Took some calves to the sale yesterday

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Alan

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Just finished separating calves, remember I'm a hobby guy so I'm only going to winter 18 head total, keeping 4 AI heifer weanlings as replacements, a couple of future freezer steers so it only left me three to haul to Woodburn auction. I got the best prices for my Hereford bull calves of all time. I sold a 5 wt horned bull for 121 cwt, a 6 wt went for 115 and a 5 wt heifer for 106 cwt. I have seen these kind of prices for black hides but not rwf and especially not in the late fall when folks are dumping for the winter.

While I'm very happy with the prices and the check, I know most of the reason is due to the problems those folks in the southern states had this summer. I guess I'm feeling it's a blessing for me, but I still have the sting of knowing it at the hardship of others.

Just some thoughts on a rainy dark morning in NW Oregon. I hope you all have a happy and thankful Thanksgiving.

Alan
 
Alan":1ir0tjnh said:
Just finished separating calves, remember I'm a hobby guy so I'm only going to winter 18 head total, keeping 4 AI heifer weanlings as replacements, a couple of future freezer steers so it only left me three to haul to Woodburn auction. I got the best prices for my Hereford bull calves of all time. I sold a 5 wt horned bull for 121 cwt, a 6 wt went for 115 and a 5 wt heifer for 106 cwt. I have seen these kind of prices for black hides but not rwf and especially not in the late fall when folks are dumping for the winter.

While I'm very happy with the prices and the check, I know most of the reason is due to the problems those folks in the southern states had this summer. I guess I'm feeling it's a blessing for me, but I still have the sting of knowing it at the hardship of others.

Just some thoughts on a rainy dark morning in NW Oregon. I hope you all have a happy and thankful Thanksgiving.

Alan
If you're keeping 18 over the winter,you are more than a hobby guy. :tiphat: I also raise Herefords & would really like someone to show me the difference between the carcasses once the hide is off. It's been a sorry excuse :bs: over the years for the buyers to discount good cattle just based on color. :bang:
 
Allen don't worry about us .. it may be yall next year.. when its bad for some its good for others .. we will get our chance again soon
 
HEREFORD ROADHOG":18b0ybec said:
I also raise Herefords & would really like someone to show me the difference between the carcasses once the hide is off.

While I really hate to admit it, the average Angus carcass is more likely to have a higher marbling score than the average Hereford carcass. (Not saying there aren't any Herefords out there than can grade with the Angus though)

To me, what's ignorant is paying more for a black hided calf and hoping it will rail with a high marbling score. I'd really like to know the number of black hided calves that are sold through the sale barn with premiums that actually don't qualify for the CAB premiums when they are harvested.
 
CPL":2mpo2zit said:
To me, what's ignorant is paying more for a black hided calf and hoping it will rail with a high marbling score. I'd really like to know the number of black hided calves that are sold through the sale barn with premiums that actually don't qualify for the CAB premiums when they are harvested.

I am not an Angus guy; but think for a minute how much less premiums the Angus guys are getting BECAUSE of those non-Angus calves that won't grade passing for Angus at the stockyard. The repeat buyers know what calves at that yard have done for them in the past and adjust future pricing accordingly. If you are at a yard where yellow, white, gray, and red calves bring as much as the black calves it probably means that black calves at that yard have historically not been consistently bringing those CAB premiums at the packer.
 
CPL":1thpqfj9 said:
HEREFORD ROADHOG":1thpqfj9 said:
I also raise Herefords & would really like someone to show me the difference between the carcasses once the hide is off.

While I really hate to admit it, the average Angus carcass is more likely to have a higher marbling score than the average Hereford carcass. (Not saying there aren't any Herefords out there than can grade with the Angus though)

To me, what's ignorant is paying more for a black hided calf and hoping it will rail with a high marbling score. I'd really like to know the number of black hided calves that are sold through the sale barn with premiums that actually don't qualify for the CAB premiums when they are harvested.

While I will agree on the marbling. I dont think herefords have to marble as well to be as good or better than angus. Of course there are studies showing both breeds taste better and are more tender than the other. :roll:
 
I won't get into that black vs red argument. It will go on for ever and no one will ever agree. I will say this, AAA has done a $^%& of a job of marketing their breed over the past 30-40 years. Just about every restaurant or store you go in advertises Angus beef. I am amazed at the difference in prices at the stockyards across the nation. I shipped some Angus calves weighing 500-600 lbs about a month ago and got $1.30 - $1.45. lb. That is in North Carolina. When I see the sale barn prices in Texas, I have to do a double take. It almost looks like a misprint. They are getting another .30 - .40 more then we are.
 
I will agree. I will agree that when the hide comes off, they are all red and all taste good!
 
we sold 550lb bull calf for 1.18 and 500lb heifers for 1.15. I was happy enough, thought the heifers would bring more.
 
