Raising Stocker Cattle

Help Support CattleToday:

A

Anonymous

In the past we raised commercial cattle on a small scale but due to a job change we sold that herd. In our new location in the Texas Panhandle we are planning to get back into the cattle business but economic analysis of our situation has shown that raising commercial cattle here is a money losing game in our situation. We are planning to stay away from the purebred business because of money and the fact that we are not into showing cattle. The "nitch" that I am currently looking at is raising stocker cattle on a small scale (40-50 cows). I am wondering what the demand for this product is, how to best get started, and the expected price range that the top cut calves (top 50-60%) can be expected to bring as compared to the feeder/slaughter market. We have the land, financial resources to start, and have identified a target genetic base of top of the line Saler cows (GG&T) bred to top of the line (Garner) black angus bulls both through AI and the best bulls that we can afford. We are not planning to get started for a couple of years because this is the wrong part of the cattle cycle, but we are looking for any information that could help us do it right. The situation I do not want to get into is to buy top of the line stock and then only be able to sell the calves at slaughter prices. Thanks in advance for any advice.

[email protected]
 
Interesting article on the cattle today web site about raising stockers. Don't forget to look at the archives for other articles

dunmovin farms

> In the past we raised commercial
> cattle on a small scale but due to
> a job change we sold that herd. In
> our new location in the Texas
> Panhandle we are planning to get
> back into the cattle business but
> economic analysis of our situation
> has shown that raising commercial
> cattle here is a money losing game
> in our situation. We are planning
> to stay away from the purebred
> business because of money and the
> fact that we are not into showing
> cattle. The "nitch" that
> I am currently looking at is
> raising stocker cattle on a small
> scale (40-50 cows). I am wondering
> what the demand for this product
> is, how to best get started, and
> the expected price range that the
> top cut calves (top 50-60%) can be
> expected to bring as compared to
> the feeder/slaughter market. We
> have the land, financial resources
> to start, and have identified a
> target genetic base of top of the
> line Saler cows (GG&T) bred to top
> of the line (Garner) black angus
> bulls both through AI and the best
> bulls that we can afford. We are
> not planning to get started for a
> couple of years because this is
> the wrong part of the cattle
> cycle, but we are looking for any
> information that could help us do
> it right. The situation I do not
> want to get into is to buy top of
> the line stock and then only be
> able to sell the calves at
> slaughter prices. Thanks in
> advance for any advice.

Stocker Article
 
Sorry about the confusion, I didn't mean stocker cattle as in animals that are destined for the feedyard, I ment replacement animals (heifers and bulls) that are produced for commercial cattle breeders to replace culled animals.

[email protected]
 
In the cattle today archives there are articles about that too.

dunmovin farms

> Sorry about the confusion, I
> didn't mean stocker cattle as in
> animals that are destined for the
> feedyard, I ment replacement
> animals (heifers and bulls) that
> are produced for commercial cattle
> breeders to replace culled
> animals.
 
Crossbred cows make up the majority of our cowherds. Crossbred cows are more fertile, productive and long lived than straightbred cows. But many producers want purebred bulls to run with those crossbred cows. So you're looking at two different markets if you want to sell bulls and replacement cows. You could band the bull calves and retain ownership through the Ranch to Rail program. If the steers performed well, it might help sell the heifers as replacements. My state cattlemen's association sponsors a female replacement sale every fall. At the sales we've attended, the top selling groups have been sire-identified Angus heifers bred back to identified Angus bulls (sired by Rito 2100 sons, bred to EXT sons, for example). Some large Angus breeders are allowing their customers to bring bred commercial heifers to their production/bull sales to sell. Some of those brought $1800 last spring, I've been told. And some are sponsoring stocker calf sales. If you can get into one of those programs, it might pay you to buy top genetics. Is there a local cattlemen's group in your area? If they sponsor some kind of sale, attend it and see how it does. Be sure the breeds you start with are acceptable locally. We aren't getting rich, but we've done well with our Angus without showing. It seems to me that in the Angus breed, show business doesn't have much to do with beef business. We do performance test our bulls and have seen the prices we get for them go up as their performance on test goes up. Check with your local Extension folks for a bull test station in your area. Panhandle State University, Goodwell, OK has a testing station; but I don't know if the have a sale after the test. You're being smart by investigating alternatives and taking your time. Good luck…

> Sorry about the confusion, I
> didn't mean stocker cattle as in
> animals that are destined for the
> feedyard, I ment replacement
> animals (heifers and bulls) that
> are produced for commercial cattle
> breeders to replace culled
> animals.

[email protected]
 

Latest posts

Top