Prices

[3waycross]

I have not been to NEB, KS, and SD to know. In TX, some are struggling at 60% capacity. Hearsay is that some have closed their doors to combine elsewhere. I have not seen that.[/quote]

I hunted right by a feedlot just north of Oberlin Ks 2 months ago and they were building new pens. And not just a few they were laying it down hard.

as far as some closing don't you think it's just part of a free economy that any sector will expand and contract according to demand, or lack therof?

The other factor you fellas could be seeing is that is doesn't get as miserable hot on the Ks/Neb border as it does in your country.

 

[1982vett]

I am hauling my neighbors 14 year old 2400 pound Hereford Sat. if he fetches the low end price of .75 a pound thats 1800 bucks. :shock: Now something doesn't seem right here as I sold him the bull for 1200 and he used him for 13 years. :lol:

Neighbor and I were talking about that last week that some of the older bulls if they are in good shape are bringing more than you paid for them (barring paying exhorbatant prices for them when you bought them). Cows are the same way. Not very often have I to pay capital gains on old cows I bought, used up then sold.

Sold 4 of the 6 replacement heifers I kept last fall. Can't imagine what I might have made had we had some green grazing for them. Weight gain was poor (because I didn't buy feed for them) and after some very rough calculations I still came out with $100 ahead over selling them last fall.

 

[marksmu]

Who is buying all these over priced cattle?

I have been trying to buy some cattle...I just cant cant find any quality young cows or pairs, and I am afraid to over invest in heifers since we are not at our ranch enough to help with calving problems.

I have so much grass and I am so understocked, that to keep my pastures in decent condition I will have to spend more in fuel & wear/tear on the tractors and batwings than it costs to buy the cattle and have them mow it for me...

I am actively looking for young pairs, but I wont buy from the barns, because I dont have enough experience. Im looking for private treaty sales in my area...Im about to have to expand out of my area in search of cows or pairs because everyone in my area is also building back up after IKE.

Backhoe...where are you located in Texas? If your cows have any ear on them I might be able to save you a trip to the barn to unload your heifers after they calve. Feel free to PM me if your interested...tell me what you've got and what you want for them.

 

[backhoeboogie]

The other factor you fellas could be seeing is that is doesn't get as miserable hot on the Ks/Neb border as it does in your country.

I got a call from an old cattleman last p.m. We talked for an hour and a half. He has been approached to assist in setting up a brand new $500,000,000 facility. Initially he did not know how much capital was being evaluated. He asked, "Do you know how much it would take to do that?" "How much capital do you have...."

His explanation to me was that people are sick of getting measley interest now. I am there myself since dumping all my stock when the liberals started their jargon back in the elections. I got out of the stock market. Kept most of my nickels but they are not drawing much in the savings and bonds accounts. But my nickels are beneath the level of small potatoes when you consider that much capital.

It does get hot here in the summer. We are way away from the corn belt. We however do have some other advantages.

 

[TexasBred]

I ain't got a clue what feedlots are doing. Just an individual opinion, I think feed prices will remain high.Farmers that have the balls to contract right now will come out miles ahead. When the new crops come in you might see prices drop some not only on feed ingredients but cattle as well... Make your decisions NOW. Then live with it.

 

[marksmu]

I ain't got a clue what feedlots are doing. Just an individual opinion, I think feed prices will remain high.Farmers that have the balls to contract right now will come out miles ahead. When the new crops come in you might see prices drop some not only on feed ingredients but cattle as well... Make your decisions NOW. Then live with it.

Its tough out there....I made the decision to buy, but I am not willing to buy junk cattle...we are still expanding and we are being picky about conformation. I'm not looking for beautiful perfect registered cattle, but I am looking for quality cattle.

Even after the decision has been made, and your willing to live with the outcome, you cant always find something that is worth bringing into your herd.

Anytime we bring an animal in, we have it isolated for a couple weeks while we get healh tests done and wait for the results. We have a very healthy herd, no illness in the last 3 years on any of our animals despite the weather extremes...and I am not willing to contaminate it for a quick buck....so if anyone knows someone selling quality replacements, preferably pairs, I will pay market for them!

 

[Angus Cowman]

Had a monthly cow sale last nite
prices are good if you are selling
not a 3rd stage beef cow brought less than $1150 and that was for some broken mouthed cows
5 and 6 yr olds were bringing $1500 to $1710

had 782 hd sale average was $1375

The cheapest thing thru the barn was a set of corriente hfrs 3rd stage brought $700 and something can't remember

 

[piedmontese]

Who is buying all these over priced cattle?

I have been trying to buy some cattle...I just cant cant find any quality young cows or pairs, and I am afraid to over invest in heifers since we are not at our ranch enough to help with calving problems.

I have so much grass and I am so understocked, that to keep my pastures in decent condition I will have to spend more in fuel & wear/tear on the tractors and batwings than it costs to buy the cattle and have them mow it for me...

I am actively looking for young pairs, but I wont buy from the barns, because I dont have enough experience. Im looking for private treaty sales in my area...Im about to have to expand out of my area in search of cows or pairs because everyone in my area is also building back up after IKE.

Backhoe...where are you located in Texas? If your cows have any ear on them I might be able to save you a trip to the barn to unload your heifers after they calve. Feel free to PM me if your interested...tell me what you've got and what you want for them.

try cattlerange.com they got alot of cattle n texas 4sale.

 

[bigbull338]

Had a monthly cow sale last nite
prices are good if you are selling
not a 3rd stage beef cow brought less than $1150 and that was for some broken mouthed cows
5 and 6 yr olds were bringing $1500 to $1710

had 782 hd sale average was $1375

The cheapest thing thru the barn was a set of corriente hfrs 3rd stage brought $700 and something can't remember

man at those prices the cows will never pay for themselves.hence another reason i buy reg cows at those prices for comm cows.

