polled hereford bull what does everyone think of this photo

[DOC HARRIS]

"It's cheaper to keep one fat than fatten a skinny one IMO."-Caustic Burno

Very profound! . . .and absolutely correct. That is the reason you change your oil and do a lube job periodically on your vehicles.

DOC HARRIS

 

[oakcreekfarms]

Brandon, those prices were brought at a CHB sale here in Kansas. There are a lot of Nebraska stockers that are part of the program and are paying a premium.

Doc I was more or less asking questions, not disagreeing. I have spent a lot of time questioning what my frame size and weights should be for the environment. It kind of depends if I have to end up feeding hay through the winter, or if I can rent corn stalks. It is a learning process.

 

[DOC HARRIS]

Oak-

I understand COMPLETELY! It is a guessing game to attempt to determine what kind of feed you will require in the sprng and summer to be used next winter and guess what the severity of the winter will be. And the Old Farmer's Almanac is not much help either (although my Grandfather swore by it, even as to when to set fence posts! I've got splinter scars to show for it!)

You have to take your best shot at the time, and consider everything that you can and even then you are going to miss it by 16.67% of the time. (Maybe only 7.32% of the time). That is why one has to be capitalized in order to be on the safe side of unexpected trouble.

Like someone said, "It is a crap shoot!"

DOC HARRIS

 

[Brandonm2]

Brandon, those prices were brought at a CHB sale here in Kansas. There are a lot of Nebraska stockers that are part of the program and are paying a premium.

Doc I was more or less asking questions, not disagreeing. I have spent a lot of time questioning what my frame size and weights should be for the environment. It kind of depends if I have to end up feeding hay through the winter, or if I can rent corn stalks. It is a learning process.

Oak, If you have somebody who is going to pay you $140 a cwt for 750 pound calves by all means breed your cows to whatever bull he says to breed them too. My numbers are just quoting what the Alabama stockyards are actually paying. Time after time after time I have held those early calving season calves around too darned long waiting for the late season calves to get a little bigger and the stockyard rewards me by not paying me ANYTHING for that last 100-150 pounds. I have hauled loads where the calves ranged from 520-720 and had one of the little five weight calves actual gross the most money (and I am talking loads where he is a ~85% sib to almost every other calf on the trailer). I try not to let anything get over 650 pounds. There is simply no money in it whatsoever....around here at least.

 

[oakcreekfarms]

Like I said those numbers were a guy telling me what he received at the CHB sale in manhatten. I haven't actually taken any calves to that sale, however I think I am going to try now.

 

[Brandonm2]

Good post I still think the 400 lb calf is the most profitable to sell to the entire operation. Holding that calf from 120 days to 205 cost money. In that last 85 days feed requirements go up astronomically calf is pulling the crap out of milk in the worst time during high heat requireing more feed intake when the grass at its poorest condition in the fall. Cows that go into winter in better BCS are cheaper to maintain through the winter.
It's cheaper to keep one fat than fatten a skinny one IMO.

I don't disagree with you. I am used to an Alabama climate. Calf in Feb or March while feeding hay, turn the new momas out on ryegrass and clover if you have it spring fescue if you don't. Cow are usually at their lightest in late April and then the grass gets ahead of them. Sericea Lespedeza, dallisgrass, timothy, bahiagrass starts coming up in the pastures in mid May to early June cutting the fescue toxicity effects. Unless there is a drought, Hereford/Angus/Char cross cows are usually in a weight gaining mode by mid June. As long as you still got grass in the pastures to rotate them to....MOST cows around here are in a ~4 or 5 BCS score (on the 9 scale) with a calf nursing them at the first of August. Taking them to 205 days or 240 days doesn't really hurt them here. We usually started selling loads of 600 lb calves in late September and kept it up every 2-3 weeks until we dumped the nonretained heifers with the cull cows in mid November. IF July got hot enough to burn up the pastures and August sets into drought, I have dumped the whole calf crop in the first week of August before.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

so cjp after all this yarn spin'in did you buy the bull

 

[iowahawkeyes]

so cjp after all this yarn spin'in did you buy the bull

I thought from the way they defended it, they were trying to sell it. :roll: