Sale or hold ‘em?

[mncowboy]

November 2023 futures on the CME broke $2.06 today. Provided the world economy (or at least in the largest consumer countries) doesn't crap out, its looking more optimistic.

 

[Dave]

As much money as some people are paying for light calves that will hit those fall futures, I think they might have hedged the market. Neighbor said that he didn't know why his brother turned down $2.50 a pound for light steers. Then he looked at what the fall feeder futures were doing. If you have enough calves and understand how the futures market works you can lock in a pretty good profit.

 

[fnfarms1]

So one option I'm considering is selling steers, because I got bills to pay like everyone. Keeping better heifers in hopes of selling them at higher prices in spring as everyone predicts. Will they grow from 450-500 now to 750ish by March on protein tub, hay, and feed few days a week?

 

[Travlr]

So one option I'm considering is selling steers, because I got bills to pay like everyone. Keeping better heifers in hopes of selling them at higher prices in spring as everyone predicts. Will they grow from 450-500 now to 750ish by March on protein tub, hay, and feed few days a week?

250+ pounds on a little over 90 days is a tall order unless you have some excellent heifers and/or are willing to pound the feed to them.

If your calves are weaned at 450/500 and at 205 days, and have been on adequate feed, they aren't growthy enough to get to 750, IMO, in your time frame.

 

[bird dog]

Agree with Travlr. I have never had much luck with feeders in the winter gaining more than 1 1/2 lbs per day on the feeding you describe. More like 1.25 lbs per day.

I would take what the stockyard rep offered or haul them over to the stockyards at OKC.

 

[Dave]

I have some 400 +/- pound steers. I plan on getting them to 800 pounds around August. To get 450-500 to 750 by March you need to get 2.77 pounds a day. They certainly won't do that on hay and protein tubs.

 

[fnfarms1]

Yeah I'm thinking I'll send them on to the sale in coming weeks. In my opinion even if you can afford to pound the feed to them, heifers will get to fat to fast. Personally I wouldn't buy really fat heifers for breeding purposes. Couple bigger heifers on the group weigh 550ish. Keep them for the herd, rest can go down the road

 

[fnfarms1]

Sold em 10days ago. Overall check wasn't terrible but per pound I wasn't thrilled. 1.60 on heifers, 1.85 on steers. Came out to 1000/steer and 800/heifer. I kept 7 heifers that will sell in March, hoping heifers go up although these are smaller ones so not sure they'll be breeding age. But they wouldn't fit on my 20ft trailer, so I'll roll the dice.

It paid my mortgage for the year plus couple grand. And I've still got 7 to sell/retain so I'm not really mad. Just always want best price I can get

 

[libertygarden]

@fnfarms1 good for you. I'm rolling the dice with 4 heifers, 1 calf next week.

 

[fnfarms1]

@fnfarms1 good for you. I'm rolling the dice with 4 heifers, 1 calf next week.

It's always a gamble. Good luck on yours

 

[Dave]

B told me to buy calves for less than what we sell ours for. There is 33 steers out here that I bought for the same money we got for heifers we sold. As you said it is always a gamble but these look like a pretty good gamble.