The art of feeding cattle

[Cross-7]

Feeding cattle to finish
Weaker prices on heavier weight cattle and something I've always thought I'd like to try

Without direct marketing to the public or on a scale large enough to sell direct to the packer

Can it be done say feeding 25 head
Grass/hay and corn ?

Any special skills or knowledge that needs to be aquired to know how feed so they continue to grow finish properly?

Will you take a beating at the sale barn selling fat cattle (steers) ?

TIA

 

[Bigfoot]

Margin is a slim on finishing, as it is backgrounding. Without a direct market, or a foot in with the packers, it's a tough go. Plus, when they get big, they eat a bunch. i mean a lot.

 

[Cross-7]

Margin is a slim on finishing, as it is backgrounding. Without a direct market, or a foot in with the packers, it's a tough go. Plus, when they get big, they eat a bunch. i mean a lot.

Yeah I bet
1200-1400# steer probably eats like teenage boys

 

[dun]

Rather than doing the finishing, you might think about (retaining ownership) i.e. paying a feedlot to do the finsihing for you. The cost isn;t really all that bad, plus they have the manpower/resources to do the job properly and sell directly to the slaughterhouse.

 

[Cross-7]

Rather than doing the finishing, you might think about (retaining ownership) i.e. paying a feedlot to do the finsihing for you. The cost isn;t really all that bad, plus they have the manpower/resources to do the job properly and sell directly to the slaughterhouse.

I've thought about that but I was looking at utilizing some ground and feed without being married to a set of cows year round

 

[js1234]

Will you take a beating at the sale barn selling fat cattle (steers) ?

TIA

Yes, murdered.
There are some opportunities feeding cattle though.

 

[Cross-7]

Will you take a beating at the sale barn selling fat cattle (steers) ?

TIA

Yes, murdered.
There are some opportunities feeding cattle though.

That's was my thought and reason for the question
I talked to cactus feeders last year. Still good folks out there ;-)

 

[SJB]

Since prices are down lots of cow/calf guys in my area are finishing and selling direct. Very few of them are having any trouble selling. yeah, you gotta deal with individuals instead of an auction barn. But selling decent beef at ~$4/lb cut and wrapped isn't hard to sell. And that gets them a little premium over selling at the auction.

On top of that, from what I can tell there's a glut of held over yearling 8-900 wts getting ready to hit the market. Guys that didn't want to sell their weaned calves in the fall are about out of options on the steers. If that's true, selling direct might look pretty good in a couple weeks/month, and you might be able to pick some feeders up cheap.

I'm trying to do it, but By the time I buy them at market price and finish them, I gotta get a real premium to make any money. My customers don't mind paying $8/lb cut, wrapped and delivered, but that puts a half at about $2k. That's hard for anybody to buy even if they don't mind the price/lb.

Point is, there's plenty of direct customers if you're just looking to get a little premium over selling holdovers at the sale barn. But if you want to do it buying 800wts it's hard to get it to pencil if you can't charge a premium, and find well heeled buyers.

I believe the best way to come out is with Holsteins or dexters, simply because a half or quarter is more affordable for the consumer, IF you can get it to taste good. The Holsteins you can sell at the barn and the dexters you can sell direct on Craigslist to hobby farmers, if you can't find beef buyers. Holsteins probably being the best choice of the two, if you can get them to marble like some folks say.

Im in your same boat. Ive got a busy life, busy job, kids, hobbies and getting ready to build a house. I don't have time to pull calves and Play doctor. But I've got grass and a little capital I can't make much return on. I'm getting ready to try a couple Holsteins just to see how good I can get them to taste and what it costs to get there. My family and friends need to eat and I've got 30 acres of grass and good water so I'm not gonna be out anything but my time to try.

 

[js1234]

Will you take a beating at the sale barn selling fat cattle (steers) ?

TIA

Yes, murdered.
There are some opportunities feeding cattle though.

