I'm Only Buying Black Angus Cows Going Forth

[libertygarden]

Maybe the black calf was just the best one of the group.

They all sucked, but in my opinion the best ones were 2 and 3 which were red. I'm not complaining about how little I got for the lot, which is more than what I was expecting. I merely making the observation in price difference between the one black and the 4 red. I'll see if I can get a recent picture.

 

[callmefence]

They all sucked, but in my opinion the best ones were 2 and 3 which were red. I'm not complaining about how little I got for the lot, which is more than what I was expecting. I merely making the observation in price difference between the one black and the 4 red. I'll see if I can get a recent picture.

Fair enough.my point being.
Generally if you're selling #2 calves color can make a difference. If your selling #1 not so much.

 

[libertygarden]

 

[libertygarden]

Above are #2 and #5. The black one brought in 55 more.

 

[Lucky]

Allot of times at a local barn you'll have a guy needing a few to make a load so they'll end up paying more for a certain color and weight. That being said black will always bring more at the Paris barns. I run black cows with Hereford bulls so always have a few reds in the mix. If I sell local I get docked a little but, if I ship they all bring the same. Also what fence says is true...Good quality cattle always bring good money.

 

[libertygarden]

@Lucky and @callmefence,

Agree. Almost always, quality is the number one driver of price. It just seemed very odd that the black one weighing 65 pounds less brought in $135 more than the red one.

 

[cattleman99]

So I took my second round of calves to market (Paris, TX) last Wednesday. They were 4 heifers, 1 bull calf that I got in an August cow/calf sale. Needless to say, both the cows and calves were distressed but in the last 5 months they managed to put on weight, at least enough to recover half my purchase price (not including hay and cubes). These are the results and observations.

1) bull red angus, 245# at 205, $502.25
2) heifer red angus, 475# at 140, $665.00
3) heifer red angus, 370# at 172, $638.00
4) heifer red angus, 295# at 145, $427.75
5) heifer black angus, 410# at 195, $799.50

Number 2 and 5 were maybe a month apart, yet #5 brought in 55 more. Of the lot, I liked #3 the best, but even her brought in 23 less than the black angus. All claves were weaned ( or almost weaned as I seldom saw them nurse) when I bought them, not because they were too old, but it seemed to me like the mothers had dried up during the drought. Number 1 and #4 were ugly as sin, their mother's were definitely dry when I bought them. I'm surprised the bull calf, #1 (nuts and all) brought in 205.

So my take away from this is to cull any cow that gives me red calves and keep only those that drop black. The red angus mother of #5 already dropped another black calf in October, so she is staying, plus she's a good mother. The mothers of #1 and #4, I'll probably sell as heavy bred or as a pair in due time. The other two I'm not sure.

I would cull everyone of those cows. Drought or not dink calves are dink calves. Colour doesn't really factor in.

If the one has calved again already that would mean you sold a calf that's close to a yearling or more at under 500 lbs. Fertility typically suffers first in a drought too.

 

[RDFF]

Yeah... I sure can't see that the black was in better shape... they're both pretty thin, but just based on body condition, I would have rather taken the red... maybe the guy buying the black figured he was healthy but on the thin side, so he was buying a frame that would more easily put weight on more quickly, for less money, vs. the red, which had slightly better condition, IMO.

More than likely though, the guy buying black was wearing green underwear...

 

[libertygarden]

Thanks @cattleman99. I don't like any of the reds either. They were sort of a beginners mistake, but you have a great point on the dink calves. Yes, the momma of the black heifer calved at the end of October, another black calve. Would you cull now or in spring after they put on more weight and drop their calves? I'll need to get about 2 extra round bales a piece to get them through the rest of winter.

 

[Aero]

I'm working hard to not take anything to the stock yard because even when you top the market, it's rarely better than break even. I intend to have no more black animals in the future.

On a different note, I can't understand selling any calves so small. If you got $4/lb for a 100lb calf you still wouldn't have a chance of breaking even on cost of production. I would assume if selling in January, the feed is running out.

 

[Son of Butch]

I can't understand selling any calves so small.

op bought 5 drought distressed cows and calves. The cows went dry, so he sold the calves

 

[shaz]

I personally think your farm/pasture dictates what you raise.

 

[Lucky]

Along with what shaz says. In this area (the OP and I are obviously close together) 500-550 is the typical weaning weight. I know these calves were under that but for whatever reason we just don't wean as big a calves as the guys more to the North. I attribute it to the really hot dry summer weather. We also tend to take a little longer to grow calves out and I believe that is due to our whacky winters. I've bought some cows from farther North thinking that would help but they just don't get acclimated like you'd think. I believe region plays a bigger role in your cattle operation that some might think.

 

[Travlr]

@Lucky and @callmefence,

Agree. Almost always, quality is the number one driver of price. It just seemed very odd that the black one weighing 65 pounds less brought in $135 more than the red one.

I think you've made a valid point. Both calves look similar enough that they should have brought similar money. In fact if I was buying for someone else I would have bought the red before the black.... looking beyond the color and just at what I'd expect performance wise. Neither one was muscled up like I would prefer.

 

[libertygarden]

@Lucky The 5 I took to market in August were average 525 at 7 months. It's probably more optimal to take between 4 and 500. That seems to be the sweet spot the buyers in our area are looking for.

 

[Lucky]

@Lucky The 5 I took to market in August were average 525 at 7 months. It's probably more optimal to take between 4 and 500. That seems to be the sweet spot the buyers in our area are looking for.

I'm guessing you are taking the calves to the Wednesday sale? If you haven't already visit with Gilly the owner. Super nice younger guy, he'll shoot you straight on what the buyers are looking for and how you can improve your herd. He can also recomend buyers for cattle wether you need 1 or 100. Think they charge $10 to buy a cow these days.

 

[libertygarden]

Yes, I have Gil on my address book. He sent someone to p/u my calves since I don't have a trailer. Nice person.

 

[Ebenezer]

You

I'm working hard to not take anything to the stock yard because even when you top the market, it's rarely better than break even. I intend to have no more black animals in the future.

On a different note, I can't understand selling any calves so small. If you got $4/lb for a 100lb calf you still wouldn't have a chance of breaking even on cost of production. I would assume if selling in January, the feed is running out.

You must have high operating costs.

 

[Travlr]

@Lucky The 5 I took to market in August were average 525 at 7 months. It's probably more optimal to take between 4 and 500. That seems to be the sweet spot the buyers in our area are looking for.

I don't get the logic involved in bringing smaller/younger calves to sell. A 500# calf would have to get over 15 cents more per pound than a 600# calf to break even. I've seen this expressed before and the numbers don't support selling lighter/younger animals.

 

[Rmc]

Selling lighter calves actually pencils out better for us when using all costs of the cow throughout the year. Here is why the last 4-5 years we have sold lighter calves. We have sold to same buyer last 4 years. We get a premium above highest price of average of two closest auctions from the last weeks sale. Which means we decide when to sell and know how much we are getting. Selling early leaves more forage available . Cow gains weight on forage . Both those factors mean we have to feed less hay to that cow throughout the winter. Have you looked at the cost of feed lately. When you feed 100-120 days a year? $200-300 dollars a ton hay . If you reduce the amount of feed you feed a cow even by 1/2 Ton that is $100-150 savings. Doesn't take long to pencil out better to sell light when you add in additional price per lb , additional forage that can increase carrying capacity, reduced amount of hay fed to cow.