Thoughts on selling

[Ky hills]

We are kind of in a decision time on what to do.
Since cattle are selling good, it's tempting to dig deep and sell several cows.
Problem is we are already low in numbers and once sold we won't have much to sell as far as calves next year.
We could save quite a bit on hay and feed through the winter, but it is nice to have a few calves to sell along throughout the year so it's hard to know what to do.

 

[coachg]

Friend at stockyard sent me this .

 

[coachg]

I vote yes !

 

[bird dog]

$70 to sell a weigh cow that spends 30 seconds in the ring. The sale barn business is very very good.

 

[gcreekrch]

We are kind of in a decision time on what to do.
Since cattle are selling good, it's tempting to dig deep and sell several cows.
Problem is we are already low in numbers and once sold we won't have much to sell as far as calves next year.
We could save quite a bit on hay and feed through the winter, but it is nice to have a few calves to sell along throughout the year so it's hard to know what to do.

Hard to collect the golden eggs if you get rid of the gooses………

 

[Ky hills]

Hard to collect the golden eggs if you get rid of the gooses………

Therein lies the conundrum.

 

[coachg]

Don't know if those were old , barren , crippled or what . He just said his buddy sold weigh cows . If yours are still in production and doing a good job , keep them ! I kept a couple of older girls hoping for one more calf . Buried both and only got one bottle calf .

 

[gcreekrch]

Don't know if those were old , barren , crippled or what . He just said his buddy sold weigh cows . If yours are still in production and doing a good job , keep them ! I kept a couple of older girls hoping for one more calf . Buried both and only got one bottle calf .

One needs to sell those old girls two years earlier, whe SOMEONE ELSE thinks there is value in them.

 

[Brute 23]

It's hard to say with out knowing more about you situation but as a rule of thumb I don't feed cows to hold them. It just seems like that is start of a downhill trend that doesn't pay out.

 

[angus9259]

Im going to sell. These good times have always been followed by cheap times. Keep only a handful of the very best and repopulate when tides turn. Use the money to buy some hay equipment to hay out their old pastures

 

[cowman82]

going to cull what i need and buy back breds.

 

[1982vett]

I've been one foot out the door for a while now. Less than 1/4 of the herd I had 15 years ago on 2/3rds the acreage. Economics and age are taking its toll. My equipment is as worn out more than I am and failing faster it seems. 15 years of off and on drought coupled with poor prices (until recently) painted a poor outlook for the future.

I've got 80 acres hasn't had a cow on since April. Another 50 acres I'm letting another producer graze. Could it be cut for hay? Sure. But haybarns are already full and the those nutrients taken off needs to be replaced if I bale and I haven't been in the hay business for a long time now.

On the worn out equipment side of things, I was spraying weeds the other day and noticed a streak of oil. Steering cylinder was dripping oil. This on top of a slave cylinder that appears to be ready to fail. It's a 2955 John Deere so the slave is inside. I've stopped throwing money away trying to keep the AC's functional years ago. I have a master cylinder for the 2350 on the shelf. Just haven't taken the time to put it on. Haybine has a seal on the wobble box beginning to leak, cutter bar needs to be rebuilt again. Had to call a friend to haul the last calves I sold. Got into the truck to start and NOTHING. Turns out the shift cable had come off at the transmission. When I opened the door to get out the door handle spring broke. At the time I was unsure about closing the door. Wasn't sure I'd get it open again. Sometimes the windows work and sometimes they don't.

I'm at an age where replacing these things just doesn't make sense without someone coming up behind me. Just looks like it's a good time to fully retire.

 

[Louthelivestockguy]

$70 to sell a weigh cow that spends 30 seconds in the ring. The sale barn business is very very good.

I took 7 800 pound almost yearling calves to Bluegrass Stickyards in Lexington. Shipped Monday morning. They sold around 1 pm that day. The commission was over $400 for the seven!

 

[Louthelivestockguy]

I took 7 800 pound almost yearling calves to Bluegrass Stickyards in Lexington. Shipped Monday morning. They sold around 1 pm that day. The commission was over $400 for the seven!

They sold well averaging $1,650 per head with 3 being heifers, but dang it!

 

[moses388]

I'm at an age where replacing these things just doesn't make sense without someone coming up behind me.

There are people on ranch job websites looking to get started in cattle. Sometimes Hertz realty can match you with a family or individual and you can work out the details in a contract.

