Special Beef Cow Sale, Jan. 12

[stocky]

Special cow sale at Brookline, Mo tonight. The prices are really being affected by the drop in feeder prices and the diesel and fertilize prices. Prices had held well up through the end of Dec. but the last 10 days cow prices have dropped quite alot at each barn even though there is a surplus of hay and grass. I guess it is finally settling in that the calf prices could really tumble by they time these cows wean off calves. Tonight cows were 100-400 dollars cheaper than they were before the first of the year on springer and pairs depending on quality and type and stage. There were black pairs with 200-300 lb calves bringing up to 1,000 and they had been bringing 1200-1500. Good black springers were bringing 800-950, down a couple of hundred. Lower quality cattle were pretty much slaughter price.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Were the cows overpriced before, or are folks thinking we are going to have a price wreck?

 

[stocky]

I dont think the cow price had come down to reflect how much the calf prices have dropped and the costs have soared. I think people are just now realizing that the calves wont bring what they did two years ago and fertilize and other expenses are going to make it rough to try to pay for those 1200-1500 dollar commercial cows.