Running stockers

[HDRider]

Js question for you why do the ones that are partially weaned scare you? Im assuming its because that halfway through the process is when theyre at a higher risk to get sick but maybe im wrong. I do agree that just having 50k lb of cattle dont make a load, and that its got to be a uniform load. Thats poses a question for me, in general how much of a weight difference between calves is acceptable?

I was wondering that too. Sounds like something to know.

 

[Cross-7]

Not JS but I've had stockers on a small scale on and off for many years and I lost my a$$ on a larger scale as a young man.
For a set of calves everybody has a different protocol as to what they feel works best for them
A set of calves that are half assed weaned and not given the proper attention( vac's, meds, started eating good, pulls and meds) would be worse than a set that are unweaned that gives you the ability to start them right.
Just my thought

Back to the op
I don't see but a 100.00 between 400 to 600 calves
Add in vac's, meds,death loss, trucking, commission and etc
I see it as a loss

With that said most times money is made when you buy them.

The .10-20 premium for video auction from what I've seen are home raised cattle with good genetics and a past history of performance
As said before its very tough to put a uniform group of calves together

If you're buying a set of calves from one raising then that helps a lot

I think you'd be better off taking them to 800#, but in this market it's a risk
If you can get them bought right and sell them when spring fever hits you may hit a home run

 

[Banjo]

Looks to me like buying the right kind of heifers and keeping them to breeding age then breeding them to the right kind of bull would be the way to go. Maybe that's too long to keep them.
Heifers always have a future...sell as bred or keep and let em have a calf...if the market goes south.

 

[Ojp6]

Not JS but I've had stockers on a small scale on and off for many years and I lost my a$$ on a larger scale as a young man.
For a set of calves everybody has a different protocol as to what they feel works best for them
A set of calves that are half assed weaned and not given the proper attention( vac's, meds, started eating good, pulls and meds) would be worse than a set that are unweaned that gives you the ability to start them right.
Just my thought

Back to the op
I don't see but a 100.00 between 400 to 600 calves
Add in vac's, meds,death loss, trucking, commission and etc
I see it as a loss

With that said most times money is made when you buy them.

The .10-20 premium for video auction from what I've seen are home raised cattle with good genetics and a past history of performance
As said before its very tough to put a uniform group of calves together

If you're buying a set of calves from one raising then that helps a lot

I think you'd be better off taking them to 800#, but in this market it's a risk
If you can get them bought right and sell them when spring fever hits you may hit a home run

In most of the southeast, a load lot brings a big premium because the cattle are going to go west and a lot of buyers are only in on loads. At a lot of these sales it's pretty tough to put together a load of uniform weaned cattle. They will not have to be home raised to get that premium, they will just have to look fairly uniform across the board. We had a couple loads of 6 weight heifers in at a sale I help at last Wednesday, the fact they were loads, despite the fact they were put together, probably gave him a 10-12 cent premium. We had 4 extra buyers on the loads that didn't bid on anything else.

 

[Ojp6]

I don't know whether you would be buying steers or heifers but if it was heifers and you could get them bought pretty close to 1.60 or a little cheaper weighing light 4s there should be some money in them. A guy I buy for sometimes has laid in 100 head of 425 lb to 475 lb heifers, costing in the mid 1.50s, mostly blacks, and they look like they could make pretty good money. He's been lucky though and had very little sickness and hasn't lost any yet. He will sell his weighing about 550 as a load in a couple weeks and they should bring over 1.60 if the market stays good.

 

[jedstivers]

Vac them twice, if bulls use a tetanus on the first round then cut or band on the second.
Get a real good calf starter pellet and also good hay. I feed the pellets for 30 days, Keep in small groups. 20 or less. 25 max if you have to. Feed ctc till they are lined all the way out.
4Wts don't graze worth a sh!t, feed till 525 or so. I'm keeping mine on feed all the way through. Whole corn and ddg's.
If you get them on real good grass you can cut the feed down some but don't cut it out.
Keep till 750-800. Selling at 6wt your just letting someone else make your money.
If they even look like they don't feel good treat them, they go downhill fast.

