What happens on a feedlot?

[Brute 23]

If it costs you .10 cents a lb to vaccinate I can find you something quite a bit cheaper to use.

Its not just vaccinate... you have to cut and wean and blah blah blah. People like to act like there is no cost associated with that but you have to upgrade pens, you have man hours, equipment, risk, etc. Lets say you do actually make .10 X 500# calf... $50 total. Right off the top the auction barn gets their cut of the $50 before your costs... even before the govt. Then you subtract your expenses. Then, if there is any little bit left that you actually profit... uncle sam gets his cut. Thats what that scenario really looks like. Your $50 is actually more like $5 or $10 if you are lucky. Now multiply that by the number of calves you sell. $10 on 30 calves... you did all that for $300 at best... in a perfect scenario. Worse case scenario they don't give 2 flips what you do and dock you any way for some other make believe issue they dream up and you actually lose money.

Think about this stuff. They tell you to castrate your calves, then you have to give them a shot so they don't die, then you have to inject them with stuff to get them back to the weight of the bull calf you started with. :lol: Who tells you to do that stuff.... the guy buying the calf, the guy selling the drugs, the guy selling the equipment to castrate.... every one is making money but you.

 

[sim.-ang.king]

I did some figuring once on how much it cost me on 25, 2 month old calves, to catch, sort, first round of vac, band. Then come back to do the same for a second round at 6 months.
Materials-
$9 for two buckets of feed to catch the cows.
$51.70 for 3 bottles Inforce 3
$37.50 for 3 bottles of Vision 7
$13.39 for banding tool
$2.40 for 100 ct. bands
$15.00 for 25 needles
$20 for 50 6cc syringes

Total per head- $5.39

Time-
.5 Hours catching the cows and calves
1 hour sorting
3 hours total working the calves
Total $90- $10 per hour x2 people
Total per head- $3.6

Equipment Rental-
$50 per day
Total per head- $2

Total cost per head for time, rent, and materials- $10.98 first round of shots and castration

Second round at 6 months.

Materials-
$9 for two buckets of feed to catch the cows.
$51.70 for 3 bottles of Inforce 3
$37.50 for 3 bottles of Vision 7
$15.00 for 25 needles
$20 for 50 6cc syringes

Total per head- $5.39


Time-
.5 Hours catching the cows and calves
1 hour sorting
2 hours total working the calves
Total $70- $10 per hour x2 people
Total per head- $2.8


Equipment Rental-
$50 per day
Total per head- $2

Total per head- $10.98 for second vac.

Total cost- $21.94 per head
Total cost per #, on a 500# calf- $.04
Total per 25- $548.50
$3.06 Value gained (per 25-$76.50) =($.05 x 500)-21.94
$28.06 Value gained (per 25-$701.50) =($.10 x 500)-21.94
$53.06 Value gained (per 25-$1326.50) =($.15 x 500)-21.94

You're going to pay the salebarn a % no matter how much you make.
Also at some barns they will charge you part for vet work if the buyer has the vet vaccinate/treat them on site. So besure to figure that into un-vac calves price.

This was being very liberal on the cost.
Most people don't charge themselves $10/hour for labor, and some people could do that many alone, cutting cost.
The Vaccines had a $22 flat rate added on for shipping from valley vet. ($22/6 for one round= $3.7)x2=$44. So your cost may be less.



Also for weaning cost, just feeding good hay, and a little feed.
$1.20 per day per head for feed, and yardage x 14 days= $16.80
(16.80/500)= .03 per #

$.03+.04= $.07
$.10-.07= $.03
($.03x 500)= $15
$15x 25 head= $375



Maybe this will help give some idea on cost, and gains.
Like always weigh all options, and do the math before passing judgement. You maybe leaving money on the table somewhere.



Work smarter, not harder.

 

[Brute 23]

When did it, I came out right around $25 per head but that was doing it all by hand, no calf tables or squeeze chutes. You would same on some man hours but would gain all of it and probably a little more back on the cost of the equipment. Its definitely less physical and enjoyable with the right equipment.

If you want to make some easy dollars just go sit at the auction when your calves sell. Strike watch who is buying cattle like yours and try to strike up a conversation. I have been doing that for years when time allows. Every time I have done it that buyer bought most all my calves and I estimate I gained a solid nickle or more. Easiest gains I ever made on a calf. Never once has the buyer asked if they were cut or vac.

 

[RanchMan90]

When did it, I came out right around $25 per head but that was doing it all by hand, no calf tables or squeeze chutes. You would same on some man hours but would gain all of it and probably a little more back on the cost of the equipment. Its definitely less physical and enjoyable with the right equipment.

If you want to make some easy dollars just go sit at the auction when your calves sell. Strike watch who is buying cattle like yours and try to strike up a conversation. I have been doing that for years when time allows. Every time I have done it that buyer bought most all my calves and I estimate I gained a solid nickle or more. Easiest gains I ever made on a calf. Never once has the buyer asked if they were cut or vac.

I'll agree with you there. No chute = no fun. Unless you're one of those guys who enjoys roping calves and dragging them to the fire :cboy:

 

[sim.-ang.king]

When did it, I came out right around $25 per head but that was doing it all by hand, no calf tables or squeeze chutes. You would same on some man hours but would gain all of it and probably a little more back on the cost of the equipment. Its definitely less physical and enjoyable with the right equipment.

If you want to make some easy dollars just go sit at the auction when your calves sell. Strike watch who is buying cattle like yours and try to strike up a conversation. I have been doing that for years when time allows. Every time I have done it that buyer bought most all my calves and I estimate I gained a solid nickle or more. Easiest gains I ever made on a calf. Never once has the buyer asked if they were cut or vac.

Yep, you got to sell what the buyer wants to pay for. Be it fully worked, or straight off pasture. Red, black, yellow, horned, polled, steered, or not, it just depends on what the buyer wants. So you should always weigh out your cost to what someone is willing to pay, and see what method to the madness is going to work.

 

[Dave]

That first round of shots at 2 months will end up saving you money. One sick or dead calf between 2 months of age and sale date would pay for a lot of vaccinations. I have been to branding where 400 calves were worked in well under 8 hours. This year the wife and I worked 34 calves in less than 2 hours.

 

[Draper]

It's the facilities that allowed completion in that that time frame that are near impossible to ever pencil out

 

[Dave]

It's the facilities that allowed completion in that that time frame that are near impossible to ever pencil out

My facilities are neither fancy or expensive. And those big brandings that ran over 400 calves had either a simple calf table or few "good" cowboys horseback with ropes and no other facilities. It doesn't take fancy facilities or a big expensive crew, just a few people who know what they are doing.

 

[jedstivers]

It's the facilities that allowed completion in that that time frame that are near impossible to ever pencil out

Uh, no.