This time we didn't preg check

[Dave]

Yesterday the neighbor ran the last big bunch of cows through and worked them. There was over 200 of them. No vet to preg them. They start calving February 1 and the vast majority look the part. The neighbors theory is that after calving is done this bunch goes out on a BLM spring pasture for a month. When they come off that pasture in mid May and the pairs head for the mountains. Any opens will be fat and slick. He will cut them off and preg check the 20 or so opens. Later calvers will go out with the fall calvers. Any open cows will go to town and hopefully they will be worth more then.

 

[Randi]

Works fine if you have lots of feed, or if the feed isn't crazy expensive.

 

[Dave]

Works fine if you have lots of feed, or if the feed isn't crazy expensive.

That was my thought. I guess the hay is already in the stack yard. He is weighing the cost of feed against the cost of vet check, weight gain on spring grass, and gambling on the market taking an up swing.

 

[Dave]

I calculated it out and figured that cull cow prices need to go up 8 cents and the cows gain 100 pounds each to break even on the feed cost. I don't think the weight gain will be a problem. Open cows going to grass gain really good. The 8 cents might be an issue. Fleshier cows are worth more per pound so that will make up part of that 8 cents but not all of it. He might just come out. I don't think he got to where he is today by making too many bad decisions.