Selling advice sought

[Lazy M]

I'm feeding around 80 calves. They'll avg 750-1000 lbs. Thought I'd sell in mid Feb, but with the Cargill plant closing and the USDA grain report both dragging the market down I don't know if I should cut bait now while the market is still decent or hold out for a couple more weeks.. Any thoughts? :help:

 

[Dave]

I would be concerned about them getting too big. Around here after about 850 pounds the price starts down pretty rapidly. A 1,000 pounder will often bring less dollars than a 850 pounder.

 

[chippie]

Where are you located?

I agree with Dave.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

Sell now.

my :2cents:

 

[dieselbeef]

markets high here..bail ..why wuld you keep em that long and have so much in em...im out by 9 mos just to save the labor

 

[Limomike]

my selling advice is to sell. :nod:

 

[kenny thomas]

I'm feeding around 80 calves. They'll avg 750-1000 lbs. Thought I'd sell in mid Feb, but with the Cargill plant closing and the USDA grain report both dragging the market down I don't know if I should cut bait now while the market is still decent or hold out for a couple more weeks.. Any thoughts? :help:

Since you have way more than a load how about selling 50,000 lb of the heavy ones now and keep the smaller ones for later.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

I'm feeding around 80 calves. They'll avg 750-1000 lbs. Thought I'd sell in mid Feb, but with the Cargill plant closing and the USDA grain report both dragging the market down I don't know if I should cut bait now while the market is still decent or hold out for a couple more weeks.. Any thoughts? :help:

Since you have way more than a load how about selling 50,000 lb of the heavy ones now and keep the smaller ones for later.

:nod: I agree.

 

[Lazy M]

I took y'all's advice and sold my biggest 40 this AM. They averaged 870lbs and brought 1.33/lb. I'm tickled, and plan to feed the rest for about a month or until they're around that same size.
thanks for the help.. Man, if these prices hold a poor farmer might screw up and finish the year in the black!

 

[dieselbeef]

round her 350 400# med frame are bringing 2.17lb...why do you keep them so long. i can make 350 in 4 mos and have almost no money in em?

 

[Lazy M]

I can't stand the thought of anyone else backgrounding my calves and making money that could have been mine. The way I figure it, for every dollar of feed/hay that I put into the calves they are making me conservatively $2.50. If you dont have the numbers or facilities to make feeding worthwhile, then its a good call to sell'um right off the cow.

Not to mention the fact that its kind of cool to see how stout my calves can get.