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

[CowpokeJ]

I took some cows with no teeth to the local sale, they had calves on them and it's getting close to the end of grass season. One weighed [email protected]. Another calf I had off a normal [email protected] 5 mo. old(out of a longhorn cross cow). So, unless you're doing something wrong, I'm not seeing a 4mo. 2 wt. Both of these were wormed bull calves,no shots. I've also talked to several order buyers, they are vaccinating everything, worked or not worked. Are you implanting your steers, and if so, how old are they when you implant them?

I don't implant but I have considered it. I'm sure the feed lot does. I usually leave the calf on the moma as long as the pasture conditions are good and the cows conditions are good intill I go to the market. Usually 6-7 months. I only sell them earlier than that if the cow has a problem & if the cow has a problem then I'll get her fat again and cull her. That's how I maintain quality.
I do keep a few steers for individual sales for 9 to 12 months
I did the math on the above sale fiqures even though the smaller animal got more per lb if I was taking 25 to the sale the extra 625 bucks would by a lot of feed or meds.

Yeah, I had to go ahead and sell the little one, he was starting to drag the cow with no teeth down and it was sep 25, so running out of summer.

 

[ROCK-N-W]

Yeah, I had to go ahead and sell the little one, he was starting to drag the cow with no teeth down and it was sep 25, so running out of summer.

We went from draught to flooding here. I was going to try to hold onto some of my calves a little longer since the price is holding better on higher weight calves, but with all this rain the grass will sour so I will be going ahead and selling like usual.
I asked the vet about what he thought of the ear implants. He likes them. He recommended that I Just do it when I band and tag and to make sure I use the different kind for my heiffers.
He uses them & has had pretty good results.

 

[blueridge]

In reference to the original question -- at our local sale barn they only ask where to send the check. They don't care about vacs or backgrounding. In fact we have been considering whether to start backgrounding ours or not. Here in SC we have feeder sales that are supposed to bring uniform calf crops together at one sale to take advantage of premiums from vaccinating and weaning for 45 days as well as getting them used to eating from bunks and waterers. I went to one to see if it was worth it. The regular sale is on Mandays with the feeder sale on Tue. I printed off the results of the Mon sale to take as a comparison. The feeder sale was a joke! A friend of mine sent 4 steers through that averaged just over 700 lbs. They brought a mere .9001 while the same weight steer on Mon brought 1.09! He was ticked! Needless to say we are rethinking using our local sale barn to market our next year calves.

 

[ROCK-N-W]

I went to one to see if it was worth it. The regular sale is on Mandays with the feeder sale on Tue. I printed off the results of the Mon sale to take as a comparison. The feeder sale was a joke! A friend of mine sent 4 steers through that averaged just over 700 lbs. They brought a mere .9001 while the same weight steer on Mon brought 1.09! He was ticked! Needless to say we are rethinking using our local sale barn to market our next year calves.

Your just looking at one example.
I'm looking at years of over all sells.
I study what prices are doing on all the sales in the State before I go to market. But since it is a Commodity. It's always a roll of the dice at the local sell barn. No matter what.
What a animal might bring at the start of the sale day & what it might bring towards the end of a sale day can also change.
You just never know. I wish my area did have a co op I would get into it in a heart beat. Thinking about video sales myself.

 

[Dave]

My experience is that sale barns never ask anything but your address. You have to tell them. And beings as you are generally telling someone who can't hold down a good paying job, you need to follow up and make sure things get announced. The local sale barn will do it you just need to make sure that they do.
Around here vaccinated weaned calves are $0.20 higher than the straight off the cow no shots calves. That is a lot of money to vaccinate calves.
If you don't think they are worth more go buy some preconditioned calves and some no shots straight from the cow calves. Go to feeding them and you will realize how much more they are worth. I think that the farther you are from the main feedlot areas the more they watch for vaccinations. A calf that is going to be on the truck for 20 hours is a lot more stressed than one going 2 hours.