That's was my thought and reason for the question
I talked to cactus feeders last year. Still good folks out there ;-)

I've fed cattle with Engler's yards before. They do a good job.
Given your location, I'd look into Hitch too. My family has fed cattle there for over 50 years. Got cattle in yards they have in Guymon and down in Perryton. Good feeders, honest & capable people.
We've got some Mexican heifers at JBS' Texhoma yard too. I've got cattle in a Friona Industries yard down in Friona that's pretty good too.
Other yards where we feed are in Nebraska and Colorado so probably not a geographic fit for you.

 

[Ojp6]

If you know the right people you can sell direct to the packers with almost any number. My dad could get a gooseneck load into most of the IBP plants simply because he knows a lot of their buyers.

Here's an option. Find somebody nearby that feeds under 500 head. Offer to pay the majority of the trucking if they will split a semi load with you. That way you should be giving them a little financial incentive to work with you, and they should already have an established relationship with the plant.

Also, if your cattle are gonna be sold in the meat rather than live, make sure you know when it's time for them to go. Sending them early and having a bunch of selects can take all the profit. Don't want them over fat either, that will hurt you and it will be a waste of feed.

 

[Cross-7]

I just noticed the gap on heavier weight calves and looked like an opportunit
I'm just a hobbyist

 

[Bigfoot]

How many finished calves could a person conceivably sell to local cunsumers? It would only be a sprinklin in my area. Literally a fraction of my calf crop.

 

[Ojp6]

I know a guy not too far from you BF that sold 50 head one year to people. He's been selling them for years though. He said when prices came up he couldn't get half that many sold though.

 

[js1234]

I just noticed the gap on heavier weight calves and looked like an opportunit
I'm just a hobbyist

Whether its one load or many, opportunities arise all the time in cattle feeding. The key is to be or have an agent there when it does, know what your seeing, and be prepared to act.

 

[SJB]

How many finished calves could a person conceivably sell to local cunsumers? It would only be a sprinklin in my area. Literally a fraction of my calf crop.

Man I talked to yesterday sells 15-20 and turns people away every year.

 

[Ojp6]

At the sales I've been at this past week there has been about 30 black 8 weight heifers. They have brought from .98 to 1.09 weighing from 830 to 890. They look like they would make a bunch of money, whether you fed them or bred them, but I just don't have enough money freed up to buy them.

 

[Son of Butch]

At the sales I've been at this past week there has been about 30 black 8 weight heifers. They have brought from .98 to 1.09 weighing from 830 to 890. They look like they would make a bunch of money, whether you fed them or bred them, but I just don't have enough money freed up to buy them.

I hear ya.

 

[Cross-7]

Being able to sell them is the problem

A few years ago I bought some heifers with the intent of putting a bull on them but was covered up busy and never did.
I carried them to the sale barn weighing 1000 plus
They sold like cull cows, maybe a little better
Had they been steers I'd probably been ok

 

[Cross-7]

I just noticed the gap on heavier weight calves and looked like an opportunit
I'm just a hobbyist

Whether its one load or many, opportunities arise all the time in cattle feeding. The key is to be or have an agent there when it does, know what your seeing, and be prepared to act.

Very true and it can be a expensive education when you don't. I can personally attest to that

 

[bball]

How many finished calves could a person conceivably sell to local cunsumers? It would only be a sprinklin in my area. Literally a fraction of my calf crop.

We could sell every calf we have to individual consumers. This year that would be 40. I work in a hospital and FIL at steel mill, between the 2 of us, we have people approach us regularly for beef. At this time, neither of us want the hassle of dealing with public (have a handful of private buyers who buy between 4 -12 each at weaning).
Selling to individuals is all about having connections to people with the resources to actually PAY when it comes time, and then having the patience to answer a multitude of questions the first time they buy...once you get them through the process (and assuming you raise a quality product), the will be back year after year. Anytime I have a retained heifer come up open, she gets fed to finish and is sold (usually sold the day she is found to be open, all I have to do then is finish her).

Could the OP move 25 head finished to individuals? Just depends on if he has the contacts with resources and would be willing to do it. Word of mouth spreads fast when you sell quality beef.