Incorporating Stockers- Any advice Welcome!

[californiacattle]

Hi y'all!
I hope I'm posting this to the right board—

We have plans to slowly start incorporating stockers to our operation. We are currently and have always been a commercial cow calf op, but for the last few years we have been considering moving forward with stockers. We have decided to now pull the trigger for a great number of reasons—

One of them being a huge wreck we got into last year that severely impacted our herd size. This bad storm in turn had one positive outcome, our pastures were able to recover greatly. Especially with all of this rain we have been getting in California. So now that we are more confident in our forage than we have been in the last few years, we want to add some stockers.

Does anyone have any advice they would like to share when it comes to adding stockers? I greatly appreciate any and all—I believe there is something to be learned from everyone! More specifically- if you also have any advice you could share when it comes to buying from auction (what you look for, avoid, etc.) I would definitely appreciate it! I like to frontload myself with as much information as possible.

Thank you very much!

 

[MurraysMutts]

Hardest and sometimes easiest part is keeping them alive!

As far as sale barns....
Go sit and watch AS MUCH AS U CAN before ever raising your hand. Absorb EVERYTHING. There's a lot to see and remember at a sale. And much to fast to just jump right in and buy stuff.

 

[californiacattle]

Hardest and sometimes easiest part is keeping them alive!

As far as sale barns....
Go sit and watch AS MUCH AS U CAN before ever raising your hand. Absorb EVERYTHING. There's a lot to see and remember at a sale. And much to fast to just jump right in and buy stuff.

Thank you!
I'm definitely going to go watch some auctions. We aren't strangers to bidding on cows- but calves are a different story so I'm really looking forward to seeing what others actually look for when buying stockers to graze! Ive seen it- but haven't watched with the intent that I have now. This is very good advice!

 

[Son of Butch]

Buying at auction is easy. All you need is money and the last one with hand in the air.

 

[Lucky]

Are you planning on feeding them or just grazing them out?

 

[wbvs58]

I do cow calf, my thoughts of adding stockers would be the biosecurity aspect of bringing in outside stock to your operation. I would be thinking along the lines of growing out my own calves further in better times if I wanted to increase my stocking rate.
My thoughts for what they are worth.

Ken

 

[ClinchValley86]

Have been thinking of doing something similar as you.

I'd be inclined to find an order buyer and talk to them. They're professional cattle buyers.

Only takes 5 seconds to buy a POS animal. Them lessons are expensive.

 

[littletom]

I started doing this on small scale few years ago. What I have learned or think I have learned is. I put it that way because I know still have long ways to go considering some people are several generations into stockers.
I have a buyer I trust to do the buying he knows what he is doing I set price. Yes he is at that stock yard most come through, but when don't get them knows people at everyother one can often find them for my price within a week somewhere else. This is a side hustle I don't have a couple days a week to burn at the stockyard.
PI test everysingle animal you bring in. After you get a couple postive this will be more clear.
Be prepared for sickness its just part of it. Had a load last fall that was getting close to a wreck. Have a load now that have been very healthy.
You want a 50000 pound load to sell if you want catch most of the profit potential. Just have so many more options to market.
I know people do this different and make it work. But not me. I don't want them around my cow calf herd. I do this at a different farm 4 miles from home farm. Just a lot of things can go wrong. It s a high risk deal with out adding that.
I only do this in winter as i don't have time to dr calves during summer. A ton of options on how long to keep what size etc. what fits your situation. One other little thing I think the same person needs to feed see after everyday. Lot easier to see the sick ones earlier. Most importantly between days 8-20 after you get them.
Money to be made with stockers. Not for everyone. Alot of it is cleaning up what others didnt do. Making it right and putting them in a load together. Cutting, Pi testing, preg check, dehorning etc. Then marketing that load as right and ready to go. Clean the place up good and repeat.

 

[KAstocker]

Best way to learn is to start. Probably best to find an order buyer. Keep them long enough or feed them enough to get at least 200 lbs on them.

 

[gcreekrch]

Have been thinking of doing something similar as you.

I'd be inclined to find an order buyer and talk to them. They're professional cattle buyers.

Only takes 5 seconds to buy a POS animal. Them lessons are expensive.

You don't forget them though….

 

[californiacattle]

Are you planning on feeding them or just grazing them out?

Both! My plan was to supplement feed for the first four weeks at least and see how they do. After that I was planning to watch their gains and add to/subtract from the feed I'm supplementing as they graze.

 

[californiacattle]

Best way to learn is to start. Probably best to find an order buyer. Keep them long enough or feed them enough to get at least 200 lbs on them.

