any idea why?) seems to be draggin down bred cow prices. I don't want more cows - - but I think selling heavy calves and buying short breds has been a good trade.

 

[Ky hills]

I know it's not what you ask, but I think cows are the thing to buy right now.
You can buy skinny cows for way less. Than a 450 calf right now.
Should gain both in weight and price by spring. .
We'd call a calf that size a stocker not a feeder fwiw.

I have never bought cows like that before, but have often thought it might be a good idea. Heard a agriculture college speaker tell about yearly trends in weigh cow prices, seemed to imply that they could make money especially in a certain time period.
You are likely correct with the term stocker, I hear some refer to calves as that, and it makes sense that the larger calves ready to go into a feedlot would be called feeders. Must be a regional term, but most call them feeders here. At the stockyards when a calf is sold by the pound they are listed as feeders, even 3-400 lbs.

 

[Allenw]

I agree with fence, well somewhat. Buy mid age short breds to calve in the spring. There is so much hay available you can feed them through the winter for $75. Let the cow get fat and the and the calf grow up with the spring flush. Sell both before it gets hot. From what I have seen, there is not much price difference in the mid age short breds and the old broke mouths to take the risk on the old cows.

I always done better with solid mouth cows then broken mouthed cows. I usually was feeding some sorry hay I couldn't sell. I always sold them in the spring rush for replacements, which is March to early April here. I always tried to sell them as pairs and bought accordingly.

 

[True Grit Farms]

I bought 10 young cows today that are 4-6 months bred. And plan to sell in the spring as pairs.

 

[kenny thomas]

I bought 10 young cows today that are 4-6 months bred. And plan to sell in the spring as pairs.

Good plan I feel.

 

[midTN_Brangusman]

I know it's not what you ask, but I think cows are the thing to buy right now.
You can buy skinny cows for way less. Than a 450 calf right now.
Should gain both in weight and price by spring. .
We'd call a calf that size a stocker not a feeder fwiw.

Fence, are you buying these cows as breds or out of the killer pen by the pound? I have done that several times, buy by the pound and have the vet come out and preg check. Raise a calf and sell them the next fall. With the cost of vet fees, I wonder if its cheaper just to buy them checked.

 

[callmefence]

I know it's not what you ask, but I think cows are the thing to buy right now.
You can buy skinny cows for way less. Than a 450 calf right now.
Should gain both in weight and price by spring. .
We'd call a calf that size a stocker not a feeder fwiw.

Fence, are you buying these cows as breds or out of the killer pen by the pound? I have done that several times, buy by the pound and have the vet come out and preg check. Raise a calf and sell them the next fall. With the cost of vet fees, I wonder if its cheaper just to buy them checked.

Typically I buy breds at about 10percent over slaughter.

Things are different..there's a big spread between slaughter and breds. As much as 35 percent. I think I might buy some really poor skinnys and put them on oat pasture for the winter. I might not even put a bull with em. Maybe get a cheap bull.
Thing about cows is price per pound goes up with gain. Stockers go down with gain.

One thing I look for is a reason for the cow to be poor. Like coming off rough summer forage and looks like just had a calf split off. As long as I think I can see a reason for her to be poor. I feel there's a good chance she'll gain.

 

[midTN_Brangusman]

Typically I buy breds at about 10percent over slaughter.

Things are different..there's a big spread between slaughter and breds. As much as 35 percent. I think I might buy some really poor skinnys and put them on oat pasture for the winter. I might not even put a bull with em. Maybe get a cheap bull.
Thing about cows is price per pound goes up with gain. Stockers go down with gain.

One thing I look for is a reason for the cow to be poor. Like coming off rough summer forage and looks like just had a calf split off. As long as I think I can see a reason for her to be poor. I feel there's a good chance she'll gain.[/quote]


Always sound advice, thank you :tiphat: