Ring the Bell

[Travlr]

You do realize that you yourself are a "naysayer" because you refuse to believe there is any other way to skin the cat than you supposedly did it...

Then you are too... 'cause I've seen you say it's best to select cattle that fit your conditions.

 

[Heronfish]

That's because I've done the work and experienced the results.

So now my question is, why don't you believe you can do better?

I agree, I don't ranch on the internet nearly as well as you do

 

[MurraysMutts]

Let's say I don't get calves to #775, I wean and sell at #525.

Cows get lower quality hay, no feed, mineral, and Vaccinations. $175 a head.

Calves get mothers milk, no feed, and Vaccinations $75 a head

No need to spray pastures as the cows have no trouble weaning #525 on mediocre forage, fuel for feeding?. $1000

Total cost on 100 head = $26,000

Tuesday sale last week #525 steers at $357 and heifers at $336. 50/50 split = $93,712 + $88,200

$181,912-26000= $155,912

Less inputs, smaller calves, more hypothetical profit.

I like this!!
But where am I gonna get the land to run 110 mamas and land for another 100 calves?
I sure don't own it

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

I was just using luckys example.

To go to actual profit say I run my 100 cows weaning #525 calves on land that is $700 an acre.

He runs his 100 cows weaning #775 on land that is $2500 an acre?

Now who's making more profit?

 

[Travlr]

Let's say I don't get calves to #775, I wean and sell at #525.

Cows get lower quality hay, no feed, mineral, and Vaccinations. $175 a head.

Calves get mothers milk, no feed, and Vaccinations $75 a head

No need to spray pastures as the cows have no trouble weaning #525 on mediocre forage, fuel for feeding?. $1000

Total cost on 100 head = $26,000

Tuesday sale last week #525 steers at $357 and heifers at $336. 50/50 split = $93,712 + $88,200

$181,912-26000= $155,912

Less inputs, smaller calves, more hypothetical profit.

Apples and oranges on the inputs and results.

I would have said his inputs were higher than what I'd be doing too, and his weights higher as well. If you're going to compare something one side has to be consistent.

And as far as who's making the most profit... isn't it really about maximizing profit on whatever you have, and improving as you can? Some things are out of our control. (Your example of differences in real estate prices.)

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

Then you are too... 'cause I've seen you say it's best to select cattle that fit your conditions.

That's true. But you don't need to always select cattle that produce calves that "ring the bell".

"Ringing the bell" and being profitable aren't the same thing.

 

[Lucky]

I like this!!
But where am I gonna get the land to run 110 mamas and land for another 100 calves?
I sure don't own it

If you only run 2 cows multiply by 50, if you run 25 multiply by 4.

Warren you will need to divide by 5? Just a guess

 

[Heronfish]

That's true. But you don't need to always select cattle that produce calves that "ring the bell".

"Ringing the bell" and being profitable aren't the same thing.

The point had been made several times, but some folks are oblivious.
Topping the sale is great for bragging rights, but it cost you something to do it. Often times, that cost has eliminated the extra cash plus some.
Unless you know what it cost you to gain those extra pounds to ring the bell, it only serves to impress your buddies.

 

[Travlr]

That's true. But you don't need to always select cattle that produce calves that "ring the bell".

"Ringing the bell" and being profitable aren't the same thing.

(facepalm) "Ringing the bell" and being profitable are only the same if all the inputs are equal.

 

[Lucky]

I was just using luckys example.

To go to actual profit say I run my 100 cows weaning #525 calves on land that is $700 an acre.

He runs his 100 cows weaning #775 on land that is $2500 an acre?

Now who's making more profit?

It's the same. My neighbor gave $200 an acre 40 yrs ago. Lands worth what it's worth. We're talking the cow business not the real estate business.

 

[Travlr]

The point had been made several times, but some folks are oblivious.
Topping the sale is great for bragging rights, but it cost you something to do it.

And that point just goes right over your head... again.

I never, ever supplemented. I never paid more than one bid over kill price for my cows. I never paid for my hay other than splitting it on shares. I increased my stocking rate consistently by management practices until I found a maximum.

So again, I'll ask you. Do you select a bull by what kind of quality he is? Why?

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

It's the same. My neighbor gave $200 an acre 40 yrs ago. Lands worth what it's worth. We're talking the cow business not the real estate business.

Then I'll sell my #525 hypothetical calves all day long.

You can sell your #775 calves all day long.

And as long as we are both satisfied with it then that's all that matters.

 

[Heronfish]

And that point just goes right over your head... again.

I never, ever supplemented. I never paid more than one bid over kill price for my cows. I never paid for my hay other than splitting it on shares. I increased my stocking rate consistently by management practices until I found a maximum.

So again, I'll ask you. Do you select a bull by what kind of quality he is? Why?

I graze my cows on unicorn farts, only buy those left to die and buy bulls based on their ability to clear a fence.
This strategy has led to yearly bell ringing.
I win.
Move along chump.


The champ is here.

 

[Travlr]

It's the same. My neighbor gave $200 an acre 40 yrs ago. Lands worth what it's worth. We're talking the cow business not the real estate business.

It's a factor in profit... but it's not a factor what you get out of your animals.

My first place in Arkansas was $687.50 an acre with a three bedroom house and a junky barn. The place in SD was $833 an acre with a bigger house, a 120x100 barn, and a 40x80 shop, and smaller outbuildings, but I had more fencing to do.

But cattle were worth more when I bought it.

 

[Travlr]

Then I'll sell my #525 hypothetical calves all day long.

You can sell your #775 calves all day long.

And as long as we are both satisfied with it then that's all that matters.

And that's great. If someone could point out a way to make a dollar per animal more simply by doing something differently... would you consider it?

(and for God's sake... no, it won't require any kind of extra work or yada, yada, yada...)

 

[Travlr]

I graze my cows on unicorn farts, only buy those left to die and buy bulls based on their ability to clear a fence.
This strategy has led to yearly bell ringing.
I win.
Move along chump.


The champ is here.

I bow to your luminosity... and bask in your brilliance. Truly, you are the superior bull**iter.

 

[Named'em Tamed'em]

Stick a fork in it fellas it's done. My ragamuffin cattle (Reg Angus) save me $4800 a year in property taxes I use the best bull I can find (rent) and AI too. Everybody's program is different.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

And that's great. If someone could point out a way to make a dollar per animal more simply by doing something differently... would you consider it?

(and for God's sake... no, it won't require any kind of extra work or yada, yada, yada...)

I'm all ears on how to make that extra dollar with absolutely zero extra inputs.

 

[Lucky]

Stick a fork in it fellas it's done. My ragamuffin cattle (Reg Angus) save me $4800 a year in property taxes I use the best bull I can find (rent) and AI too. Everybody's program is different.

Just think if you took that $4,800 and bought Kudzu grass seed with it. You could probably run 1,000 head on 75 acres and never supplement or feed hay.

 

[Warren Allison]

If you only run 2 cows multiply by 50, if you run 25 multiply by 4.

Warren you will need to divide by 5? Just a guess

No, up until 2024, we used to run 100-120 cows and calved them in February, and weaned them at the sale barn about Labor day. So I can play. I don't see how you don't need to figure in the cost of the cows, but ok...

Like Chevy, though, I have never weaned and fed one til it was 700-800 lbs. We wean at 6 months, steers weighing about 550, or a hair more, and heifers 500-525. Lets say steers were 550 and heifers 500. This past Thursday, black steers in the 500-599 class were $3.16. Black heifers in the 500-599 were $2,80. $1738 for steers and $1400 for heifers. 50 steers would be $86.900, 50 heifers would be $70k. $156,900 total. Inputs would be about $100-$150 for minerals and salt. So $156,750 gross profit.

We didn't have the hay and feed spraying and fertilizer, and vaccination costs , etc. And to be honest, I don't think it would make any heavier calves of we did with these cows.

With what we are doing now, though, we still won't be vaccinating, worming etc,,,,and no feed..... but we will have to feed some hay, and will be spraying herbicide on and fertilizing about half of the acreage. And, I don't think that extra money will result in more profit from the sale of the calves, as we will have these extra expenses to raise them. It will be interesting to see how this year plays out.