I don't want to rain on your parade , but those prices are nothing to write home about . You have a couple strikes against you . You're on the west side of the Cascades , coast cattle always take a beating , if you were over on the dry side you would see .30 more . If you left the horns on you took a docking , if you left them bulls , you left money on the table . The other thing is if the sale barn ran you cattle through one at a time rather then a pen of a dozen or more you lost some money . Buyers like numbers , it makes it easier to fill trucks with even lots of calves .
 
mlazyj":1vrs6nuh said:
I don't want to rain on your parade , but those prices are nothing to write home about . You have a couple strikes against you . You're on the west side of the Cascades , coast cattle always take a beating , if you were over on the dry side you would see .30 more . If you left the horns on you took a docking , if you left them bulls , you left money on the table . The other thing is if the sale barn ran you cattle through one at a time rather then a pen of a dozen or more you lost some money . Buyers like numbers , it makes it easier to fill trucks with even lots of calves .
well ill differ with you on the dehorning an cutting of bull calves.if im going to go to the trouble of working the bull calves like you say then id better get an extra .50 a lb.but the hard truth is they wont pay decent for all that work.order buyers are in it to make a nice profit.so they control whats paid to the sale barns.
 
bigbull338":1vflooh3 said:
mlazyj":1vflooh3 said:
I don't want to rain on your parade , but those prices are nothing to write home about . You have a couple strikes against you . You're on the west side of the Cascades , coast cattle always take a beating , if you were over on the dry side you would see .30 more . If you left the horns on you took a docking , if you left them bulls , you left money on the table . The other thing is if the sale barn ran you cattle through one at a time rather then a pen of a dozen or more you lost some money . Buyers like numbers , it makes it easier to fill trucks with even lots of calves .
well ill differ with you on the dehorning an cutting of bull calves.if im going to go to the trouble of working the bull calves like you say then id better get an extra .50 a lb.but the hard truth is they wont pay decent for all that work.order buyers are in it to make a nice profit.so they control whats paid to the sale barns.
You are out of your mind if you think anyone is going to pay you $.50 a pound on a 500# calf to do $7 worth of work, man your a greedy sob. $250 for $7 worth of work, only in Texas
 
what truck did you fall off of.id love to get that work done for $7 a hd.but you an i both know it aint happening.because it takes time an labor todo those things.
 
rubberbands must have got darn expensive and you must buy a new dehorning tool for each calf. If you need $250 to dehorn and steer a bull calf you need to get out of the business
 
inbredredneck":39uer012 said:
rubberbands must have got darn expensive and you must buy a new dehorning tool for each calf because if you need $250 to dehorn and steer a bull calf you need to get out of the business
once again you show why CT is such a great bunch of ppl.every1 here has there own opions on how they do things an thats great.an not to bragg but ive been in cattle for well over 40yrs.an not had to get a job to pull the farm.so i must be doing something right.
 
bigbull338":8g3qbtov said:
once again you show why CT is such a great bunch of ppl.every1 here has there own opions on how they do things an thats great.an not to bragg but ive been in cattle for well over 40yrs.an not had to get a job to pull the farm.so i must be doing something right.
I'm 100% certain you have never taken a job in 40 years to pull the farm, infact I'm almost certain you may have never left the farm in 40 years, if you think you need $250 to steer and dehorn a 500# bull calf before it is worth your time. Thats crazy and I don't care where you are from, this is the last I'm gonna say on it. Only in Texas.
 
inbredredneck":2exu6lca said:
bigbull338":2exu6lca said:
mlazyj":2exu6lca said:
I don't want to rain on your parade , but those prices are nothing to write home about . You have a couple strikes against you . You're on the west side of the Cascades , coast cattle always take a beating , if you were over on the dry side you would see .30 more . If you left the horns on you took a docking , if you left them bulls , you left money on the table . The other thing is if the sale barn ran you cattle through one at a time rather then a pen of a dozen or more you lost some money . Buyers like numbers , it makes it easier to fill trucks with even lots of calves .
well ill differ with you on the dehorning an cutting of bull calves.if im going to go to the trouble of working the bull calves like you say then id better get an extra .50 a lb.but the hard truth is they wont pay decent for all that work.order buyers are in it to make a nice profit.so they control whats paid to the sale barns.
You are out of your mind if you think anyone is going to pay you $.50 a pound on a 500# calf to do $7 worth of work, man your a greedy sob. $250 for $7 worth of work, only in Texas


I'm with you Bigbull, I figure I took a 5 cent hit for horns and another 5 cents (per lb.) for bulls. So. I lost about $2.50 on each of the bulls and about another $2.50 for horns. There is no way in he!! I'm going to castrate and dehorn for another $7.50 (before auction fees).

Inbred, as I stated I'm a hobby guy, I also said in my post I only took 3 calves to the sale, while I agree I would get a few cents extra if I hauled a couple of hundred miles further to the east side. I don't think it would be close to an extra .30, maybe .10 or .15., but I would lose much more than that in fuel cost. I kept the majority of my calves this year for replacements and freezer steers, which I castrated myself, i'm happy to give the $2.50 to the sale yard and save myself the hassle.

Alan
 
you talk a good gamw but ive figured things 7 ways from sunday.an theres no way i can justify doing all that for .05 a lb.heck you can loose alot trying to background the calves for 45 days.besides we rarely sell light feeders like your talking about.id say 60% of our calves are heavy enough to go right to the feedlots.an thats 700 to 850lbs.
 
Alan":bnkgmg7u said:
Inbred, as I stated I'm a hobby guy, I also said in my post I only took 3 calves to the sale, while I agree I would get a few cents extra if I hauled a couple of hundred miles further to the east side. I don't think it would be close to an extra .30, maybe .10 or .15., but I would lose much more than that in fuel cost. I kept the majority of my calves this year for replacements and freezer steers, which I castrated myself, i'm happy to give the $2.50 to the sale yard and save myself the hassle.

Alan
I would not do a $7 job for $5.00 either. But I sure as heck wouldn't think I need $250 to do a $7 job would you? Like I said only in Texas.
 

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