Hpacres440p
Well-known member
Great.
Weaning for Dollars
- Thread starter MurraysMutts
- Start date
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simme
Old Dumb Guy
Not much danger in listing your continent in your profile. Or country. Or region of country. Or even state. I have more fear of the virus than of someone on here knowing my home state. Probably more danger from random locals than from those who browse CT.
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
People generally introduce themselves in their first post and say where they are from. You have a much better memory than me I'm sure, so you don't need to refer to their profile info.
MM, I am a firm believer that we can all run our neighbour's operation better than our own....
Having said that, there are two things I see in your operation that I feel would make you money. One is owning better bulls, the right ones can increase weaning weights dramatically.
Number two is for you to just sell your calves straight off the cow. By all means, follow vaccination protocols that will make you money but I think you will be very surprised how much your calves weigh straight off the cow and with no extra cost to you. I am betting the difference between bottom lines will be attractive.
No charge for the advice, you use it as you like.
Having said that, there are two things I see in your operation that I feel would make you money. One is owning better bulls, the right ones can increase weaning weights dramatically.
Number two is for you to just sell your calves straight off the cow. By all means, follow vaccination protocols that will make you money but I think you will be very surprised how much your calves weigh straight off the cow and with no extra cost to you. I am betting the difference between bottom lines will be attractive.
No charge for the advice, you use it as you like.
We vary weaning age based on many factors. We normally will ! wean calves on first calf heifers at 6-7 months and on mature cows at 7-8 months of age. This allows the heifers a little more rest before calving back. During drought years like this summer we consider available forage for the cows when deciding weaning age. We were fortunate to grow extra grass in the spring so supplemented the cows with liquid feed and left the calves on till normal time to wean. If our grass had been short we would of weaned a month early. No 2 years are alike so our management plan changes with the range conditions.
Dave
Well-known member
Here they darn sure announce weaning and vaccinations. Weaned calves with two rounds of shots bring 10-20 cents more than calves straight off the cows. As a result most calves get weaned before going to the sale.
10 cents doesn't pay the bill, 20 comes close. Unless you have a TMR wagon to start adding 2 lbs plus per day from day 1 preconditioning does not pay you for your time or weight loss / poor gains. The feeders sure like those green calves that many of the chronics have already died from.
Dave
Well-known member
The way things are done vary a lot by region and operator. I see on here that some areas don't castrate their bull calves. I have sat through some 3,000+ head feeder sales this year and not see more than a bull or two. More than one way to skin a cat.
Those bull calves get docked big time no matter where they are. Might be the buyers in those areas keep the steer price down because they are buying all those calves under market.
Bull calves here are docked 20 cents and this year, finally, buyers are cutting horned calves out of groups and docking them 30 cents. Having made money on a lot of other peoples mistakes, I can say I don't care if I ever have to take a horn off a weaned calf ever again. They stand still for 3 to 4 weeks.
Just read this entire thread. Agree with the last few posts. Murray, as I understand, you have 8-12 calves per year. Pull them off the cows, as forage allows, at 7-8 months of age. Load them on a trailer and send them to the sale barn that day. With that size group, you will never recover the costs of pre-conditioning. If you have a way to graze them to yearlings, they will make you money.
As a seller I state no cuts for color or nub horns. It has never bothered the main buyers. Most of ours have been removed but once in awhile will have one slip by. We see very little slowdown in calves we dehorn on the cows. I use a circle iron on some and they never miss a beat. We band our bull calves and they keep on growing.
Here calves under 4 aren't docked much for being bulls. As they go past that mark further the dock increases.
We plan to sell this week. All but 5 hd will be 60 days weaned. Depending on how they sell will determine if we do the long term weaning again. With 72 hd and little wheat they will need to bring at least 20 dollars a hundred more to break even and 25 dollars a hundred to justify the added labor and for a decent return on money invested.
Stocker Steve
Well-known member
Sold weaned 628# May/June steers yesterday for U$S 145/cwt or $911 each. I expected more, but the feeder market here has dropped over the past month. I blame grain prices.
I am unfortunately able to "see" and find fault with most of my heifers, but I am still taking them to grass, betting on the bred market. I plan to sell steers off the cow this October if feed stays high. Buyers here pay up for double vaccinated calves, but weaning is not required if you sell early in the fall.
I am unfortunately able to "see" and find fault with most of my heifers, but I am still taking them to grass, betting on the bred market. I plan to sell steers off the cow this October if feed stays high. Buyers here pay up for double vaccinated calves, but weaning is not required if you sell early in the fall.
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Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
@Stocker Steve "unfortunately" most producers cannot "see" the faults, so you are heads & heals over a lot. But, remember, there isn't an animal on this earth that is PERFECT. I virtually never have a cull heifer, other than a freemartin or bad disposition - but even my tippy top heifers have something I would like to change. Eye of the Master. None of mine are PERFECT - although I sure would like my buyers to think they are 
Our steers were virtually same age and pretty close to same weight at selling time and I also got $1.45 (darn good wts BTW). I was happy with that at the time. Market got higher, then I guess lower. Still, $911 more than pays for the cows up keep for a year, so each steer made the farm money.
Our steers were virtually same age and pretty close to same weight at selling time and I also got $1.45 (darn good wts BTW). I was happy with that at the time. Market got higher, then I guess lower. Still, $911 more than pays for the cows up keep for a year, so each steer made the farm money.
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OP
OP
MurraysMutts
Well-known member
Sounds like ya done alright!
Where they sell?
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
MM - you do not need a vet to do routine vaccinations or castrations or implants. You can easily learn to do it yourself. Keep your vet involved - buy you meds from them. Routine health workup by a vet is wasted money.
Dave
Well-known member
I absolutely agree. Vets are expensive and a lot of what I see people here having a vet do they could easily do themselves. Trying to remember. The last time I had a vet out for anything other than preg check or health papers to ship to another state has to be 9 or 10 years ago.
OP
OP
MurraysMutts
Well-known member
Gonna sell this group all natural, unweaned come a week from Thursday.
Calves look great!
Sure breaking my heart to sell this group of heifers. Several will be excellent replacement material.
Calves look great!
Sure breaking my heart to sell this group of heifers. Several will be excellent replacement material.
OP
OP
MurraysMutts
Well-known member
Change of plans....
I'll update tomorrow night!
Should be 15 calves and 1 old cow.
Took an extra that decided he wanted to go under a panel and tear it up. He was mid October born and he was gonna hang out a while til he did that. He got out of the loading area but not the pen. So I loaded his ornery butt anyway!
I'll update tomorrow night!
Should be 15 calves and 1 old cow.
Took an extra that decided he wanted to go under a panel and tear it up. He was mid October born and he was gonna hang out a while til he did that. He got out of the loading area but not the pen. So I loaded his ornery butt anyway!
