Whole Herd Sellout

[mnmtranching]

Just wondering,
When it's time for Y'all to throw in the towel.
How YA gonna do it?
Auction at the ranch?
Add in the paper, sell a few at a time?
I'm thinking, sell the works at the sale barn, let them advertise, get the interested people in and walk away with the check.
SO, what would you do??

 

[Horticattleman]

Probably get drunk and shoot all of em.

No really we have commercial cows and would probably put em in the paper for a few weeks and if no takers, hual em all to the barn.

 

[Brute 23]

That's like asking me to pick out the flowers for my funeral.

IF it ever comes to that point, I probably won't care. Might give'em away...

 

[Jogeephus]

Some of the barns around here advertise whole herd dispersal sales. These will be on a special night and are advertised for some time prior. If you got a good reputation, the turnout is pretty good and the prices are sometimes above average. Newspaper ad sounds good too.

 

[hillrancher]

Here our salebarn will sell after regular sale or on Saturday. There has been several sell outs this year. If the quality of cattle is fair and better they will bring more than at the regular sale.

 

[dun]

In the past we have hauled everything to the salebarn either as a special dispersal or as part of the general sle. Once the neighbor bought the whole herd so we just cut the fence and ran them over to his place after we had hauled all of his to the salebarn.

 

[Jogeephus]

In the past we have hauled everything to the salebarn either as a special dispersal or as part of the general sle. Once the neighbor bought the whole herd so we just cut the fence and ran them over to his place after we had hauled all of his to the salebarn.

That spoke highly of your cattle. :tiphat:

 

[grannysoo]

Try to advertise a few weeks as a private sale, then sale barn if needed.

 

[john250]

Turn them over to the bank and let them decide. :lol: :lol:

 

[bigbull338]

i dont imtend to sale the cows while im alive.now i have no prob selling every comm cow on the place.an buying back reg cows.i hope my neices an neohews will want to take over the reg beefmasters.

 

[bandit80]

Turn them over to the bank and let them decide. :lol: :lol:

oohh, not good idea. You ever seen a bunch of "city boy bankers" trying to round up some cattle? That would be comical to say the least.

 

[MistyMorning]

Just wondering,
When it's time for Y'all to throw in the towel.
How YA gonna do it?
Auction at the ranch?
Add in the paper, sell a few at a time?
I'm thinking, sell the works at the sale barn, let them advertise, get the interested people in and walk away with the check.
SO, what would you do??

Hey mnmt, you say just wondering, is that all it is or are you considering?

 

[john250]

Turn them over to the bank and let them decide. :lol: :lol:

oohh, not good idea. You ever seen a bunch of "city boy bankers" trying to round up some cattle? That would be comical to say the least.

Ain't gonna happen. But I am lucky enough to have a banker who could do the job if he had to.

 

[bandit80]

Turn them over to the bank and let them decide. :lol: :lol:

oohh, not good idea. You ever seen a bunch of "city boy bankers" trying to round up some cattle? That would be comical to say the least.

Ain't gonna happen. But I am lucky enough to have a banker who could do the job if he had to.

I think that was one reason they hired me. :lol: I would like to see my boss and a couple of the other guys trying to "round up" some cattle. I might pay good money and bring the beer to watch that one.

 

[fitz]

"Throwing in the towel." I don't know if I'm at that point just yet. Can't bring myself to let them all go at once. But this drought is a killer. Only one cutting of hay last two years. Limited sources for water.
I've thought about an add in the paper, but just don't want to fool with the calls and visits, if that where to come. Therefore, I'm running them thru the salebarn.
This year I've taken some calves off early, sold most of my yearling heifers, thought on that one hard but figured I'd retain the older, bred cows for now. I guess if it keeps going I'll finish the yearlings first, then cow calf pairs, and wind up with selling my bred cows. Glad that some are getting the rain. None of us can do without it. It'll rain here again.

 

[mnmtranching]

Well, I started out with a few cows, saved heifers and built the herd. Using cheap old machinery that I keep going, doing the mechanical work myself. [that can be considerable] Added land over the years, bought it before the huge price increases. The cattle have paid for themselves, sell the calves to feed the cows. Hasn't been much $ left the last 4 years. But no bank is involved in my land and cattle operation.
I have to say, times were pretty good when we had normal precipe during the growing season. I ran more young stock and sold hay. Sold calves for .70-.80 cents a pound and paid income taxes. I will take plentiful feed and 80 cent calves any day.

 

[hurleyjd]

Well, I started out with a few cows, saved heifers and built the herd. Using cheap old machinery that I keep going, doing the mechanical work myself. [that can be considerable] Added land over the years, bought it before the huge price increases. The cattle have paid for themselves, sell the calves to feed the cows. Hasn't been much $ left the last 4 years. But no bank is involved in my land and cattle operation.
I have to say, times were pretty good when we had normal precipe during the growing season. I ran more young stock and sold hay. Sold calves for .70-.80 cents a pound and paid income taxes. I will take plentiful feed and 80 cent calves any day.

Some time in life there comes a time to do something different the smart ones analize the situation at hand and take the best route for them. Selling out and taking some time off makes sense to me. The dumb ones keep hanging on until nothing is left and then whine their heads off because of high prices and low calf prices. A good business man adjusts his business to make money, sometimes a total sell out is necessary. I am very close to deciding the same thing. I am tired and every thing keeps going up, for example a 50 lb sack of cubes are now 7.99. That is about three dollars more than last year. This is only one example of what is more expensive, there are many more I am aware off and I am sure you are. Calves are between .70 and 1.01 per lb. You see that the buyers are squeezing the producer to make their business more profitable. That is about forty cents less thad a year and a half ago. Sell them take the winter off and then look at it. If you put the money in the bank then you can go back in any time you want. Not a bad idea to let the farm or ranch rest for a year. This will really do the land some good.

 

[ChrisB]

MNMT,

There's a lot of hay in my area (east central part of the state). Prices seem to be dropping every week in the local shopper. Good quality alfalfa and mixed hay is holding it's value but grass hay can be found for around $70 a ton. Trucking is expensive of course, but you could either haul 15 loads of hay up your way or 1 or 2 loads of cows down to where the hay is and have someone winter them for you.

 

[mnmtranching]

herleyjd, thats good thought. I believe that is what I would do except, Taxes, I may have to spread the liquidation over maybe 3 years. A big part of the whole situation is the loss of my pasture lease, 400 acres 1 mile down the road. With a couple big highway projects the owner is exercising a clause in the contract to sell gravel and fill. There will be a blacktop plant in the middle. There just isn't anymore grazing land available in this area.
Chris, Right now I'm green chopping fired corn. I will have enough for a few months. Trouble is it will cut into my Winter silage. I can get good hay, half alfalfa brought in for $105 ton. I haven't priced the cost in the field. The nearest hay would probably be a minimum 40 miles. Most hay is in the 80 +mile range.