 

[blueridge]

Rock-N-W,
My example is the one that is relative to me. I don't care if a sale barn in another part of the state is bringing 25 cents more per pound. By the time you haul the extra miles you come out even. Dont' get me wrong, the local sale barn has it's place, but not if you are trying to get a maximum price for your calves. In reference to prices being different at the end of the sale verses the beginning, that has as much to do with the auctioneer as anythng. What he needs to remember is that may be the only calves you sale that year and he has the obligation to try to get the best price for them. In our case the sale barn has no local competition. Video sales are becoming very popular here as a result. I believe backgrounding should be done if you are in the southeast. We have a reputation of not providing healthy calves to the feed yard and it showes in the prices we receive in relation to other parts of the country.

 

[dun]

Part of the issue with some salebarns having pre-vac type sales and those calves not bringing more is the reputaion of the type and numbers of cattle that come from that area. You're not going to get enough serious buyers at some sale barns where one 20 miles away may have a dozen or more pots sitting there waiting to be filled.

 

[ROCK-N-W]

Blueridge.
I don't run around the state to diferent sale barns neither.
This is ugly on my face not stupid. :lol:
I look at what prices are going for at all the barns. Then follow the trends so that when I do go to the local barn. I know that I am not selling when prices have fallen off. That way I can exspect a fair price. I also request a higher lot number if I am the first one there in the morning, most of the buyers are not all with it first thing in the morning.
Long ago I would go and wish I picked a different day, now I have learned to check out prices first. and I know what you mean when you only sell once a year you would like to get the most you can. I still think by doing that extra for your calves you end up getting a better price. The same buyer goes after my steers every time I take them. I'm sure they keep some records on the names of sellers, cause if I was running a feed lot I sure would.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

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.

i wonder if its because the majority of male calves around here aint steered on the farm. so theres no competition against steers calves, . if the table was turned would there be a difference? i know you have a good program . but the majority of farmers dont . most go too the barn ,horns( IF THEY GOT EM) nutts and no vaccinations. some cant even make it to the feedlot healthy because of no health program at all back home

 

[FROGHOLLOWFARM]

In reference to the original question -- at our local sale barn they only ask where to send the check. They don't care about vacs or backgrounding. In fact we have been considering whether to start backgrounding ours or not. Here in SC we have feeder sales that are supposed to bring uniform calf crops together at one sale to take advantage of premiums from vaccinating and weaning for 45 days as well as getting them used to eating from bunks and waterers. I went to one to see if it was worth it. The regular sale is on Mandays with the feeder sale on Tue. I printed off the results of the Mon sale to take as a comparison. The feeder sale was a joke! A friend of mine sent 4 steers through that averaged just over 700 lbs. They brought a mere .9001 while the same weight steer on Mon brought 1.09! He was ticked! Needless to say we are rethinking using our local sale barn to market our next year calves.

I know what your saying about that sale,I went to one last year to check it out and did not see any premiums.A buddy of mine took some to it this year,on the wean vac program and did not get a better price as a monday sale.

 

[KenB]

Blueridge.
I don't run around the state to diferent sale barns neither.
This is ugly on my face not stupid. :lol:
I look at what prices are going for at all the barns. Then follow the trends so that when I do go to the local barn. I know that I am not selling when prices have fallen off. That way I can exspect a fair price. I also request a higher lot number if I am the first one there in the morning, most of the buyers are not all with it first thing in the morning.
Long ago I would go and wish I picked a different day, now I have learned to check out prices first. and I know what you mean when you only sell once a year you would like to get the most you can. I still think by doing that extra for your calves you end up getting a better price.

The same buyer goes after my steers every time I take them.

:? How does the buyer know that they are your steers?

I'm sure they keep some records on the names of sellers, cause if I was running a feed lot I sure would.

