mnm,
Are you selling these steers at an auction mart? I suppose, based on your lack of secured feed supplies, that your not feeding them on contract for the grid. The maximum profit on stockers nowadays is 900 lbs. After that, your feeding for someone else. I remember the good old days (exactly 8.5 years ago) when I could get $1200 for a 1200 lb fat steer. Now guys get excited if they gross $1000 on that same animal....not worth my time. If you have 50 steers at an average 800 lbs, and you max out at 900 lbs, your looking at 5000 lbs of gain. Figure out your cost of gain and how long its going to take to put on the 5000 lbs....and then look at the futures and decide if its worth your time and effort. Even if your feeding hard, your going to need another month to put that extra 100 lbs. on them.
I'm in the same boat as you, although with fewer head and my current average weight is more like 700 lbs and I am hoping I can put the last 125 lbs on during the summer as the futures don't get me very excited until late summer. :cowboy: