Sale barns

[tex452]

I think cows are still gonna get higher around here with the surplus of hay we have this year. After last year's megadraught, prices are pretty dang high already. Reason I've bought a couple colorful pairs with decent enough calves on em. I think them colorful cows are gonna bring what I gave for the pairs come fall. And the calves are really doing pretty dang good too. Folks are gonna want wheat grazers and I sure think they are gonna be scarce and expensive!

I agree, same here in Texas, so many good cows have been turned into hamburger over the last few years, along with the drought, now people are selling off lots of good cows because the kill market is so good.
One of my hay suppliers said he is having trouble moving, selling hay, I told him the numbers aren't there like they were a few years back.
We are buying extra from him this year to put in the barn, if the opportunity presents itself we can buy more cows.

 

[Logan52]

Sold three today. Nearby Bluegrass Stockyards
Red baldy cow weighing 1785 brought $1.17 or $2,088 ( 8 yr old and fleshy even after raising calf - never milked well)
Gray AngusXCharloais bull calf born in mid January = 830 lbs @ $1.72 or $1,428
Really nice black bull born early February= 640 lbs @ $2.19 or $1,402

I just thought it was a good time to sell a cow that was never very productive, I sold the two bull calves to keep them from breeding their heifer mates. I was happy but it was hard to get them i the lot in this hot and humid weather.

 

[Dave]

I had to go to town to get diesel in the pickup. I know that we will be capturing and hauling the BM cows next week and I will need to be fueled up for that adventure. I figured I might as well run up to La Grande and watch the sale. The sale starts and there is just a few people in there. They sell a horse, a few sheep, and some goats. I am just sitting there brain dead not planning on buying anything. First calves in the ring are 3 black steers weighing 330. They sell for $2.22. After they sell I think dang I should have bought them. Then they go to selling pairs. I think they are selling pretty cheap but I have no where to go with them and we are shipping our BM cows next week. After about 6 or 7 pairs they run in a bigger cow with a steer calf. Clear down to $1,800 and he can't get a bid so he splits them. They bring $2525 to split. Dang I should have bought her at $1,800 and the 6 or 7 pairs before her. After that he just splits all the pairs. I could have just put the cows on the truck with the BM cows and been into those 250-300 pound calves next to nothing.. Not paying attention and just sitting there just cost me a couple thousand.

 

[farmerjan]

It all depends on the day and who is at the sale. Like you said @Dave , you could have made some money on them if you had been thinking it through a little better, but you had the mindset of shipping the BM cows you had on pasture and all that... That is why I like to go to the sale during the off times... might get a few deals if you just think outside the box.... and we do not have a "set schedule" of shipping cattle like you do so we are more flexible on things like that.
We need to start trying to buy some of the bull calves to make steers to start making up some groups again... or even any calves that look to need some TLC or working up that we can wean and feed and make some money on... going to be harder to do this year with the prices so high overall...