Judgement day

[denvermartinfarms]

I also thought they were weaned

I thought they were, but his "milk and grass" comment made me wonder. If they weren't weaned it would make more sence on there semi fat condition. Still nice cattle anyway.

 

[a7 livestock]

Agreed, milk fat is what I like to call it

 

[M.Magis]

No, they weren't fully weaned. I just wasn't set up this year to do it right. I had them penned up for about a week and a half to calm everyone down, but just couldn't hold them the full amount. I should be able to wean them next year with some more fencing.
I appreciate the help and comments. I hope to imrove a bit each year, but I'm still happy how they turned out.

 

[salebarn junkie]

I ether trailer ween them or hold them for 45 days I always figure that it takes 30 days for them to gain back what they lost from weening

 

[Jogeephus]

Look good to me too. I suspect had I been at the sale you might have gotten a bit more for the heifer on the right cause I would have been competing for her.

 

[greybeard]

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.

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.

$772
$810
$884
$762
Averaging the four = $804 each. That is not bad at all, unless you had a bunch of extra feed costs in the mommas while they were lactating. Believe me--you could do a lot worse--and I have before.

 

[kenny thomas]

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.

Thats great that the 5 year old likes it. Thats memories that will last forever. You are doing something right with both the cattle and the family. Good for you.

 

[boondocks]

2 questions for y'all:
I keep reading the term "fats" in relation to a sale (used as a noun)--I've been puzzling out the meaning from context but maybe someone can give me an assist?
Also, with regard to sales of stockers etc, it seems that sometimes you will get a lower price per pound where the animal is (or is perceived as) a bit heavy for its age, or maybe heavy relative to others similar to it being sold that day. Is that sort of correct, or overgeneralizes too much? If so, it seems like you're always riding the edge of getting enough weight on to have a decent hanging weight, but not so much that you lose it all back on a lower price/lb. Am I remotely on the right track? Thanks!

 

[jasonleonard]

"Fats", are finished cattle that have been hard-fed in a feedlot...usually put in the lot at 600lb or more and sent to slaughter anywhere from 1200 up to 1500lb or so.
A lot of our eastern and southeastern feeder cattle staight off the farms, are sent to big feedlots in Iowa and Nebraska.
The dock you are talking about is those extremely milkfat calves, coming off the cows. Any of us that buy some to send west to feed, know that we will loose that milkfat in the first few weeks of the backgrounding stage , before they even get on the trucks to go west.

 

[boondocks]

"Fats", are finished cattle that have been hard-fed in a feedlot...usually put in the lot at 600lb or more and sent to slaughter anywhere from 1200 up to 1500lb or so.
A lot of our eastern and southeastern feeder cattle staight off the farms, are sent to big feedlots in Iowa and Nebraska.
The dock you are talking about is those extremely milkfat calves, coming off the cows. Any of us that buy some to send west to feed, know that we will loose that milkfat in the first few weeks of the backgrounding stage , before they even get on the trucks to go west.

Gotcha. So the lower price per pound reflects the anticipated shrinkage...