If you fixed the pickup, I think you would use it. That shift cable was an easy fix on our 2000 Chevy Silverado. Just cheap plastic that holds the cable to the transmission lever. Ours would shift hard getting it out of park no matter how hard you stepped on the brake. A board went bad - activating the hazard lights would cause the license plate light to flash. Board replaced and shifting problem solved. What is your pickup?

A few repairs now will make tomorrow more enjoyable.

 

[4hfarms]

Cheap side of me does the same and will go without.

My wife on the other hand, does not suffer well.

I appreciate her wanting our retirement comfortable.

If you have the means, fix it or replace it.

Its worth it, you worked all these years, to enjoy the rest.

 

[1982vett]

There are people on ranch job websites looking to get started in cattle. Sometimes Hertz realty can match you with a family or individual and you can work out the details in a contract.

If you fixed the pickup, I think you would use it. That shift cable was an easy fix on our 2000 Chevy Silverado. Just cheap plastic that holds the cable to the transmission lever. Ours would shift hard getting it out of park no matter how hard you stepped on the brake. A board went bad - activating the hazard lights would cause the license plate light to flash. Board replaced and shifting problem solved. What is your pickup?

A few repairs now will make tomorrow more enjoyable.

It's a 2005 Chevy 2500 with gasoline engine. 243,000 miles. Doors will auto lock like they are supposed to but the back doors had to be manually unlocked until a couple weeks ago when I disconnected them. Driver window opens about 30% of the time when I try. Driver rear will go down but needs help going back up. Got the 4x4 locked in a couple months ago when I needed a little more traction, finally disengaged last week. AC blows hot air so pretty tough when the windows decide they won't go down. Transmission....yeah, it's going to give up any day but it's gone longer than I figured it would. I don't drive it enough to keep the battery charged. More likely something is draining it down. Just about use it only to take cattle to the sale which is about 11 mile round trip every couple months now. If I had the inclination to put fertilizer out I'd use it go get it. I have a 2004 Tundra with 174,000 miles to do the rest of the running I need to do.

My sister had 80ish acres up the road a bit I rented. I found a guy to lease it a couple years ago after snowvid. She also had some land next to me that her husband wanted to sell after she passed away. I found a buyer for that. Culled a lot of old cows last year when prices got good. Had planned to replace some of them but never got around to it. I have more grass this year than I did last year when it quit raining for 4 months. Haven't grazed the 80 acres or baled the 80 acres I did last year. I've got a fellow picked out to run cattle on the place when I'm ready to give it up. Should something happen and he not want it, their is still options out their. I just have to be ready to let go. A little at a time seems easier than all at once. I'll get the tractor fixed. Sort of have to as it's worthless if it's broke down. Might buy me a few more years but then I keep asking myself;

Why? Only answer I come up with is I'm already doing less than my Dad did when he was 85 and had Multiple Myeloma. Kind of had my eyeball set on 70 at least.

 

[shaz]

starting over with the new herd may not be fun but taking a year off may be really good for your pasture

 

[MurraysMutts]

We are kind of in a decision time on what to do.
Since cattle are selling good, it's tempting to dig deep and sell several cows.
Problem is we are already low in numbers and once sold we won't have much to sell as far as calves next year.
We could save quite a bit on hay and feed through the winter, but it is nice to have a few calves to sell along throughout the year so it's hard to know what to do.

I bit the bullet and sold everything but 5 cows and 7 calves. It was a nice break for a bit. I still have my pets and a lil black bull to breed their mixed up selves. I even sold some that born on the place and swore I would never sell.

Then I got the crazy idea to buy some calves to eat all the grass! It's been fun so far. Crazy but some of these lil heifer calves are growing on me already. I bought them to graze and re-sell. I'm sticking to the plan. Come fall/winter I'll still have 5 cows and a bull.

I've started trading some. I enjoy going to sales and watching for anything I can make money on. Don't make money on all of em, but the winners more than make up for the losers.

There's always something ya can do. Cattle are very versatile in that way.

 

[moses388]

Might buy me a few more years but then I keep asking myself; Why?

Sounds like there is a plan. When you do retire, I hope you find a hobby or something to keep you busy. It's still your decision. You are still in control. My father waited too long and had no choice. A health event left him permanently disabled at 58 years old.