Sale barn last night

[mitch2]

What is going on with the prices? Had a friend take some of his culls, he had them palped, and one ended up being 8 months. She weighed 1600 pounds and got $700 for her, all others went for slaughter and he got $.69/lb.

He watched others go, cow calf pairs got, not just dinged, but plain obliterated, while slaughter cows are up there.

Now I've been searching for cow/calf pairs to add. Does nice $1200 pairs allow me to sell some of my culls in the fall and potentially get $800 for a cull? Or do I breed them?

Or wait on buying anything? One other person told me I should wait, is this what I should do? PLEASE HELP!!!!!

Michele

 

[backhoeboogie]

I've got one who's teeth are too far gone to sustain her well. She is 5 months bred and looks okay. I am hauling her to the sale barn and not having her preg checked.

She has been a good cow, raised good calves and always maintained good BCS. She deserves a special spot on the place and should be alotted out to pasture time. But other cows are knocking her around now and I have come to realize she will suffer if I keep her.

 

[bigbull338]

yes you cull your cows that are bad.an take what they bring an buy some $1200 pairs.cull cows are a gold mine right now.as well as cull bulls.

 

[Bullbuyer]

Slaughter market is very strong right now - I think you are WAY ahead to get rid of those old cows NOW as well as aged bulls. There are a lot of factors in place that are holding these prices up, these factors may or may not be here for the long term. I saw a black bull sell yesterday at Bluegrass Stockyards - Lexington, he weighed 2290 and brought $.82 - very good price for a bull but he was a dandy!

 

[TexasBred]

What is going on with the prices? Had a friend take some of his culls, he had them palped, and one ended up being 8 months. She weighed 1600 pounds and got $700 for her, all others went for slaughter and he got $.69/lb.

He watched others go, cow calf pairs got, not just dinged, but plain obliterated, while slaughter cows are up there.

Now I've been searching for cow/calf pairs to add. Does nice $1200 pairs allow me to sell some of my culls in the fall and potentially get $800 for a cull? Or do I breed them?

Or wait on buying anything? One other person told me I should wait, is this what I should do? PLEASE HELP!!!!!

Michele

Doesn't make sense that he would accept $700 for her as a springer when he could have just told them to weigh her and got $1,100 for her @ $.69 a lb.

 

[mitch2]

I asked hubby same thing. "Why didn't he bring her back home to calve out?" His friend says, he doesn't haul anything back home. Stubborn, or whatever, I can see the point to some degree - especially you factor in the cost of hauling. I guess he would of better off not to have them palped, but I am glad he did.

Michele

 

[mnmtranching]

Around here the bred cows are discounted about 5$ per 100 and go for kill.

I think if you have feed now is the time to buy pairs, be picky and no need to go over $1200.

 

[KNERSIE]

Never miss an oportunity to cull your poorer cows if cull prices are high.

Come to think of it its never a bad time to cull.

 

[Bullbuyer]

If you bring her home you're gonna need to treat her for everything she was exposed to at the sale barn. As far as that price goes, put yourself in the buyers shoes and ask this question, 'Why is someone selling a cow that checked 8 mos along?" Is she a poor milker, has she had calving problems, prolapse, etc?

 

[dyates]

If you bring her home you're gonna need to treat her for everything she was exposed to at the sale barn. As far as that price goes, put yourself in the buyers shoes and ask this question, 'Why is someone selling a cow that checked 8 mos along?" Is she a poor milker, has she had calving problems, prolapse, etc?

Also, a cow 8 months bred has a pretty strong chance of a malpresentation after being hassled through the stockyards. Backwards, upside down, head back, tied in knots :roll:

 

[donnaIL]

Took a bred cow to sale barn on 6/25, had her tested I knew she was bred to calf end of this month and was 3yrs old, she weighted 1470, she was sold at "by the head" price and brought $750 ($.51 lb), another one 1625 sold for $875. Sometime even if you have the cow tested the bidding is by weight. Seems you always get more when bidding by lb than by the head, I guess $.69 sound less than $750.

Pairs around her do not bring $1200, the ones sold on 25th (older cows 6-8ys with calves 1-2 months old) sold for $500-$900, the average being abound $550, the $900 pair was probably bought to keep, then the buyer of the others sent the calve back through and resold for calves for $100-$175. Ofcourse that day a couple holstein calves sold for $5 or less with the average about $35.

Selling another cow today, she is 6 yo and bred for Jan. My experience tells me they would have "weighed her up" an so I opted for no test (which costs $9) and just selling her as "kill cow".

I guess if you can afford to buy bred cows and then haul them back as culls you could make some money. Seems like the person who bought our bred cow could have her calf and resell cow and calf in a few months and make money. donna

 

[Beefy]

i watched the sale a few weeks back here on the computer and no one would touch the pairs. they had several nice looking pairs too, but they split every one of them.

 

[Central Fl Cracker]

I just sold 4 culled cows and got an average of $ 550 which went for hamburger prices. Not too bad and it seems now is the time to cull hard since hamburger prices are up in Fl.

 

[Bullbuyer]

dyates makes a really good point. The stress of loading, hauling, being in the stockyards all day, loaded again, hauled again, then unloaded in a strange place - all this is very stressful for the cow. I have had cows checked one day at the vet then calve (dead calf) the next day.

 

[GMN]

Hope those prices are that good, I got a ole girl going this saturday, would be great to get over $500 for her.

GMN