 

[tmaygspeara]

our sale barn doesnt ask for a address, all they ask is your name and they tell you to come back after five to pick up your check

 

[Weaver]

The sale barns around here don't ask questions about your cattle, but they are more than happy to provide it to the buyers if you speak up and tell them what type of program you have run them through.
Also I have had a buyer tell me that he forsees a time in the near future where most of the buyers will have some type of electronic device with them that they can refer to when cattle come into the ring to buy. All the buyer will have to do is bring up the owner of the group of calves and if he has bought calves from the owner before, how the previous calves have performed. If they weren't vaccinated and had a higher death rate, then he knows not to pay much for them. On the other hand if they were healthy and really took off in the feedlot, then he knows that he can pay more for them.

 

[bgm]

The sale barn I use doesn't ask anything expect for name and address either. However they write down everything important about the animals I tell them. If they are vaccinated it's written down, if they are bunk broke it's written down. I generally don't attend the auction but have watched it on the internet and seen my animals go through. They do announce what has been written on the ticket. Seems to me that part of trying to make the maximum profit is being a salesmen. You can take the calves to the barn, keep quiet and take whatever you get. Or you can do your best to make sure the buyers know what your offering.

I know on the ones we taken and told the good things about I've been pleasantly suprised with the results. The ones we told the truth about in negative ways didn't bring as much but I feel we gained more in reputation and good will than it cost.

And as Dun has said, Value Added Sales make this easier and should be taken advantage of, if possible.

 

[Wewild]

The owner of the barn we go to called me after the first load we sent to ask about the address I wrote down. I have the check sent to me with the check in my Dad's name and I inadvertantly put down my Dad's address. I give the check to my Mom.

The owner is a good guy.

They are happy to write up the tickets and match the tags for you. We vac, cut and implant. We feel we are doing better and we sell twice a year.

We are working toward the buyer coming to us. We ain't there yet.

 

[jvicars]

i am a newbie but business owner for a living. if the market does not pay for something why do it. if the cattle are good without the extra and the price is the same, skip it unless there is something in it for you mentally.

The only way you can make the exta effort work is to advertise in the local market and sell to individuals who dont go to the market and dont mind paying more for calm cattle from a small operation.

I sell calves and cows from my place because others want calm cattle for their small ranch or food. they dont want cattle from a 10,000 acre ranch to grow out on their 5 acres. they want a pet to eat later. there is a market to sell to the ranchette owners. yuppies who want cattle to look at but dont want to deal with the auction.

there is not right answer but if you are in it for extra money do what the market pays for and that is it. If its a hobby do what is fun.

 

[ROCK-N-W]

i am a newbie but business owner for a living. if the market does not pay for something why do it. if the cattle are good without the extra and the price is the same, skip it unless there is something in it for you mentally.

The only way you can make the exta effort work is to advertise in the local market and sell to individuals who dont go to the market and dont mind paying more for calm cattle from a small operation.

I sell calves and cows from my place because others want calm cattle for their small ranch or food. they dont want cattle from a 10,000 acre ranch to grow out on their 5 acres. they want a pet to eat later. there is a market to sell to the ranchette owners. yuppies who want cattle to look at but dont want to deal with the auction.

there is not right answer but if you are in it for extra money do what the market pays for and that is it. If its a hobby do what is fun.

What Dribble!
Hope your not wasting a AG Exemption.
You must be a Snowbird, cause I know of no Real Florida Cracker that would think this way.
GEEZ

 

[ROCK-N-W]

i got to an ag class at the ext service monday.

You two guys from Myakka must of went to the same class.
Must of been like a Sunday morning service and you two slept right thru it.

 

[jvicars]

Instead of simple comments how about some useful input. You sound like a pro so chime in with some quality input. If you are making a living off cattle help the people who spend time trying to learn. Not sure why folks get so much attitude on these boards. People are trying to learn not get smart alec remark in return.

 

[dun]

The only way you can make the exta effort work is to advertise in the local market and sell to individuals who dont go to the market and dont mind paying more for calm cattle from a small operation.

I think this may be the part that stuck in someones craw.
There are no abosultes. Advertising in the paper may work in some places, not in others. Selling at the right sales or to the right market will also pay for the "extra" things you do.