Sold some Weaned Calves Tonight

[Stocker Steve]

[Considering land as an investment is one thing, making a living until you can capitalize on it is another. It's a rich man's game now since no one without capital behind them can start off.

Have you talked to Aaron about land prices in the Rainy River District?

 

[Stocker Steve]

There are people making good money on cattle, but currently it is not the average cow calf producer. Too many acres per cow, too much shiny paint, and too many folks who will raise calves for free.

 

[Stocker Steve]

And Sky is right, $200 per calf isn't worth all the time away from family and such over the course of the year.

I think you run more than beef cows. Have you split out the return per acre for cow/calf vs. yearlings?

 

[BRYANT]

here is a much better way to make money !!! I have a cousin that does fancy dogs 20 years ago she had 30 brood females, Government inspected , nice building heat and air, big outside runs so they were not in a small brooder pen all the time, sold straight to broker 300.00 females 200.00 males two litters a year. way more money than cattle every thought about making and she was from a cattle farming family. last time I talked to her kids , a few years ago she had even a bigger kennel and prices are way higher now than 20 yrs. ago

 

[BRYANT]

[Considering land as an investment is one thing, making a living until you can capitalize on it is another. It's a rich man's game now since no one without capital behind them can start off.

every thing is that way I know of a nice little eating joint that was always full. Owners retire sold the place for 150k now its been open, closed and reopened I think this is the 6th time in ??? maybe 8 yrs. ?? no one can sell enough meals and pay help to pay that payment and make a living, You have to have the cash to buy it as an long term investment .

 

[Dave]

50 years ago people were saying that you just can't make it. I am sure they were saying that well before that. In fact I remember my Dad looking at a place when I was 8 or 9 years old in 1959 or 60 and he just couldn't figure out how to make it work. But at the same time I know people who did make it work. Guys who I went to college with who started out with nothing. They worked hard, were good managers, and did without for years. Now they own very nice places and are very comfortable. I know young guys who are making a living at today's prices, even expanding.

 

[Lucky]

50 years ago people were saying that you just can't make it. I am sure they were saying that well before that. In fact I remember my Dad looking at a place when I was 8 or 9 years old in 1959 or 60 and he just couldn't figure out how to make it work. But at the same time I know people who did make it work. Guys who I went to college with who started out with nothing. They worked hard, were good managers, and did without for years. Now they own very nice places and are very comfortable. I know young guys who are making a living at today's prices, even expanding.

Wait what? It takes more than a year to make it in business?? You are exactly right it takes time and doing without for awhile to make it. There's always gonna be the haves and have nots.

 

[Nesikep]

The way we made it was we did have some money from selling a property, and my mother worked overseas for 4 years.. and we were lucky to have a good market for vegetables at the time.. That was during the BSE years. Thankfully we had gotten paid off at about the time the veggie market tanked and my parents had pension income, though not a lot it got us by.

 

[farmerjan]

And Sky is right, $200 per calf isn't worth all the time away from family and such over the course of the year.

I think you run more than beef cows. Have you split out the return per acre for cow/calf vs. yearlings?

Steve, we don't run many weaned or other calves except what heifers we are retaining. We buy and sell a few head, but don't have the fences or feed to run many past weaning. I run the calves on the nurse cows; this year got them established and then turned them out with some supplemental grain.... but it was not worth all the extra grain to get 2-3 groups off each cow with the dairy x feeders in the $.60 to $1.00 range at 350-450 lbs. Takes alot of extra grain to get them there. I am holding over my fall calving dairy heifers and will not be rebreeding them until June instead of now as I want spring calvers for the benefit of utilizing the grass better.
We try to do a fair amount of small square bales of hay as part of the overall farm income.2500 to 3000. Had a friend recommend my son to someone she knew. She took home a couple of sq bales, and that woman has gone crazy, BEGGING us for hay. She said her barn can hold 500 sq bales and asked to PLEASE be put on the "preferred customer list" for next year. It is just plain old orchard grass hay.... But if she wants to buy it.... ooookay...... we don't have near enough for our regular customers this year since it was so wet and hard to make it. We may start making some of our first cutting in small sq bales next year if the conditions are right to get into it early, rather than rolling it all and then making 2nd in small squares. Maybe that is the direction we will go in more. We are losing another pasture, it is a fair distance, and a mixed grass hay field next to it. With the price of beef, and the growing inkling I keep getting that in a few years the whole country is going to be seeing a severe recession or even a depression, maybe cutting the cattle numbers won't be such a bad thing. We are just trying to look at everything, and do some serious figuring right now. We have lost some animals this year with the horrible cold wet weather, and will be culling some more as we get some more preg checked. All the "old cows" are going to town unless they have raised a super duper bang up calf... and a few of the mediocre younger cows are leaving too. We will have to be more selective on what we are keeping as grazing acres will be a bit more limited. If the small sq bale market is that much better, as much as I hate dealing with some of them, it might be the way to go. There is a guy here who bought one of those "cube balers" that puts the sm sq.s in a cube, and ties it off, and we might have him do some custom, and see if it will work for us.

But no, we don't do many yearlings although we might retain a few more heifers if the prices continue to be low. Maybe in a couple years, if there is no big economic problem, then the cattle cycle will swing back up and we can sell some nice young cows bred or with calves, for a good price.... we will just have to see.
Prices here did come up a bit last week, so are looking to see when we are going to send some to town.... got about 40+ steers, but weights are not what we would like, that have to come off the cows in the next 2 weeks. Plus about 30 heifers of which we will be retaining some. Will either send them, or wean for 45 days or so. Talking to a couple of the sale barn owners and mgrs, to see what they are thinking for the market right now and this spring.

 

[Stocker Steve]

We are selling some mediocre cows too, to extend our grazing season. Now is not a great time to be heavily stocked.

Have thought about making small squares for resale but it would be a lot of work for the wife. :cowboy:

We are running some yearlings with the cows to utilize spring flush better and to offset input cost increases. So the high level goal is to increase our gross margin per acre. Just did a year end first cut and the overall farm cash income minus cash expense (with inventory adjustments but w/o depreciation) showed U$S 95 per acre.

I don't trust per cow numbers for decision making.

 

[hurleyjd]

100 dollar land that has increased in value to 1000 has to be sold to realize $$$$. You can borrow against it and then you have the interest and principle payments to make each year. Taxes will go up to match the increased value. Good investment if you cash out.

 

[Stocker Steve]

An exciting sale today with a big run of cattle and several out of state buyers. Early prices were up at least 10 cents from last month, and they were aggressively after 4 and 5 wts., but the prices were soft for heavies, and prices dropped back for any thing sold during the second half of the sale. That is when mine sold - - May and early June born steers averaging U$S 954.

Over 600# steer value of gain ranged from 65 to 91 cents. Could have sold them sooner,
and then bought back some mismanaged calves. :nod: Got side tracked with all the holiday parties. :santa:

 

[MikeCunningham]

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[TennesseeTuxedo]

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Aw Mike, you're on a cattle forum pimping mortgage loan in England. That sad man.

 

[callmefence]

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I got a buddy that's the best there is..... James from Round Rock. I know he's the best cause he tells me every time I see him. Maybe you know him. I built him a custom gate outta wagon wheels and the sob painted it Kubota orange.....lol