 

[Cross-7]

Vac them twice, if bulls use a tetanus on the first round then cut or band on the second.
Get a real good calf starter pellet and also good hay. I feed the pellets for 30 days, Keep in small groups. 20 or less. 25 max if you have to. Feed ctc till they are lined all the way out.
4Wts don't graze worth a be nice, feed till 525 or so. I'm keeping mine on feed all the way through. Whole corn and ddg's.
If you get them on real good grass you can cut the feed down some but don't cut it out.
Keep till 750-800. Selling at 6wt your just letting someone else make your money.
If they even look like they don't feel good treat them, they go downhill fast.

That's my thought also
Trying to make lots of quick dollars turning several groups in short period is risky. Might work more often than not and average out a profit but as Jed said after doing all the work and turning them over someone else to take profit doesn't add up for me.

 

[Bigfoot]

Also, 65 calves or so will get you to a load if you are taking them to 700 and some change. The market got all inside out, and backwards in the months before the fall. The premium wasn't there to get a calf to that size. I don't see that trend continuing in 2016. Frame is cheap growth. Feed is cheap at the moment.

 

[js1234]

Js question for you why do the ones that are partially weaned scare you? Im assuming its because that halfway through the process is when theyre at a higher risk to get sick but maybe im wrong. I do agree that just having 50k lb of cattle dont make a load, and that its got to be a uniform load. Thats poses a question for me, in general how much of a weight difference between calves is acceptable?

I was wondering that too. Sounds like something to know.

That's the crux of it. About 7-14 days weaned is when the calves are at their highest likelihood to break. By riding pens and staying proactive with a good health protocol during that window that we have developed over the years with a consulting vet, should weaning stress health issues occur, we typically can stem the spread through a set and most times avoid a mass treat. The idea of taking that stressful period and shipping cattle long distances to a new ranch or even worse, sending them on a truck to a sale barn, to be sorted, sifted and stood, ran thru the ring and then put on another truck to a new ranch during that narrow but very critical window is very worrisome.
As to the weight variance, if the steers are based at say 550, that's of course the net average and they won't all weigh that. A load marketed as good uniform steers averaging 550 needs to be comprised of cattle weighing no more than 50lbs. either side of 550 individually and the "average" steer needs to weigh 550 which is VERY different than the steers averaging 550.

 

[Sd1030]

Thanks for all the input yall. Lots of good advice, im gone see what the calves can be bought for if i dont like the price im walking. Cross and js that makes sense on the weaning deal, looked at the calves yesterday and talked with the guy he said this makes 3 wks they been weaned but idk if we will work a deal.
Bf are you saying you dont think itll pay to carry the calves to the 7wt-8wt range now, or are you saying you think the market is shifting to were it is?
Cross and jed, thanks for the input on taking the weight up higher than the 6wt mark, it makes sense to me, def something to look into.

 

[Bigfoot]

Personally, I think as part of the correction we will see that is profitable again to hold a calf longer.

 

[Cross-7]

One thing I touched on that I feel like it worth repeating
I lost my shirt many years ago on stockers and it took many years to recover from, if I ever really have.
Don't get in over your head or invest more you can lose

This recent crash really hurt some people and we'll see many more same as we always have
I'd reccomend protecting yourself if you get in very deep

 

[Howdyjabo]

Get them off fescue (the buyers do better with them). And give them Multi Min.
And do NOT get them partially weaned. 6 week minimum. I try my best to not disturb them in any way for 4 weeks(the second round of vaccines), and even then we have times where that is enough to make some break back.
Look at puts to put a break even floor under them. Its too expensive to try and lock in a profit with Puts, there are times when you can do it with a contract.

MAC has a really good reputation video sale and Marcus is great to work with.
Consider going all natural with them(since you know where they came from anyhow), there has been a good markup for them.

 

[Sd1030]

Cross thanks for the advice, im a very cautious person and im only gone move if i feel its right. I dont want to lose my behind by poor choices. As it stands right now we can put a partial load together and still do ok according to the lady i spoke with who handles this for the barn we re using. May go that route to just get a feel for it and see how it goes.
Howdy, thanks for the input. Mac is actually who im looking at doing business with, good to know they are good to work with.