 

[angus9259]

Fits right into my business model . . . buy high, sell low.

 

[bannedagain]

Had a monthly cow sale last nite
prices are good if you are selling
not a 3rd stage beef cow brought less than $1150 and that was for some broken mouthed cows
5 and 6 yr olds were bringing $1500 to $1710

had 782 hd sale average was $1375

The cheapest thing thru the barn was a set of corriente hfrs 3rd stage brought $700 and something can't remember

man at those prices the cows will never pay for themselves.hence another reason i buy reg cows at those prices for comm cows.

I bet those cows DO pay for themselves, if they already have not done so.

 

[angus9259]

Had a monthly cow sale last nite
prices are good if you are selling
not a 3rd stage beef cow brought less than $1150 and that was for some broken mouthed cows
5 and 6 yr olds were bringing $1500 to $1710

had 782 hd sale average was $1375

The cheapest thing thru the barn was a set of corriente hfrs 3rd stage brought $700 and something can't remember

man at those prices the cows will never pay for themselves.hence another reason i buy reg cows at those prices for comm cows.

I bet those cows DO pay for themselves, if they already have not done so.

In a completely NON sarcastic way I ask you to show me your math unless, as bigbull suggests, you have a very niche seedstock or showstock market.

 

[bannedagain]

In a completely NON sarcastic way I ask you to show me your math unless, as bigbull suggests, you have a very niche seedstock or showstock market.

In a completely NON sarcastic way do the math yourself. It isn't hard to see what the packers are doing, unless your blind.


http://www.ams.usda.gov/mnreports/lsddcbs.pdf

 

[Angus Cowman]

man at those prices the cows will never pay for themselves.hence another reason i buy reg cows at those prices for comm cows.

I bet those cows DO pay for themselves, if they already have not done so.

In a completely NON sarcastic way I ask you to show me your math unless, as bigbull suggests, you have a very niche seedstock or showstock market.

The fat cattle and feeder market dictates what a cow is worth
when calves were $1.20 a lb I was still giving $1400 or more for bred hfrs because I was buying quality hfrs
alot of reg cows aren't worth anymore than a comm cow and if a person is buying reg cows for the same price as comm cows then I would bet a dollar against a dog turd them reg cows aren't the same quality as the comm cows bringing that money
Anytime a cull cow weighing 1200lbs will bring $900 then a good producing cow should be worth twice that
and it doesn't take much of a cow right now to bring $900 for burger

 

[angus9259]

Nice chart (showing only beef prices and not cost) and philosophical arguments but I need to turn to my calculator to make this make sense . . . .

- $1500 3rd stage bred cow - $75 feed to get her to calve - $200 feed / mineral / vaccinations to get a calf to weaning + $840 calf value ($1.20 @ 700 lbs) + $900 cull value = - (as you you lose) $35

My calculator shows a loss before you calculate any value of time, fuel, depreciation, and a percentage for calving loss and veterinary expenses even at these record high cow prices.

Which number have I entered improperly?

 

[angus9259]

alot of reg cows aren't worth anymore than a comm cow and if a person is buying reg cows for the same price as comm cows then I would bet a dollar against a dog turd them reg cows aren't the same quality as the comm cows bringing that money

Smoke screen.

This "my commercial cow is better than your registered cow" is a tired conversation. I entirely agree that commercial cows are frequently superior to registered cows (hybrid vigor) - and nowhere did I nor bigbull say otherwise - so collar that dog and his turd.

Right or wrong, seedstock calves for breeding sell for more than going through the salebarn as they are critical for producing f1 crosses and maximizing commercial hybrid vigor. The only way to make money is to buy a cheaper cow or sell a higher priced calf. I can sell a 700 lb weaned heifer for $1000 which makes the calculations make sense.

Show me your calculator and I'll gladly stand down, but spare me extraneous arguments.

 

[bannedagain]

2200 cow X $79 cwt kill price = $1738. You must have different math where your from. The cow paid for itself the moment it died. Not real hard to understand for most, some really struggle.

 

[angus9259]

So - to make your math work - the cow has to weigh 2200 lbs correct? If that were the case, I stand corrected. :dunce:

However, if that were the case, I don't imagine they would have sold for what we're talking about. Also, if you're raising 2200 lb cows, not only do we have different math were I come from, we have different cows. ;-)

 

[bannedagain]

So - to make your math work - the cow has to weigh 2200 lbs correct? If that were the case, I stand corrected. However, if that were the case, I don't imagine they would have sold for what we're talking about. Also, if you're raising 2200 lb cows, not only do we have different math were I come from, we have different cows.

It was a number, you don't have any idea what they weighed either, but I know what the market is, it does not take a real brilliant person to figure who is buying these cows and how they pay for themselves. Some people just can't grasp it. As anguscowman said the fat cattle market is setting the cow price, not the cow setting the price.

 

[angus9259]

So - to make your math work - the cow has to weigh 2200 lbs correct? If that were the case, I stand corrected. However, if that were the case, I don't imagine they would have sold for what we're talking about. Also, if you're raising 2200 lb cows, not only do we have different math were I come from, we have different cows.

It was a number, you don't have any idea what they weighed either, but I know what the market is, it does not take a real brilliant person to figure who is buying these cows and how they pay for themselves. Some people just can't grasp it. As anguscowman said the fat cattle market is setting the cow price, not the cow setting the price.

Yes, the fat cattle market is setting the cow price - just like the numbers you put in the calculator determine the result of the calculation.

Just for fun - put in the 1200 lb cow size that Anguscowman used (which is the cow size in my area) and see what the calculator tells you . . . might look kinda like what my calculator told me . . . but I'm just guessin' :roll: