I've got some calves, been weaned since October. They are eating me out of house and home, and some more to wean right away. I'm thinking about trailer weaning the second group and putting them on the last sale of the year. I've got the expense and effort in the first group, I might as well stick with the original plan on them. If I don't hit the last sale with the second group, I might as well hold them 90 days or more. They all need shots, castrated, some dehorned etc. Thoughts on selling now vs waiting?
Last sale of the year????
- Thread starter Bigfoot
- Start date
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Sell the first group now and hold the newly weaned ones until next year.
Bright Raven
Well-known member
Welcome back!
Bright Raven":r9s974jn said:
Thanks. I've been busy lately.
callmefence
Keyboard cowboy
callmefence":2notmyqo said:
Zing!
OP
OP
Bigfoot
Well-known member
My conventional wisdom would be go the value added route, and take the gain that comes with it. I'm already regretting keeping group A this long. Feed is $200 a ton, and 7 weights are so far behind 5 weights it's rediculous. No real incentive to pack a calf 90 days.
JMJ Farms
Well-known member
Good to hear from you Bigfoot. I don't know the right answer but I'm weaning and keeping mine for now. Planning on grazing them till Feb or maybe on into April. What's the worst that could happen! Lol
Ky cowboy
Well-known member
650-700lbs were the sweet spot last week where I sell. Of course I had 550lb steers, anything under 650 didn't bring good at all my 550lb avg $1.33. And I'll have to check but 650lb steers brought $1.48 I'm pretty sure.
1982vett
Well-known member
Close enough to the end of the year to take taxes into consideration.
Most of my expenses are done for the year and I'm profitable so in my case any sales add to my adjusted gross income. My tax bracket isn't all that bad but self-employment taxes would trim it 15.35%
Most of my expenses are done for the year and I'm profitable so in my case any sales add to my adjusted gross income. My tax bracket isn't all that bad but self-employment taxes would trim it 15.35%
1982vett":2zobx9nx said:
Hold the check until January. Just sayin'.
1982vett
Well-known member
Date of the check is what matters....TennesseeTuxedo":2dlhfbgo said:
1982vett":1tadvjsj said:
If you say so.
I sent a few today one was out of a group of heifers I kept back she just wasn't doing as good as the other to me. She had been weaned and vaccinated. The others straight off the cow, i dont like selling them like that really. Id prolly been better off to wean and hold lil longer but i needed some money to pay some bills so they had to go. Those two were off a couple spring/summer calving cows i have. Ill wean and work my fall calves before selling next year. I do think weaning and workig the calves is the best option all way around but sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do when circumstances dictate otherwise.
farmerjan
Well-known member
Heavier calves here in Va have been bringing better prices than lighter. One buyer at a local sale told my son this week that the buyers do not want these bawling calves due to too much sickness. The weather has made buying these unweaned calves a nightmare... cold, damp, wet weather, temp swings etc.. Pnuemonia, other resp. problems are awful.
We lost an old cow the other day, 3+ month old calf on her. Not thin, but this weather I think is just dragging them down. Talked to several cow/calf guys at a meeting tuesday night and they are all talking about losing some animals.... guys who just don't lose but a very minor number ever.
Many buyers are saying no more unweaned until we get some cold and frozen stuff and the raw dampness lets up. That said, we are going to hold ours til the middle of Jan at least. Got about 50 or more to wean, some heifers we are going to keep. They might not all be weaned but, but nothing here will be sold for at least a month. Prices here are so off that it would make you cry. I'm talking feeders mostly steers in the $.75 to $1.25 range a few hit $1.40's.... but not many. Heifers you can pick up for $.65 to $1.00 all day long. Best cull cows brought $.31, down to $.11....
We lost an old cow the other day, 3+ month old calf on her. Not thin, but this weather I think is just dragging them down. Talked to several cow/calf guys at a meeting tuesday night and they are all talking about losing some animals.... guys who just don't lose but a very minor number ever.
Many buyers are saying no more unweaned until we get some cold and frozen stuff and the raw dampness lets up. That said, we are going to hold ours til the middle of Jan at least. Got about 50 or more to wean, some heifers we are going to keep. They might not all be weaned but, but nothing here will be sold for at least a month. Prices here are so off that it would make you cry. I'm talking feeders mostly steers in the $.75 to $1.25 range a few hit $1.40's.... but not many. Heifers you can pick up for $.65 to $1.00 all day long. Best cull cows brought $.31, down to $.11....
ddd75":2xlika8o said:
We sell our calves at the barn in Owenton, KY. They posted their results from yesterday's sale here: https://www.ams.usda.gov/mnreports/sv_ls163.txt
Pretty soft.
Our local sale barn will sell in Dec (or whenever) and not write the check until Jan, just complete a simple contract. We've done that a couple times.1982vett":3rzvafpy said:
Prices are supposed to go up. We hauled some runts in yeasterday and calves in the 550-650 range were selling hot. A lot of 600lbs+ calves went over $1000 a piece. Ship the first batch but hold the second for awhile. Trailer weave calves brought .10 less a pounds than long weaned calves. They don't like them trailer weaned calves up here.
