Honestly, have not put a pencil to cost/profit of the steers. I just knew I was making $$ on them.
Weaned 4-1 ready for feedlot 5-1 - 650# x $1.45/# = $942.50
"IF" I fed 2T of WSC = $270 x 2 = $540
2 bags of 32% protein pellets = $ 64
Value at weaning $942.50
Total $1546.50
Carcass 750# x $3.75 = $2812.50
-$1546.50
Profit $1266.00
So, for leaving them out on grass all summer, labor of feeding 2x day, nice profit. Take out maybe 2 bales of baleage, I think that's a pretty good return on your money. I really padded the amount of grain/costs to be fed in this scenery. And I did not deduct the cost of grain for the preconditioning 30 days on the steers sold right away as feeders.
SOB has a good thought, but my area, I can sell sides any time of the year. If we have someone back out at last minute, we can post of FB and have numerous buyers. Selling halves is the easiest thing I've had to sell in many years. But, you DEFINITELY need to get kill dates locked in. Many places are 12 months out getting a date. Especially if it's a USDA butcher. I don't use a USDA. Don't need the stamp to sell sides. If you decide to sell meat by the #, you have to use a USDA.
My butcher is $0.75/# - local USDA is $1.25/#. My buyers pay cut/wrap/freeze/kill cost and they don't bat an eye at $3.75/# to me.
I made the decision to feed out my fall steers because I can't feed out spring born ones. I do not have an area thru the winter that I can separate the steers to feed them. This has been profitable enough, that we are trying to figure out a space to feed out a few thru the winter.