Thank you! I love this advice because it makes me even more excited to get started. I was planning on avoiding an order buyer for my first group (it will be a small one) and maybe get set up with one in the next load I purchase (hopefully a bigger group). If things progress the way I'm hoping they will, an order buyer will definitely be vital— amongst other reasons, we don't even have the time to go to the sale barn even if we wanted to.

 

[Lucky]

Both! My plan was to supplement feed for the first four weeks at least and see how they do. After that I was planning to watch their gains and add to/subtract from the feed I'm supplementing as they graze.

If you are planning to feed them I'd have a nice easy set up if you don't already. A truck feeder, bulk bin, and troughs would be first on the list. We can feed, count, and look ours in the eye in about 10 minutes. This makes a big difference in fighting sickness and calming them down. We built our set up about 4 yrs ago and I haven't lost one since. That's not to say one won't be sick today though.

 

[Travlr]

Hi y'all!
I hope I'm posting this to the right board—

We have plans to slowly start incorporating stockers to our operation. We are currently and have always been a commercial cow calf op, but for the last few years we have been considering moving forward with stockers. We have decided to now pull the trigger for a great number of reasons—

One of them being a huge wreck we got into last year that severely impacted our herd size. This bad storm in turn had one positive outcome, our pastures were able to recover greatly. Especially with all of this rain we have been getting in California. So now that we are more confident in our forage than we have been in the last few years, we want to add some stockers.

Does anyone have any advice they would like to share when it comes to adding stockers? I greatly appreciate any and all—I believe there is something to be learned from everyone! More specifically- if you also have any advice you could share when it comes to buying from auction (what you look for, avoid, etc.) I would definitely appreciate it! I like to frontload myself with as much information as possible.

Thank you very much!

I don't have personal experience buying calves to background before going into a feedlot... but I know people that have done it and the ones that seem to have the best outcomes don't buy through the salebarn. They find a cow/calf operation that is big enough to supply the numbers they will be looking for and they contract to purchase ahead of time. What they get is animals that are consistent in type and have never been stressed by going through the salebarn process. They can custom order vaccinations or implants and plan their own timing and negotiate their own terms. Both parties benefit.

 

[Dave]

Do your best to buy weaned calves. If you buy private or at the sale look for larger groups of calves from bigger reputation outfits who use real good genetics. Calves off hard range land pastures will have better compensatory gains than will the ones off easy pastures.

 

[Stocker Steve]

1) Standard advice is to buy Gordon Hazzard' stocker book. Just understand that calf and grass types tend to be regional.

2) Standard advice is to buy fool proof weaned calves. Just understand that half of the potential profit is in what you buy and how you start them. Stockmanship allows you to prosper with calves that others are afraid to buy.

3) Stockers need much better feed/forage than cows. Have a seasonal COG plan on how to deliver it. Learn MIG.

4) Understand how LRP works.

5) Learn sell buy marketing.

6) Understand the tradeoffs between calf size and stocking rate and ADG.

7) Consider partnering with a grow yard.

 

[Travlr]

1) Standard advice is to buy Gordon Hazzard' stocker book. Just understand that calf and grass types tend to be regional.

2) Standard advice is to buy fool proof weaned calves. Just understand that half of the potential profit is in what you buy and how you start them. Stockmanship allows you to prosper with calves that others are afraid to buy.

3) Stockers need much better feed/forage than cows. Have a seasonal COG plan on how to deliver it. Learn MIG.

4) Understand how LRP works.

5) Learn sell buy marketing.

6) Understand the tradeoffs between calf size and stocking rate and ADG.

7) Consider partnering with a grow yard.

For those of us that don't speak fluid acronym... how about spelling them out?
COG, MIG, LRP, and I'm pretty sure ADG means average daily gain.

 

[Lucky]

For those of us that don't speak fluid acronym... how about spelling them out?
COG, MIG, LRP, and I'm pretty sure ADG means average daily gain.

COG...cost of gain
LRP...livestock risk protection...it's a sort of insurance policy.
ADG...average daily gain
MIG..management intensive grazing

 

[gcreekrch]

Stockers can be a good addition or death to operators that don't know what they are doing. There is more profit per animal today than there was two years ago and there was a bloodbath feeding backgrounders last winter.
Do your homework!

 

[Stocker Steve]

Stockers can be a good addition or death to operators that don't know what they are doing. There is more profit per animal today than there was two years ago and there was a bloodbath feeding backgrounders last winter.
Do your homework!

Locally, we have a low value of gain on 6 and 7 wts.. Are u seeing this?