Putting weight on thins

[DCA farm]

I usually buy the thin calves and cows that nobody wants. Everyone looks at me and laughs when they come through the ring. I laugh all the way to the bank when i sell them a few months later.

I've got plenty of grass coming in and not enough cows to eat it. Main reason I'm
Thinking about buying thin cows to run on it but I may just keep buying the big fat girls I ain't had any issues with them yet. I figure I may have a little more trouble out of thins

I don't know never had the money to buy fat cows. Usually was trying to feed some low quality hay up when buying cows and the ones that hadn't seen much to eat didn't seem to care what you put in front of them.

I bought some 5 year old Herefords weighing 1240-1260 in Jan I only gave $600 a head for them when they came through I didn't think I would be able to afford them either

 

[kenny thomas]

Bought a few #1 black 450 lb steers today for my cousin and everyone looked at me funny like I had went crazy. I just don't normally buy those. But bought 2 thin Holstein steers so everyone thought I was ok after all.

 

[littletom]

Guy talked about this at length at a feeder conference i went too. They did a test on several some made money some lost. It all depended on cost of feed they gained pretty decent. I think he was from university of Florida you and google might find it.

 

[DCA farm]

Bought a few #1 black 450 lb steers today for my cousin and everyone looked at me funny like I had went crazy. I just don't normally buy those. But bought 2 thin Holstein steers so everyone thought I was ok after all.

Watched a big Holstein steer sell Thursday at a small local sale I almost bought him can't remember the pound price but I know it wasn't much I'd have to look back at my slip and see what he went for he was 725-750 pounds if I remember right I was thinking about putting him
In freezer

 

[kenny thomas]

I bought 450lb steers for .87.

 

[DCA farm]

I bought 450lb steers for .87.

I just looked at the slip I wrote 0.42/lb by the Holstein steer

 

[MO-Ruminants]

Not for everyone or anyone that wants their neighbors to think they have the best front pasture cows. I'm in it only for the money

Suppose you shared a seat on the plane with an individual who is interested in profitability only, and doesn't care if the neighbors laugh...What other buying and marketing strategies might you share?

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

I bought 450lb steers for .87.

What did the quality steers sell for?

 

[kenny thomas]

I bought 450lb steers for .87.

What did the quality steers sell for?

I bought a few 448 lb black steer and bull
Calves and they averaged 1.54

 

[kenny thomas]

Not for everyone or anyone that wants their neighbors to think they have the best front pasture cows. I'm in it only for the money

Suppose you shared a seat on the plane with an individual who is interested in profitability only, and doesn't care if the neighbors laugh...What other buying and marketing strategies might you share?

Sure I'm in it for the profit. If I can make money off of the cheap junk it gives the people selling them a buyer. I would like great front pasture cattle but so do most of cattlemen and women. If they don't make a profit it doesn't matter to me how good they look. If I can invest $400 and make $150 I'm happy. If I spent $800 on a good steer to make $150 does that make me a better cattleman?

 

[MO-Ruminants]

I can surely appreciate that!

How are your sell decisions made on these cheap profitable cattle?

 

[kenny thomas]

My sell decision is just as random. Most are sold when they recover and the market is right. Some sold privately. Some cows are sold when they gain weight and the slaughter market is better.
Normally slaughter is good the week before Memorial day and around the 4th of July. Sometimes early August is good also. FPL is contracting load lots for first week of July now.

 

[MO-Ruminants]

Wally Olsen said someone once told him "You're nothing but a _____ cow trader!"
He replied "No, I'm a good cow trader".

Seems like your system would provide you with cash flow options throughout the seasons...i.e, usually something you can sell at most any given time.

Perhaps you also buy bull calves and sell steer calves?

 

[kenny thomas]

Wally Olsen said someone once told him "You're nothing but a _____ cow trader!"
He replied "No, I'm a good cow trader".

Seems like your system would provide you with cash flow options throughout the seasons...i.e, usually something you can sell at most any given time.

Perhaps you also buy bull calves and sell steer calves?

Yes I buy bull calves because they are discounted even more. In other threads I talk about having an Imobilizer to assist in castrating calves. That takes all the work and trouble out of castrating.

 

[MO-Ruminants]

Thank you sir. Bulls seem like an opportunity to increase value, and I'll search for your previous thread regarding the immobilizer.

 

[Pointer1160]

I have a friend who bought enough thins in March for a truckload. Turned out to pasture and mineral. He will sell before the Fourth of July. He has contacted an auto buyer to look at them. If auto buyer buys the lot then they will not have to go through a sale. Will post here how he does.

 

[hornedfrogbbq]

We see most good cattle buyers looking at the cattle like a call option. They pay what they would get if they walk the steer/cow/bull over to the local processor and got paid that day...usually slightly less to pay them a penny or two for their troubles. So they have downside protection. Then they try and go add value. That could be weight. That could be breeding them. Something so that they make more money, net, than they have in them. A profit.

We rarely see someone pay much more than slaughter value for something that is risky.