Judgement day

[M.Magis]

I took my first four calves to the sale Wed. I should find out today how they did today. I know for most, four calves isn't much, but it's the first four off the farm in 20 years. It took me a few years of re-building fence just to get to here. I don't think they were perfect, but I don't think they turned out too bad. We'll see what the buyers thought.

The left is a mid May steer born to a 6 year old first calf heifer. My fault, not hers. He's not spectacular, but considering how fat she was I think she did okay. The heifer on the right just might end up the biggest of the four.

The steer on the right was born in Feb. He grew like crazy for the first four months, then just seemed to stall out.

One last bite to eat. Not very good pictures, but they didn't cooperate.

 

[kickinbull]

They look good to me. Hope they brought good money for you.

 

[fitz]

Look like nice calves. Good job.

fitz

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

I would sure be proud to have raised them.

 

[Black and Good]

Nice calves! They should make them raise their hands at the sale. B&G

 

[kenny thomas]

They do look good and you have done good for the first crop of calves. Go watch them sell next time, people spend a year raising the calves and take them to the sale and say goodbye. Finish the task and stay for the sale. You might learn something new.

 

[M.Magis]

That's something I wanted to do, but I only have a day and a half of vacation left for the year. I usually take at least three for bowhunting, so I'm already short. I just took the morning off to take them over, and also decided to take my 5 year old with me for his first trip to the sale barn. We were able to stay and watch some fats and the bulls sell, but then had to leave. Feeders don't start until 1pm and take all afternoon, so I couldn't watch them. He absolutely loved it there, so after the new year I'll take a whole day and we'll go watch the feeders and all. I sort of wondered how he'd do with the smell and noise, but as we were sitting in the cafeteria to get him a hot dog he looked at me and said "Dad, this place is great!" Couldn't help but smile.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

Good looking calves, hope they did well, and I bet they did.

 

[greybeard]

Calves look good--looks like you did a good job growing them out. Don't know what you have in them, but I think you'll do ok at the sale--at least ya would here.

After all these years, the sights, smells, sounds and "attitude" of a sale barn is still something I really enjoy.
If ya can, take your son out back on the catwalk next trip, and let him get an eyefull-- ;-) let him see if he can pick yall's out of the crowd.

(hope that was an All Beef hotdog he got from the salebarn cafe)

 

[M.Magis]

We did take two or three walks around the catwalk, but we couldn't find our calves. It's a sea of black. He couldn't decide if he wanted to walk and look or sit and watch the ring, so we went back and forth. He always wanted to sit down at the bottom by the ring. I told him we should back up at least one row. He didn't understand until one of the bulls came through hotter than a firecracker trying to put his head through the pipes. And he got a kick out of it when one of the bulls squirted all over the bottom row where he wanted to sit.

 

[greybeard]

He couldn't decide if he wanted to walk and look or sit and watch the ring,

I'm still the same way--and I'm 63. Some of us never grow up.

 

[jasonleonard]

Nice calves, Did you drop them at Muskingum? Look at your stub and see if Seaman cattle got them?
He is an order buyer out of Morgantown....whoops my azz all year long!

 

[M.Magis]

Well, got my answer today. I was pleasantly surprised with the weights, though a little disappointed in the prices on a couple.
The baldy weighed 495 and brought $1.56. He was near the top of his weight bracket (in weight) that topped at $1.87.
The heifer did indeed outweight them all at 730 lbs. She brought $1.11 in a bracket that topped at $1.22
The other two steers were underwhelming. One weighed 675 and brought $1.31 and the other weighed 635 and brought $1.20. Their bracket topped at $1.61.
Certainly not terrible, but does leave me looking at what I can do better next year.

I did take them over to Muskingum. My stub doesn't list the buyers, but I certain recognize the name.

 

[a7 livestock]

They look a tad bit fleshy, which could be the reason for a discount

 

[denvermartinfarms]

That baldy weighing almost 500lbs at 5 months is nothing to be discouraged about, he was on his way to be a 900lb (or so) yearling.

Prices would have been better here, but you can't help that. I also agree with a7. I still say you did ok.

 

[a7 livestock]

Did you really pour the feed to them ?

 

[M.Magis]

No, almost nothing to be honest. I gave them a about a pound a piece of "stocker grower" the last few days when I penned them up, along with a bale of old hay. Other than that, they just had grass and milk.

 

[a7 livestock]

Huh, that's strange, I thought you would have for sure given them a good amount of feed, they just look a little fat, fat in the feeder cattle world is bad, moderate to thin is preferred to reduce shrink, they are nice looking calves, and I'm sure you learned a wealth of knowledge

 

[denvermartinfarms]

For some reason I thought they were weaned, now I don't see where I thought I read that. We're they not?

 

[a7 livestock]

I also thought they were weaned