What difference does 50 pounds make??

[Bigfoot]

We've got a thread or two running here, that makes me ask that question.

A top shelf 500-550 pound steer here was 1.58, last week. That makes the 50 pounds worth $79.

If your calf is a little off on quality, and it's .15 back, then there went another $75.


That makes a grand total of $174. $174 is a considerable sum IMHO.

That scenario could get worse quick, if you've really drifted from what the market in your area is looking for.

Say $350 per head in some scenarios. Those scenarios wouldn't be to hard to walk backwards in to by the way. I know,because I've stepped in that hole a few times.

On 100 head, were talking $17,000 to $35,000.

Im not spoiling for a fight, just saying at some point small choices add up to big differences.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Makes a huge difference if you take on average it cost 1.50 a day to keep a cow. Doesn't sound like much that comes to 550 bucks a year.
Your premium calf BF made you 240 bucks profit. That's great assuming you get a 100% calf crop. If you have on average of 5% loss those docks you described move cattle from profit to welfare pretty quick.

 

[Bigfoot]

Makes a huge difference if you take on average it cost 1.50 a day to keep a cow. Doesn't sound like much that comes to 550 bucks a year.
Your premium calf BF made you 240 bucks profit. That's great assuming you get a 100% calf crop. If you have on average of 5% loss those docks you described move cattle from profit to welfare pretty quick.

Yeah, I got a lot of people counting on me. I have to know those kinds of things.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Selling back forty cattle is just going to drive this faster.
We are already headed the way of chicken and pork in womb to tomb operations.
We are our own worst enemy by producing a product that the buyer really doesn't want.

http://www.beefmagazine.com/blog/no-ran ... t-ain-t-so

We are a dying breed.
I have heard this prediction from several seminars in the last couple years.
First is quality control and they will get there under the guise of food safety and regulation.
Look at the regs hitting the feedlot the salebarn to the producer.
Over half of the salebarns in this area have closed.

 

[Farm Fence Solutions]

I think I see what you are getting at as far as quality animals goes, and I agree for the most part. The net profit per cow is the number I am most interested in. What does it cost to get the premium calf to the sale versus the calf that's just a bit off?

 

[callmefence]

I took a hard luck Hereford pair a few weeks ago. Both had been bad sick and I figured when the antibiotics withdrawal was up might as well cut em loose. I had them split at the sale.
To make the trip I loaded up five black steers. All just under 500 pounds. Four came in just under 700.00 one brought 870.00 approx.........for the life off me I couldn't tell you why.
Not along ago I saw some yellow light faced calves really outshine everything was
Last week I saw some 450 pound calves top the sale at over 2.00 .blaze face simm cross calves. They whipped everything else. I asked the buyer this time. He answered they were the best calves here today. Somebody did a good job with them.
We can pimp breeds all we want. But don't try to reinvent the wheel and do a good job with what you have may be the best plan there is...two cents

 

[Bullitt]

But don't try to reinvent the wheel and do a good job with what you have may be the best plan there is...two cents

I think that is good advice. Sometimes people try to overthink things.

Some people may not have the money to go out and buy top-dollar cattle right from the start, or may only be able to buy a few cows. Use what cattle you can afford and work at improving the herd by culling the low-performers and adding in the best heifers to the herd.

I would bet that given a small herd of cattle of most common beef breeds or crosses that I, or anyone else, could improve that herd by selecting the best heifers to keep, as well as getting the best bull genetics. These days it is easy to buy semen from the best bulls and then produce your own quality bulls to again improve a herd. Or you can buy more bull semen the next year, whichever works best financially. Within a few generations you would have excellent beef cattle being produced.

 

[Supa Dexta]

I look at nose paddles as perhaps keeping 20lbs on a calf due to less stress and pacing - for every 50 calves thats 1000 lbs, or another calf and a half - for 115 bux of nose paddles, that can be spread over years of use.