Stockers

[circlew]

I have always wanted to try to do a stocker operation. How does yalls operation work? Do you run calves just during the summer on grass, the winter on hay and creep and rye grass, or in feedlot type system? What size do yall like to buy at and how long will yall keep them? Any other things I left out that would be important would be appreciated.

 

[tncattle]

This is my 2nd year doing this and my plan is running them from mid April to around Labor day or Oct 1. I will not feed them except to get them to come when up to the corral. They will gain what they gain on grass, last year I ran heifers and they gained around 2.1 lbs. a day. I buy from people I know, they are fully weaned, vaccinated & wormed. They are ready to turn out and yes I will pay a little premium for that but it's worth it to me and works out in the end. Last year I ran two different groups that totaled 21 heifers and did well, right now I only got 11 steers. My plan next year is to buy a group of at least 20 steers and within 2-3 years be buying enough for a load to sell in late Summer or early Fall. I have full working facilities I built so I can doctor, worm or anything I need to do. Right now the people that live at the farm I use have very well trained horses and when I get them up they do it on the horses and it's too easy, I just sit and watch.

Forgot to add,

I usually buy 5-6 wts. I also bought 4 really nice steers that to sell for freezer beef ans they were already around 750 lb. avg.

 

[circlew]

Right now I'm trying to find a place to rent to put the stockers on. Right now my pasture is short at home, so I can't run them with my cows. I could put them in my catch pen area and feed hay and creep them but I think that would cost too much.

 

[VanC]

Used to be an old boy around here that stockered slaughter cows. He'd buy 50 or so leans in the fall when prices were usually lowest, put a couple of hundred pounds on them over the winter and sell them as breakers and boners in the spring when prices were usually higher. Fed hay and corn silage. Said he never lost money on them. He passed away a few months ago.

 

[circlew]

VanC I have thought about that also. I want to try something different to go along with my pairs.

 

[Howdyjabo]

Right now if you buy the bigger framed low yeild cows that weigh at least 1000 lb- you can make some real good money if the market holds.

I have been trying to talk hubby into it- but hes resisting as he will have to deal with them and is worried a bunch of strange cows thrown together would be a handful. And hes worried about the ones that are carrying calves.

 

[JSCATTLE]

It would be my luck that I would but a load of s.s. or thin cows for .45 to .50 now and the market would drop out and the breakers would go back to .15 c

 

[Howdyjabo]

Its going to take something real big to back off the cull cow market
The demand is there
The supplies are low
Imports are not competitive(and they are short on supplies too)
Rising Feed costs are not as big of an issue
And if prices of meat keep rising- low end beef will be the economical cuts so they should hold their market.

Right now I see the cull market as the only one with any security- hence why I am after hubby to jump in. Not being the one trying to handle them it seems like a no brainer to me

 

[circlew]

Market was down here yesterday. 300 lb calves under a dollar. Begging folks to take them. One man sold out his whole herd of brangus cows. Most were pairs with small calves 300 lb and smaller were brings 600 to 800 dollars. Just wish I had some grass.

 

[kenny thomas]

I have an lot of grass but any calf with ear will not trade good here. What were the non eared calves doing or are their any there?

 

[circlew]

All calves under 300 lb were under a dollar. We got a good line come thru today so next week could be different. We got 2 inches today! :banana:

 

[circlew]

I talked to the vet that works the local sale barn about what to vaccinate calves that I buy with. She said she would use a medicated finishing feed. Said feed it to them for a week or so to cut down on stress of working them. She also said she hasn't seen anything sickly come through the barn in a while. I figure all the sick ones have done been sold. What are yalls opinion on the feed to shots?

 

[Howdyjabo]

IMO
Unless they are used to eating-- medicated feed for shipping fever is a waste of money.
Medicated water is dangerous
Metaphlactic shots are well worth the cost right now with the high cost of feeders.


You don't SEE the sickly you need to worry about in the calves at the salebarns. Its just a given that They were stresses and exposed- no matter what you see. (ps-from I what little you wrote about that vet- I would be concerned about using her)

BTW-- buying in the summer heat is just one more stress.And any calves that get a little sick will be real sick when it doesn't even cool down at night. They just don't have enough excess lung capacity to handle being sick and the heat too.