Selling strategy

[cowgirl8]

Took a few cull cows to the sale in Paris. Past weeks the sale barn has been busy, no parking spaces anywhere. Ran up there by 8am, no trailers in sight. No line, no wait. Numbers put on cows, in the 200s. It was a ghost town there. We were really glad we didnt have a load of our top steers with us.
We did though, have a calf who belonged to one of the cows. It was a gamble cow, kept because she was bred and in OK condition at weaning last fall. Almost died during the long winter, but did calve and managed to provide for him. The last couple weeks though, i've been finding her by herself, not good. So when we took the bulls off last week, we put them in the corral for the sale saturday. Her calf could have been big, but she's had no milk for the last month so he was basically weaned. He weighed 440, was very tall and lean. Was out of the red sim bull we lost this winter, so he was solid red.
Got 2.55 a pound for him totaling 1122.00 for him. His mother who was in bad shape, brought .80 and weighted 1085...She developed a hip problem and another week i bet i would have had a downed cow.
We plan to start hauling off calves in the next week or so. We'll do it one trailer load at a time and haul to different area sales. Since smaller calves are selling good and we still have belly deep grass, we plan to sell smaller calves that arent as growthy. IE, the heifers calves. The heifers need them off, and the calves are smaller than the cows calves. Most will be around 400+ pounds and solid black. First thought would be to sell the biggest and best and let the smaller grow..The price for smaller ones is good now, so no sense in taking the chance they may or may not grow. Get that money now..

 

[TexasBred]

Since smaller calves are selling good and we still have belly deep grass, we plan to sell smaller calves that arent as growthy. IE, the heifers calves. The heifers need them off, and the calves are smaller than the cows calves. Most will be around 400+ pounds and solid black. First thought would be to sell the biggest and best and let the smaller grow..The price for smaller ones is good now, so no sense in taking the chance they may or may not grow. Get that money now..

Recommended this to you weeks if not months ago. You'll get almost as much money as a much larger calf and get them off the mama cows earlier, allow them more time to recover, put on some weight and get ready to do it again and you get rid of the calves. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at what some of the smaller calves bring especially if you have a few steer calves selling.

 

[Toad]

Is there a particular reason you don't sell a load at a time direct instead of going through a sale barn?

 

[Nesikep]

TB, that's the strategy I used, I kept the late born ones, and all except my replacements, a bull calf and a BIG steer. At $1250 a piece I was happy as a pig in a mudhole, I can put condition on my cows more easily (young'uns are thin), I stretch my fall pasture (nice to do in these lands), and I have a few small calves for the spring market which is always good for light calves, and a couple big boys I am certain will grow really well to buffer against market fluctuations

 

[cowgirl8]

Since smaller calves are selling good and we still have belly deep grass, we plan to sell smaller calves that arent as growthy. IE, the heifers calves. The heifers need them off, and the calves are smaller than the cows calves. Most will be around 400+ pounds and solid black. First thought would be to sell the biggest and best and let the smaller grow..The price for smaller ones is good now, so no sense in taking the chance they may or may not grow. Get that money now..

Recommended this to you weeks if not months ago. You'll get almost as much money as a much larger calf and get them off the mama cows earlier, allow them more time to recover, put on some weight and get ready to do it again and you get rid of the calves. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at what some of the smaller calves bring especially if you have a few steer calves selling.

I never read what you say past the first sentence. I do remember you saying that we've past the time of getting a good price and we're losing money now. You've also said big weaning weights arent important :lol2: . I dont believe we've lost any money buy waiting. Calves are gaining around 2 pounds a day and prices are holding if not higher..There is an over abundance of corn, so buyers are going to keep paying for those big weanlings. A lot goes into selling, its not a cut and dry decision. ;-)

 

[J&D Cattle]

If I had as many calves as you I would sell direct. At a minimum I would call the local sale barns and have them come out and look at your calves. We can get 3 barns in our area to our calves to bid on them. We then negotiate a floor. I personally don't have the numbers as we have a split calving season but many of my friends and neighbors do it this way with excellent results.

 

[cowgirl8]

With the grass we have now and lack of buyers who aren't middle men themselves it's smarter to sell like we are. Now if they were no longer gaining, yes. We also don't want to wean, vaccinate and feed.

 

[cross_7]

Smile, nod your head and shuffle to the next one

 

[cowgirl8]

Smile, nod your head and shuffle to the next one

Its always easy to stand on the other side of the fence and say what 'you' would do. The more money you want to make, the more work you'll have to do. There are no feed lots near us, weaning in our area this time of year is tricky, loose a few calves or them getting sick cuts into your profits...Hauling off all at once will lock on profits at that point. If prices go up like we think they will, you lose out. Again, if it were like years past, yes. But, this is like no year we've ever seen.

