Interesting Numbers from Winter livestock

[3waycross]

United States Cattle on Feed Down 1 Percent

Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.1 million head on May 1, 2012. The inventory was 1 percent below May 1, 2011.

Placements in feedlots during April totaled 1.52 million, 15 percent below 2011. Net placements were 1.44 million head. During April, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 355,000, 600-699 pounds were 250,000, 700-799 pounds were 380,000, and 800 pounds and greater were 536,000.

Marketings of fed cattle during April totaled 1.82 million, slightly above 2011.
Other disappearance totaled 78,000 during April, 30 percent above 2011.

 

[Anonymous]

Interesting for sure.

 

[highgrit]

What does this mean to the small producer? Say 50 to 100 head of feeder calves pre year. Thanks

 

[Anonymous]

Means prices will continue to climb. Talked with a few guys lately on price trends. Consensus is that we are looking at 4 years of climbing prices

 

[Kathie in Thorp]

Means prices will continue to climb. Talked with a few guys lately on price trends. Consensus is that we are looking at 4 years of climbing prices

:)

 

[highgrit]

Well hopefully y'all are right. How much higher can beef prices go?? My wife bought a Lee smoked pork shank for a dollar a pound at Harvey's Supermarket Tuesday. A good steak cost more than we can justify now at the supermarket. Seems like pork and chicken is still affordable, and beef and seafood are for the rich folk. The only thing going for us is nothing beats a rare to medium rare 1 1/2" T-Bone steak.

 

[heath]

Well hopefully y'all are right. How much higher can beef prices go?? My wife bought a Lee smoked pork shank for a dollar a pound at Harvey's Supermarket Tuesday. A good steak cost more than we can justify now at the supermarket. Seems like pork and chicken is still affordable, and beef and seafood are for the rich folk. The only thing going for us is nothing beats a rare to medium rare 1 1/2" T-Bone steak.

With prices as high as they are now, I can't justify keeping one back to feed out. I ended up having my girls' show goats processed. It only cost $50 a head, and the girls eat it better than they so beef.

 

[BC]

Well hopefully y'all are right. How much higher can beef prices go?? My wife bought a Lee smoked pork shank for a dollar a pound at Harvey's Supermarket Tuesday. A good steak cost more than we can justify now at the supermarket. Seems like pork and chicken is still affordable, and beef and seafood are for the rich folk. The only thing going for us is nothing beats a rare to medium rare 1 1/2" T-Bone steak.

I really hate to hear a cattle producer make a statement that their product "cost more than we can justify now at the supermarket". With all our costs to produce beef going up, we need for beef to bring goodmoney to be a sustainable industry. By the way, have you seen a recent close out on feedlot cattle:


The Cattle Report estimates current profit or loss on cattle placed on feed 150 days ago. This report generated from industry averages attempts to simulate a typical close out based on prevailing purchase prices for a feeder steer 150 days ago. The close out assumes grain was purchased at market each month. Selling prices and interest rates are based on prevailing benchmark quoted prices. This chart will change weekly.

INPUTS TOTAL$ $CWT

750 # Feeder Steer OKC 150 days ago $1,009.50 $134.60
Cost of Gain 500 pounds $ 553.04 $1.11
Estimated Interest(Prime + 1%) $ 22.46
Resulting Breakeven $1,585.00 $126.80

Current Texas Panhandle Cash $1,537.88 $123.03

Net Profit / Loss $ -47.13 $ -3.77

 

[Kingfisher]

Well hopefully y'all are right. How much higher can beef prices go?? My wife bought a Lee smoked pork shank for a dollar a pound at Harvey's Supermarket Tuesday. A good steak cost more than we can justify now at the supermarket. Seems like pork and chicken is still affordable, and beef and seafood are for the rich folk. The only thing going for us is nothing beats a rare to medium rare 1 1/2" T-Bone steak.

What do you think will happen to pork and chicken prices in the days to come?

 

[Stocker Steve]

United States Cattle on Feed Down 1 Percent

Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.1 million head on May 1, 2012. The inventory was 1 percent below May 1, 2011.

We are down a lot more than that. Hay fields are becoming corn fields and older beef producers are cashing out. I was at an auction Saturday where the tillage and planting equipment went very high, and haying equipment was cheap.
On paper a long (8 year?) soybean/corn/cattle rotation is a winner here, but most folks are too smart to care for cattle year round... The economics are based on no till beans and cheap hay.
As usual I am bucking the trend and seeded down 3 more fields in April. Now the wife needs to fence them. ;-) The remaining unfenced but accessible land is going into a corn/soy bean/under seeded oats rotation than includes bale grazing every third year.
I will need a pot belly of cows if it keeps raining. :cboy: