why background /vac/ or wean em at all...just load em??

[dieselbeef]

i got to an ag class at the ext service monday. its about cattle in general the first day. covered alot in about 2hrs.
vaccinations
backgrounding
lot sizes
lot uniformity
breeds
calfing
among other things
here is my riddle...when i haul my calfs to the market the salebarn doesnt
ask if theyre backgrounded?
ask if they are weaned?
grassfed?
ask if they been vaccinated?
they ask who to send the check to.
is this typical of all auctions.
why go thru the trouble to do all the work if theyre goin to a feedlot 1200 mi away that doesnt care if theyre fesh offa the cow or already vac and backgrounded...wean em on the trailer on the way over at 4 months for most $$/lb.
can anyone help me to understand this...the extension agent couldnt tell me??? but said i should do all that recommended stuff

 

[ROCKSPRINGS]

Around here they don't want to know anything but name and address so they can send you the check.

 

[dieselbeef]

exactly..so why spend my time and money for somethin thats sposed to bring me more money when i can rob it offa the momma cow at 4 mo and get 40 cents/lb more and feed em for less time

somebody explain it to me cuz im looking at things a little different here lately..

did i mention that they never ask if that sac hangin down between the bulls (steers) legs work or not either.

the agent made a big deal out of alot of this stuff to people just gettin started with a couple cows and i told em all it dont mean nuthin at the barn...load em up asap!!

 

[bigbull338]

all of the calves here get weaned on the trailer.an the sale barm doesnt care if they are pre conned.the only calves that will get weaned an worked around here are those of reg cows.even the calves that will go the sale will be weaned but not worked.

 

[dieselbeef]

i wanna see how many of the big ranchers here will admit this fact...or is it because im a small producer that i dont sell direct to the feedlot that it works this way for me

 

[ROCK-N-W]

Geez A Wheez Mr. Deasel

The auctioneer and buyers know if it's a steer or bull calve.
They are also prettty smart at knowing what breed the animal is.
The reason you get more per lb is because a 4 month should still be on mothers milk making it qualify as veal.
If you steer your bulls early like I do you get improved growth.
Even though you get less per lb when you sell a steer at 6oolbs that is 6-7 months old @ 1.05 per lb at the market and your taking 30 steers. You will make alot more that taking 30 4 month olds weighing 260 lbs @ 145 a lb. Do the math
In the long run your profits will be much more overall averages.
But I have had a 300lb calve draw more than a 475lb and All I could do was just shake my head, but thats not the norm.

 

[dieselbeef]

how much invested time and meds..pasture...backgroundin em dont come free either....they dont eat grass out of a bucket...or water for that matter

4 months dude they better be eating grass by then and no longer qualify for veal once theyve tasted grass

 

[MikeC]

Feedlots and buyers must allow for deaths in calves when purchasing feeders from a salebarn. It happens.

I think the death rate is around 5%. Even if they don't die, the ones that get sick don't do as well....Growth, marbling, etc.

If everyone vacced and backgrounded their calves, the death and sickness rate would be lower, allowing buyers to pay more. Simple business math.

Someone selling 100 calves the deduction is significant.

Those selling 4-5 usually don't care but are still contributing to the problem.

We should all strive to sell the best and healthiest calves possible.

 

[ROCK-N-W]

We don't give any meds to calves that are still on their mothers milk they get it from the cow.
Unless the calve has a problem then we give meds and wait for the withdraw before selling.
Even very young calves eat grass at least they do here on my Ranch. But you got me bout the veal I always thought all they had to be was still nursing on the cow. Some one else will have to clarify that point.
I'm just a ole timer I don't butcher babies just fat steers & heiffers.
You will also get more even at the auction fi your calves are more uniform in color and size, breed, etc.

 

[dieselbeef]

i agree that we should sell the best calves we can.

i can hardly think the buyers were allowing for them to die on the way to the lot.

what im askin is if that would make a difference in the price why doesnt anyone ask me if ive done any of it??? because they want to buy it as cheap as possible. in order for me to make the most money i must have the least amt of time and money invested. how can i background em,vac em,and wean em right when my nieghbor dont see his cows for 3 or 4 month hauls his cows for nearly the same avg??

 

[MikeC]

i agree that we should sell the best calves we can.

i can hardly think the buyers were allowing for them to die on the way to the lot.

what im askin is if that would make a difference in the price why doesnt anyone ask me if ive done any of it??? because they want to buy it as cheap as possible. in order for me to make the most money i must have the least amt of time and money invested. how can i background em,vac em,and wean em right when my nieghbor dont see his cows for 3 or 4 month hauls his cows for nearly the same avg??

There is NO DOUBT buyers make allowances for sickness and death.

If you have enough animals and have a buyer come to your place to bid on calves, and you have immunization records, I can guarantee he will pay more.

Respectfully, don't base your operation on your neighbors.

Do your best and one day you will be rewarded........

 

[dieselbeef]

i dont compare as i do my own program. dont get much help outta anyone round me so its werk and learn

 

[ROCK-N-W]

I also have a fellow rancher next to me.
He does not put the same effort into his herd that I do.
But since I have seen some of his sales slips, their was only one time in the past 5 years that he brought a better average than I did, and then you gotta look at the total lbs I keep telling you ya gotta do the math. My check was still bigger with less animals sold.
Diesel let me give ya a little more advice that came from my Pappy. Don't worry bout what the other mans doing on his side of the fence you gotta tend to your own.
The buyers know unless your gonna sell under someone elses name every time you sell. they learn over time when a ranchers beef is quality and when they get the finished cut, what quality that can be exspected form your animals.
Bud when I got something sorry I sell it under my bros name.
He don't care I do

 

[rockridgecattle]

We did the vaccinations and worm thing. We do I should say. We pre treat the cows and bulls prior to breeding. We do that year's calf crop at the same time.
Then we would bring in the animals minimum three weeks prior to shipping and booster and worm the calves.
Did we see a better price yes
why...
...wean weights were higher due to the less pasture pnemonia
...wean weights were higher due to the worming
...less death or weaker unthrifty calves at birth.
...we would also have the auctionneer tell the buyers that they were boostered that helped
...they looked better so they got a better price

But becasue we never had enough for a pot load they got mixed with other animals and got re boostered at the feedlot.

Do we background...no...wean on the truck.

However my husband has decided that this year he will not booster with the prices as low as they are and costs as high as they are. The spring vaccinations OK but the fall ones, why if the feedlot will booster anyhow...unless I can sell direct...looking into that now, for a price.

 

[Bama]

I buy several calves and resale them later. The order buyers know my calves. I have a distintive ear tagging. No I don't anounce my calves are this or that. The buyers know how they have preformed in the past and are willing to pay more. Some of the ones that don't measure up to my standards still have to be sold. I cut the distintive tag before selling them. I sell them as bulls most of the time. Steers just don't get enough of a price increase around here to make a differance. I know some areas it makes a huge differance, for now it don't pay around here.

 

[Jogeephus]

I do everything within reason to insure that the calves I sell someone will be healthy and make them money. Very few of my calves see the inside of a salebarn and the folks buying them are interested in continuing the relationship as am I.

If you think the buyers can't tell whether a calf has been weaned or not you are mistaken. I can tell this myself with a high degree of accuracy. At the very least, you should wean your calves from their mother if possible. Not only for the calves sake but for the sake of your pocket book. You will be rewarded in less shrink. JMHO

 

[dun]

If you're just selling at the typical local weekly sale you won;t see any return. But, if you sell at the prevac sales you'll see some extra dollars. Also if they are source/process verified (EID) tagged you'll see a little more.
It all goes back to how you plan on marketing your calves. Don;t add value if you plan on selling them in non-value added sales.

 

[larryshoat]

We start about 800 holstein baby calves a year and take them to 250-500 lbs or whatever the customer wants.They are sold a pot load at a time.They always ask about the program and if they get sick after they get them I hear about it.At the sale barns around here they will anounce it if you tell them.What it comes to is that there are two ways of dioing anything,the right way and all the others.

Larry

 

[msscamp]

is this typical of all auctions.

I think so - I know it is here.

why go thru the trouble to do all the work if theyre goin to a feedlot 1200 mi away that doesnt care if theyre fesh offa the cow or already vac and backgrounded...wean em on the trailer on the way over at 4 months for most $$/lb.
can anyone help me to understand this...the extension agent couldnt tell me??? but said i should do all that recommended stuff

Reputation. Most feedlots do care - and they generally keep track of problem calves, and who they came from. By going through all that trouble, you are usually going to get a better price for your calves because there is less expense/loss at the other end.

 

[Txwalt]

is this typical of all auctions.

I think so - I know it is here.

why go thru the trouble to do all the work if theyre goin to a feedlot 1200 mi away that doesnt care if theyre fesh offa the cow or already vac and backgrounded...wean em on the trailer on the way over at 4 months for most $$/lb.
can anyone help me to understand this...the extension agent couldnt tell me??? but said i should do all that recommended stuff

Reputation. Most feedlots do care - and they generally keep track of problem calves, and who they came from. By going through all that trouble, you are usually going to get a better price for your calves because there is less expense/loss at the other end.

I don't think that happens down here. People are bidding on calves and have no idea who the owner is. Even if they announced the names of the owner there is no way the bidders could remember them all through the course of a year. Your statement may be true for the large operations but not for the other 90%. Atleast around here.

Walt