 

[TexasBred]

I never read what you say past the first sentence. I do remember you saying that we've past the time of getting a good price and we're losing money now. You've also said big weaning weights arent important :lol2: . I dont believe we've lost any money buy waiting. Calves are gaining around 2 pounds a day and prices are holding if not higher..There is an over abundance of corn, so buyers are going to keep paying for those big weanlings. A lot goes into selling, its not a cut and dry decision. ;-)

You're dreaming now lady. Me losing money? Not in this market. Big weaning weights are not all that important because I don't keep anything to what would be considered by most to be "weaning weight or age". I sell small and early. Look at the market prices. A five weight will dollar out as much as a seven weight. You'll never know if you've lost any money by waiting or not unless you go ahead and see what the small ones bring as you mentioned in your previous post. Have you changed your mind again already in less than 24 hrs??

Get real lady. You don't have a clue, a program, a strategy or anything else. Just some cattle, a 4 wheeler and a camera. But in total sincerity I do hope you do well when you sell the calves.

 

[cowgirl8]

I never read what you say past the first sentence. I do remember you saying that we've past the time of getting a good price and we're losing money now. You've also said big weaning weights arent important :lol2: . I dont believe we've lost any money buy waiting. Calves are gaining around 2 pounds a day and prices are holding if not higher..There is an over abundance of corn, so buyers are going to keep paying for those big weanlings. A lot goes into selling, its not a cut and dry decision. ;-)

You're dreaming now lady. Me losing money? Not in this market. Big weaning weights are not all that important because I don't keep anything to what would be considered by most to be "weaning weight or age". I sell small and early. Look at the market prices. A five weight will dollar out as much as a seven weight. You'll never know if you've lost any money by waiting or not unless you go ahead and see what the small ones bring as you mentioned in your previous post. Have you changed your mind again already in less than 24 hrs??

Get real lady. You don't have a clue, a program, a strategy or anything else. Just some cattle, a 4 wheeler and a camera. But in total sincerity I do hope you do well when you sell the calves.

You sold early and now you're sad.. Sucks doesnt it.

 

[cross_7]

Smile, nod your head and shuffle to the next one

Its always easy to stand on the other side of the fence and say what 'you' would do. The more money you want to make, the more work you'll have to do. There are no feed lots near us, weaning in our area this time of year is tricky, loose a few calves or them getting sick cuts into your profits...Hauling off all at once will lock on profits at that point. If prices go up like we think they will, you lose out. Again, if it were like years past, yes. But, this is like no year we've ever seen.

I'll say it again smile and go on
Unless you enjoy arguing
Whether your wrong or right is none of my affair and I didn't say a word

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

Why do I even bother to open a thread she starts?

 

[M5farm]

Why do I even bother to open a thread she starts?

because your curious if this thread can go 18 pages?

because you like watching train wrecks ?

you are trying to learn how to spend a bunch of money and sell your wieners and then claim you made more than anyone else but you don't know how to value input and to reach your goal of being the biggest rancher EVER!

 

[bigbull338]

since your just going to sell a gooseneck load at a time.id pick out the heaviest calves you have.and send them to the sale.we have a load we are going to sale after the 1st of the year.

 

[highgrit]

She doesn't need the extra money you make on selling pot loads, or by Internet auction. The more folks that handle your cows the less you make. And to think otherwise is ignorant.
Cows are her hobby don't you know. She might be taking pictures of her neighbor's cows, the one without any management or business plan.

 

[TexasBred]

You sold early and now you're sad.. Sucks doesnt it.

YOU are the one that brought up the subject of selling "small calves"...I simply agreed with you because I've done it for years. I'm tickled to death with how my calves sold. Even mentioned it on another thread. You do have a reading comprehension problem or is it simply ADD. BTW a good calf will bring as much today as he would a month ago if you'll sale at a good active sale.

You should have 175-200 head for sale. I'd be burning the phone lines up talking with buyers but not being familiar with the market they'll probably "put the britches on you". :mrgreen:

 

[u4411clb]

Note to anyone out there if you are selling 50,000 lbs or more at a time you are losing money at the salebarn. Create a truckload lot even if you have to buy a few to put with your own and wean and get on a vac 34 program and you will more than see the return for the extra money you put in plus you open yourself up to buyers nationwide not those at sale barn that day. The numbers you hear quoted from sale barns won't even compare.

 

[Dave]

Note to anyone out there if you are selling 50,000 lbs or more at a time you are losing money at the salebarn. Create a truckload lot even if you have to buy a few to put with your own and wean and get on a vac 34 program and you will more than see the return for the extra money you put in plus you open yourself up to buyers nationwide not those at sale barn that day. The numbers you hear quoted from sale barns won't even compare.

I will testify that this is the absolute truth.

 

[cross_7]

Note to anyone out there if you are selling 50,000 lbs or more at a time you are losing money at the salebarn. Create a truckload lot even if you have to buy a few to put with your own and wean and get on a vac 34 program and you will more than see the return for the extra money you put in plus you open yourself up to buyers nationwide not those at sale barn that day. The numbers you hear quoted from sale barns won't even compare.

I will testify that this is the absolute truth.

Nope your both wrong
It was discussed on here a while back and it was told as gospel that you sell at 400# and wean them on the trailer with diesel smoke
The experts said it right here on this board ;-)

Edit and it doesn't pay anymore to keep them to 750-800 pounds so all the stocker guys buying those 4wt calves must be losing money