Hauled off the last 2

[cowgirl8]

Been a busy selling season. Had offers for potloads, 2.50 for steers only 4 to 5 weights. Started testing the market and decided sale barn was the way to go. After all said and done, we averaged over 2.50 for everything. Big winners, BBJr's calves. His steers all brought close to 1600, one going over. Most of the others averaged above 2.50.
Now get this. Hauled off 2 misfits we didnt want to haul with the main groups. One was an UhOh's calf, left a bull and weighed 240 at 6 months of age...He brought 3.71 a pound = 840 bucks. The other was on of BBJr's top steers who developed a joint infection in a front ankle joint. At one point it was the size of a basketball. After a few months, it had shrunk to the size of a large grapefruit. He limped, but not as bad as earlier in the year. Husband wanted to put a bullet in his head, i wanted to see what would happen to the leg so he didnt shoot him. Had him sold to a friend for 500, but I backed out of it because i worried he may taste weird after the DMSO treatments he had to get a hold of the joint damage. Needed to take the small bull calf off his mother so we decided to just chance taking the big guy to the sale because he looked pretty good despite what he had gone though. He came in at 535 pounds and brought 2.53 a pound making his total, 1,353.55 WTH................Not sure how the buyers missed that giant joint, but i'm sure glad they did.
Chewy wasnt docked either. She had a full coat of hair(she was the hairless calf) but her face still looked weird. Tiltyhead was docked, all we can think is maybe he stumbled around or something. He was big too...Not that he was docked much, but he should have brought as much as his brothers. Then again, when i say docked, he still brought 1200..lol...how times have changed.
Kept 60 heifers....

 

[Nesikep]

That's not too bad.

Retained a lot of heifers, going to sell some as breds or keep them all?

 

[cowgirl8]

Sold 2 for 1500...Have another 5 to 8 sold, price ?, havent sorted them out yet but we'll get around 1400 each since its our son's wife's family. We plan to keep at least 50 of them. If for some reason prices rocket up even more, we would consider selling more. Just depends. If we keep them it would get our cow herd up to over 300. There is a big egg factory going in in our town. From what we hear, local guys get first dibs on the manure and its going to be affordable. If this turns out the case, we plan to fertilize the heck out of our pastures and hay fields. We can run more cows if we fertilize, its just the chemical fertilizer is so expensive so we havent done that in years.

 

[Nesikep]

As long as you get the water from upstairs when you need it!

I sold most of my calves a while back to stretch my fall pasture, they were in the 400-550 lb range, got $2.75/lb average, and the cows have been eating much less... I kept 3 replacement heifers, 1 steer (Lazyboy), my intact bull calf, and the 3 late born calves.. I'll probably sell them off in the spring, maybe I'll make a buck keeping them over the winter, the 2 late steers should be in the mid 500's by then, and the little heifer around 450 or so. I might sell a few cows off next spring, or if I have an excess of leftover hay I'll keep them on hay, pasture is always at a premium here.

 

[cowgirl8]

After seeing what we got for that dink, i'd be tempted to sell any small late calf. We usually do have a calf or two we keep over winter. I'm not sure it'd be worth it this year.

 

[bigbull338]

your calves brought real good.what was their av weight.

 

[cowgirl8]

We sold is spurts and with cull cows. Husband filed receipts before i could get a look. They were good, even with the 50 heifer calves mixed in.

 

[jltrent]

I sold everything that was big enough to sell. When they get cheaper I will buy back and yes it will happen and not to far off, just ask the corn producers. Anybody ever heard of buy low, sell high, but some people think this isn't going to end.

 

[Bigfoot]

I sold everything that was big enough to sell. When they get cheaper I will buy back and yes it will happen and not to far off, just ask the corn producers. Anybody ever heard of buy low, sell high, but some people think this isn't going to end.

I agree, but it will take a few years for cow numbers to rise. The row crop farmers can over produce in one growing season.

 

[bigbull338]

i was reading something the other day that said calf prices will move even higher for awhile yet.

 

[Limomike]

Most of it is a crapshoot on what to do... But demand still outweighs supply. And that, my friends, is good news as long as it lasts. Or unless something else tanks the market.

 

[cowgirl8]

We are sure banking on it!!!!